Author: Shawn Gaillard

Headshot of Shawn Gaillard

Shawn is director of the Division of Genetics and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. A molecular biologist, she manages grants in the areas of chromosome and nuclear structures, along with organismal response to environmental stressors.

Posts by Shawn Gaillard

Wanted: Division of Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity Director

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TWD Search Committee Members:

Shawn Drew Gaillard, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH, Chair

Oliver Bogler, National Cancer Institute, NIH

Ericka Boone, Office of Extramural Research, NIH

Luis Cubano, National Science Foundation

Terri Kinzy, Rutgers University

Pamela Stacks, San Jose State University

Danny Dickerson, Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, NIH

Laura Stanek, Office of Human Resources, NIH

With the impending retirement of Alison Gammie, a search is open for an outstanding candidate to serve as director of our Division of Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity (TWD).

TWD supports programs that foster the development of a strong and diverse biomedical research workforce. The Division funds research training, student development, and career development activities through a variety of programs ranging from the undergraduate level to the doctorate and beyond. TWD-funded initiatives include, among others, the Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) and the Advancing Research Careers (ARC) programs.

This position offers an exciting opportunity to set scientific priorities, lead change, and enhance the biomedical research enterprise. The TWD director is a key member of the NIGMS senior leadership team and supervises a staff of approximately 12 program officers. There are also opportunities to participate in and advise on HHS- and NIH-wide activities and collaborations with other federal agencies.

Candidates must have earned a Ph.D., M.D., or equivalent degree in a field related to the Division portfolio. The ideal candidate will have considerable research experience and/or research administration experience. In addition, candidates should have professional experience with programs aimed to train research scientists and to develop a diverse biomedical and behavioral research workforce, as well as knowledge related to the NIGMS mission.

For additional information and application instructions, please visit the vacancy announcement. NIGMS will accept applications for at least 45 days, beginning on June 18, and the application period will remain open until filled.

As chair of the search committee, I appreciate your help in identifying outstanding candidates for this critical position and in sharing this information with others who might be interested.

Wanted: Developmental and Cellular Processes Branch Chief

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UPDATE: This position is now closed.

We’re recruiting an outstanding individual to serve as branch chief within our Division of Genetics and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (GMCDB). This person will oversee the scientific and administrative management of the Developmental and Cellular Processes (DCP) Branch and will be responsible for supervising program officials and advising, directing, and evaluating program activities for a portfolio of research grants in one of the Branch areas.

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Wanted: NIGMS Program Directors

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UPDATE: These positions are now closed.

We’re recruiting scientists for positions in our Division for Research Capacity Building (DRCB) and Division of Genetics and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (GMCDB). 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.

The DRCB position involves overseeing grants supporting research and providing resources for research infrastructure enhancement and capacity building in the basic, translational, and clinical biomedical sciences. The chosen candidate will manage Institutional Development Award and Native American Research Centers for Health programs, and may contribute to other programmatic activities as opportunities and needs emerge. See the DRCB website for more information about the Division’s programs. Individuals with a strong background in clinical and/or translational, behavioral, epidemiological, community engagement, health disparities, and public health research are strongly encouraged to apply. All interested candidates should send a letter of interest to Krishan Arora and Michele McGuirl.

Continue reading “Wanted: NIGMS Program Directors”

Wanted: NIGMS Program Directors

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UPDATE: These positions are now open. 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 Biophysics, Biomedical Technology, and Computational Biosciences (BBCB); and Division of Genetics and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (GMCDB). 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”

Wanted: NIGMS Program Directors

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UPDATE: The application window for these positions has now closed.

We’re recruiting scientists for positions in our Division for Research Capacity Building (DRCB) and Division of Genetics and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (GMCDB). 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”

Wanted: Genetics and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Program Director

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UPDATE: This position is now closed.

We’re recruiting for an accomplished scientist to manage research grant, fellowship, training, and other types of awards focused on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying inheritance, gene expression, and development. The position is in our Division of Genetics and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. Job responsibilities involve working collaboratively with other staff to stimulate, plan, advise, direct, and evaluate program activities for a portfolio of research awards. 

Continue reading “Wanted: Genetics and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Program Director”

Apply for New Fellows Program to Reinvent Undergraduate Biology Education

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Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to ActionA national effort called PULSE (Partnership for Undergraduate Life Science Education) Link to external web site is under way to transform undergraduate biology education at the departmental level.

Along with the National Science Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, we will select 40 “Vision and Change Leadership Fellows” to devise prototypic solutions that facilitate the systemic changes outlined in Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action. These efforts will inform future investments by NSF, HHMI and NIGMS.

We expect fellows to be departmental chairs, former chairs, deans or faculty members at equivalent levels who demonstrate a passion for undergraduate biology education, concern for its future and a desire to act at the local and national levels. Other qualifications include:

  • Awareness of the history and current thinking about undergraduate life science education reform.
  • Undergraduate teaching experience as well as experience mentoring, motivating and evaluating other faculty.
  • Active involvement in cultivating the mix of scholarship in teaching and life science research at their type of institution.

As fellows, their activities will include:

  • Proposing thoughtful and creative approaches to implementing recommendations of the Vision and Change report.
  • Engaging in open exchange and assessment of ideas.

If you’re interested in applying, go to http://PULSEcommunity.org for complete details, including a video, sample application, FAQs and more. The application deadline is July 9, 2012. For more information, e-mail me or Shiva Singh, in the Training, Workforce Development and Diversity Division.

Register Now for First TWD Division Grantee Meeting

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TWD 2012 Meeting bannerThe first meeting of NIGMS Division of Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity (TWD) grantees will be held on June 12-15, 2012, in San Antonio, Texas. The meeting will provide TWD grantees with the opportunity to meet NIGMS program, review and grants management staff as well as incoming NIGMS Director Chris Kaiser.

General sessions planned for this year’s meeting include discussions about the Institute’s strategic plan for training and the vision of the new TWD division. There will also be “how to” sessions on various topics such as developing an evaluation plan, helping students transition to training programs at research-intensive institutions, and building effective business offices for managing TWD grants.

The 2012 meeting is intended for grantees of the following student and postdoctoral development programs:

  • Predoctoral T32 training programs
  • IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence
  • Bridges to the Baccalaureate
  • Bridges to the Doctorate
  • Initiative for Maximizing Student Development
  • Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Award
  • MARC Ancillary Training Activities
  • MARC Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research Award
  • Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program
  • Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement

Meeting registration is open until May 14, but seating is limited, so we encourage you to sign up soon.

We hope to see you in June!

Meetings Help Develop a Diverse Scientific Workforce

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SACNAS National ConferenceAs part of our commitment to developing a diverse scientific workforce, we sponsor the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) national conference Link to external web site and the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) Link to external web site.

ABRCMS Seal

These conferences represent two of the largest gatherings of science and math undergraduate students from groups that are underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences. They are terrific opportunities for you to meet and recruit outstanding students. You also can volunteer to mentor students or judge their posters.

This year, SACNAS will meet in San Jose, CA, October 27-30, and ABRCMS in St. Louis, MO, November 9-12. For more information or to register, visit the meeting Web sites.

The Value of Attending SACNAS and ABRCMS

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SACNAS National ConferenceThis fall, NIGMS will be sponsoring the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) national conference in Anaheim, CA, September 30-October 3, and the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) in Charlotte, NC, November 10-13.

ABRCMS Seal

These meetings present two wonderful opportunities for you to meet and recruit science-oriented undergraduate students from groups that are underrepresented in the biomedical sciences. In addition to listening to research talks, you can volunteer to mentor students during the meeting or judge their posters. For those of you who are MORE program directors, you’ll also be able to support your students.

I encourage you to attend one or both of these meetings, as they bring in some of the best and brightest undergraduate students in the nation.

You can visit NIGMS staff at SACNAS exhibit booth 817 or ABRCMS exhibit booth 700.

For additional information or to register as a meeting participant, mentor and/or judge, visit the SACNAS Link to external website and ABRCMS Link to external website Websites.