Calendar of events, awards and opportunities

Every week, we update this list with new meetings, awards, scholarships and events to help you get your ducks in a row. 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.

Feb. 28: Deadline to nominate a Black chemist

C&EN BrandLab, in partnership with Pfizer, is celebrating Black chemists not just in February, but throughout 2021, by recognizing their contributions across C&EN’s social media platforms. You can nominate a Black chemist to be featured through the end of February. Learn more.

March 1: CUR mentor award nominations due

The Council on Undergraduate Research is accepting nominations and self-nominations through March 1 for its biology division's mentor awards. We recommend checking the website to be sure you understand who is allowed to submit nominations, as there is some fine print. There are three categories for the awards: early career, midcareer and advanced career. The nomination package requires two letters from students, among other things. Learn more.

March 5: NSF listening session on diversity, inclusion and equity

The ASBMB's own Kayunta Johnson–Winters of the University of Texas at Arlington will be on the panel for this National Science Foundation Division of Chemistry event. (Read her recent ASBMB Today essay, "Being Black in the ivory tower.) She'll be joined by Miguel García-Garibay of the University of California, Los Angeles, and Rigoberto Hernandez of Johns Hopkins University. Register.

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. 

Propose an event.

March 8–10: NASEM workshop

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will host a workshop titled “Quantum Science Concepts in Enhancing Sensing and Imaging Technologies: Applications for Biology” virtually on March 8–10. The announcement we received said the event will cover "research and development needs to advance biological applications of quantum-enabled sensing and imaging technologies." Learn more about the project. Register for the event here.

March 8: Deadline to apply to attend health disparities event

The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities is hosing a virtual Health Disparities Research Institute in August, but the time to apply is now through March 8. This event is for early-career extramural researchers, and it's important to check out the eligibility criteria. Here's a nugget from the event website: "The program will feature lectures on minority health and health disparities research, small group discussions, mock grant review, and seminars." Learn more about the institute.

March 11: ASCB webinar on nonacademic careers

The American Society for Cell Biology is hosting a free webinar for undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows about preparing job applications for nonacademic careers at 1 p.m. Eastern on March 11. There will be a presentation by career coach Tracy Costello and then an interactive session. Learn how to interpret a job description, how to navigate online application systems, how to prepare cover letters and additional documentation, and more. Register.

March 16: Funding opportunity for rare disease research

We learned about a call for proposals from the Clayco Foundation to support investigators conducting research of retinal vasculopathy with cerebral leukoencephalopathy, or RVCL, an ultra-rare fatal vasculopathy that leads to brain lesions (strokes, visual impairment, dementia) and multiorgan vascular damage. It is caused by autosomal dominant mutations within the C-terminal region of the TREX1 gene. Underlying pathology has been speculated to be a consequence of alterations in DNA damage repair, dysregulation of innate immune pathways, acceleration of cellular senescence, or dysregulated handling of cellular debris. See the CFP.

March 31: Deadline for Lasker essay contest

The Lasker Foundation's annual essay contest is now accepting submissions. It's open to all biomedical and public health students, including graduate and medical students, and postdocs and offers a $5,000 prize. This year's prompt asks: "What is the most important scientific lesson you have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic? Discuss how that lesson will influence your research work and/or career." Submit your 800-word essay by March 31. Learn more.

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: 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.

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 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 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.