GSA News

January 26, 2012   

 

GSA congratulates its 2012 award recipientsKathryn V. Anderson (Sloan-Kettering) – Thomas Hunt Morgan Medal; Joanne Chory (Salk Inst) – Genetics Society of America Medal; Therese Markow (UCSD) – George W. Beadle Award; David A. Micklos (CSHL) – The Elizabeth W. Jones Award for Excellence in Education; and Dana Carroll (Univ of Utah) – The Edward Novitski Prize.  To learn more, read the press release.

The 10th International Conference on Zebrafish Development and Genetics, June 20-24, 2012 at the University of Wisconsin, Madison offers many opportunities for involvement. Abstract submission will open on February 15; registration for a pre-meeting Zebrafish Atlas workshop will open on February 23; a design contest for the t-shirt and program book is underway (deadline: February 29, 2012); and submission of proposals for afternoon workshop sessions on June 21 and 22 is also open (deadline: March 1, 2012).

The zebrafish community invites geneticists to contribute to the recently established Chi-Bin Chien Award in memory of Dr. Chi-Bin Chien (1965-2011), a professor of neurobiology and anatomy at the University of Utah who was a generous mentor and supporter of young scientists, promoted interaction and discourse among his colleagues, and helped to advance research in zebrafish through collaboration and sharing. The award will be given to an outstanding graduate student, postdoctoral trainee, or recently appointed faculty member who has made significant contributions to the field of zebrafish research and has exhibited the generosity and openness that characterized and motivated Dr. Chien.  Recipients will receive a cash award and international recognition as an invited speaker at the biennial International Conference on Zebrafish Development and Genetics

The GSA Undergraduate Travel Award to promote excellence in undergraduate research and education is now accepting applications.  This award will provide travel support to undergraduate members of GSA who will be presenting research findings at a GSA-sponsored conference to be held June 1 – November 30, 2012Completed applications may be submitted via e-mail to Beth RuediDeadline for applications: Friday, March 30, 2012.

Save the date:  The 25th Annual Mouse Molecular Genetics Conference sponsored by GSA will be held October 2-6, 2012 at the Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, CA.  For more information, click the link above or follow the Conference on Twitter: #MOUSE2012.

Like us on Facebook; follow us on Twitter.  Keep up-to-date with news of the genetics community and GSA on Facebook at facebook.com/GeneticsGSA and on Twitter at twitter.com/GeneticsGSA.

NIH News

The National Human Genome Research Institute of the National Institutes of Health is proposing a significant restructuring plan to reflect its current and evolving research portfolio.  The Division of Extramural Research would be split into four new divisions: the Division of Genome Sciences; the Division of Genomic Medicine; the Division of Genomics and Society; and the Division of Extramural Operations.  The Office of the Director would be split into the Division of Policy, Communications and Education; and the Division of Management.  The Division of Intramural Research would essentially remain the same.  Learn more about this reorganization and provide feedback.

NIH’s Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD) Working Group on Diversity in the Biomedical Research Workforce has issued a request for information (RFI) seeking comments to "help inform the development of recommendations to present to the ACD and the NIH Director on actions the NIH can take to increase the diversity of the biomedical research workforce." The Working Group has identified some specific issues related to the biomedical research pipeline and factors influencing the grant review process.  For more information, see the link above.  Deadline for comments: February 24, 2012.

The Advisory Committee to the NIH Director Working Group on Data and Informatics has issued a request for information to inform its deliberations on the management, integration, and analysis of large biomedical datasets.  The Working Group has highlighted for consideration several issues that may be of interest to GSA members, including the following: challenges and issues related to unrealized research benefits; secondary/future use of data; data accessibility models; and incentives for sharing. Deadline for comments:  March 12, 2012.

Basic Research Extolled

A newly released report from the US Department of Commerce, The Competitive and Innovative Capacity of the United States, emphasizes the role of federally funded basic research as a driver of innovation.  Its basic conclusion is that “Federal support for basic research has not kept pace with the growth of the economy, the education system has not done a good enough job preparing students to become skilled workers, and the nation’s infrastructure has not kept up with growing needs of the U.S. population and U.S. businesses.”

The National Science Foundation has released its biennial report, Science and Engineering Indicators: 2012. The 600+ page compendium highlights major trends in international and US science and technology including education, research and development expenditures, journal articles and patents produced, employment in these fields, and other indicators. To see the complete report, click on the title above or read the press release.

Grant Available

Exiqon, a life sciences and diagnostic company, has announced the Exiqon Grant Program 2012.  The company has established a grant pool of $ 40K USD/€ 30K, from which researchers at academic institutions and non-profit research centers worldwide can receive free Exiqon products and services as awards “to drive projects which will enhance the understanding of how microRNA expression and function relates to normal cellular development, and/or disease-related cellular pathways.” Deadline for application:  Tuesday, January 31, 2012.

Other Meetings of Interest

Registration is now open for Genomics Research 2012, April 19-20 in Boston, MA.  Agenda topics include RNAi and miRNA, advances in qPCR, epigenetics, next generation sequencing and genomic biomarkers.

   

 

 

 


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GENETICS


January Issue

 

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