Student-Faculty research team-Predictive Toxicology Approaches

Organization
U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
Reference Code
DoD-FSR-FY20-5
Application Deadline
2/18/2020 11:59:00 PM Eastern Time Zone
Description

The Joint Science and Technology Office for Chemical and Biological Defense (JSTO-CBD) Faculty-Student Team defense lab research for Minority Serving Institutions (MIs) is now accepting applications from faculty at Minority Institutions (MI) interested in participating in a 10-week summer research team experience. Faculty applications should include information for one undergraduate student who will join the research team. A separate application must be completed by the named student upon selection of the faculty.

The faculty-student team provides for faculty members of underserved academic communities to team with an undergraduate student for a summer research experience associated with real-world DoD science and technology requirements. This research experience is designed to increase and enhance faculty/student awareness of the mission space and goals of JSTO-CBD and the greater DoD research environment. Faculty and student research teams will conduct research at a Department of Defense lab, normally within commuting distance of a MI. Limited housing allowance may be available for faculty/student teams not within a commuting distance to the research site.

Participant Benefits:

  • Stipend of $1800 per week for faculty during the 10-week research experience period
  • Limited Travel Reimbursement for local commuting or a housing allowance
  • Students will receive a stipend of $600 per week during the 10-week research experience period

Project Title: Predictive Toxicology Approaches

Location: Edgewood, MD at the CCDC Chemical Biological Center

The team will research in adapting and incorporating 21st century technologies to advance predictive toxicology approaches for the Chemical Biological Defense Program.  In general, these approaches fall into two major categories: molecular target discovery and human organ models.  Molecular target discovery define the methodologies that predict mechanism of toxicity of emerging chemical threats.  This includes in silico prediction models that predict targets from two and three-dimensional chemical structures, in vitro assays that inform on specific interaction at a target receptor/enzyme and phenotypic models that inform on chemical class (eg. zebrafish behavioral assays and microphysiological tissue systems).  Human organ modes focus on assessing functional perturbation in in vitro systems designed to recapitulate important functions of an organ system.  In this manner, these approaches are target agnostic, can maintain the capability of detecting a toxicity response to an emerging threat, even if we are unable to determine its molecular target initially.  These systems include liver, cardiac, nervous system and respiratory models. 

How to Apply

  1. Faculty members submit a Faculty Application and Curriculum Vitae (CV).
  2. Selected faculty will be notified and will receive an invitation to submit a Team Application.

If you have questions, send an email to FSR@orau.org. Please include the name of the Faculty-Student Team in the subject of your email.

Qualifications

Eligibility Requirements

Faculty Eligibility

To be eligible for this program, faculty must:

  • Be a U.S. citizen or LPR (green card)
  • Be teaching FULL time at an institution defined under Institution Eligibility (see below) as an MSI during the 2019-2020 year and plan to continue research at the same MSI during the 2020-2021 academic year.
    Be teaching an academic discipline related to a DTRA research area.
  • Have Ph.D. (or Master’s degree, if teaching at an eligible community college) in a discipline, major, or concentration directly related to a DTRA research area.
  • Not be receiving compensation for faculty time during the ten week appointment period from any other federally-funded research program.
  • Be able to participate in the program for ten consecutive weeks during the same period as other team members. Full-time on-site participation at the DoD lab is required.
  • Have coverage under a health insurance plan before arriving at the appointment site and maintain coverage during the appointment.

Institutions that meet at least one of the following criteria are eligible:

  • Must be an accredited two- or four-year institution of higher education whose enrollment of a single minority or a combination of minorities exceeds 50 percent of the total enrollment (20 U.S.C 1067k(3)); or
  • Must be an accredited two- or four-year Historically Black College or University under Title III Part B of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1060 et seq.); or
  • Must be an accredited two- or four-year Hispanic-Serving Institution under Title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.); or
  • Must be a Tribal College or University cited in the Equity in Educational Land Grant Status Act of 1994, the Tribally Controlled College or University Assistance Act of 1978, or the Navajo Community College Assistance Act of 1978; or a Native American-Serving, Nontribal Institution as defined by the Department of Education: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst-list-pg9.html; or
  • Must be an Alaska Native-serving institution and eligible as such in accordance with 20 U.S.C. 1058(b) and 20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)(2); or
  • Must be a Native Hawaiian-serving institution and eligible as such in accordance with 20 U.S.C. 1058(b) and 20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)(4).

 

 

Eligibility Requirements
  • Citizenship: LPR or U.S. Citizen
  • Degree: Doctoral Degree.
  • Discipline(s):
    • Chemistry and Materials Sciences (12 )
    • Communications and Graphics Design (2 )
    • Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (16 )
    • Earth and Geosciences (21 )
    • Engineering (27 )
    • Environmental and Marine Sciences (14 )
    • Life Health and Medical Sciences (45 )
    • Mathematics and Statistics (10 )
    • Other Non-Science & Engineering (2 )
    • Physics (16 )
    • Science & Engineering-related (1 )
    • Social and Behavioral Sciences (27 )
Affirmation

I affirm that:

  • I am a United States citizen or have LPR status (green card).
  • I am able to participate in the program for ten consecutive weeks during the same period as other team members. Full-time on-site participation at the assigned lab is required.
  • I am a full-time faculty member at an eligible Minority Serving Institution (MSI) at the time of application. This also encompasses those institutions with high Hispanic Enrollment and American Indian and Alaska Native-Serving Institutions.
  • I will have coverage under a health insurance plan before arriving at the appointment site and maintain coverage during the appointment.