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.

Oct. 23: Cardiovascular–renal research symposium

The Cardiovascular–Renal Research Center at The University of Mississippi Medical Center is hosting a research symposium Oct. 23 for graduate students. Apply to present a talk and secure a travel award.

Oct. 25: Lipid Research Division seminar on fine-tuning signal transaction with lipids

Join us for the next installment of the ASBMB Lipid Research Division Seminar Series, which features presentations from young researchers, at noon Eastern on Oct. 25. The topic is fine-tuning signal transaction with lipids, and talks will be:

• "Anionic phospholipids determine G protein coupling selectivity at distinct subcellular membrane compartments" by Evelyn Hernandez, University of California, San Francisco.
• "Molecular basis of product recognition during PIP5K-mediated production of PI(4,5)P2 lipids" by Benjamin Duewell, University of Oregon.

Learn more.

Oct. 31: JBC Herbert Tabor Early Career Investigator Awards deadline

The JBC Herbert Tabor Early Career Investigator Awards, named in honor of the longtime editor-in-chief of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, will be given to early-career investigators who are first authors of JBC articles published during the past year. Five awardees will be selected by a committee of JBC associate editors, who need your help in identifying the most impactful, high-quality science published this year in the JBC. When making your nominations, please briefly describe the significance of the work and share any information you may have about the role played by the nominated first author. Any and all papers published between Nov. 1, 2022, and Oct. 31, 2023, are eligible! Please send your nominations to George DeMartino.

Oct. 31: IUBMB webinar on "Your brand as a scientist"

At 4 p.m. Eastern on Oct. 31, the IUBMB Trainee Initiative is hosting a webinar titled "Your brand as a scientist" to help scientists use social media and science communication to increase their visibility and career opportunities. Attendees will learn "practical strategies for creating compelling online profiles, engaging wider audiences, and fostering scientific collaborations." Learn more.

Nov. 1: ASBMB Virtual Career Expo

The ASBMB Career Expo highlights the diversity of career choices available to modern biomedical researchers. No matter your career stage, this virtual event will provide a plethora of career options for you to explore and connect you with knowledgeable professionals in these careers. Each 60-minute session will focus on a different career path and will feature breakout rooms with a range of professionals in those paths. Attendees can choose to meet in a small group with a single professional for the entire session or move freely between breakout rooms to sample advice from multiple professionals. Sessions will feature the following five sectors: government, science communication, science and health policy, pharma and biotech. Learn more.

Nov. 1: Policy fellowship application deadline

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellows program "seeks outstanding midcareer health professionals, behavioral/social scientists and others with an interest in health and health policy." During the fellowship, which requires a full-time commitment with a minimum 12-month residence in Washington, D.C., fellows are placed with members of Congress, a congressional committee or in the executive branch. The experience "prepares individuals to influence the future of health and health care in the nation." Learn more.

Nov. 1: HHMI Janelia's Group Leader Competition deadline

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus is seeking outstanding scientists, late-stage graduate students, postdoctoral associates or early-career faculty members to apply for its Group Leader Competition. Researchers who are "enthusiastic about taking charge of a small lab within an inspiring and collaborative environment" and interested in conducting research in one or more of the program's outlined scientific areas, which include building blocks of cognition through flies and fish and machine learning, are invited to apply. Learn more.

Nov. 3: Nominations deadline for the NPA's 2024 Distinguished Service Award

The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) is seeking nominations for its Distinguished SErvice Award, which "represents appreciation for an individual that has demonstrated either a profound, sustained, or leadership contribution to improving the postdoctoral experience." Learn more.

Nov. 8: Department of Energy summer internship fair

The Department of Energy's Office of Science is hosting a summer internship fair from 1–5 p.m. Eastern on Nov. 8. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about summer 2024 Community College Internships and Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships  programs. These stipend-based 10-week programs provide technical training and research opportunities at DOE national laboratories and other facilities. Representatives from the DOE National Laboratories will be available to connect with attendees in one-on-one chats during the event. Learn more. Attendees who are interested in applying for the Visiting Faculty Program are invited to visit virtual booths during the fair. (See the event listed below on Nov. 17 for more details about the VFP.)

Nov. 8: Videocast on phage lysis and its control

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences is hosting a videocast of the 2023 Stetten Lecture, "The great escape: Phage lysis and its control" by Ry Young, distinguished professor emeritus at Texas A&M University. Young has dedicated his career, over four decades, to studying phages and discovered that "phage lysis is an elaborately regulated and scheduled event that involves a biological clock." Learn more.

Nov. 9: National Postdoctoral Association International Equity Summit

The National Postdoctoral Association will host a series of interactive online discussions during this summit, which "seeks to identify barriers — and find paths forward — in the greater postdoctoral community that significantly and/or disproportionately impact international scholars. Learn more.

Nov. 17: Application workshop for DOE Visiting Faculty Program

The Department of Energy's Office of Science is accepting applications for the summer 2024 term of its Visiting Faculty Program. This program is designed for full-time faculty members from institutions historically marginalized in STEM research and offers participants the opportunity to enhance their research competitiveness and invigorate their teaching through a funded, collaborative experience with a DOE national laboratory. Two tracks are available. They are: the VFP Research Collaboration track and the VFP Teaching Initiative track. The application deadline is Jan. 9 at 5 p.m. Eastern. Learn more. There will be an application assistance workshop on Nov. 17 at 12 p.m. Eastern, during which attendees will learn strategies to submit a compliant and competitive application. Save the date for another application assistance workshop on Dec. 1, during which a panel of alumni will discuss their VFP experiences. Learn more.

Nov. 27: Advancing antiracism, diversity, equity and inclusion in STEMM organizations webinar

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine developed a consensus report, titled "Advancing Antiracism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in STEMM Organizations: Beyond Broadening Participation", that synthesizes the existing body of research on antiracism, diversity, equity and inclusion in STEMM organizations and provides guidance and a set of recommendations for stakeholders across the STEMM enterprise to build ADEI into existing systems. Join the ASBMB at 12 p.m. Eastern on Nov. 27 to explore the report's key takeaways and their relevance to graduate students and postdocs. The webinar will feature study author Julie Posselt and study editor Emily Vargas and will be moderated by Teresita Padilla–Benavides, assistant professor of molecular biology and biochemistry at Wesleyan University and member of ASBMB’s Maximizing Access Committee. Learn more.

Nov. 28: Important deadline for ASBMB student chapters

Current ASBMB student chapters can renew at any time, but they must do so by Nov. 28 to be eligible for travel awards to the annual meeting, Discover BMB, in March in San Antonio. Log in to renew your chapter. Learn more about the travel awards.

Nov. 30: On-time Discover BMB abstracts due

When you present your research at #DiscoverBMB, you get the recognition and constructive feedback that you need to make your work even better. Abstracts submitted by the Nov. 30 deadline will be reviewed by the #DiscoverBMB program planning committee and the ASBMB Meetings Committee for scheduling as talks or posters.

• Short talks with Q&As. Preference will be given to abstracts submitted by ASBMB members.
• Poster presentations are conducted during the poster receptions in the exhibit hall, and presenters actively address attendee questions.

See the abstract categories. Learn more.

Dec. 31: Call for stories about science centers

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the Association of Science and Technology Centers is seeking stories about "the way that science centers and museums ... and other organizations ... play a role in the lives or careers of individuals and are making a positive impact on local communities." Questions to consider include:

• Did a science center or museum — or other experience with science engagement — play a formative role in your own life or career?
• How do science centers and museums have a positive impact on your community?
• How will the science centers and museums of the future engage all people?

Jan. 10: Deadline for Air Force Research Laboratory Scholars Program

The Air Force Research Laboratory Scholars Program is administered by Universities Space Research Association with the goal of "strengthening the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce pipeline." Undergraduate and graduate-level university students pursuing STEM degrees and upper-level high school students are invited to apply for the AFRL Scholars Program. Selected students will participate in stipend-paid internship opportunities and "gain valuable hands-on experiences working with full-time AFRL scientists and engineers on cutting-edge research and technology and are able to contribute to unique, research-based projects." Learn more.

Jan. 15: Congressional policy fellowship application deadline

The American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy is partnering with the American Association for the Advancement of Science to host a one-year policy fellowship on Capitol Hill. "Fellows will provide high-quality, science-based, independent guidance to federal policy makers and elevate awareness of the society among policymaking circles." Learn more.

March 15–16: National Postdoctoral Association Annual Conference

The 2024 National Postdoctoral Conference will be held in Seattle. It is "the largest national conference and networking event dedicated to the postdoctoral community " during which attendees will have the "opportunity to gather and enhance their professional development and leadership skills." Learn more.

March 23–26: See you at #DiscoverBMB in San Antonio

#DiscoverBMB is the annual meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. With a mission to share the latest, most impactful research findings in the molecular life sciences, #DiscoverBMB offers an exciting agenda that includes talks by the field's foremost experts, interactive workshops on the latest trends, technologies and techniques, and an invigorating exhibition of posters, services and products. The meeting attracts researchers in academia and industry, educators, trainees and students from across the globe. It offers unparalleled opportunities for collaborating, networking and recruiting. See the symposia themes and organizers.  Learn more.

April 5: Scientist Mentoring & Diversity Program Biotech and MedTech application deadline

The Scientist Mentoring & Diversity Program is a one-year career mentoring program that pairs ethnically diverse students (undergraduate juniors and seniors, baccalaureate, master's or Ph.D.), postdocs and early-career researchers with industry mentors "who work at companies in the medical technology, biotechnology and consumer healthcare industries." Scholars will attend a five-day training session "to learn about career opportunities in industry and receive career development coaching. They also attend a major industry conference." Learn more.

Sept. 26–30, 2024: ASBMB's transcriptional regulation meeting

The fields of transcription biochemistry and molecular biology have become one with chromatin biology and epigenetics with extensive cross-talk. RNA polymerase II and its transcription machinery play an essential role in the modification and remodeling of chromatin, and chromatin regulates gene expression in both normal and pathological conditions. With recent innovations and technological advances in clinical and preclinical research, personalized medicine is becoming a reality, in part because of advances in our understanding of RNA polymerase II. Many established and new investigators have taken on the challenge of elucidating the molecular mechanisms of gene expression by RNA polymerase II in the context of chromatin. The community is highly dynamic and multi-disciplinary, with an ever-changing set of focal areas that establish new paradigms and new ways of thinking about the topic. Even after decades of study, this research area continues to advance, reveal new concepts, and bolsters almost every other area of biology. Learn more.

Jan. 21–24, 2025: ASBMB Deuel Conference on Lipids

The 2025 Deuel conference will be hosted at the Hyatt Regency in Long Beach, Calif. It is a must-attend event for leading lipids investigators — and for scientists who’ve just begun to explore the role of lipids in their research programs. This event will bring together a diverse array of people including those who have not attended Deuel or perhaps any lipid meeting before. The conference is a forum for the presentation of new and unpublished data, and attendees enjoy the informal atmosphere that encourages free and open discussion. Interested scientists are invited to attend and encourage trainees to submit abstracts. Learn more.

Year-round: Van Andel Institute postdoc preview applications

Van Andel Institute offers sernior graduate students who are exploring postdoc options the opportunity to visit VAI to learn about its postdoctoral training positions. Applications are accepted year-round, and participants will meet one-on-one with faculty and explore VAI's scientific resources. There is no cost to attend for selected applicants. Learn more.

Year-round: HHMI Janelia Visiting Scientist Program applications

Graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and established senior investigators are all invited to participate in Janelia's Visiting Scientist Program. Janelia accepts visitor proposals on a continuous basis. Since 2007, more than 410 visiting scientists from 23 countries have participated in the program. Learn more.