A new center at the University is bringing together researchers to find new and innovative ways to promote social connectedness and the overall health of older adults caring for a loved one with dementia.

The Roybal Center for Social Ties and Aging Research (STAR), a joint initiative between the School of Nursing and the Department of Psychiatry, is funded by a $3.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

The center will focus on fostering collaboration among researchers to make a significant impact on the problem of social disconnection in older caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease and other related dementias (ADRD).

Its major activity will be funding pilot studies through its annual Pilot Award Program. Requests for proposals will be announced in the next several months.

Read more here.

Teenagers in the US simply don’t get enough shut eye. The consequences of this epidemic of sleep deprivation are extensive and include increasing rates of anxiety and depression among adolescents, as well as suicidal thoughts and actions. Sleep-deprived teens are more likely to be involved in car crashes, and run a higher risk of injury during sports-related activities.

Experts have pointed to various reasons for the chronic teenage sleep deficit: growing homework loads, too many extra-curricular activities, caffeine consumption, school start times that run counter to middle and high schoolers’ natural circadian rhythms, and the use of electronic devices and backlit screens, which may disrupt sleep patterns, before bedtime.

But University researchers have found that a simple and timeworn solution yields solid results: a clear bedtime that parents consistently adhere to.

Read more here.

Steve Gonek, a professor of mathematics who has been named a 2020 fellow of the American Mathematical Society (AMS) for his “contributions to the study of the Riemann zeta function, and for service to the mathematical community.” Each year, the society names about 60 fellows out of its nearly 30,000 members. Read more here.

Karl Rosengren has joined the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences as a professor with a joint appointment in the Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology, after serving as a professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Previously, he was a psychology professor at Northwestern University and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Rosengren is a developmental psychologist whose research focuses on how children and adults develop cognitive and motor skills to adapt to environmental changes across their lifespans. In the area of cognitive research, Rosengren examines how children reason about the world and come to separate what is possible from what is impossible. In the area of motor development, he is primarily interested in how children and adults maintain balance and acquire motor skills.

Rosengren is a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science. He has received funding from the National Science Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, the US Department of Homeland Security, and the National Institutes of Health. His work has appeared in peer-reviewed journals such as Child Development, Psychological Science, Journal of Aging Research, Gerontology, and Science. He has coedited several books, monographs, and textbooks.

Graduate students in Arts, Sciences, and Engineering are invited to submit abstracts for the inaugural AS&E Graduate Research Symposium, to be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, April 9, in Wilson Commons.

The research symposium will feature poster presentations, research talks, and an awards reception, where several $500 prizes will be awarded for best posters. The deadline to submit poster abstracts is 5 p.m., February 14. Submissions will be reviewed and applicants notified on or about Monday, March 2.

If you have something of your own to share with your colleagues — a thesis proposal, new research finding, or independent study — please consider submitting an abstract. Poster printing costs will be paid by the Office of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) in Arts, Sciences and Engineering.

To help prepare students for the symposium, the GEPA office will hold three pre-symposium workshops. Dates and times to be announced.

1. Poster Design: Introduction to poster design, creation and printing. Special attention will be paid to presenting research from disciplines where posters are not a standard presentation format.
2. Presenting Your Research: Workshop on presenting your research, with an emphasis on presenting posters and 3-5 minute research overviews.
3. Networking at Conferences: Workshop on networking at conferences, including practice starting research conversations.

The symposium is sponsored by GEPA and the Graduate Student Association.

If you have any questions about the event or abstract submission process, please do not hesitate to contact Katie Mott (Katie.Mott@rochester.edu).

Register online for the next Future Faculty Workshop titled “Managing Your Scholarly Identity.” The workshop takes place Wednesday, February 5, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Feldman Ballroom, Douglass Commons. Lunch is provided. Email Adele Coelho with questions. The program series is sponsored by the Office of the Provost.

Click here to read more about why this issue is important not only for faculty and researchers, but for the University’s rankings.

The Goergen Institute for Data Science (GIDS) is offering an advanced graduate certificate in data science program beginning Fall 2020. Applications are currently being accepted.

The certificate program is designed for individuals who have a working knowledge of data science gained through industry or academic experience but would like to formalize their training with a deeper mastery of the fundamental concepts in the field.

Current University employees and graduate students are welcome to apply. The program is designed to be a total of 16 credits and can be completed in 2-4 semesters of study. Detailed information on the program and how to apply for admission is available at this link. For further information, contact gids-advcert@rochester.edu.

Grants are available for independent studies and unique data needs to current students from Arts, Sciences & Engineering, the Warner School of Education, and the Simon Business School.

For spring 2020 semester grants, applications must be submitted to the River Campus Libraries Data Grant Review Board for evaluation by February 1.

Students are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as they identify their dataset needs. Applications for the fall semester can be submitted as early as August 15.

For questions, please contact Kathy Wu at kathyw@library.rochester.edu

The Humanities Centers Initiative (HCI) is an innovative statewide partnership between Humanities New York and a network of humanities centers based at nine New York State universities, including the University of Rochester.

Launched in 2012 and supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Whiting Foundation, the HCI supports humanities institutes, faculty, and graduate students in their commitment to public engagement.

This year-long, $8,000 Fellowship offers advanced humanities graduate students a chance to explore the public application of their scholarly interests, including training in the methods of the public humanities, networking, and professional development. Each Fellow in the cohort of 18 designs and implements a public humanities project in collaboration with a community-based partner.

Interested Rochester candidates can contact Joan Shelley Rubin, the Ani & Mark Gabrellian Director of the Humanities Center, for more information.

Read the call for 2020-2021 applicants.

The University’s Resource-Based Center for Musculoskeletal Biology and Medicine is now requesting applications from new investigators for funding of pilot projects.

Full-time faculty who are either physician-scientists, research assistant professors, or assistant professors who have not received NIH R01 or equivalent grant funding as a principal investigator are eligible to apply for research funding relevant to musculoskeletal diseases ($25,000 maximum for one year).

Proposals must be submitted by email to Kristin Smith (585-275-1397) by Friday, February 28.  Learn more.

Martin Zand and Nancy Bennett, co-directors of the University’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (UR CTSI), urge all University faculty members to complete a ten-minute online survey on research collaborations.

The survey will help us understand how our research environment is evolving and where we could focus efforts to foster collaborative science and support emerging investigators and networks.

Participating investigators, networks, groups, centers, or departments can request their results, which will be available in early 2020. Learn more about the survey and past results on the UR CTSI Stories blog.

Help us meet our goal of 500 respondents!  We’re half way there.  Your response will help us tell the URMC research story.

University Research Awards provide seed grants for promising, high-risk projects. Applications are sought from faculty across the university and funding is awarded to recipients whose projects favor new research with a high probability of being leveraged by future external funding.

Submit applications by 5 p.m., Monday, February 3, to Adele Coelho. Learn more.

Juvenal Ormachea Quispe, electrical engineering, “Viscoelastic Tissue Characterization Based on Harmonic and Transient Shear Wave Elastography.” 1:30 p.m. January 21, 2020. Hopeman 224. Advisor: Kevin Parker.

CONFERENCES & SYMPOSIUMS

WORKSHOPS

Feb. 5: “Managing Your Scholarly Identity,” Future Faculty workshop sponsored by the Office of the Provost. 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Feldman Ballroom, Douglass Commons. Register online.  Email Adele Coelho with questions. Lunch is provided.

LECTURES AND TALKS

Jan. 22: Rosenberger Work-in-Progress seminar. Andrew Cashner (Music) (internal fellow). 12:30 to around 1:45 p.m. in Conference Room D of the Humanities Center. River Campus.  All are welcome to attend, exchange ideas, and have lunch.

Jan. 30: Phelps Colloquium. “A Vision for the Future: How to Recruit Neural Plasticity for Sight Restoration,” by Krystel Huxlin, professor in the Department of Ophthalmology. “Making Stars and Planets in the Laboratory and Pushing the Frontiers of Physics with Lasers,” by E. Michael Campbell, director of the Laboratory for Laser Energetics. 4-5:30 p.m. Feldman Ballroom, Douglass Commons, River Campus. Register here.

Feb. 6: Rosenberger Work-in-Progress seminar. Tom Fleischman  (History) (internal fellow). 12:30 to around 1:45 p.m. in Conference Room D of the Humanities Center. River Campus.  All are welcome to attend, exchange ideas, and have lunch.

Feb. 19: Rosenberger Work-in-Progress seminar. Sue Uselmann (ESM Humanities) . 12:30 to around 1:45 p.m. in Conference Room D of the Humanities Center. River Campus.  All are welcome to attend, exchange ideas, and have lunch.

Feb. 26: Phelps Colloquium. “Surgery of the Future: 3D-Printed Patient-Specific Organs Guide the Way for Complex Cancer Surgery,” by Ahmed Ghazi, associate professor, Department of Urology. “Structural Engineering to the Rescue of Cultural Heritage,” by Renato Perucchio, professor and chair, Department of Mechanical Engineering, and director of the Program in Archaeology, Technology, and Historical Structures. 4-5:30 p.m. Feldman Ballroom, Douglass Commons, River Campus. Register here.

March 4: Rosenberger Work-in-Progress seminar. Eduardo Herrera (Musicology, Rutgers) (external fellow). 12:30 to around 1:45 p.m. in Conference Room D of the Humanities Center. River Campus.  All are welcome to attend, exchange ideas, and have lunch.

March 18: Rosenberger Work-in-Progress seminar. Elena Bellina (ESM Humanities). 12:30 to around 1:45 p.m. in Conference Room D of the Humanities Center. River Campus.  All are welcome to attend, exchange ideas, and have lunch.

March 26: Phelps Colloquium. “Harnessing Immunity to Fight Cancer: Clues from the Tumor Microenvironment,” by David Linehan, professor and chair, Department of Surgery. “Preparing for the Worst: Portrayal of Downside Risk in Professional Investment Advice,” by Joanna Wu, professor of business administration,  Simon Business School. 4–5:30 p.m. Eisenberg Rotunda, Schlegel Hall, River Campus. Register here.

April 2: Rosenberger Work-in-Progress seminar. Alexandra Lindgren-Gibson (History, Univ. of Mississippi) external fellow). 12:30 to around 1:45 p.m. in Conference Room D of the Humanities Center. River Campus.  All are welcome to attend, exchange ideas, and have lunch.

April 16: Rosenberger Work-in-Progress seminar. Ash Arder (Studio Art) (visiting artist). 12:30 to around 1:45 p.m. in Conference Room D of the Humanities Center. River Campus.  All are welcome to attend, exchange ideas, and have lunch.

April 22: Phelps Colloquium. “Making Fuel and Fertilizer from Sun, Air, and Water,” by Kara Bren, professor in the Department of Chemistry. “A Black Musician in the Court of Henry VIII. You’re Kidding, Right?” by Lee Koonce, president and artistic director of the Gateways Music Festival in association with Eastman School of Music, and senior advisor to the dean, Eastman School of Music. 4–5:30 p.m. Max of Eastman Place, 25 Gibbs Street, Rochester.  Register here.

April 30:  Rosenberger Work-in-Progress seminar. Khan and Sullivan (Public Humanities fellows). 12:30 to around 1:45 p.m. in Conference Room D of the Humanities Center. River Campus.  All are welcome to attend, exchange ideas, and have lunch.

GRANT DEADLINES

Jan. 31: Initial proposal abstracts due for Department of Public Health pilot proposal applications that have a substantial component of, or impact on, public health sciences, practices, or policies.  Applicants may request a maximum of $25,000 for one year and must hold a position of assistant professor or higher. Learn more.

Feb. 1: Applications due for River Campus Libraries Data Grants,  available for independent studies and unique data needs to current students from Arts, Sciences & Engineering, the Warner School of Education, and the Simon Business School. Spring 2020 semester applications must be submitted to the River Campus Libraries Data Grant Review Boar. For questions, contact Kathy Wu at kathyw@library.rochester.edu

Feb. 3: Deadline to apply for 2020 University Research Awards. The Request for Proposal and application are available here. Questions and completed applications should be directed to Adele Coelho at adele.coelho@rochester.edu.

Feb. 17: Applications due for NY Public Humanities Fellowships. Interested Rochester graduate students can contact Joan Shelley Rubin, Ani & Mark Gabrellian Director of the Humanities Center, for more information. Guidelines available here. The Fellows Application is currently open, read the call for 2020-2021 applicants.

Feb. 28: Deadline for new investigators to submit proposals for pilot project funding ($25,000 maximum for one year) from the Resource-Based Center for Musculoskeletal Biology and Medicine for research relevant to musculoskeletal diseases. Proposals must be submitted by email to Kristin Smith (585-275-1397). Learn more.

FELLOWSHIPS, TRAINING PROGRAMS

Feb. 1: Applications due for clinical and translational research training in cancer control and preventive research. Helps postdoctoral MD or PhD researchers establish careers as independent investigators. For more information, contact  Michelle Janelsins, Ph.D., or Gary Morrow, Ph.D., program directors of the UR Cancer Control Research Training Program,  or Kate Kessler, program coordinator. Learn more.

Feb. 14: Applications due for the Wilmot Cancer Research Fellowship program, which funds physicians for up to three years allowing them to investigate the causes, diagnosis, treatment or prevention of cancer. Mentored research training for physicians with MD or MD/PhD degrees who have completed their residency training and intend to pursue an academic career in clinical, translational or basic cancer research. Learn more. For questions and to submit applications, email Pam Iadarola.

Feb. 14: Applications due for Wilmot Cancer Institute Predoctoral Cancer Research Fellowship Program. Contact Thom Fogg with questions.