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Office of Training, Career Development and Workforce Diversity



2012 Diversity Grant Writing Workshop for future K and R neuroscience grantees: NINDS provides a biannual workshop focused on grant writing to improve the outcomes of the grant submissions from diversity investigators (see previous workshop).  The next upcoming workshop will be held July 23 – 24, 2012 in Bethesda, MD. See specific details and instructions for completing a submission to attend. We must receive your application no later than May 4, 2012.

Individual Programs

Application due dates: April 13, August 13, and December 13

Provides up to five years of support for research training leading to the PhD or equivalent research degree, the combined MD/PhD degree, or another formally combined professional degree and research doctoral degree in biomedical, behavioral, health services, or clinical sciences.

Application due dates: February 12, June 12, and October 12

Provides support and protected time (three years) for promising junior investigators (≤ 3 years in faculty position) for an intensive, supervised career development experience in the biomedical, or behavioral sciences leading to research independence.

Application due dates: February 12, June 12, and October 12

Provides support for neuroscience researchers with a Ph.D., Ph.D./M.D. or equivalent, who have between 2 and 5 years of postdoctoral research training and who are not in a tenure-track (or equivalent) faculty position. This is a two-phase award that provides a maximum of 5 years of support: up to 3 years of support may be obtained during the advanced postdoctoral training period and up to 3 years of support may be obtained during a subsequent first faculty position.

Provides supplements to existing NIH-funded active grants (see full announcement for specific mechanisms) to improve the diversity of the research workforce by supporting and recruiting students, postdoctorate, and eligible investigators from groups that have been shown to be underrepresented.

 

Institutional Programs

Support applications for Diversity Research Education grants whose goals are to support the development and/or implementation of programs to: (1) increase the number of Ph.D.-level research scientists from diverse backgrounds including graduate, post-doctoral and/or junior-faculty career levels; and (2) advance the careers of the participants to the next step in their education. Funding support for the R25 Diversity Research Education Programs should lead to increased recruitment, mentoring, education and retention of researchers from diverse backgrounds in the neuroscience scientific workforce.

Aims to raise interest and opportunities in neuroscience research for individuals who are typically underrepresented in the field at the undergraduate level, so that they are prepared to enter and successfully complete neuroscience Ph.D. programs.

Fosters the development of faculty at minority serving institutions (MSIs) in order to increase their research competitiveness and promote their transition to non-SCORE external sources of funding.

For further Diversity Workforce Institutional Programs at NINDS, please visit the Office of Special Programs in Diversity (OSPD).

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Pre-Doctoral Fellowships (F)

Mentored Career Development (K)

Institutional Programs (T32, K12, R25)

All Mechanisms


Application Information


Important Links


Shortened/Restructured Applications


Electronic Submission


Enhanced Peer Review and Scores

Mentoring Resources

"Mentor: Someone whose hindsight can become your foresight”

Professional Conferences

Venues for professional development activities, scientific presentations and networking opportunities with peers, faculty and academic biomedical research Institutions.

Where Are They Now?

Future discoveries that will lead to a reduction in the burden of neurological disorders will require an outstanding cadre of scientists in basic, clinical, and translational research across all segments of society. Here we highlight those outstanding neuroscientists who have taken advantage of the many NINDS diversity programs to become successful researchers in their field.

Dr. Deisre Tshala-Katumbay

Assistant Professor of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University School of Medicine, Portland, Oregon

In 2005, I received a Diversity K01 award from NINDS to help develop my expertise in Neurotoxicology, Experimental Neurology, and Global Health. Under the guidance of my mentor, I immersed myself into challenging technologies to further elucidate the structure-activity requirements for hydrocarbons to induce neurotoxicity, identify markers (proteins) and their respective moieties that appear critically associated with mechanisms of axonal degeneration. My research continues to examine the physicochemical properties of natural/environmental neurotoxicants to probe the pathophysiology of the motor system. For instance, I have been able to deliver small peptides selectively to neurons via retrograde axonal transport and hence, circumventing the hurdles posed the blood brain barrier for drug candidates to reach the nervous system (achievement under US provisional patent).

In 2009, I was awarded an R21 grant from NIEHS to develop a Global Health line of research in relation to cassava cyanogenesis and motor neuron disease. This grant led to the successful submission in 2011 of a R01 grant to continue with this research.   The NINDS-K01 award helped to propel me to positions with both national and international recognition. I currently serve on the NAS (National Academy of Sciences) North American regional committee of IBRO and NIH study sections while pursuing my research lines on mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases

Transition Outcome:  R01 (awarded 2011)

Research Interest:  My current line of research focuses on the complex interactions between diet, environmental factors, and genetic polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of motor system degeneration.  Research findings, publications, and description of global health activities can be found at Tshala-Katumbay Lab.

Contact for Speaker Interest

Email:  tshalad@ohsu.edu