Calendar of events, awards and opportunities

Sept. 18–21: Celebrate National Postdoc Appreciation Week with the ASBMB

National Postdoc Appreciation Week 2023 begins Sept. 18. The ASBMB would like to show gratitude to all the talented, dedicated postdocs in your labs contributing daily to science.

In addition to a number of activities and resources we will be providing for postdocs during National Postdoc Appreciation Week, we would also like to publicly recognize these hard-working young scientists on our website and social media channels. To do that, we’ll need your help! If you’d like us to recognize a postdoc who is doing great work, please send in one or more of the following to asbmbtoday@asbmb.org: A thank-you note of no more than 50 words and a photo. (Please note that your thank-you note may be truncated if necessary. Short sentences work best.) A video under one minute of yourself thanking a postdoc. (Professional video footage is not necessary. Feel free to shoot your tribute on your cell phone.) We're sharing your photos and videos recognizing postdocs who are doing great work on social using the hashtag #ASBMBLovesPostdocs. Learn more. 

ASBMB events:

• Monday, Sept. 18, at 1:30 p.m. Eastern | Webinar: Grant application budgets 101.
• Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 3 p.m. Eastern | Webinar: Beyond R&D: Exploring career paths in industry.
• Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 3 p.m. Eastern | Webinar: Finding the funds: Early-career funding and training opportunities.
• Thursday, Sept. 21, at 2 p.m. Eastern | LinkedIn chat: #ASBMBLovesPostdocs.

Sept. 18: Grant application budgets 101 webinar

Join us at 1:30 p.m. Eastern on Sept. 18 for an introductory-level webinar on preparing grant application budget proposals for federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health. The speakers, Paul Craig and Ann West, will cover the nuts and bolts (including definition of key terms) of grant budgets, strategies for putting together a budget proposal, and making a budget justification that matches the scope of work of the project. A Q&A session will follow the presentations. Join us to discover the many ways you can get funded by these federal agencies. Learn more. This event is part of the ASBMB’s observance of National Postdoc Appreciation Week. See the event lineup.

Sept. 19: Beyond R&D: Exploring career paths in industry webinar

The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries offer diverse and rewarding careers in scientific innovation, healthcare advancement and the development of lifesaving medications. From research scientists to sales representatives, professionals contribute to groundbreaking therapies. Whether in drug development, research, quality control or marketing, these careers make a global impact on health while embracing professional growth and continuous learning. ASBMB members are invited to a free webinar titled "Beyond R&D: Exploring career paths in industry" at 3 p.m. Eastern on Sept. 19. See the speakers and register. This event is part of the ASBMB’s observance of National Postdoc Appreciation Week. See the event lineup.

Sept. 20: Early-career funding and training opportunities webinar

At 3 p.m. Eastern on Sept. 20, join the ASBMB public affairs department for another installment of the Finding the Funds webinar series connecting ASBMB members with the unique funding opportunities that are available to them as BMB scientists. In this edition, representatives from the National Science Foundation, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases will present their funding priorities, award opportunities and training grants specifically for postdoctoral scholars and early-career investigators. Learn more. This event is part of the ASBMB’s observance of National Postdoc Appreciation Week. See the event lineup.

Sept. 27: Chemical biology in lipid signaling and metabolism

The ASBMB Lipid Research Division Seminar Series, which features monthly presentations from young researchers, returns on Sept. 27 with "Chemical biology in lipid signaling and metabolism," organized by Ray Blind of Vanderbilt University. Talks will be:

• "A phosphorylation-controlled switch confers cell cycle-dependent protein relocalization" by Xiaofu Cao, Cornell University.
• "Biological C(sp3)-C(sp3) coupling: An extreme strategy to form the phospholipid monolayer membrane" by Cody Lloyd, Pennsylvania State University. 

Attention LRD members: Starting this fall, ASBMB membership will be required to continue as a member of the LRD. Also, while free access to the LRD webinars will continue through the end of the year, access will be limited to ASBMB members as of Jan. 1. Become an ASBMB member.  Learn more about the seminar series.

Sept. 28: ASBMB webinar on competitive academic portfolios

At 3 p.m. Eastern on Sept. 28, join our webinar for undergraduates aspiring to pursue a Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. degree. Discover the secrets that will help you stand out from the competition. Learn how to maintain a stellar GPA, excel in standardized exams and secure impactful letters of recommendation. Craft a compelling personal statement and polish your CV/résumé to showcase your potential. Get expert advice on cultivating meaningful relationships with mentors and professors. Don't miss this opportunity to pave your way into a graduate program and embark on an exciting career in biomedical sciences. Learn more.

Oct. 12: #DiscoverBMB 2024 early-decision abstracts submission deadline

When you present your research at #DiscoverBMB, you get the recognition and constructive feedback that you need to make your work even better. Submit your abstract by Oct. 12 and you will be notified of a decision by Nov. 1. International researchers are encouraged to participate so that they can get an early start on the visa process. Early decision notification will include acceptance/rejection but will not include presentation format; decisions on oral or poster presentation will be sent in January. Learn more.

Oct. 19: ASBMB webinar on teaching enzymology with PDB

RCSB Protein Data Bank is a rich open-access resource for introducing many aspects of protein structure and function into biochemistry courses. In addition to containing more than 200,000 biomacromolecule 3D structures, it also hosts PDB-101 training materials, the Molecule of the Month series and additional resources for exploring enzyme structure–function relationships. At 2 p.m. Eastern on Oct. 19, speakers will demonstrate how to use new RCSB.org tools and share hands-on learning exercises. Participants will learn to use PDB resources to create graphically rich, deeply annotated and engaging lessons about enzyme function for their upper-division undergraduate and graduate students and even administrators or funding agencies. Learn more.

Nov. 1: Save the date for the 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. 28: Deadline to renew ASBMB Student Chapters to apply for #DiscoverBMB 2024 student travel awards

Current chapters can renew at any time, but must do so by Nov. 28 to be eligible for travel awards to the annual meeting. Log in to renew your chapter. Learn more about the #DiscoverBMB Student Chapters Travel Award.

March 23–26: Save the date for #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.

Sept. 26–30, 2024: Save the date for 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.

Early 2025: Save the date for the ASBMB Deuel Conference on Lipids

The Deuel conference will resume in 2025. 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.

Do you have a great idea for a scientific event?

We are now accepting proposals for scientific events to be held in 2024 and 2025. You pick the topic, the sessions and the speakers, and we’ll do the rest.
 
That’s right! We’ll manage registration, market the event to tens of thousands of scientists, and handle all the logistics so that you can focus on the science.  
  
The top areas of research interest among ASBMB members include the following, but we’ll consider all proposals:  

• Protein structure and folding 
• Molecular bases of disease 
• Gene regulation 
• Signal transduction 
• Metabolism 

What molecule, method or research question needs more attention? We’re here to help you realize your vision and deliver cutting-edge science to the BMB community. 

Propose an event.