• Learn more about ARPA-H, a new federal agency that funds biomedical research. Its first solicitations are expected before the start of summer.
• Browse upcoming departmental seminars.
• Respond to an NIH Request for Information (RFI) regarding proposed changes to the peer review of fellowship applications.
• View funding opportunities from NIH, DOD, and NSF.
• And more!

Webinar Offers New Insights on ARPA-H

Last week, UCI and UCLA held a joint webinar to discuss ARPA-H, a new federal agency that funds biomedical research. In case you missed it, here are some highlights:

• ARPA-H is a new federal agency that was created by Congress in 2022 to accelerate biomedical research and innovation. Its focus is on high-risk, high-impact research and solutions that are implemented in hospitals and other healthcare settings. While technically within the NIH structure, it does not abide by NIH policies and has independent authority. ARPA-H does not have wet labs and will primarily use cooperative agreements, contracts, and OTAs to fund projects.

• ARPA-H is modeled after DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which has a history of funding high-risk, high-reward research that has led to major breakthroughs in areas such as space exploration, computer science, and medicine. ARPA-H will have three regional hubs in the country. The first one will be in the National Capital Region.

• Program managers are the nucleus of the agency and have the autonomy to develop solicitations and fund ideas. They will not necessarily use peer review panels like NIH does. Program managers are limited to terms of 3–6 years, meaning that research programs within the agency will change often, as program managers come and go.

• While a Broad Agency Announcement is already out, expect ARPA-H’s first solicitations to come out before Summer 2023. You can keep an eye out here, in the Research Bulletin, for ARPA-H calls.

Biden Creates New White House Office to Address Environmental Justice

On April 21, President Biden created a new office in the White House to focus on environmental justice. The office will be led by a federal chief environmental justice officer and will work within the White House Council on Environmental Quality. The order also instructs agencies to identify and address gaps in science and data related to environmental justice, which means that every federal agency must address the disproportionate impact of pollution and climate change on minority communities.

NSF Updates Website for Improved User Experience

NSF has extensively updated their website to be more user-friendly. In particular, you may find the new Find Funding and Our Focus Areas pages helpful in searching for funding programs.

May

Focus on Evolution Seminar Series

Vince Buffalo, Ph.D.; Postdoc; UC Berkeley

Dr. Buffalo uses statistics, modeling, and computational approaches to study fundamental questions in evolutionary genetics.

1114 Natural Sciences 1 and Zoom

May

Interested in Technology Transfer?

Dr. Ronnie Hanecak (rhanecak@uci.edu) from the Research Translation Group in UCI’s Applied Innovation spends one day every month in BioSci to answer your questions about intellectual property, patenting, conflict of interest, technology transfer, startup companies, etc. Dr. Hanecak’s next office hours will be Friday, May 19, and she would like to hear from you! Please feel free to walk in or email her in advance to reserve a meeting time.

4212 Natural Sciences 2

May

Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Seminar Series

Kirk Jensen, Ph.D.; Associate Professor; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology; University of California, Merced

1114 Natural Sciences 1

May

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Seminar Series

Sneha Couvillion, Ph.D.; Biomedical Scientist; Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

1114 Natural Sciences 1

May

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Special Seminar

Kyria Roessler, Ph.D.

Dr. Roessler completed her Ph.D. in EEB at UCI in 2018 and immediately went to work in industry. She is currently a Bioinformatics Manager at Illumina in San Diego, where she manages a group that has contributed to several interesting and important projects, including the COVIDseq test.

1114 Natural Sciences 1

NIH Proposes Changes to Peer Review of Fellowship Applications

NIH is seeking public input on proposed changes to the peer review of fellowship applications. The changes are designed to improve the review process and identify the most promising trainees and training programs. The proposed changes include restructuring the review criteria and modifying some sections of the application form.

Learn more about the proposed changes and respond to the Request for Information (RFI)

NSF Virtual Office Hours with the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS)

Join NSF IOS on Thursday, June 15, 2023, 10 AM – 11 AM PT for the IOS Virtual Office Hour. IOS Program Officers will discuss grant preparation tips and ways to broaden participation in STEM research and will answer questions audience members have. To participate, please register, using the link below.

Register Here

NIH BRAIN Initiative Advanced Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00)

The purpose of the NIH BRAIN Initiative Advanced Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00) program is to enhance workforce diversity in the neuroscience workforce and maintain a strong cohort of new and talented, NIH-supported, independent investigators from diverse backgrounds in BRAIN Initiative research areas. This program is designed to facilitate a timely transition of outstanding postdoctoral researchers with a research and/or clinical doctorate degree from mentored, postdoctoral research positions to independent, tenure-track or equivalent faculty positions. The program will provide independent NIH research support during this transition to assist awardees in launching competitive, independent research careers.

Upcoming Deadlines: June 14, 2023; October 13, 2023; February 13, 2024

Learn More

DOD Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health (TBIPHRP), Investigator-Initiated Research Award (IIRA)

The FY23 TBIPHRP IIRA is intended to support studies that will make an important contribution toward understanding, preventing, assessing, and treating psychological health conditions and/or TBI. Research projects may focus on applied research through translational research, including preclinical studies in animal models and human subjects, as well as correlative studies associated with an existing clinical trial.

Deadline: July 6, 2023

Learn More

NIH Small Research Grant Program for the Next Generation of Researchers in AD/ADRD Research (R03)

This Small Research Grant (R03) program will support meritorious projects to provide needed scientific insight to improve the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and/or care for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD). Specifically, this NOFO will support projects covering a wide range of topics related to AD/ADRD. The overall goal of this NOFO is (i) to encourage the next generation of researchers to pursue research and academic careers in AD/ADRD research; and (ii) to stimulate established researchers who have not had a major award in AD/ADRD research to perform pilot studies to develop new, innovative AD/ADRD research programs that leverage and build upon their existing expertise. Individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those from underrepresented groups are always encouraged to apply for NIH support. Investigators who have not successfully competed for an award under this or prior versions of this announcement are specifically encouraged to apply.

Upcoming Deadlines: July 19, 2023; October 16, 2023; February 16, 2024

Learn More

NSF Infrastructure Capacity for Biological Research (Capacity)

The Infrastructure Capacity for Biological Research (Capacity) Program supports the development and improvement of biological research infrastructure in the United States. The program focuses on three areas: cyberinfrastructure, biological collections, and biological field stations and marine laboratories. Projects are expected to produce high-quality results, be accessible to a wide range of researchers, and serve a community of researchers beyond a single research team.

Deadline: Proposals Accepted Anytime

Learn More

Help us to generate information for the Research Bulletin.

Submit details about seminars and other research-related events on campus here. 

Submit funding opportunity announcements here.

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If you’re a faculty member, postdoc, graduate student, or other researcher in the School of Biological Sciences and would like help with a grant submission, please email bio-research@uci.edu.

To let the Pre-Award team know of your planned proposal submission, please fill out this form at least four weeks before the deadline.