Calendar of events, awards
and opportunities

Every week, we update this list with new meetings, awards, scholarships and events. If you are looking for announcements from federal funding agencies relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are collecting those announcements here.

If you’d like us to feature something that you’re offering to the bioscience community here, 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.

May 4–24: Weekly Plastic Games challenges

LabX, a public-engagement program presented by the National Academy of Sciences, has lined up a series of weekly challenges using everyday plastic products during the month of May as an extension of its Earth Day observance. They'll post a new challenge at 3 p.m. each Monday through May 24. See the rules.

May 11–13: Lab Manager offers lab design summit

This summit for architects, engineers, planners, designers, and laboratory management professionals will be held online May 11-13. The events are free. Learn more.

May 14: #ASBMB2020 Twitter poster session on protein synthesis, structure, modifications and interactions

Throughout the month of May, and possibly beyond, we'll be showcasing e-posters and video posters by people who were going to attend the ASBMB annual meeting before it was canceled. For our first Twitter poster session, we're inviting presenters from the category "Protein Synthesis, Structure, Modifications and Interactions" to participate. If you submitted an e-poster or video poster already and would like to be a part of our Twitter session, please contact Allison Frick, our social and multimedia manager. And the rest of you are encouraged to follow ASBMB on Twitter, log on at 1 p.m. Eastern on May 14, and give these fine poster presenters support and feedback. We can't be together in San Diego, but we can be there for one another.

May 15: Letters of intent due for PhRMA fund grants

The PhRMA Foundation is now accepting letters of intent for predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships as well as research starter grants for early-career faculty in the areas of drug discovery and drug delivery. Letters of intent are to be submitted through proposalCENTRAL, but more information about eligibility and application process can be found on the PhRMA Foundation website.

May 22: Nominations for Golden Goose awards (COVID-related research)

The Golden Goose Award is accepting nominations through May 22 of individuals or teams whose federally funded research has had a significant impact on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In case you're unfamiliar with this award, this line is important: "(The award) also seeks to highlight and honor examples of scientific studies or research that may not have seemed relevant to a real world problem or societal challenge or for which the results and application were totally unforeseen, but which have serendipitously led to a major breakthroughs and clear impact in our fight against COVID-19."  See the full guidelines for nominations. And read our story about ASBMB member Hudson Freeze, who won the award in 2013 for his discovery of a special bacterium.

May 27: Enzyme regulation by filamentation and other alternate and emerging mechanisms

Enzyme activity can be regulated through multiple mechanisms, including localization and active-site orientation or accessibility. This virtual event, to be helf from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern on May 27,  focuses mainly on filamentation, a process by which enzymes reversibly self-assemble into linear structures. It also includes talks focused on other types of protein localization as well as alternative splicing to produce proteins with differing functions. Register for free.

May 28: Shape shifting in the control of protein function

What roles do conformational changes play in regulating protein function? Protein shape-change can be triggered by a variety of factors, including ligand binding, temperature or pH and can alter enzyme activity and function, allowing enzymes to carry out different functions in different contexts. In this virtual event, to be held from 1 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Eastern on May 28, researchers will present their findings on proteins that undergo conformational changes, including reassembly, oligomerization and fold-switching. Register for free.

May 31: Free courses for new communicators

Poynter has made all of its News University webinars and courses free for college students and educators through May 31. If you're just beginning your science communication career journey, there are primers on grammar and evaluating sources, among others. More advanced courses include, for example, ones on writing for broadcast media and using video. See the available courses.

June 1: Deadline to apply for diversity scholarship

The ASBMB's Marion B. Sewer Distinguished Scholarship for Undergraduates offers financial support to students who demonstrate an interest in the fields of biochemistry and molecular biology and enhance the diversity of science. Students whose social, educational or economic background adds to the diversity of the biomedical workforce or who show commitment to enhancing academic success of underrepresented students are eligible. The scholarship provides up to $2,000 toward undergraduate tuition costs. Learn more.

June 1: Nominations due for Heinrich Wieland Prize

Researchers who have published outstanding work on “biologically active molecules and systems in the areas of chemistry, biochemistry and physiology” are eligible for the 100,000 euro 2020 Heinrich Wieland Prize. Learn more.

June 1: Enter undergrad design challenge

Two institutes at the National Institutes of Health are teaming up with VentureWell to present the 2020 DEBUT Challenge. (DEBUT is short for "Design by Biomedical Undergraduate Teams.") This contest has lost of prize possibilities, with the biggest at $20,000. See the DEBUT website for details.

June 8: Hopkins to host science writers at press club

The Johns Hopkins Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences is offering a free, daylong program for science writers of all kinds on June 8 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The theme is precision medicine. We can attest that we've found some of our best stories and sources at this annual event. More info.

June 9–10: NASEM workshop on aging, environmental research

The National Academies will be hosting a free two-day workshop titled "Integrating the Science of Aging and Environmental Health Research." In an email announcement, the Academies said speakers will discuss findings about "How environmental exposures influence or mediate aging" and "How aging influences environmentally mediated health outcomes." It will be webcast. Learn more.

July 16–17: Free "train-the-trainers" program

The National Institutes of Health and the Association of American Medical Colleges are presenting their second "Train-the-Trainers" event for advisers, staff members and faculty members who provide guidance to and career-related programming for grad students and postdocs in the life sciences. Advance registration is required, but the program is free. See the agenda.

July 20–29: Free glycobiology training in Brazil

The Institute of Biomedical Sciences at the University of São Paulo will host the São Paulo School of Advanced Science on Glycobiology (SPSAS-GLYC) this summer. The program includes theoretical and practical courses and opportunities for student presentations. The organizers tell us that, of the 72 attendees, 36 will be chosen from applications from Brazil, and the other 36 will be chosen from applications from other countries. All 72 attendees will attend for free, with the SPSAS-GLYC covering their travel and accommodations. Learn more.

Aug. 11: Deadline for HHMI program for medically trained scientists

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute will be accepting up to 10 biomedical scientists for its new $120 million research program. According to the announcement we received, the Medically Trained Scientists Program "will offer as many as eight years of support for up to 10 early career scientists who are committed to conducting basic research." See HHMI's site for more details.

Sept. 1: New deadline for PROLAB travel awards

The Promoting Research Opportunities for Latin American Biochemists program allows Latin American graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to spend up to six months in U.S. or Canadian laboratories. Participants get access to technologies and expertise that may not be readily available in their home countries, allowing them to grow their skills and contribute to building capacity in the life sciences at home. Note that the deadline has been extended from this spring to Sept. 1.  Learn more.