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Navigating Early Career Funding Opportunities


Virtual PreCon Event: September 15, 2022 / 1:00 – 3:30 PM ET
Navigating Early Career Funding Opportunities

The NIH is committed to investing in early-stage investigators who are focused on establishing themselves as experts in their chosen research areas.

With numerous Fellowships and Career Development Award types, how do you know which is the right one for your research and career goals? Our experts will provide an overview of opportunities, discuss how networking and mentoring can strengthen your chances for success, and show you where to find resources to help you along the way.


One Registration. All-Access. No Cost. 
Register one time to gain access to all virtual preconference events,
the 2-day conference, and valuable resources.

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three scientists conducting research

Virtual Event Overview

Thursday, September 15, 2022
Time: 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM ET

One-Time Registration Required:NIHGrantsConference.vfairs.com
(If you have already registered on the NIH Grants Conference & PreCon Events website, then you do not need to register again!)

Log In: Once registered, you can join live events and explore the NIH Exhibit Hall with additional resources at Institute, Center, & Office Booths.


During this session, participants will learn about:
  • Fellowships (F) and Career Development (K) Awards;
  • Navigating NIH Diversity Programs;
  • Advancing Your Career Through Networking and Mentoring; and
  • Resources that will help you choose the right program.

Event Resources:

Agenda

*This event is scheduled in the Eastern Time Zone.

1:00 PM – 1:10 PM

Welcome & Overview


Ericka Boone, PhD
Director, Division of Biomedical Research Workforce
NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER), NIH

1:10 PM – 2:00 PM

Fellowships and Career Development Opportunities

Slideset - Fellowships and Career Development Opportunities

Panelists:

Ericka Boone, Ph.D.
Director
Division of Biomedical Research Workforce
Office of Extramural Research (OER), NIH

Amanda Boyce, Ph.D.
Program Director
Muscle Development and Physiology Program
National Institute of Arthritis Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), NIH

Lauren Hill, Ph.D.
Acting Deputy Director
Office for Disparities Research and Workforce Diversity
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), NIH
 

Q&A Moderator:

Teraya Donaldson, Ph.D.
Research Training Policy Officer
Division of Biomedical Research Workforce
Office of Extramural Research (OER), NIH

2:00 PM – 2:40 PM

Navigating NIH Diversity Programs

Slideset - Navigating NIH Diversity Programs

Presenters:

Lisa Evans, J.D.
Scientific Workforce Diversity Officer,
Division of Biomedical Research Workforce,
Office of Extramural Research (OER), NIH

Lauren Ullrich, Ph.D.
Program Director, Office of Programs to Enhance Neuroscience Diversity,
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), NIH

 


2:40 PM – 3:15 PM

Advancing Your Career Through Networking and Mentoring

Slideset - Advancing Your Career Through Networking and Mentoring

Presenters:

Rosalina Bray, M.S.
Extramural Staff Training Officer
Division of Communications and Outreach
Office of Extramural Research (OER), NIH

Lynn Morin, M.S.
Evaluation and Research Training Policy Officer
Division of Biomedical Research Workforce
Office of Extramural Research (OER), NIH

3:15 PM – 3:25 PM

Resources to Help You on Your Path to Success

Slideset - Resources to Help You on Your Path to Success

Presenter:

Ericka Boone, Ph.D.
Director
Division of Biomedical Research Workforce
Office of Extramural Research (OER), NIH


3:25 PM – 3:30 PM

Acknowledgements & Closing

Ericka Boone, Ph.D.
Director
Division of Biomedical Research Workforce
Office of Extramural Research (OER), NIH

3:30 PM

Event Concludes

Presenters

Click the image to view bios of each presenter.

Ericka Boone, Ph.D.
Director, Division of Biomedical Research Workforce (DBRW), Office of Extramural Research, NIH

Recently appointed as the Director for the Division of Biomedical Research Workforce (DBRW) within the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER), Dr. Boone is tasked with providing leadership on the development, implementation and evaluation of policies and programs to train, sustain and enhance the diversity of the future of the biomedical research workforce. Prior to this position, she served as the Director of the NIH Division of Loan Repayment. While in that role, Dr. Boone was responsible for administering and providing leadership for the NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRP) as well as representing NIH on matters related to the operations, policy development, and evaluation of the LRP. Dr. Boone has also served as a Health Scientist Administrator in the Office of Science Policy and Communications at the National Institute on Drug Abuse where she developed targeted science-based publications, outreach initiatives, and other activities to educate a variety of audiences about the science of drug use, abuse, and addiction. Currently, Dr. Boone also serves on UNITE, NIH's initiative to identify and address structural racism. She co-chairs Committee E, which is charged with evaluating and changing NIH policies, cultures, and structures to promote enhanced workforce diversity.

For her role in these efforts, Dr. Boone has won several NIH Awards of Merit and NIH Director’s Awards. Prior to coming to NIH, Dr. Boone conducted research at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Emory University. Dr. Boone’s academic background includes a B.A. in biology from Talladega College and a Ph.D. in biobehavioral health from The Pennsylvania State University.

Amanda Boyce, Ph.D.
Program Director, Muscle Development and Physiology, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), NIH

Amanda Boyce, Ph.D., joined the NIAMS extramural program as the Program Director for Muscle Development and Physiology in 2006. She also acts as the NIAMS representative to the trans-NIH Training Advisory Committee. She came from the NIAMS intramural program where she worked as a post-doctoral fellow in the Cartilage Biology and Orthopaedics Branch under Dr. Rocky Tuan. Dr. Boyce received her Bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Texas at Austin and completed her Ph.D. in cell biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Rosalina Bray, MSc, CEP
Extramural Staff Training Officer, Office of Extramural Research (OER), NIH

Rosalina Bray, MSc, CEP, is the NIH Extramural Staff Training Officer and leads the activities of for Extramural Staff Training Programs. Prior to accepting a position in the NIH Office of the Director, she was a Senior Health Science Policy Analyst for the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development; and a Program Analyst for the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. She serves on several trans-Agency and trans-NIH committees and working groups. Ms. Bray has led several national and global collaborative efforts. She has a passion for leadership development and transforming organizations.

At the NIH, she co-chairs the OD Staff Training Advisory Committee (STAC). While serving as the NIH Extramural Staff Training Officer, Ms. Bray led efforts to design the NIH Training 365 Programmatic Framework; redesigned the NIH Integrated Core Curriculum for extramural staff; established partnerships and collaborations with NIH Training Partners award the agency; and improved the coordination of training activities within the Office of Extramural Research. Ms. Bray is considered one of the nation’s foremost thought leaders in executive leadership, science policy, technological innovation, business development, and education reform. In addition, she is a leading voice for diversity and inclusion, capacity building, pipeline development, and workforce development.

Teraya Donaldson, Ph.D.
Research Training Policy Officer, Division of Biomedical Workforce, office of Extramural Research (OER), NIH

Teraya Donaldson, M.S., Ph.D., serves as the research training policy officer in the Division of Biomedical Research Workforce (DBRW) in the Office of Extramural Research (OER).

Dr. Donaldson earned her doctorate from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Microbiology investigating malarial chemotherapeutic targets. After completing a post doctorate in biophysics at Oberlin College and serving as visiting faculty fellow at University of Richmond, Dr. Donaldson led graduate and KL2 training initiatives as the Assistant Director of Education for the Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR) at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). In that capacity, she was faculty for the Center and administrative liaison for students, faculty, scholars, and other participants in educational programs in CCTR. Additionally, Dr. Donaldson was the graduate director for the Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) R25 award where she provided mentoring and guidance for predoctoral students. As an AAAS S&T fellow in Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) from 2018-2020, she developed training and workforce initiatives including the NIH Prize for Enhancing Faculty Gender Diversity. Previously Dr. Donaldson was a health science policy analyst in the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) and a Health Scientist Administrator in ORWH.

Lisa Evans, JD
Scientific Workforce Diversity Officer, NIH Division of Biomedical Research Workforce, Office of Extramural Research (OER)

Prior to coming to the NIH, Lisa Evans, JD, served as the External Compliance Manager for the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and as the lead Civil Rights Analyst on Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, in the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Ms. Evans received her BA in political science and black studies from Amherst College, and her JD from Columbia University School of Law, where she was a Charles Evans Hughes Fellow and an Earl Warren Legal Scholar.

Ms. Evans entered the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ), through the highly competitive Attorney General's Honors Program in 1994. She was a litigator in the Educational Opportunities Litigation Section for six years, brought the first linguistic access case in the Civil Rights Division, and worked on the trial team that integrated The Citadel, the formerly all-male military academy in South Carolina. She also represented DOJ on an Executive Branch task force on affirmative action in education and provided advice to sister agencies.

Lauren D. Hill, Ph.D.
Acting Deputy Director, Office for Disparities Research and Workforce Diversity, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), NIH

Dr. Lauren D. Hill is the Acting Deputy Director of the Office for Disparities Research and Workforce Diversity (ODWD) at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). ODWD advances NIMH efforts to promote equity in research, to address the mental health needs of individuals and communities negatively impacted by health disparities, and to promote diversity and inclusion for those underrepresented in the research workforce.

 

Prior to joining ODWD, Dr. Hill was the Director of Research Training and Career Development in the NIMH Division of Services and Intervention Research. Before coming to NIMH, Dr. Hill had faculty appointments in the Departments of Medical and Clinical Psychology (MPS) and Family Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine (USU) and was Director of the Education Core of the NIH-funded USU Center for Health Disparities Research and Education.

Dr. Hill earned a B.S. in biology-psychology from Tufts University and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology at American University in Washington, DC. She completed psychology internship in adult behavioral medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and post-doctoral training at USU in community-partnered health disparities research.

Lynn Morin, M.A.
Program Policy and Evaluation Officer, NIH Division of Biomedical Research Workforce, Office of Extramural Research (OER)

Lynn Morin, M.A., is the program policy and evaluation officer in the Division of Biomedical Research Workforce in the Office of Extramural Research. She serves to support policies and procedures regarding NIH research training and career development, and assists in the coordination of critical operation activities within the Division, including the expert review of funding opportunity announcements and development of guidance and operating procedures. 

Ms. Morin has served NIH for over 21 years in various roles including the de facto training director at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and in 2021 was Acting Branch Director for the Customer Outreach and Education Branch (COED) in the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) where she was on detail from the Career Development and Workforce Gender Diversity (CDW) Section of the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH).

Lauren Ullrich, Ph.D.
Program Director, Office of Programs to Enhance Neuroscience Diversity, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), NIH

Dr. Lauren Ullrich received her PhD and MS in Neuroscience from Georgetown University, researching memory in early Alzheimer's disease for her thesis and also published on teaching, pedagogy, and professional development in science. She received her B.A. from Swarthmore College in psychobiology. Prior to coming to NINDS as a AAAS Science & Technology Fellow, Lauren worked for the Society for Neuroscience in a range of policy and programmatic areas, including government and public affairs; scientific rigor and reproducibility; workforce and training; and animals in research. At NINDS, she helps coordinate NINDS’s diversity activities, which span the pipeline from neuroscience education outreach (grades K-12) to funding opportunities and mentoring networks across critical career transition points.

Ericka Boone, Ph.D.
Director, Division of Biomedical Research Workforce (DBRW), Office of Extramural Research, NIH

Recently appointed as the Director for the Division of Biomedical Research Workforce (DBRW) within the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER), Dr. Boone is tasked with providing leadership on the development, implementation and evaluation of policies and programs to train, sustain and enhance the diversity of the future of the biomedical research workforce. Prior to this position, she served as the Director of the NIH Division of Loan Repayment. While in that role, Dr. Boone was responsible for administering and providing leadership for the NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRP) as well as representing NIH on matters related to the operations, policy development, and evaluation of the LRP. Dr. Boone has also served as a Health Scientist Administrator in the Office of Science Policy and Communications at the National Institute on Drug Abuse where she developed targeted science-based publications, outreach initiatives, and other activities to educate a variety of audiences about the science of drug use, abuse, and addiction. Currently, Dr. Boone also serves on UNITE, NIH's initiative to identify and address structural racism. She co-chairs Committee E, which is charged with evaluating and changing NIH policies, cultures, and structures to promote enhanced workforce diversity.

For her role in these efforts, Dr. Boone has won several NIH Awards of Merit and NIH Director’s Awards. Prior to coming to NIH, Dr. Boone conducted research at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Emory University. Dr. Boone’s academic background includes a B.A. in biology from Talladega College and a Ph.D. in biobehavioral health from The Pennsylvania State University.

Amanda Boyce, Ph.D.
Program Director, Muscle Development and Physiology, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), NIH

Amanda Boyce, Ph.D., joined the NIAMS extramural program as the Program Director for Muscle Development and Physiology in 2006. She also acts as the NIAMS representative to the trans-NIH Training Advisory Committee. She came from the NIAMS intramural program where she worked as a post-doctoral fellow in the Cartilage Biology and Orthopaedics Branch under Dr. Rocky Tuan. Dr. Boyce received her Bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Texas at Austin and completed her Ph.D. in cell biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Rosalina Bray, MSc, CEP
Extramural Staff Training Officer, Office of Extramural Research (OER), NIH

Rosalina Bray, MSc, CEP, is the NIH Extramural Staff Training Officer and leads the activities of for Extramural Staff Training Programs. Prior to accepting a position in the NIH Office of the Director, she was a Senior Health Science Policy Analyst for the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development; and a Program Analyst for the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. She serves on several trans-Agency and trans-NIH committees and working groups. Ms. Bray has led several national and global collaborative efforts. She has a passion for leadership development and transforming organizations.

At the NIH, she co-chairs the OD Staff Training Advisory Committee (STAC). While serving as the NIH Extramural Staff Training Officer, Ms. Bray led efforts to design the NIH Training 365 Programmatic Framework; redesigned the NIH Integrated Core Curriculum for extramural staff; established partnerships and collaborations with NIH Training Partners award the agency; and improved the coordination of training activities within the Office of Extramural Research. Ms. Bray is considered one of the nation’s foremost thought leaders in executive leadership, science policy, technological innovation, business development, and education reform. In addition, she is a leading voice for diversity and inclusion, capacity building, pipeline development, and workforce development.

Teraya Donaldson, Ph.D.
Research Training Policy Officer, Division of Biomedical Workforce, office of Extramural Research (OER), NIH

Teraya Donaldson, M.S., Ph.D., serves as the research training policy officer in the Division of Biomedical Research Workforce (DBRW) in the Office of Extramural Research (OER).

Dr. Donaldson earned her doctorate from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Microbiology investigating malarial chemotherapeutic targets. After completing a post doctorate in biophysics at Oberlin College and serving as visiting faculty fellow at University of Richmond, Dr. Donaldson led graduate and KL2 training initiatives as the Assistant Director of Education for the Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR) at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). In that capacity, she was faculty for the Center and administrative liaison for students, faculty, scholars, and other participants in educational programs in CCTR. Additionally, Dr. Donaldson was the graduate director for the Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) R25 award where she provided mentoring and guidance for predoctoral students. As an AAAS S&T fellow in Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) from 2018-2020, she developed training and workforce initiatives including the NIH Prize for Enhancing Faculty Gender Diversity. Previously Dr. Donaldson was a health science policy analyst in the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) and a Health Scientist Administrator in ORWH.

Lisa Evans, JD
Scientific Workforce Diversity Officer, NIH Division of Biomedical Research Workforce, Office of Extramural Research (OER)

Prior to coming to the NIH, Lisa Evans, JD, served as the External Compliance Manager for the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and as the lead Civil Rights Analyst on Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, in the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Ms. Evans received her BA in political science and black studies from Amherst College, and her JD from Columbia University School of Law, where she was a Charles Evans Hughes Fellow and an Earl Warren Legal Scholar.

Ms. Evans entered the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ), through the highly competitive Attorney General's Honors Program in 1994. She was a litigator in the Educational Opportunities Litigation Section for six years, brought the first linguistic access case in the Civil Rights Division, and worked on the trial team that integrated The Citadel, the formerly all-male military academy in South Carolina. She also represented DOJ on an Executive Branch task force on affirmative action in education and provided advice to sister agencies.

Lauren D. Hill, Ph.D.
Acting Deputy Director, Office for Disparities Research and Workforce Diversity, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), NIH

Dr. Lauren D. Hill is the Acting Deputy Director of the Office for Disparities Research and Workforce Diversity (ODWD) at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). ODWD advances NIMH efforts to promote equity in research, to address the mental health needs of individuals and communities negatively impacted by health disparities, and to promote diversity and inclusion for those underrepresented in the research workforce.

 

Prior to joining ODWD, Dr. Hill was the Director of Research Training and Career Development in the NIMH Division of Services and Intervention Research. Before coming to NIMH, Dr. Hill had faculty appointments in the Departments of Medical and Clinical Psychology (MPS) and Family Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine (USU) and was Director of the Education Core of the NIH-funded USU Center for Health Disparities Research and Education.

Dr. Hill earned a B.S. in biology-psychology from Tufts University and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology at American University in Washington, DC. She completed psychology internship in adult behavioral medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and post-doctoral training at USU in community-partnered health disparities research.

Lynn Morin, M.A.
Program Policy and Evaluation Officer, NIH Division of Biomedical Research Workforce, Office of Extramural Research (OER)

Lynn Morin, M.A., is the program policy and evaluation officer in the Division of Biomedical Research Workforce in the Office of Extramural Research. She serves to support policies and procedures regarding NIH research training and career development, and assists in the coordination of critical operation activities within the Division, including the expert review of funding opportunity announcements and development of guidance and operating procedures. 

Ms. Morin has served NIH for over 21 years in various roles including the de facto training director at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and in 2021 was Acting Branch Director for the Customer Outreach and Education Branch (COED) in the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) where she was on detail from the Career Development and Workforce Gender Diversity (CDW) Section of the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH).

Lauren Ullrich, Ph.D.
Program Director, Office of Programs to Enhance Neuroscience Diversity, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), NIH

Dr. Lauren Ullrich received her PhD and MS in Neuroscience from Georgetown University, researching memory in early Alzheimer's disease for her thesis and also published on teaching, pedagogy, and professional development in science. She received her B.A. from Swarthmore College in psychobiology. Prior to coming to NINDS as a AAAS Science & Technology Fellow, Lauren worked for the Society for Neuroscience in a range of policy and programmatic areas, including government and public affairs; scientific rigor and reproducibility; workforce and training; and animals in research. At NINDS, she helps coordinate NINDS’s diversity activities, which span the pipeline from neuroscience education outreach (grades K-12) to funding opportunities and mentoring networks across critical career transition points.

Once logged into the virtual NIH Grants Conference Center, be sure to stop by the Exhibit Hall to visit the booth’s wide array of resources – view and download! 
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The NIH Office of Extramural Research strives to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage and participate fully. All presentations during the NIH Grants Conference and Pre-Con Events will include closed captions and ASL interpreters. In addition, look for this icon when navigating the virtual conference platform. It will allow you to customize the online conference pages to be more accessible based on needs.
Contact:

Event Questions and Special Requests: NIHGrantsEvents@nih.gov (Submit no less than 3 days prior to the event, if possible.)

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