Post Docs and PhDs Learn Life Science Business at Transition to Industry Event
Dr. Steve Mento of Conatus Pharmaceuticals speaks to a packed audience of post docs and grad students about transitioning from academia to industry.
Increasingly we are meeting college graduates and scientists who are finding it extremely difficult to transition from academic degree programs or research institute positions to local life sciences companies due to their lack of understanding of the commercial work environment and unique industry fundamentals. With that in mind, a group of industry professionals and representatives from the research institutions in the region, along with the BIOCOM Institute, decided to create a symposium to give scientists the tools needed to successfully transition into their first life science industry job.
The Transition to Industry Symposium was hosted September 19-20th at Biogen Idec. More than 150 graduate students and postdoctoral scholars attended the two day event. The symposium included a Biogen Idec panel, an overview of the local life science industry, business of biotech presentations, career networking roundtables with more than 50 industry mentors, interactive business environment activity and a soft skills panel on how to find the perfect job.
Based on the positive response of the symposium content, the BIOCOM Institute will launch a new program in the summer of 2009 called the Life Science Immersion Program. This intensive four-week certificate program will use industry-driven curriculum to give scientists the business acumen to successfully transition into industrial careers. The program will be taught by a consortium of San Diego academic institutions and industry collaborators, and will include on-site training at four life science companies. To learn more about this program please click HERE.
Former NASA Astronaut to speak at the Science Education Gala
BIOCOM and the BIOCOM Institute are pleased to announce that former NASA Astronaut Millie Hughes-Fulford, PhD, will be the featured speaker at the Science Education Gala on November 22, 2008. Dr. Hughes-Fulford flew aboard the STS-40 Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS 1), the first Spacelab mission dedicated to biomedical studies. The mission flew more than 3.2 million miles in 146 orbits and its crew completed more than 18 experiments during a 9-day period, bringing back more medical data than any previous NASA flight.
The San Diego Air & Space Museum will be the perfect backdrop to celebrate NASA's 50 anniversary and to hear an interactive address from Dr. Hughes-Fulford. To be a part of this black tie event please click here.
UCSD Division of Physical Sciences Alumni Lecture
"BEYOND UFOs: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life and its Astonishing Implications for Our Future"
Is there really life beyond Earth? Astronomer, author, and educator Jeffrey Bennett, will talk about why this question has become a hot topic of scientific research, and discuss how scientists are searching both for microbial life and extraterrestrial intelligence. Along the way, he'll explain why the possibility of life beyond Earth has profound implications to the future of our species, even in the unlikely event that we are alone in the universe.
Event registration:
http://alumni.ucsd.edu/events/details.asp?evt=1120
Event Schedule
October 2, 2008
Liebow Auditorium, Basic Science Building,
UCSD School of Medicine
5:30-8:00pm
Please click here to register: http://alumni.ucsd.edu/events/details.asp?evt=1120
Building Biotech Bridges Conference
Building Biotech Bridges Conference
October 29, 2008, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Omni Hotel in San Diego, CA
The Biotechnology Institute and the BIOCOM Institute will provide a comprehensive look at how the biotechnology and education communities work together to address science education and workforce development needs. The conference will be a premier professional development and networking opportunity for:
* Biotechnology professionals in community relations, communications, or human resources who want to develop or enhance their science education support initiatives in order to advance their company's strategic objectives.
*Educators and education administrators looking to establish or better leverage partnerships with industry in order to advance their education agenda.
*Nonprofit and foundations professionals who want to become integral to developing partnerships among the industry and education communities.
BIOCOM members can attend at the Biotechnology Institute member rate. For more information and to register please click HERE.
Life Sciences Summer Institute Celebrates Fourth Year
BIOCOM and the San Diego Workforce Partnership are excited to announce the start of the fourth consecutive year of the Life Sciences Summer Institute (LSSI) student internship program and teacher externship program. Thanks to the support of our local industry partners; the Amgen Foundation, Biogen Idec Foundation, Genentech, Gen-Probe, Invitrogen, Pfizer Foundation, and the Southern California Biotech Center at Miramar College (SCBC), the LSSI program is continuing its success this summer in the absence of federal grant funding.
On June 9, 2008 the first of three groups of students began the Introduction to the Biotech Lab "Boot Camp," held at the SCBC. The program is put on to help high school and college students prepare for summer internships at local biotech companies and research institutions. These students, from area high schools and universities, will be going on to work at life science companies such as Arena Pharmaceuticals, Cibus LLC, Dow Chemical, and Pfizer while others will be conducting research on the mesa at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research, The Scripps Research Institute and Salk Institute for Biological Studies. To date, the LSSI program has trained and placed more than 170 students.
If you would like more information regarding the LSSI or having your company host students or teachers or for other ways to get involved, please contact biotech@workforce.org.
Free Life Science Workforce Engagement Survey-Sign up Today
Workforce engagement is more than a buzz word. The ability to clearly understand what it is that compels a worker to join a company and what it takes to keep them there can make or break productivity. And in today's life science organizations, there's no room for complacency when it comes to tapping into the efficient, energetic and innovative output of the workforce.
In the late spring of 2008, BIOCOM and the Biotech Employee Development Coalition (BEDC) set out to assess the level of workforce engagement in life science organizations in Southern California. Partnering with ZeroBoundary Inc., findings yielded an intriguing snapshot of the life science landscape within Southern California. Several themes were reported including- expansion of workers off site; solid understanding of vision and mission; ineffective link of performance with rewards; not managing people to their full talent and others. The Life Science Workforce Engagement Survey is now being offered twice annually at no charge to BIOCOM Industry members.
To sign up for the next survey starting October 30th, or to learn more, contact: support@zbglobal.com
UC Irvine Extension and Northeastern University Present: Pathways to Careers in Regulatory Affairs
August 21, 2008
6:00pm to 7:30pm
UC Irvine Extension and Northeastern University College of Professional Studies are proud to announce the launch of collaborative training programs in regulatory affairs. Join faculty, students, professionals and other industry representatives as program directors from both universities detail graduate level education opportunities. Learn about education opportunities in medical product development, clinical trials, biomedical project management, regulatory strategy, medical devices and pharmaceuticals.
To register: www.extension.uci.edu/events
For more information contact Rogelio C. Rodriguez, UC Irvine Extension: rcrodrig@uci.edu
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Grant Opportunities for Life Science Companies
Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Silvio O. Conte Digestive Diseases Research Core Centers (P30) Grant
Due Date: 11/28/2008
Click here for more information.
Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
PHS 2008-02 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH for Small Business Technology Transfer Grant Applications (Parent STTR [R41/R42]) Grant
Due Date: 01/7/2009
Click here for more information.
Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
PHS 2008-02 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH, CDC, and FDA for Small Business Innovation Research Grant Applications (Parent SBIR [R43/R44]) Grant
Due Date: 01/7/2009
Click here for more information.
Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Established Investigator Award in Cancer Prevention and Control Modification 3
Due Date: 01/07/2010
Click here for more information.
Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
NLM Express Research Grants in Biomedical Informatics (R01) Grant
Due Date: 05/7/2011
Click here for more information.
Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Functional Links between the Immune System, Brain Function and Behavior (R21) Grant
Due Date: 05/16/2011
Click here for more information.
These grant opportunities have been provided by Grants.Gov and the County of San Diego Office of Resource Development. Should you win an award please email Kristie Grover at kgrover@biocom.org so that she can send feedback on the effectiveness of these services and its value to the community.