BME Weekly

May 25, 2020

BME in the News

Congratulations to Dr. Julie Kohn on her VentureWell BME-IDEA International Faculty Grant

Abstract: This project seeks to establish a collaboration between the biomedical engineering (BME) programs of the University of Delaware (UD) and the University of Cape Town (UCT) in South Africa in order to create a multi-cultural senior design project. This grant would provide funding for the establishment of an initial collaboration, funding for the first-year project, and professional development of the program’s faculty member, Dr. Julie Kohn. The goal of the collaboration is to provide US-based BME undergraduate students with the opportunity to practice designing medical devices for a low-resource setting and to learn how to work in multicultural teams.

Congratulations to Jazmine Shirazi on her Delaware Space Grant Graduate Fellowship

BME Department News

Biopharmaceutical Institute (BPI) at STAR Campus
Move-in date is DELAYED due to COVID-19 measures. Please continue to reduce your material to move. Please refer to emails and direct any questions or concerns to Joey Norikane: jnorikan@udel.edu

BME Graduate News

BioData Catalyst Fellows Program; 2nd Cohort Now Open for Applications

We are pleased to announce a second round of NHLBI BioData Catalyst Fellows Program fellowship opportunities. Please encourage early-career researchers in your community to apply. The Call for Proposals can be found at https://biodatacatalyst.nhlbi.nih.gov/fellows/program.

BioData Catalyst is an ecosystem for research investigators who need to find, access, share, store, and compute on large scale datasets. It is a cloud-based platform populated with NHLBI datasets that provides tools, applications, and workflows in secure workspaces.

The NHLBI BioData Catalyst Fellows Program provides researchers, especially early-career researchers (graduate students, postdocs, junior faculty, and others), the opportunity to receive funding to help support research on novel and innovative data science and data-focused research problems. The program is open to academic disciplines conducting biomedical research in heart, lung, blood, and sleep (HLBS) domains, which may or may not include the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in those domains.

The BioData Catalyst Fellows Program offers a mechanism for researchers to engage with the Consortium as partners in the BioData Catalyst endeavor.

BioData Catalyst Fellows will:

Improve the NHLBI BioData Catalyst ecosystem based on their feedback. Fellows are among the first users of the ecosystem, chosen in part because they have projects that can benefit from, and be of benefit to, BioData Catalyst.
Be our collaborators. Together we will test and expand the BioData Catalyst ecosystem with new tools, data, and capabilities.
Have dedicated time to work with TOPMed data and other data sources to accelerate their research productivity.
Act as our ambassadors in their communities to help onboard others.

The application process opens on May 15, 2020. The deadline to submit is June 26, 2020 11:59 PM Eastern Time. For more information, please review the Call for Proposals on the BioData Catalyst website (https://biodatacatalyst.nhlbi.nih.gov/fellows/program). Questions regarding the Fellows Program may be directed to the NHLBI BioData Catalyst Help Desk and by selecting the type “Fellows Program” from the contact form.

Postdoctoral Cancer Prevention Fellowship at NCI

Are you a researcher or clinician with a demonstrated interest in cancer prevention? If so, we want to hear from you!

Applications are now open for NCI’s Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program! Deadline to apply is August 17, 2020.

Be a part of the program that supports postdoctoral research and professional development training, plus offers:

Competitive stipends, relocation expenses, health insurance benefits, and travel allowances
Support for up to four years
Opportunity to earn your MPH, sponsored by NCI
Research opportunities with experienced NCI mentors
A cohort of fellows spanning STEM and other fields

A Multidisciplinary Fellowship

Epidemiology, Biomedical Sciences, Behavioral Sciences, Nursing, Medicine, Health Services, Disparities, Psychology, Nutritional Sciences, Pharmacology, Toxicology, Biostatistics, Engineering, Translational Science, Public Health, and more!

LAST CHANCE: DE-INBRE Year 2 Core Center Access Award Application

Attached please find for your review and dissemination the DE-INBRE IV Year 2 Core Center Access Award Application for those interested in applying for a core center access award utilizing Medicaid Data. Please note the application deadline is May 27, 2020 at 5pm. Completed applications should be emailed to info@de-inbre.org.

LAST CHANCE: Call for Applications for NASA STAR – Spaceflight Technologies, Applications, and Research

NASA has noted a lack of dedicated courses or training available for new researchers entering the field of space biosciences or preparing to submit proposals for analog or spaceflight experiments. The opportunities and limitations of using spacecraft as a research laboratory are specific, complex, and frequently require prior knowledge, so they may present a major hurdle for academic and industry researchers who would otherwise be able to apply their expertise to space biology.

To address these issues, NASA has developed this inaugural STAR course, which provides a one-week intensive training session and encourages networking and collaborations in spaceflight technologies, applications, and research. This course targets principal investigators (PIs), senior research scientists, and postdoctoral scholars and aims to facilitate their entry to space biology and preparation for spaceflight experiments using NASA and commercial platforms. NASA will sponsor the course to take place at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) during the week of August 10-14, 2020. The STAR course will cover both fundamental and applied aspects of the field of biology, as well as practical aspects of preparing for, conducting, and analyzing the results of spaceflight experiments. This call is specifically to collect applications for the STAR Course.

This document is being released as an RFI response type in NSPIRES. The full text of the RFI and response instructions can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/NASASTARAPP. Responses must be submitted electronically using the NSPIRES web site and require only your CV and a personal statement (mentor statement must also be included for postdoctoral applicants). This RFI is open to responses from all individuals with a doctoral degree and who are US citizens or permanent residents, including those from commercial entities, academia, NASA Centers, and other government agencies.

The information obtained will be used by NASA for STAR course planning and attendance. NASA will use the information obtained as a result of this RFI only for the purposes of gauging interest in the STAR course for planning and attendance purposes. No information received will be posted to any website or public access location. Questions and answers regarding this RFI may be posted to the NSPIRES website in the form of an FAQ. While course participants will be drawn from applicants, replying to this Call for Applications does not guarantee a spot in the course. NASA may plan to respond to the individual responses. The Government does not intend to award an award on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for the information solicited.

Deadline to apply is May 29, 2020.

Joint DMS/NIGMS Initiative to Support Research at the Interface of Biological Mathematical Sciences via NSF

Please pass this new grant opportunity for collaborations between math and biology/biomedical research along: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=327048
Deadline is September 18, 2020

Grant Opportunities from AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is soliciting applications for grants to support medical related education for grad students/clinicians/residents/undergrad students etc https://www.astrazenecagrants.com/us-grants/ and they are also interested in sponsoring conferences on areas of their interest.

You seem to need to register with them to get application information, that is available on their website.

UniProt Now Accepting Submissions

Calling all scientists stuck at home! Contribute your knowledge to UniProt and help the scientific community.

Read our latest blog post to see how: http://insideuniprot.blogspot.com/2020/04/scientists-at-home-uniprot-to-rescue.html

NIH Supplements for Underrepresented Students (new FOA)

NIH just updated the FOA for grant supplements to train under represented high school, undergraduate, graduate students and postdocs. Please pass along to your graduate trainers.

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-20-166.html

It is similar to the prior FOA however, it has more details in regard to NIH’s expanded criteria for social/economic disadvantage which is likely to make way more students eligible as it includes Pell eligibility, receiving WIC as a child or adult, growing up in some rural zip codes/those with a shortage of health professionals, and first generation college student status.

This is a reminder to all NIH funded faculty members (a very broad set of activity codes are eligible) that research supplements are available to fund trainees (ranging from high school students through postdocs) who are underrepresented in STEM. https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-18-906.html including folks from underrepresented minority groups, low income or rural backgrounds (note NIH just greatly broadened this category), or those with physical or mental disabilities.

You should also be contacting your institute representative for the PA since each institute has different details about the process…..

Individuals from racial and ethnic groups that have been shown by the NSF to be underrepresented in health-related sciences on a national basis (see data at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/showpub.cfm?TopID=2&SubID=27) and the report Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering). The following racial and ethnic groups have been shown to be underrepresented in biomedical research: Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders. In addition, it is recognized that underrepresentation can vary from setting to setting; individuals from racial or ethnic groups that can be demonstrated convincingly to be underrepresented by the grantee institution should be encouraged to participate in this program. For more information on racial and ethnic categories and definitions, see NOT-OD-15-089.
Individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, as described in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended. See NSF data at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/2013/pdf/tab7-5_updated_2014_10.pdf.
Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, defined as:
Individuals who come from a family with an annual income below established low-income thresholds. These thresholds are based on family size, published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census; adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index; and adjusted by the Secretary for use in all health professions programs. The Secretary periodically publishes these income levels at http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/index.shtml.
Individuals who come from an educational environment such as that found in certain rural or inner-city environments that has demonstrably and directly inhibited the individual from obtaining the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to develop and participate in a research career.

The disadvantaged background category (C1 and C2) refers to the financial and educational background of individuals, particularly before graduating from high school, while residing in the United States

It should be noted that literature also shows that women from the above backgrounds (categories A, B, and C) face particular challenges at the graduate level and beyond in scientific fields (e.g., Inside the Double Bind, A Synthesis of Empirical Research on Undergraduate and Graduate Women of Color in Science, Technology, Engineering, and mathematics http://her.hepg.org/content/t022245n7x4752v2/fulltext.pdf).

Workshop on NIH, NIGMS, and NHGRI Training Funding Opportunities

National Institutes of Health (NIH)
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

Join NIGMS and NHGRI staff for a Workshop on NIGMS and NHGRI Training Funding Opportunities at Augustana University, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This workshop should be of interest to faculty who are engaged in student research training. Funding opportunities for community colleges, and bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degree awarding institutions will be discussed. You’ll gain information on the grants process, tips for writing proposals, the peer review process, and more. The workshop is hosted in partnership with Augustana University and the South Dakota Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network (SD BRIN).

Date: Tuesday, August 4, 2020
Location: Rooms FSC113 A and B Froiland Science Complex (FSC), Augustana University
Registration Fee: None
Registration: https://meetings.nigms.nih.gov/meetings/NIGMS_NHGRI/

Graduate Women in Science: Delaware Chapter Established

GWIS is a global community for women in the STEM field. This group started in 1921, and its mission is to empower, inspire, support, and recognize women in science. Today, GWIS has more than 1,000 members and many chapters in the United States and across the globe. The Delaware GWIS Chapter is fairly new, as we were just established in September 2019 and we are working towards expanding this chapter! We strive to connect Graduate Women in the STEM field in Delaware to other passionate, diverse scientists to uplift each other and work together to promote science. This organization is open to all STEM-associated graduate students, faculty, post-doctoral and undergraduate students! Our long-term goal is to create a haven where graduate students and women scientists from Delaware and the surrounding community, will accomplish all of their goals, both personally and professionally. We offer the students a variety of opportunities to participate in outreach activities, networking, and making an impact in the community.

As we are working toward expanding our local Delaware Chapter, we are reaching out to all departments in STEM at UD! Please pass along this information to the UD departments and for more information, you may use this link: GWIS at Delaware! Also, interested members are more than welcome to email questions to delaware@gwis.org or Meera Patel (meerapat@udel.edu)! We hope to grow our GWIS community at UD and appreciate your help with our organization!

BME Undergraduate News

Sigma Xi: Art and Science Competition Submissions Wanted

Sigma Xi is hosting a STEM art and film festival this fall and is looking for submissions (deadline July 31st)

https://www.sigmaxi.org/meetings-events/annual-meeting-and-student-research-conference/stem-art-and-film-festival

NIH NIAID COVID-19 Antibody Study

From Lynn Snyder Mackler: In this strange time, we are all trying to figure out something tangible we can do to help fight this fight. I was enrolled this week. They are actively recruiting to try and figure out the penetrance of the virus into the community.

Niaidflucsu@niaid.nih.gov

If you would like to enroll in the study, email the above email and state you want to be a part of the antibody study. You will received an email back and a quick 10 minute call (caller ID will say NIH NIAID) and they will send you a kit to do a pin prick blood sample.

Still no update: Delaware INBRE Summer Scholars 2020

Please note, Summer Scholar selections are continuing as planned with the assumption that the INBRE Summer Scholars program will run during the Summer of 2020. However, as the situation with the pandemic is now fluid, it is possible that we will need to significantly change the program scope, limit which scholars are able to participate based on the details of their research project/its suitability to remote work, or even cancel the Summer program altogether as the start date approaches. As the Governor of Delaware has extended the state of emergency, which seeks to limit interpersonal interactions and disease spread, until May 15th, we anticipate making our final decision about whether the program (or individual undergraduate research projects) will run this summer no later than May 18th, 2020.

CANCELLED: Penn State Summer Translational Cardiovascular Science Institute (STCSI)

Penn State’s College of Engineering and the College of Health and Human Development are once again offering the Penn State Summer Translational Cardiovascular Science Institute (STCSI), sponsored by the American Heart Association and several Penn State units; HOWEVER, due to COVID-19 concerns the 2020 program has been CANCELLED. It will become available again for Summer 2021.

New PhD Fellowships in Rowan BME

We offer very competitive stipends ($30K and above) with full tuition. Interested students should immediately reach out to our Graduate Program Chair, Dr. Vince Beachley (bmegrad@rowan.edu) or apply at the following link. Applicants can circumvent the application fee if they send an email to bmegrad@rowan.edu prior to submitting the online application. Also, visits to the department and campus can be arranged by contacting Dr. Beachley.

Learn more here.

NIGMS Administrative Supplements to Support Undergraduate Summer Research

We’re offering administrative supplements to provide summer research experiences for undergraduate students. These supplements are open to all NIGMS-funded investigators with active R01, R35, and R37 awards, including those in their final year of funding or in a no-cost extension. We’ll accept requests under PA-18-591, Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional).

Engineer Better Health and Advance Your Career @ Purdue, Biomedical Engineering Master’s Program

Did you know that engineering, science, and technology graduates can have a lucrative career in a wide range of medical fields? If advancing your technical mastery, leadership strength, and regulatory knowledge to directly benefit the health and well-being of people around the world appeals to you, Purdue’s Professional MS in biomedical engineering can fast-track your career into the skyrocketing biomedical sciences industry.

The program is designed for the recent graduate with an academic background in engineering, science or related technical field who is seeking entry into the biomedical industry:

Flexibility–Customize your curriculum to focus on learning competencies and advancing your career goals.
Professional Development and Regulatory Affairs Emphasis–Develop business acumen, sharpen your organizational leadership skills, and advance your knowledge of regulatory affairs and entrepreneurship.
Industry Immersion Opportunity–Gain valuable hands-on experience with one of our corporate partners, acquire firsthand knowledge of a leading biomedical company, and deepen your technical expertise while expanding your professional network.
Convenience–Complete your degree in as little as a year, opt to take up to 40% of your coursework online, and graduate with a competitive edge.

I’m sure you find this program not only educational but valuable to your career as well. Please reach out to Tammy Siemers at tsiemers@purdue.edu to discover more about this program and how it can help you progress your educational and career goals.

Application Deadline: June 1st

Professional Master of Mechanical Product Engineering @ University of Pittsburgh

The MS-MPE program at the University of Pittsburgh is designed to provide students didactic and experiential learning opportunities aimed at accelerating translation of innovative ideas into impactful medical products. Pittsburgh is a hub for healthcare and biomedical innovation. Students in our MS-MPE program work closely with clinical and engineering leaders on innovative projects that have a potential to change the field of healthcare delivery, while learning best practices from industry professionals.

Enrollment is on a rolling basis, so it’s not too late to apply for the Fall-2020 admission. For more information, contact Dr. Kilichan Gurleyik at Gurleyik@pitt.edu or Schedule an appointment.

Sea Change Semester at Bigelow Laboratory

We have recently updated our Sea Change Semester to offer research diving experiences for qualified students and a new omics-focused track, as well as the possibility of significant financial aid. This fall semester-in-residence program is a 14-week experience that puts cutting-edge tools in students’ hands and empowers them to answer their own critical questions about the future of the ocean. It is geared toward students interested in gaining an in-depth understanding of ocean science and hands-on research experience through immersion in a professional laboratory environment, including field work at sea.

Interested students can now apply for financial support to cover significant portions of the semester tuition. We hope this will open the opportunity to more students. As someone closely connected to the student body, particularly those who are enthusiastic about their science studies, I thought you would be a good contact to share this opportunity with students.

You can pass on this link to our website: www.bigelow.org/seachange We typically take juniors, but qualified sophomores and seniors are welcome in the program. We limit this program to 12 students to ensure an optimal experience, and offer admission and financial assistance on a rolling basis.

Career Corner

NCATS Online Course in Translational Science, June 15-July 31 2020

Enhance your translational science skills this summer with a seven-week online course designed by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The course — MEDI 501: Principles of Preclinical Translational Science — is offered by NCATS in partnership with the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences (FAES), which is located at the NIH.

Translational science is an emerging field that seeks to identify broadly generalizable scientific and operational principles to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of translational research.

In this course, students will learn preclinical translational science principles. Faculty will teach these principles through a case study of a highly successful translational research partnership involving NCATS, the National Cancer Institute, Northwestern University and the University of Kansas. The partnership produced a promising potential drug shown to inhibit cancer metastasis in animal models and that is being examined in a first-in-human clinical trial in 2020.

The course is relevant to individuals in a range of roles — including scientists, administrators and specialists in scientific collaboration — and is appropriate across all career stages, from students to senior scientists.

This one-credit course requires a time commitment of about one hour per week to listen to course lectures, plus time to complete course readings and other short assignments.

Because this is a pilot course, it is being offered at a reduced fee of only $50.

To learn more, please go to https://ncats.nih.gov/events#online-course, where you’ll be able to view the course syllabus and speakers, as well as a course flyer (also attached here) with more information.

Registration is now open. To register, go to https://faes.org/courses and locate the course title – MEDI 501: Principles of Preclinical Translational Science. If you are new to FAES, you will need to follow these steps:

Click on the “Login” button in the upper right hand corner of the page
Click on “Applicant Portal Homepage”
Click on “Create a New Account” and complete the form

PLEASE NOTE: There is a short wait time after submitting the form while FAES reviews the information submitted. After this review, the account will be activated and the prospective student will receive an email with the subject heading “Welcome to FAES”, and will be able to register for MEDI501.

Please contact Jessica Faupel-Badger, PhD, MPH (badgerje@mail.nih.gov) or Amanda Vogel, PhD, MPH (vogelal@mail.nih.gov) at the NCATS Education Branch with any questions about the format or content of the course.

Small Research Grants for Clinical/Basic Research Collaborations on Structural Birth Defects

I have been asked to play “matchmaker” between clinicians working at AI duPont Hospital for Children and basic scientists to try to find pairs of investigators who could apply for NIH R03 funding to form collaborations focused on the the understanding of structural birth defects https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/par-20-065.html with the next realistic grant deadline being October 16th.

If you work on a “structural birth defect” or have interest in moving your research program into that area, please send me an email with some information on the sort of thing you have in mind, and I will work with the Nemours administration to try to find you a clinical partner.

(via Dr. Melinda Duncan, Dept. of Biological Sciences @ UD)

CANCELLED: Summer Training Course in Experimental Aging Research

28th Annual Summer Training Course – Please see their official website for updates to this event. It will be reopened for Summer 2021.

Training for Integrating Bioinformatics into Undergraduate Biology Curriculum: NOW VIRTUAL

The MDI Biological Laboratory is pleased to present Bioinformatics T3: Train the Trainer, a project that supports training in bioinformatics skills for college and university undergraduate science instructors so that they can effectively integrate bioinformatics into their science curricula, and help their students prepare for the 21st-century workplace.

The Bioinformatics T3: Train the Trainer Project has three components:

A short course for undergraduate instructors with hands-on activities,
including both wet-bench laboratory and bioinformatics experiences.
A dedicated web portal with links to instructional resources, online step-by-step video tutorials, case studies, and a forum for building a Community of Bioinformatics Trainers.
Support for delivering the curriculum that includes access to a dedicated
server with bioinformatics software.

Scheduled to run from June 27 to July 4, NOW ONLINE

Grants Available from NIH

Deadlines Approaching for 2020 AFAR Grant Programs

Since 1981, the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) has provided more than $181 million to nearly 4,200 talented investigators and students. To learn more about each grant, click here or contact the AFAR grant program staff at grants@afar.org.

Sabbatical Grants from NSF for Senior Faculty in Biosciences

NSF has announced a new sabbatical leave grant for mid-career to senior faculty members who are interested in exploring a new direction for their research. Click here for details.

Faculty & Staff Career Innovation Grant

The University of Delaware Career Center Faculty & Staff Career Innovation Grant (FSCIG) provides funding for UD faculty and staff to create professional and career development activities for their students. Funding is provided to offset costs associated with infusing career-related materials and/or experiences into existing or new class curricula and/or departmental, program school, Division of Student Life and Department of Athletics-based initiatives.

Learn more about the grant and its application here.

Job Opportunities

We have moved this to the Opportunities section of the website. Postings are sorted with most recent deadlines and application due dates at the top. They will be updated more frequently and you are encouraged to check regularly!

May 18, 2020

BME in the News

Congratulations to Dr. Julie Kohn on her VentureWell BME-IDEA International Faculty Grant

Abstract: This project seeks to establish a collaboration between the biomedical engineering (BME) programs of the University of Delaware (UD) and the University of Cape Town (UCT) in South Africa in order to create a multi-cultural senior design project. This grant would provide funding for the establishment of an initial collaboration, funding for the first-year project, and professional development of the program’s faculty member, Dr. Julie Kohn. The goal of the collaboration is to provide US-based BME undergraduate students with the opportunity to practice designing medical devices for a low-resource setting and to learn how to work in multicultural teams.

Announcement: Doctoral Dissertation Defense by Andrea Zonnino

Congratulations to Jazmine Shirazi on her Delaware Space Grant Graduate Fellowship

BME Department News

Virtual Junior Design Final Showcase, Thursday May 21 @ 10:30am

Becca and I would like to invite you to our final Junior Design showcase. The move to online came right as the students were about to begin prototyping, so as you can expect, they were especially bummed that they didn’t get to produce something physical. That said, Becca and I have been really impressed by what they managed to pull together virtually, and we want to celebrate that!

Junior Design Final Showcase
Thursday, May 21, 2020 from 10:30am-12:30pm
https://udel.zoom.us/s/92012548544

Through their independent learning and with the help of our TAs (most of the students came in with zero prior experience in CAD), the students have managed to create virtual models of their proposed designs and simulate them using software such as TinkerCAD (for Arduino components), Algodoo (for physical systems), and Solidworks (for solid models, engineering drawings, and motion analysis). There are 2 projects this year, both with a local non-profit, Art Therapy Express: adjustable easel and adjustable paintbrush for individuals with mobility disabilities. There are 16 teams (7 teams on easel, 9 teams on paintbrush), and each team will present a 4 minute pitch of their final designs.

CLASS OF 2020 GRADUATES’ WEEK: This week, between Tuesday May 19 and Thursday May 21, we are celebrating our graduating seniors with a virtual event series full of fellowship, friendship, and fun. Please join us in honouring our students with a send-off not meant to replace graduation but share togetherness from home!
- ONGOING: Send your well-wishes, greetings, and salute the UD BME Class of 2020! Forward this link to parents, grandparents, friends, non-BME faculty, and anyone you want to see notes from. Photo/video is OPTIONAL. These will be shared throughout our events next week. https://forms.gle/ehgMpPYTrYnB52RZ7
- Tuesday May 19: Senior Salute, 8 PM via Zoom
  - BME Seniors, Faculty, and Staff ONLY
  - Toasts, speeches, stories, inside jokes; sharing the last 4 years and looking forward to what’s next for the Class of 2020
  - SENIORS: Please answer the following survey no later than Monday May 18; we’re looking for feedback on what to include – https://forms.gle/8yxz4oUvesGd2MD9A
- Wednesday May 20: #UDBME2020 Takeover on Social Media
  - Open to all! Follow @UDBME on Twitter; you do NOT need an account to view the page.
  - Throwback photos and video, messages from friends and family, share your best memories in 280 characters or less.
  - Let’s see if we can get the hashtag #UDBME2020 to trend!
- Thursday May 21: Virtual Graduation Party, 8 PM
  - Via Zoom for BME Seniors, Faculty, and Staff with interaction enabled
    - Music from between 2016 and 2020 plus party favourites
    - Make requests, song dedications, shoutouts, and more!
  - Via Twitter/Periscope for the general public (via @UDBME on Twitter), limited interaction
Department Awards have been announced! Here are the winners for the 2019-2020 academic year –
- Undergraduate Students
  - BME Chairperson’s Award: Sienna Pyle and Michael Slemko
  - Distinguished Senior Award: Ahlad Neti and Ariel Hannum
  - Distinguished Junior Award: Maria Lilley and Nicholas Paulter
  - Distinguished Sophomore Award: Akram Ahmed, Alexis Anderson, and Carolina Gomez Casas
  - Matthew Maguire Celebration of Life Award: Maddie Dugan
- Graduate Students
  - Best Doctoral Thesis Award: Danielle Valcourt
  - Best Paper Award: Omar Banda
  - Distinguished Graduate Scholar Award: Ryan Locke
  - Graduate Teaching Assistant Award: Michael Donzanti
  - Rising Star Award: Grace McIlvain
  - Outstanding BME Outreach Award: Ellen Bloom and Dan Minahan
  - Outstanding Graduate Student Service Award: Grace McIlvain and Kyle Meadows
- Congratulations to all recipients! Please stay tuned for more updates as we near the end of the Spring 2020 Semester!

Biopharmaceutical Institute (BPI) at STAR Campus
Move-in date is DELAYED due to COVID-19 measures. Please continue to reduce your material to move. Please refer to emails and direct any questions or concerns to Joey Norikane: jnorikan@udel.edu

BME Graduate News

BioData Catalyst Fellows Program; 2nd Cohort Now Open for Applications

We are pleased to announce a second round of NHLBI BioData Catalyst Fellows Program fellowship opportunities. Please encourage early-career researchers in your community to apply. The Call for Proposals can be found at https://biodatacatalyst.nhlbi.nih.gov/fellows/program.

BioData Catalyst is an ecosystem for research investigators who need to find, access, share, store, and compute on large scale datasets. It is a cloud-based platform populated with NHLBI datasets that provides tools, applications, and workflows in secure workspaces.

The NHLBI BioData Catalyst Fellows Program provides researchers, especially early-career researchers (graduate students, postdocs, junior faculty, and others), the opportunity to receive funding to help support research on novel and innovative data science and data-focused research problems. The program is open to academic disciplines conducting biomedical research in heart, lung, blood, and sleep (HLBS) domains, which may or may not include the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in those domains.

The BioData Catalyst Fellows Program offers a mechanism for researchers to engage with the Consortium as partners in the BioData Catalyst endeavor.

BioData Catalyst Fellows will:

Improve the NHLBI BioData Catalyst ecosystem based on their feedback. Fellows are among the first users of the ecosystem, chosen in part because they have projects that can benefit from, and be of benefit to, BioData Catalyst.
Be our collaborators. Together we will test and expand the BioData Catalyst ecosystem with new tools, data, and capabilities.
Have dedicated time to work with TOPMed data and other data sources to accelerate their research productivity.
Act as our ambassadors in their communities to help onboard others.

The application process opens on May 15, 2020. The deadline to submit is June 26, 2020 11:59 PM Eastern Time. For more information, please review the Call for Proposals on the BioData Catalyst website (https://biodatacatalyst.nhlbi.nih.gov/fellows/program). Questions regarding the Fellows Program may be directed to the NHLBI BioData Catalyst Help Desk and by selecting the type “Fellows Program” from the contact form.

Postdoctoral Cancer Prevention Fellowship at NCI

Are you a researcher or clinician with a demonstrated interest in cancer prevention? If so, we want to hear from you!

Applications are now open for NCI’s Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program! Deadline to apply is August 17, 2020.

Be a part of the program that supports postdoctoral research and professional development training, plus offers:

Competitive stipends, relocation expenses, health insurance benefits, and travel allowances
Support for up to four years
Opportunity to earn your MPH, sponsored by NCI
Research opportunities with experienced NCI mentors
A cohort of fellows spanning STEM and other fields

A Multidisciplinary Fellowship

Epidemiology, Biomedical Sciences, Behavioral Sciences, Nursing, Medicine, Health Services, Disparities, Psychology, Nutritional Sciences, Pharmacology, Toxicology, Biostatistics, Engineering, Translational Science, Public Health, and more!

May Institute on Computation and Statistics for Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics is NOW ONLINE

Even though the in-person program of May Institute 2020 had to be canceled, I am happy to announce that we are able to offer a shorter version online, free of charge.

We are extremely grateful to all the instructors who were able to offer parts of their presentations in the new format. Since hands-on interactions online are difficult, most of the presentations will be lectures or tutorials, and a combination of pre-recorded videos and live presentations and Q&A.
The outline of the program and the logistics are described at https://computationalproteomics.khoury.northeastern.edu/ and the details will be added to the “Docs” files by the instructors as we get closer to the date.

If you are interested in joining any program, please fill in a very short registration form.

DE-INBRE Year 2 Core Center Access Award Application

Attached please find for your review and dissemination the DE-INBRE IV Year 2 Core Center Access Award Application for those interested in applying for a core center access award utilizing Medicaid Data. Please note the application deadline is May 27, 2020 at 5pm. Completed applications should be emailed to info@de-inbre.org.

Call for Applications for NASA STAR – Spaceflight Technologies, Applications, and Research

NASA has noted a lack of dedicated courses or training available for new researchers entering the field of space biosciences or preparing to submit proposals for analog or spaceflight experiments. The opportunities and limitations of using spacecraft as a research laboratory are specific, complex, and frequently require prior knowledge, so they may present a major hurdle for academic and industry researchers who would otherwise be able to apply their expertise to space biology.

To address these issues, NASA has developed this inaugural STAR course, which provides a one-week intensive training session and encourages networking and collaborations in spaceflight technologies, applications, and research. This course targets principal investigators (PIs), senior research scientists, and postdoctoral scholars and aims to facilitate their entry to space biology and preparation for spaceflight experiments using NASA and commercial platforms. NASA will sponsor the course to take place at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) during the week of August 10-14, 2020. The STAR course will cover both fundamental and applied aspects of the field of biology, as well as practical aspects of preparing for, conducting, and analyzing the results of spaceflight experiments. This call is specifically to collect applications for the STAR Course.

This document is being released as an RFI response type in NSPIRES. The full text of the RFI and response instructions can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/NASASTARAPP. Responses must be submitted electronically using the NSPIRES web site and require only your CV and a personal statement (mentor statement must also be included for postdoctoral applicants). This RFI is open to responses from all individuals with a doctoral degree and who are US citizens or permanent residents, including those from commercial entities, academia, NASA Centers, and other government agencies.

The information obtained will be used by NASA for STAR course planning and attendance. NASA will use the information obtained as a result of this RFI only for the purposes of gauging interest in the STAR course for planning and attendance purposes. No information received will be posted to any website or public access location. Questions and answers regarding this RFI may be posted to the NSPIRES website in the form of an FAQ. While course participants will be drawn from applicants, replying to this Call for Applications does not guarantee a spot in the course. NASA may plan to respond to the individual responses. The Government does not intend to award an award on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for the information solicited.

Deadline to apply is May 29, 2020.

Grant Opportunities from AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is soliciting applications for grants to support medical related education for grad students/clinicians/residents/undergrad students etc https://www.astrazenecagrants.com/us-grants/ and they are also interested in sponsoring conferences on areas of their interest.

You seem to need to register with them to get application information, that is available on their website.

UniProt Now Accepting Submissions

Calling all scientists stuck at home! Contribute your knowledge to UniProt and help the scientific community.

Read our latest blog post to see how: http://insideuniprot.blogspot.com/2020/04/scientists-at-home-uniprot-to-rescue.html

NIH Supplements for Underrepresented Students (new FOA)

NIH just updated the FOA for grant supplements to train under represented high school, undergraduate, graduate students and postdocs. Please pass along to your graduate trainers.

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-20-166.html

It is similar to the prior FOA however, it has more details in regard to NIH’s expanded criteria for social/economic disadvantage which is likely to make way more students eligible as it includes Pell eligibility, receiving WIC as a child or adult, growing up in some rural zip codes/those with a shortage of health professionals, and first generation college student status.

This is a reminder to all NIH funded faculty members (a very broad set of activity codes are eligible) that research supplements are available to fund trainees (ranging from high school students through postdocs) who are underrepresented in STEM. https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-18-906.html including folks from underrepresented minority groups, low income or rural backgrounds (note NIH just greatly broadened this category), or those with physical or mental disabilities.

You should also be contacting your institute representative for the PA since each institute has different details about the process…..

Individuals from racial and ethnic groups that have been shown by the NSF to be underrepresented in health-related sciences on a national basis (see data at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/showpub.cfm?TopID=2&SubID=27) and the report Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering). The following racial and ethnic groups have been shown to be underrepresented in biomedical research: Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders. In addition, it is recognized that underrepresentation can vary from setting to setting; individuals from racial or ethnic groups that can be demonstrated convincingly to be underrepresented by the grantee institution should be encouraged to participate in this program. For more information on racial and ethnic categories and definitions, see NOT-OD-15-089.
Individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, as described in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended. See NSF data at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/2013/pdf/tab7-5_updated_2014_10.pdf.
Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, defined as:
Individuals who come from a family with an annual income below established low-income thresholds. These thresholds are based on family size, published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census; adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index; and adjusted by the Secretary for use in all health professions programs. The Secretary periodically publishes these income levels at http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/index.shtml.
Individuals who come from an educational environment such as that found in certain rural or inner-city environments that has demonstrably and directly inhibited the individual from obtaining the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to develop and participate in a research career.

The disadvantaged background category (C1 and C2) refers to the financial and educational background of individuals, particularly before graduating from high school, while residing in the United States

It should be noted that literature also shows that women from the above backgrounds (categories A, B, and C) face particular challenges at the graduate level and beyond in scientific fields (e.g., Inside the Double Bind, A Synthesis of Empirical Research on Undergraduate and Graduate Women of Color in Science, Technology, Engineering, and mathematics http://her.hepg.org/content/t022245n7x4752v2/fulltext.pdf).

Workshop on NIH, NIGMS, and NHGRI Training Funding Opportunities

National Institutes of Health (NIH)
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

Join NIGMS and NHGRI staff for a Workshop on NIGMS and NHGRI Training Funding Opportunities at Augustana University, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This workshop should be of interest to faculty who are engaged in student research training. Funding opportunities for community colleges, and bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degree awarding institutions will be discussed. You’ll gain information on the grants process, tips for writing proposals, the peer review process, and more. The workshop is hosted in partnership with Augustana University and the South Dakota Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network (SD BRIN).

Date: Tuesday, August 4, 2020
Location: Rooms FSC113 A and B Froiland Science Complex (FSC), Augustana University
Registration Fee: None
Registration: https://meetings.nigms.nih.gov/meetings/NIGMS_NHGRI/

Graduate Women in Science: Delaware Chapter Established

GWIS is a global community for women in the STEM field. This group started in 1921, and its mission is to empower, inspire, support, and recognize women in science. Today, GWIS has more than 1,000 members and many chapters in the United States and across the globe. The Delaware GWIS Chapter is fairly new, as we were just established in September 2019 and we are working towards expanding this chapter! We strive to connect Graduate Women in the STEM field in Delaware to other passionate, diverse scientists to uplift each other and work together to promote science. This organization is open to all STEM-associated graduate students, faculty, post-doctoral and undergraduate students! Our long-term goal is to create a haven where graduate students and women scientists from Delaware and the surrounding community, will accomplish all of their goals, both personally and professionally. We offer the students a variety of opportunities to participate in outreach activities, networking, and making an impact in the community.

As we are working toward expanding our local Delaware Chapter, we are reaching out to all departments in STEM at UD! Please pass along this information to the UD departments and for more information, you may use this link: GWIS at Delaware! Also, interested members are more than welcome to email questions to delaware@gwis.org or Meera Patel (meerapat@udel.edu)! We hope to grow our GWIS community at UD and appreciate your help with our organization!

BME Undergraduate News

Sigma Xi: Art and Science Competition Submissions Wanted

Sigma Xi is hosting a STEM art and film festival this fall and is looking for submissions (deadline July 31st)

https://www.sigmaxi.org/meetings-events/annual-meeting-and-student-research-conference/stem-art-and-film-festival

NIH NIAID COVID-19 Antibody Study

From Lynn Snyder Mackler: In this strange time, we are all trying to figure out something tangible we can do to help fight this fight. I was enrolled this week. They are actively recruiting to try and figure out the penetrance of the virus into the community.

Niaidflucsu@niaid.nih.gov

If you would like to enroll in the study, email the above email and state you want to be a part of the antibody study. You will received an email back and a quick 10 minute call (caller ID will say NIH NIAID) and they will send you a kit to do a pin prick blood sample.

TBD: Delaware INBRE Summer Scholars 2020

Please note, Summer Scholar selections are continuing as planned with the assumption that the INBRE Summer Scholars program will run during the Summer of 2020. However, as the situation with the pandemic is now fluid, it is possible that we will need to significantly change the program scope, limit which scholars are able to participate based on the details of their research project/its suitability to remote work, or even cancel the Summer program altogether as the start date approaches. As the Governor of Delaware has extended the state of emergency, which seeks to limit interpersonal interactions and disease spread, until May 15th, we anticipate making our final decision about whether the program (or individual undergraduate research projects) will run this summer no later than May 18th, 2020.

CANCELLED: Penn State Summer Translational Cardiovascular Science Institute (STCSI)

Penn State’s College of Engineering and the College of Health and Human Development are once again offering the Penn State Summer Translational Cardiovascular Science Institute (STCSI), sponsored by the American Heart Association and several Penn State units; HOWEVER, due to COVID-19 concerns the 2020 program has been CANCELLED. It will become available again for Summer 2021.

New PhD Fellowships in Rowan BME

We offer very competitive stipends ($30K and above) with full tuition. Interested students should immediately reach out to our Graduate Program Chair, Dr. Vince Beachley (bmegrad@rowan.edu) or apply at the following link. Applicants can circumvent the application fee if they send an email to bmegrad@rowan.edu prior to submitting the online application. Also, visits to the department and campus can be arranged by contacting Dr. Beachley.

Learn more here.

NIGMS Administrative Supplements to Support Undergraduate Summer Research

We’re offering administrative supplements to provide summer research experiences for undergraduate students. These supplements are open to all NIGMS-funded investigators with active R01, R35, and R37 awards, including those in their final year of funding or in a no-cost extension. We’ll accept requests under PA-18-591, Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional).

Engineer Better Health and Advance Your Career @ Purdue, Biomedical Engineering Master’s Program

Did you know that engineering, science, and technology graduates can have a lucrative career in a wide range of medical fields? If advancing your technical mastery, leadership strength, and regulatory knowledge to directly benefit the health and well-being of people around the world appeals to you, Purdue’s Professional MS in biomedical engineering can fast-track your career into the skyrocketing biomedical sciences industry.

The program is designed for the recent graduate with an academic background in engineering, science or related technical field who is seeking entry into the biomedical industry:

Flexibility–Customize your curriculum to focus on learning competencies and advancing your career goals.
Professional Development and Regulatory Affairs Emphasis–Develop business acumen, sharpen your organizational leadership skills, and advance your knowledge of regulatory affairs and entrepreneurship.
Industry Immersion Opportunity–Gain valuable hands-on experience with one of our corporate partners, acquire firsthand knowledge of a leading biomedical company, and deepen your technical expertise while expanding your professional network.
Convenience–Complete your degree in as little as a year, opt to take up to 40% of your coursework online, and graduate with a competitive edge.

I’m sure you find this program not only educational but valuable to your career as well. Please reach out to Tammy Siemers at tsiemers@purdue.edu to discover more about this program and how it can help you progress your educational and career goals.

Application Deadline: June 1st

Professional Master of Mechanical Product Engineering @ University of Pittsburgh

The MS-MPE program at the University of Pittsburgh is designed to provide students didactic and experiential learning opportunities aimed at accelerating translation of innovative ideas into impactful medical products. Pittsburgh is a hub for healthcare and biomedical innovation. Students in our MS-MPE program work closely with clinical and engineering leaders on innovative projects that have a potential to change the field of healthcare delivery, while learning best practices from industry professionals.

Enrollment is on a rolling basis, so it’s not too late to apply for the Fall-2020 admission. For more information, contact Dr. Kilichan Gurleyik at Gurleyik@pitt.edu or Schedule an appointment.

Sea Change Semester at Bigelow Laboratory

We have recently updated our Sea Change Semester to offer research diving experiences for qualified students and a new omics-focused track, as well as the possibility of significant financial aid. This fall semester-in-residence program is a 14-week experience that puts cutting-edge tools in students’ hands and empowers them to answer their own critical questions about the future of the ocean. It is geared toward students interested in gaining an in-depth understanding of ocean science and hands-on research experience through immersion in a professional laboratory environment, including field work at sea.

Interested students can now apply for financial support to cover significant portions of the semester tuition. We hope this will open the opportunity to more students. As someone closely connected to the student body, particularly those who are enthusiastic about their science studies, I thought you would be a good contact to share this opportunity with students.

You can pass on this link to our website: www.bigelow.org/seachange We typically take juniors, but qualified sophomores and seniors are welcome in the program. We limit this program to 12 students to ensure an optimal experience, and offer admission and financial assistance on a rolling basis.

Career Corner

College of Engineering + UD Career Center hosting Virtual Summer Job Shadow

200+ alumni have signed up to be Virtual Summer Job Shadow hosts & meet one-on-one with students for 1-hr informational interviews during the week of June 8^th. This program allows you to apply to virtual shadows that interest you and speak with a professional in your desired industry area. Applications are open from May 11^th – 22^nd. You can search all shadow hosts in Handshake.

New Webinar Series for the NIGMS Training Community

We’re pleased to announce a new webinar series for students, postdocs, and faculty. Each hour-long webinar will include a 10- to 15-minute presentation by the speaker followed by a moderated question and answer session. Our hope is that these webinars will enhance our trainees’ ongoing learning experiences.

The webinar series kicks off Monday, May 4, and a tentative list of dates and speakers is on the link above. As plans are finalized, additional details will be posted on our website.

We strongly encourage our sponsored trainees and other interested students, postdocs, and faculty to participate in these webinars, and we ask that you to share this information with anyone who may be interested in attending. Participants requiring sign language interpretation should email info@nigms.nih.gov at least 3 days prior to the event. Recordings will be posted on the NIGMS website following each webinar.