Calendar of events, awards and opportunities
Every week, we update this list with new meetings, awards, scholarships and events to help you advance your career. If you’d like us to feature something that you’re offering to the bioscience community, email us with the subject line “For calendar.” ASBMB members’ offerings take priority, and we do not promote products/services. Learn how to advertise in ASBMB Today.
April 7: Graduate student mental health and well-being
Join us for a conversation on how to support the mental health and well-being of STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine) graduate students. This event will cover issues in the recent National Academies report titled "Mental Health, Substance Use, and Wellbeing in Higher Education: Supporting the Whole Student." Learn more and register.
April 8: Twitter chat on science outreach
Join us for a Twitter chat this week titled "Science Outreach in a Virtual World." We'll discuss how the virtual environment has motivated a transformative approach to doing science outreach. What have you learned over the past year that has changed how you will do and think of outreach moving forward? Come ready to share your activities, design strategies and lessons learned as we brainstorm what outreach programs can be in the future. Follow @ASBMB and use the hashtag #ASBMBSciOut. See other Twitter chats coming up.
April 11: Industry mentoring program deadline
In October, ASBMB Today industry careers columnist Courtney Chandler interviewed Brandon Anjuwon–Foster about his career path. One of the steps toward industry that he took was participating in the program we're advertising here: the Scientist Mentoring & Diversity Program. The program has two tracks — biotech and medtech — and offers a year of mentoring for diverse undergraduate and graduate students and for early-career scientists. There's five-day training session, and the participants are paired with industry mentors. Learn more and apply by April 11.
April 12: Early registration deadline for the ASBMB annual meeting
The 2021 ASBMB Annual Meeting, held in conjunction with Experimental Biology, offers unmatched opportunities to showcase your work, learn from other scientists about their latest findings and expand your professional circle. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with scientists from around the globe!
Scientific and education sessions: Start planning how you'll spend your time at the meeting. These events have been curated by pioneers and innovators.
Award lectures: These 12 outstanding professionals are being recognized by their peers for contributions to their fields, education and diversity.
April 12: Nominations for C&EN's Talented 12 program due
C&EN’s Talented 12 program, now in its seventh year, showcases the brightest minds who are doing the cutting-edge science to tackle a global challenge. C&EN is seeking nominations for early-career candidates who are doing impactful research. The program is sponsored by Thermo Fisher Scientific. Nominate.
April 14: GSA webinar on reproductive genetics
Biology researchers or educators of any career stage are invited to the latest webinar in the “Discussing Genetics” series hosted by the Genetics Society of America and the Personal Genetics Education Project (pgEd). As part of the GSA and pgEd partnership supporting inclusive public engagement for geneticists, pgEd will be discussing their experiences and strategies for engaging with broad audiences — from high school students to communities of faith — in sensitive conversations about reproductive genetics. Learn more and register.
April 14: How to create an engaging video abstract
The American Society for Cell Biology is hosting a webinar titled "Science Sketches: How to Create an Engaging Video Abstract" at 2 p.m. Eastern on April 14. This is especially good for those of you who are giving prerecorded poster talks at the ASBMB annual meeting and those of you who are interested in science outreach and communication. The speakers at this webinar are Lisa Dennison of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Liam Holt of New York University. They're the co-founders of Science Sketches, a website with short, accessible videos about research. Register.
April 21: Webinar on biological aging
The American Physiological Society and InsideScientific are co-hosting a webinar series on aging science. Here's how APS describes the topic at hand: "Attempts to cure age-related diseases have proven unsuccessful, and the impact of 'disease-first' approaches continue to be incremental. Recent advances in understanding the mechanisms linking biological aging to disease (geroscience) have identified interventions that directly target the molecular hallmarks of aging. Unlike disease-specific approaches, such interventions have the potential to prevent multiple diseases of aging simultaneously, thereby greatly enhancing health span and life span for most individuals." The guest speaker will be Matt Kaeberlein of the University of Washington. Though registration wasn't open when we went to press, you can keep an eye on the event page for a registration link.
Free ASIP webinars during EB week
The American Society for Investigative Pathology is hosting a series of free webinars during the week of the Experimental Biology meeting. If you register for any of these webinars, you'll get a Zoom link. You do not have to be a registered attendee of EB, but you do have to register for each webinar. Here's what they have planned:
- April 27, 1:30 p.m. Eastern: A Personal Story of Career Development — From Early-Stage Student to Starting a Career, and Navigating the Steps in Between | Morgan Preziosi, FENIX Group International
- April 27, 5 p.m. Eastern: Pathology in Alzheimer Disease: A Protective Response? | George Perry, University of Texas at San Antonio
- April 27, 6 p.m. Eastern: Confident Leadership: What Kind of Leader Do You Want To Be? | Deb Elbaum, executive and leadership development coach
- April 28, 5 p.m. Eastern: Autophagy and Secretion in Cancer | Jayanta Debnath, University of California, San Francisco
- April 30, 11 a.m. Eastern: Therapeutic Implications of Modulating Beta-Catenin in Cholestasis | Kari Nejak–Bowen, University of Pittsburgh
April 30: Deadline to apply for PALM fellowship
The Promoting Active Learning and Mentoring (PALM) Network is accepting applications from postdocs and faculty members who wish to learn about and get better at implementing evidence-based active learning. This program is supported by the National Science Foundation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, fellows and mentors will participate virtually. Learn more.
May 4–5: Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the PDB
This celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Protein Data Bank as the first open-access digital data resource in biology will include presentations from speakers from around the world who have made tremendous advances in structural biology and bioinformatics. Students and postdoctoral fellows are especially encouraged to attend and will be eligible for poster awards. Learn more.
May 5: Deadline for ASBMB annual award nominations
The ASBMB Annual Awards are given to outstanding professionals who have been recognized by their peers for contributions to their fields, education and diversity. The recipients will give talks about their work at the 2022 ASBMB Annual Meeting. You can nominate or self-nominate. See a list of available awards and prepare your nomination package.
May 10: Colloquium on G protein–coupled receptors
This colloquium, an extension of the Experimental Biology meeting, will feature as the keynote speaker Nobel laureate Brian Kobilka, who will give a talk titled "Structural Insights into the Dynamic Process of G Protein–Coupled Receptor Activation." (Read our feature on Kobilka, who won the 2013 ASBMB Earl and Thressa Stadtman Distinguished Scientist Award.) See the full list of speakers. Also, please note that you must have already registered for EB to attend this add-on event.
May 11, 18 & 25: Protonic bioenergetics and action potential
Save the dates for this ASBMB series about the latest discoveries and progress in mitochondria, neurons and other biosystems. It's being organized by James W. Lee at Old Dominion University. Learn more.
May 27: Application deadline for DOE internships
The U.S. Department of Energy is accepting applications through May 27 for the fall cohort of its Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships Program. This program allows undergraduates and recent grads to conduct mentored research in DOE labs across the nation. Learn more.
May 31: Application deadline for IUBMB editorship
The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is seeking a new editor for its journal Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry. The editor has a three-year term. Applications are due May 31. See the job description and application instructions.
June 20–25: Teaching science with big data
This international meeting guides faculty on how to teach using web-based, free-access large data sets. How big is "big data"? Data that is so large, fast or complex that it's difficult or impossible to process using traditional methods. Join us to learn these valuable teaching skills to prepare students for the future. Sponsored by the ASBMB and the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Registration and abstract submission opening soon.
June 21: Flux-independent signaling by ionotropic receptors
Save the date for the virtual event "Flux-independent signaling by ionotropic receptors: Unforeseen roles and complexities" on June 21. The organizers say it will be of interest to neuroscientists, cell biologists, molecular biologists and biochemists, among others, involved in the study of cell physiology and function in health and disease. We'll update this item as soon as we know about the abstract and registration deadline. In the meantime, read the event description.
July 21–23: Extracellular vesicle studies: From benchtop to therapeutics
Extracellular vesicles are secreted, membrane-bound compartments containing DNA and cytoplasmic constituent molecules of all types that are thought to act as mediators of intercellular communication. They are classified by both size and location/mechanism of cellular origination. They are thought to be produced by an ever-expanding diversity of cell types and species. However, there is also considerable skepticism related to their existence and utility, as it can be difficult to isolate EVs since there is no EV-specific molecular marker to target. (Editor's note: See this ASBMB Today feature on EVs by former science writer Rajendrani Mukhopadhyay.)
A primary focus in recent years has been to describe the mechanisms of molecular sorting that would allow researchers to target proteins produced from exogenously introduced DNA to EVs for cellular secretion and uptake. The potential value of EVs to therapeutics is thought to be enormous, thanks to the role of EVs in cell–cell communication as a robust, native delivery vehicle.
This event will appeal to a broad audience, including molecular biologists, biochemists, biophysicists, secretion experts, cell–cell communication specialists, clinicians, physiologists and others. Submit an abstract by May 27. The early registration deadline is June 25, and the regular registration deadline is July 16. Visit the event homepage.
July 30: Deadline to apply for PALM fellowship
The Promoting Active Learning and Mentoring (PALM) Network is accepting applications from postdocs and faculty members who wish to learn about and get better at implementing evidence-based active learning. This program is supported by the National Science Foundation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, fellows and mentors will participate virtually. Learn more.
Call for virtual scientific event proposals
The ASBMB provides members with a virtual platform to share scientific research and accomplishments and to discuss emerging topics and technologies with the BMB community.
The ASBMB will manage the technical aspects, market the event to tens of thousands of contacts and present the digital event live to a remote audience. Additional tools such as polling, Q&A, breakout rooms and post event Twitter chats may be used to facilitate maximum engagement.
Seminars are typically one to two hours long. A workshop or conference might be longer and even span several days.
Prospective organizers may submit proposals at any time. Decisions are usually made within four to six weeks.
Oct. 30: Deadline to apply for PALM fellowship
The Promoting Active Learning and Mentoring (PALM) Network is accepting applications from postdocs and faculty members who wish to learn about and get better at implementing evidence-based active learning. This program is supported by the National Science Foundation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, fellows and mentors will participate virtually. Learn more.
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