Research and Training

No Applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

The overarching goal of this R25 program is to support educational activities that encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, to pursue further studies or careers in research.

The fully integrated educational activities should prepare undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral sciences, to enter Ph.D. degree programs in the neurosciences. To accomplish this goal, this initiative will provide institutional awards to develop neuroscience research education programs comprised of collaborative partnerships integrated across different educational institution types.

Limit: 1  // PI: B. Carter (Center for Digital Humanities)

The RRF Foundation for Aging focuses on improving the quality of life for older people. In an effort to strengthen the Foundation’s impact, RRF has established Priority Areas. These Priority Areas are specific topics in aging that will be given higher priority within the Foundation’s grantmaking program. Types of Grants: Advocacy, Direct Service,Research,Professional Education & Training, and Organizational Capacity Building.

No Applicants  // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

The purpose of the Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program is to increase the knowledge of agricultural science and improve the nutritional health of children. The program’s goal is to increase the capacity for food, garden, and nutrition education within host organizations or entities, such as school cafeterias and classrooms, while fostering higher levels of community engagement between farms and school systems by bringing together stakeholders from distinct parts of the food system. The initiative is part of a broader effort to not only increase access to school meals for low-income children, but also to dramatically improve their quality.

Limit: 2* // Tickets Available: 1 // M. H.Witte (Surgery, Neurosurgery, and Pediatrics) 

*No more than two applications are allowed per institution. If two applications are submitted then the 2 awards must be for different target groups.
 

A major goal of the National Plan to address Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Alzheimer’s Disease-related Dementias (ADRD)  is to reduce the burden of AD/ADRD by accelerating research toward treatments, improving care and support for people facing these conditions now, and reducing the risk of AD/ADRD by promoting brain health. Despite this, there is a shortage of scientists conducting the wide variety of necessary innovative and interdisciplinary research projects, including basic biomedical, clinical, translational, prevention, and treatment research on AD/ADRD. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) aims to address goal G-4 of the National Institute on Aging's Strategic Directions for Research (2020-2025): “Attract and train more researchers from diverse scientific and cultural backgrounds." This will include supporting the recruitment of early-stage investigators from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, to the NIH AD/ADRD portfolio. This FOA also aims to address the lack of early exposure to high-quality, hands-on research education experiences in the AD/ADRD field, another major barrier to increasing the AD/ADRD capable workforce.

To further expand the AD/ADRD training pipeline for earlier stage students, NIA will support summer research experiences for high school students, undergraduates, or science teachers. The expectation is that such a program would incubate and develop the next generation of  early-stage investigators to pursue research careers representative of in NIA mission critical areas, namely AD/ADRD research. Proposed programs should provide authentic "open-ended", hands-on exposure to AD/ADRD research as it relates to aging as part of a comprehensive program based in sound educational practices designed to stimulate the interest and advance the knowledge base of participants. In addition to hands-on research experiences, programs are expected to include complementary educational enrichment activities that support the participants' scientific development, such as relevant workshops (e.g., scientific writing and presentation skills), journal clubs, technical laboratory coursework, and training in rigor and reproducibility. Program goals and objectives should be grounded in literature and appropriate for the educational level of the audience to be reached, including the content to be conveyed, and the intended outcome(s). Outcomes for high school students may include preparing them for undergraduate admissions and enhancing their interest in pursuing a science decree. Outcomes for college students may include: reinforcing their intent to graduate with a science degree, preparing them for graduate or medical school admissions, and/or preparing them for careers in AD/ADRD research. Support for science teachers will be limited to those programs with a clear plan for how teachers will utilize their summer experience in their teaching during the school year, such as enhancing the STEM curriculum or increasing number of STEM courses taught. 

Focus on High School Students, Undergraduates, or Science Teachers: Science education research has demonstrated that early exposure to scientific research leads to the retention of trainees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) specifically highlights the need for retention of trainees in STEM by involving them in contemporary, hands-on research experiences especially during the first two years of college. Summer research experiences provide important experiential learning to sustain students’ interests in STEM and medicine careers. The short-term summer experience, in contrast to a year-long experience, allows for a focused and concentrated effort on instruction, and intentionally coincides with the time of year when the target populations of this program (i.e., high school students, undergraduate college students, and science teachers) would typically have the opportunity to engage in such a research educational experience. 

For the purpose of this announcement, institutions should explain how this program will be developed in a way that will foster diversity and inclusion at their organization. As indicated below, applicants must include a Recruitment Plan to Enhance Diversity which describes the program’s proposed recruitment efforts and how the proposed plan reflects past experiences in recruiting individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences (see NOT-OD-20-031 for additional information on NIH's Notice of Interest in Diversity). All programs are expected to be inclusive, supportive, and safe, and to provide opportunities for participants to interact with investigators who could contribute to their growth. Applications from a variety of institutions, including those from minority serving institutions (MSIs), are  encouraged.

Applicants should consider how the developed programs can optimize participation and potentially include additional participants from outside the applicant institution, especially those in local and/or affiliated institutions. Applicants must demonstrate how this program will add significant value over existing programs at the applicant institution.

Each institution must have a unique program structure that maximizes resources, departments, and faculty at the applicant institution to address the target population. Applicants are encouraged to propose collaborations with affiliated and/or local institutions, as appropriate. Applicants are also encouraged to partner with existing NIH-funded or other federally-funded resources and programs and leverage training activities from both federal and private-sector partners including, but not limited to, the following:

• Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers (ADRCs)
• Centers on the Demography and Economics of Aging
• Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (OAIC)
• Edward R. Roybal Centers for Translation Research in the Behavioral and Social Sciences of Aging
• Nathan Shock Centers
• Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR)
• NCATS Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA)
• Research Centers in Minority Institutions Program (RCMI)

No applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

Only one application per institution is allowed.

The purpose of the “Clinical Trial Methods in Neurological Disorders Course" Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to support educational activities in the mission areas of NINDS. The overarching goal of this R25 is to attract investigators who are new to or with limited exposure to clinical research, promote training of this workforce with the long-term goal of increasing the reliability and effectiveness of clinical trials by 1) introducing the principles of good clinical practice to investigators in any clinical neuroscience subspecialty, thereby providing a foundation for scientifically rigorous and ethical performance of patient oriented clinical research 2) exposing early career clinical scientists to the challenges and potential solutions to overcome these challenges in clinical research and, 3) increasing the number and expertise of knowledgeable clinical research investigators in the workforce to enhance the pipeline of scientifically sound, well-designed clinical trials. Long term, the development of well-trained, experienced clinical researchers with expertise will foster better clinical trials design and thereby hasten the introduction of improved regimens for therapy and prevention of neurological disorders into everyday medical practice and patient care.

To accomplish the stated over-arching goal, this NOFO will support educational activities with a primary focus on:

Courses for Skills Development: The goal of this activity is to support a clinical trial methodology course to train a group of talented, dedicated clinical neuroscience researchers to enable them to obtain external funding in the future. Key components of the course include a program of didactic lectures, individual or group projects, discussion sessions, and mentoring sessions.  The award will provide support for expenses for the implementation of the course in each year, including travel for all non-government course participants (faculty, advisors, and scholars) and all necessary materials and facilities, including meeting space, computer access, virtual meeting platform and course materials.

Research Experiences: An emphasis on early phase (i.e., phase I /II or pilot) trials within the mission areas of NINDS is essential, including pediatrics and rare diseases to address the full spectrum of neurological disorders. Developing trial designs for early phase trials are especially challenging yet critical to inform future scientific steps.  A major component of the educational course is expected to be small group protocol development sessions and individual one-on-one mentoring sessions with faculty, as well as outreach/engagement in the community to learn crucial aspects of trial development and potential recruitment. At the conclusion of the course, participant scholars should have developed a sound clinically relevant and feasible clinical trial protocol.

This NOFO aims to provide support for research education projects focused on clinical trial methodology in neurological disorders that are novel, innovative and designed to accomplish a specific goal based on a well-conceived evaluation plan. Applications will be expected to include a detailed plan to evaluate the effectiveness of the activities proposed and to include a plan for disseminating results of this program.

Research education programs may complement ongoing research training and education occurring at the applicant institution, but the proposed educational experiences must be distinct from those training and education programs currently receiving Federal support. R25 programs may augment institutional research training programs (e.g., T32, T90) but cannot be used to replace or circumvent Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) programs.

No Applicants  // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is a program within the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research in conjunction with the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) and the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).

Program Objective

The purpose of the Jointly Sponsored Predoctoral Training Program in the Neurosciences (JSPTPN) program is to provide strong, broad-based neuroscience training that will  develop a cohort of well-trained   researchers at a time when the field is advancing at a rapid pace. Neuroscience research increasingly requires investigators who can cross boundaries, draw on knowledge and interdisciplinary approaches and levels of analysis, and apply this breadth of knowledge in original ways to yield new discoveries about the function of the nervous system.

Broad-based research training. The JSPTPN supports programs of broad-based education and research experience during the first two years of graduate training. As such, training programs supported by a JSPTPN training grant must have a comprehensive, two-year training plan. During this training period, students should obtain a working knowledge of the different kinds of approaches and techniques that make up the field of neuroscience. A key component of this training should be acquiring a strong foundation of experimental methodology (e.g. experimental design, quantitative data analysis and interpretation) and a robust development of professional skills (e.g. written and oral communication and data presentation).

Core Knowledge Expectations. JSPTPN Programs should define the core knowledge that each student is expected to gain. Programs must have a clear comprehensive plan that will ensure that each student will have the tools and research experience necessary for a future career as an independent investigator in areas directly related to biomedical research in neuroscience. Each program is expected to define the core knowledge and research experience expected of all trainees. However, programs may provide a specific tailored curricula based on individual trainee background and needs.

Trainees are expected to participate in a curriculum that incorporates education in multiple levels of analysis, which may include genetics, molecular, cellular, system, behavioral and/or computational approaches. Trainees should also gain an understanding of the tools, technologies, and methods used in contemporary neuroscience research. Note that not all programs will necessarily need to cover all levels of analysis and types of technologies. However, there must be enough coverage to be considered adequate for a broad understanding of neurobiological function and the current tools used for research in neuroscience. Breadth may be achieved through any combination of formal courses, laboratory rotations, workshops and other programmatic activities. Regardless of their individual curricular plans, all students are expected to gain a general understanding of the neurobiological basis underlying diseases and disorders of the nervous system. Trainees are expected to leave the JSPTPN programs with the fundamental knowledge and skills that will allow them to lead, and confidently adapt to the rapidly growing and technologically changing field of neuroscience research.

Laboratory Rotations. Programs are expected to include laboratory rotations that allow students to explore different research areas, scientific approaches, and laboratory cultures. Rotations should have specific purpose and goals and should be designed to provide trainees with a practical understanding of the tools and experimental approaches that drive the research in the rotation laboratory. Rotations should be of sufficient duration to generate a product that results from the scientific and technological knowledge gained in the rotation laboratory.

Experimental design and statistical methodology

Experimental Design. Programs are expected to provide formal instruction in the principles of rigorous experimental design to ensure that trainees understand the practices required for robust and unbiased experimental design, hypothesis testing and the application of these principles and practices to their individual research.

Statistical Methodology. Programs should equip students with a solid understanding of statistical methodology relevant to contemporary neuroscience research and provide exposure to quantitative approaches used for a variety of experimental systems. The goals of this training are to educate trainees in 1) the importance of considering statistical principles in the design of their research, 2) the need for appropriate use of statistics in analyzing data, interpreting results and forming conclusions and 3) the practical application of statistics to date in different experimental paradigms.

Ideally, trainees will begin to develop a depth and breadth of statistical understanding that will enable them to adapt and appropriately apply statistical approaches as their experimental repertoire changes. Programs must ensure that all trainees have a solid understanding of the value and proper use of statistics, including an understanding of the many types of scientific failures that can occur due to inappropriate application of statistical tests. An introductory course in statistics is not sufficient to achieve these goals.

Quantitative Literacy and the Use of Quantitative Approaches

Quantitative Literacy. JSPTPN programs are expected to provide the background necessary for the development of quantitative skills and literacy needed to conduct rigorous research. Programmatic activities should instill an appreciation of the benefits of quantitative approaches to experimentation (and the potential pitfalls associated with a lack of quantitative consideration of their scientific system). An important specific goal of these programs is to foster the incorporation of quantitative thinking into the trainees’ research experience throughout their careers. To that end, the training activities provided by the program should equip trainees with the tools and knowledge required to examine their experimental systems quantitatively.

Quantitative Tools and Approaches. Programs are expected to provide experience in the use of practical tools for quantitative exploration, interpretation, and evaluation of biological data relevant to neuroscience research. Training in quantitative tools and approaches should be integrated into the program and reinforced during the students’ graduate careers. Ideally, training will be ongoing and progressive, with proactive approaches in place to encourage the application of quantitative thinking in the trainees’ dissertation research. For example, a program may wish to cover general principles early in the training and incorporate quantitative approaches that are directly applicable to each trainee’s research topic as they advance.

Scientific rigor. Trainees should have a thorough understanding of the principles and practices of rigorous scientific research. These principles should be examined in the context of the collection, appropriate analysis and interpretation of scientific data. Programs are also encouraged to provide education in human decision-making tendencies and cognitive biases, and how they can lead to erroneous interpretation of data (c.f. Kahneman, D. 2011. Thinking, Fast and Slow. New York. Farrar, Straus and Giroux).

Professional Skills. Regardless of career choice, an individual’s impact and success in science depends heavily on the ability to clearly articulate ideas and results in a variety of settings and to a variety of audiences. Programs are expected to provide students with strong training in professional skills such as written and oral communication. Programs should also provide training in the skills necessary for grant applications, such as grant writing, understanding the grant submission and review process, as well as understanding and addressing critiques. When appropriate, programs should encourage students to apply for individual support, such as fellowships and other individual awards from federal and non-federal sources. 

Understanding Career Opportunities.  Training programs should provide trainees access to structured career development advising and learning opportunities (e.g., workshops, discussions, and exposure to invited speakers from various career paths). Through such opportunities, trainees should obtain a general working knowledge of a variety of potential career options that would allow them to use the skills learned during their training, as well as the steps required to successfully transition to the next stage of their chosen career path.

Oversight of trainee mentoring and progression. In addition to outstanding scientific training, solid mentoring and regular career guidance are critical for advancement and success of science. Consequently, graduate programs supported by the JSPTPN are expected to have a formal oversight plan to ensure that students who obtain a Ph.D. degree do so in a timely manner, and with 1) a publication record that will allow them to progress to outstanding research opportunities, 2) written and oral presentation skills that facilitate their ability to publish their results, submit competitive grant applications , speak at national meetings to present their results, and interview for future positions, 3) an understanding of the many career opportunities available to them as Ph.D. scientists and what is required for them to compete for these different career opportunities.

This wide range of skills and knowledge needed for success in a scientific endeavor cannot be gained by students entirely within the first two years of graduate school but can be achieved with ongoing training and mentoring throughout their graduate school careers. The longitudinal oversight process designed to ensure appropriate student progress is a critical aspect of the environment in which the JSPTPN operates. Although the JSPTPN is not responsible for providing guidance beyond graduate year two, a strong JSPTPN program can only exist in an environment that is dedicated to the long-term success of its students.

Enhancing workforce diversity. NIH’s ability to help ensure that the nation remains a global leader in scientific discovery and innovation is dependent upon a pool of highly talented scientists from diverse backgrounds who will help to further NIH's mission.  See, NOT-OD-20-031. The research enterprise will be strongest when it involves individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds, who may bring new and innovative perspectives to solve the mysteries of brain function, identify the mechanisms that underlie disease and disorders and develop novel approaches to clinical treatment. Within the framework of this program’s longstanding commitment to excellence, T32-funded programs play a critical role in training individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those underrepresented in biomedical sciences.  To help address all of these critical needs, JSPTPN programs are expected to recruit students from a wide variety  of backgrounds and foster their successful completion of the graduate program and transition to their next position.

Training programs are expected to implement robust plans to enhance diversity and to promote inclusive research environments (i.e. institutional and departmental environments in which trainees from all backgrounds feel represented and integrated in the community). 

Exposure to a variety of role models. To enhance diversity, it is essential that trainees have exposure and access to a variety of role models.  Programs should actively strive to recruit prospective individuals for  program leadership, participating faculty and mentors, as well as invited speakers with varying backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.This may include women, senior faculty who have the benefit of long experience, and junior faculty who have more recent experience in transitioning from training to independent positions.

Training Program Evaluation. Is it expected that JSPTPN programs will undergo both internal, as well as external evaluation in order to promote innovation and evolution, as well as to bring attention to any deficiencies that may arise.

Expectations for Training Program Outcomes. Trainees should leave the T32 training program with the appropriate accomplishments and skills to move on to the next step of an independent research (or research related) career pathway. Outcomes expected of training programs include strong trainee publications and other accomplishments appropriate to their training.

Special Note: Consultation with the Chair of the JSPTPN steering committee prior to application preparation is encouraged (see JSPTPN homepage).

No Applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1

The purpose of this NOFO is to solicit proposals from highly qualified clinical sites in the US to join the Network through an X01 Resource Access Program award. Accepted sites will be designated as a “Diagnostic Center of Excellence (DCoE)” and will be responsible for generating participant clinical, phenotypic and sequencing data to be submitted to the DMCC through a Data Use Agreement with the Center.  X01 recipients will have access to DMCC resources and infrastructure including access to high-quality phenotypic and genotypic data and collaboration with highly skilled physicians, researchers, and bioinformaticians. Using team science, DCoEs will be able to collaborate with Network members to implement strategies that will expand equity and accessto health disparity populations and increase the discovery of new disease-associated genes and genomic variants, immunologic and metabolic abnormalities, as well as environmental insults that are causative in previously undiagnosed patients. DCoEs will be invited to submit their most challenging, unsolved cases for acceptance into the Network, and partner in their evaluation with the Network’s virtual case review committee(s), which will be coordinated by the DMCC.

Successful applicants will demonstrate that they have the appropriate expertise and a track record of diagnosing rare and difficult-to-diagnose disorders, along with the infrastructure and resources needed to conduct the clinical evaluation and DNA sequencing of participants enrolled at their sites. Specifically, applicants will be expected to demonstrate the expertise, independent resources (e.g., institutional support, plans for billing insurance, obtaining support from outside partnerships, etc.), and capacity to:

• Enroll a minimum of 5 participants per year who are accepted into the Network, although some sites may have the capacity to enroll more participants. Typically, only the most difficult, unsolved cases will be accepted into the Network (e.g., those cases requiring specialized, non-routine diagnostic testing procedures or collaboration among a team of clinicians and researchers).
• Perform comprehensive clinical evaluations of undiagnosed participants enrolled at their site including medical record review, routine and specialized diagnostic testing procedures, consultations, and referral to other sites with necessary expertise if appropriate.
• Have the resources (in-house or outsourced) to perform DNA and/or RNA sequencing and re-analysis of existing genome-sequencing data.
• Capability to work with Network data stored in a cloud architecture, such as AnVIL.
• Have the genomics capability including medical genetics and associated informatics expertise needed to identify pathogenic variants from human genomics sequence data. This includes the infrastructure to return genetic results to study participants and provide post-test genetic counseling.
• Demonstrate sufficient clinical metabolomics and other omics expertise to interpret or re-interpret lab and research-grade findings.
• Have sufficient clinical staff to review medical records from applicants (so as to enroll a minimum of five cases per year into the Network) and to rigorously discuss the results to arrive at a diagnosis or to interrogate candidate genes.
• Collect and store DNA, fibroblasts from skin biopsies, and other biological specimens produced by clinical evaluations as needed for the diagnosis.
• Organize incoming records and return results to participants, family members, and referring physicians.
• Support a site coordinator or equivalent position to serve as the DCoE’s point of contact for data sharing, case coordination, collaboration, data retrieval for research projects and patient follow-up.

No applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 

Only one application can be submitted per institution. Each application submitted under this announcement must address one, and only one, of the Project Areas.

Through this grant program, EPA is soliciting applications to assist in the development and utilization of innovative activities relating to workforce development and career opportunities in the water utility sector, which may include:
(A) expanding the use and availability of activities and resources that relate to the recruitment, including the promotion of diversity within that recruitment, of individuals to careers in the drinking water and wastewater utility sector, including stormwater;
(B) expanding the availability of training opportunities for (i) individuals entering the water and wastewater utility sector; and (ii) individuals seeking to advance careers within the water and wastewater utility sector;
(C) expanding the use and availability of activities and strategies, including the development of innovative activities and strategies, that relate to the maintenance and retention of a sustainable workforce in the water and wastewater utility sector; and
(D) expanding the availability of workforce development and training that enables drinking water and wastewater utility workers to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other air pollutants to benefit disadvantaged communities. 

Project areas:

• Project Area 1: Targeted internship, apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and post-secondary bridge programs for skilled water utility trades.
• Project Area 2: Education programs designed for elementary, secondary, and higher education students.
• Project Area 3: Regional industry and workforce development collaborations to address water utility employment needs and coordinate candidate development, particularly in areas of high unemployment or for water utilities with a high proportion of retirement eligible employees.
• Project Area 4: Leadership development, occupational training, mentoring, or cross-training programs that ensure incumbent drinking water and wastewater utility workers are prepared for higher level supervisory or management-level positions.
• Project Area 5: Education and training programs, including internship or apprenticeship programs, designed for decentralized water workers (i.e., private well and/or septic system service professionals) to support public health outcomes for communities that rely on private wells for drinking water or decentralized systems for adequate treatment and disposal of wastewater.

Institutionally Coordinated // Limit: 1 // PI: R. Deil-Amen ( College of Education)
 

UArizona may submit one proposal.

Through this solicitation, NSF seeks to foster a network of S-STEM stakeholders and further develop the infrastructure needed to generate and disseminate new knowledge, successful practices and effective design principles arising from NSF S-STEM projects nationwide. The ultimate vision of the legislation governing the S-STEM parent program[1] (and of the current S-STEM-Net solicitation) is that all Americans, regardless of economic status, should be able to contribute to the American innovation economy if they so desire.

To support collaboration within the S-STEM network, NSF will fund several S-STEM Research Hubs (S-STEM-Hub). The S-STEM Network (S-STEM-Net) will collaborate to create synergies and sustain a robust national ecosystem consisting of multi-sector partners supporting domestic low-income STEM students in achieving their career goals, while also ensuring access, inclusion, and adaptability to changing learning needs. The Hubs will investigate evolving barriers to the success of this student population. It will also disseminate the context and circumstances by which interventions and practices that support graduation of domestic low-income students (both undergraduate and graduate) pursuing careers in STEM are successful.

The target audience for this dissemination effort is the community of higher education institutions, faculty, scholars, researchers and evaluators, local and regional organizations, industry, and other nonprofit, federal, state, and local agencies concerned with the success of domestic low-income STEM students in the United States.

Limit: 1  // PI:  M. Romero-Ortega (Bioengineering)

One application per institution (normally identified by having a unique DUNS number or NIH IPF number) is allowed. This FOA seeks to support programs that include innovative approaches to enhance biomedical engineering (BME) designeducation to ensure a future workforce that can meet the nation’s needs in biomedical research and healthcare technologies.

Applications are encouraged from institutions that propose to establish new or to enhance existing team-based design courses orprograms in undergraduate biomedical engineering departments or other degree-granting programs with biomedical engineeringtracks/minors. This FOA targets the education of undergraduate biomedical engineering/bioengineering students in a team-basedenvironment. Health equity and universal design topics must be integrated throughout the educational activities. While current bestpractices such as multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary education, introduction to the regulatory pathway and other issues related tothe commercialization of medical devices, and clinical immersion remain encouraged components of a strong BME program, thisFOA also challenges institutions to propose other novel, innovative and/or ground-breaking activities that can form the basis of thenext generation of biomedical engineering design education.