Author: Michael Sesma
Mike, previously a scientific review administrator and program director at NIGMS, returned to the Institute after a 10-year career at the National Institute of Mental Health. He now oversees our postdoctoral training branch, which includes research training, fellowship, and career development programs.
Posts by Michael Sesma
NIGMS has long recognized the need for more hypothesis-driven research to test biomedical training, mentoring, and networking interventions to improve efficacy and replicability across career stages and at a range of institution types (learn more from our research on interventions program webpage). The Institute has also encouraged the use of evidence-informed practices to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of research education, training, and career development in its research training programs. An important element of our programs is the dissemination of the research findings to the biomedical and research training communities. We’re pleased to announce a new notice of special interest (NOSI) (NOT-GM-23-028) requesting applications for conferences focusing on evidence-informed interventions to enhance training, workforce development, and diversity in the biomedical research enterprise.
Continue reading “Funding Opportunity: Support for Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity Conferences”
We’re pleased to announce a new notice of special interest (NOSI) (NOT-GM-23-031) associated with PAR-20-296, modules for enhancing biomedical research workforce training (R25). The NOSI requests applications to develop biomedical research training modules on one of the following topics:
- Wellness and resiliency: effectively providing individuals with the knowledge and skills to enhance their wellness, resiliency, and ultimate success during their research training.
- Structural racism and discrimination: addressing harassment, intimidation, and other forms of structural racism and discrimination to reduce disparities in recruitment, retention, and success and to promote access, inclusion, equity, and accessibility in the research training environment. Modules should focus on how to create optimized research training environments where all participants feel safe, respected, and supported.
- Safe research training environments: catalyzing a strong culture of responsibility and obligation to maintain high standards for physical, chemical, and biological safety.
- Program evaluation capacity: developing evaluation capacity by informing program directors and administrators about effective and practical approaches to evaluate biomedical research training programs at their institutions.
Continue reading “Funding Opportunity: Modules for Enhancing Biomedical Research Workforce Training”
UPDATE: These positions are now closed.
We’re recruiting scientists for positions in our Division of Genetics and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (GMCDB) and Division of Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity (TWD). The successful applicants will be responsible for scientific and administrative management of a portfolio of research grants and/or research training and career development awards, and will stimulate, plan, advise, direct, and evaluate program activities related to their field of expertise.
Continue reading “Wanted: NIGMS Program Directors”
UPDATE: These positions are now closed. Please visit our Job Vacancies page for more information.
We’re recruiting scientists for positions in our Division for Research Capacity Building (DRCB); Division of Genetics and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (GMCDB); and Division of Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity (TWD). The successful applicants will be responsible for scientific and administrative management of a portfolio of research grants, research training and career development awards, and/or capacity building awards, and will stimulate, plan, advise, direct, and evaluate program activities related to their field of expertise.
Continue reading “Wanted: NIGMS Program Directors”
UPDATE: The videocasts of day 1 and day 2 of the meeting are now available.
We’re excited to host the first meeting of scholars funded through the Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) program to promote faculty diversity:
Thursday, October 14, and Friday, October 15, 1:00-5:00 p.m. ET
Continue reading “Join the Inaugural NIH MOSAIC Scholars Meeting”
We’re pleased to announce our first cohort of Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) program scholars. Each scholar will receive up to 5 years of mentored career development and research support and become part of a cohort-based career development program to expand their professional networks and gain additional skills and mentoring through programs administered by MOSAIC UE5 awardees: the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the American Society for Cell Biology, and the Association of American Medical Colleges.
2021 NIGMS MOSAIC scholars.
Continue reading “Inaugural Cohort of MOSAIC Scholars and Upcoming Application Deadline”
We recently published a notice (NOT-GM-20-050) announcing a single receipt date each year for our Research to Understand and Inform Interventions that Promote the Research Careers of Individuals in Biomedical Sciences (R01/R35) program.
The purpose of the program is to better understand the factors (e.g., social and behavioral) contributing to the success of individuals pursuing independent academic biomedical research careers. It supports research to enhance evidence for effective, high-impact, scalable interventions that may be focused on training programs, psychosocial factors, critical career transition points, or institutional culture. Due in part to the small number of applications received in response to this funding opportunity, the change in the program’s receipt date will allow us to increase efficiencies in the grant application review process.
Continue reading “Change in Receipt Dates for NIGMS Research on Interventions Program”
UPDATE: The video and slides [PDF] from the MOSAIC webinar are now available.
Last summer, we shared with you our new Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) funding opportunity announcements (FOAs). MOSAIC, which NIGMS oversees, is part of NIH’s efforts to enhance diversity within the academic biomedical research workforce. It’s designed to facilitate the transition of promising postdoctoral researchers from diverse backgrounds into independent faculty careers at research-intensive institutions. The program has two components: a research education cooperative agreement (UE5) and a postdoctoral career transition award (K99/R00).
Continue reading “MOSAIC Announcements and Upcoming Webinar”
In March, we released an NIH Guide notice informing the community of our intent to continue the Innovative Programs to Enhance Research Training (IPERT) R25. We’re now pleased to announce that the IPERT funding opportunity announcement (FOA) (PAR-19-383) has been reissued with minor changes. The goal of IPERT is to enable the scientific community to develop and implement innovative educational activities that equip diverse cohorts of participants with the skills required for careers in the biomedical research workforce. IPERT activities must integrate the required components of the Research Education Program Plan (REPP), including the following core elements:
Continue reading “Funding Opportunity: Innovative Programs to Enhance Research Training (IPERT) R25”
We’re pleased to announce that the Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Awards (IRACDA) (K12) funding opportunity announcement (PAR-19-366) has been reissued with some minor changes. IRACDA combines a mentored postdoctoral research experience at a research-intensive institution with an opportunity to develop critical teaching and mentoring skills at a teaching-intensive partner institution that has a diverse student population. The primary goal of the program is to develop an inclusive pool of well-trained biomedical scientists who have the necessary knowledge and skills to pursue independent academic teaching and research careers. An additional goal of IRACDA is to benefit the teaching-intensive partner institutions by:
Continue reading “Funding Opportunity: Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Awards (IRACDA) Program”
