C-DEBI Newsletter – April 1, 2021
C-DEBI Newsletter – April 1, 2021
A biweekly digest of deep biosphere news and opportunities
from the Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations
Press
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Vox
How an ill-fated undersea adventure in the 1960s changed the way scientists see the Earth (https://www.vox.com/unexplainable/22276597/project-mohole-deep-ocean-drilling-unexplainable-podcast) (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116386) – NEW!
There’s a mystery hiding deep beneath our feet. If you dig down past the tree roots and house foundations, past the water table and the fossilized bones, through layers of rock and ore, you’ll eventually reach a boundary. Here, the Earth’s crust — the rock we live our lives on — transitions into the denser rock of the Earth’s mantle. This boundary is the Mohorovičić discontinuity, or “Moho” for short. And no one knows for sure what this boundary looks like, or what lies there. Hear more in the Unexplainable podcast episode “Journey Toward the Center of the Earth” with Byrd Pinkerton. Featuring C-DEBIer Jason Sylvan (Texas A&M University).
Meetings & Activities
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-C-DEBI Virtual Meeting Series: New Tools in Bioinformatics, April 5, 2021 (https://www.darkenergybiosphere.org/outputs-resources/virtual-meeting-series/) – (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116386) – NEW!
We are pleased to announce the inaugural event for our C-DEBI Virtual Meeting Series based on your enthusiasm for C-DEBI community activities at our last annual meeting. Ben Tully (USC) and Jake Weissman (USC) will kick off the series on new tools in bioinformatics on Monday April 5 (10:30AM – 12:00PM Pacific). Save the date for this first of our virtual events to be held monthly during the first week of each month, with a regular rotation of science workshops and professional development workshops. Each workshop will contain about 90 minutes of programming, including invited speakers to give plenary tutorials and presentations, breakout sessions, and plenary Q&A sessions. Register in advance for the meeting on April 5, 2021 (10:30AM – 12:00PM Pacific).
-IODP: Site Survey Data Bank (SSDB) Information Sessions (http://iodp.org/about-iodp/ssdb-information-sessions) , April 7 and 8, 2021 (https://www.nsf.gov/events/event_summ.jsp?cntn_id=302062) – (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116386) – NEW!
The IODP Science Support Office is hosting two information sessions on the Site Survey Data Bank (SSDB), the data submission system for IODP proposals. If you are planning to submit data for the upcoming May 1 data deadline, these sessions will cover best practices for organizing and submitting your data, how to use the SSDB, recent changes to the system, and common data problems. Sign up for either one of the two sessions (the same material will be covered at both): April 7, 2021 (19:00 PDT/16:00 EDT) or April 8, 2021 (08:00 PDT/05:00 EDT).
-Reach Out Science Slam: C-DEBI Semi-Finalists on April 13, 2021 (https://www.mos.org/reach-out-challenge) – (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116386) – NEW!
C-DEBI semi-finalists Sabrina Elkassas (MIT-WHOI) and Rachel Weisend (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) will tell their stories live in the Reach Out Science Slam Semi-final Round #2 on April 13 (7-8 PM Eastern) to a panel of expert science communicator judges. Watch them and 17 other early career researchers from around the country compete to tell the best science story in just 3 minutes and cast your votes to help decide who will make it to the Finals Event on May 4. Register for the Semifinals April 6, 13, and 20.
-Bioinformatics Virtual Coordination Network (BVCN) Conference: Registration Open (https://biovcnet.github.io/_pages/conference-2021/) – (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116386) – NEW!
The Bioinformatics Virtual Coordination Network (BVCN) presents “Holistic Bioinformatic Approaches used in Microbiome Research”, a step-by-step open access conference showcasing state-of-the-art bioinformatics pipelines for microbiome research to be held June 7-11, 2021. This online conference will bring together early career researchers from across the globe who are equally committed to reducing entry barriers into bioinformatics for researchers, and who would like to exchange and share their research and bioinformatics experiences in a step-by-step format with a global and interdisciplinary audience. The BVCN was established to facilitate entry of researchers in environmental and biomedical sciences into computational biology. To further this goal, this upcoming conference is designed to provide a platform for showcasing bioinformatic projects from inception to publication. The holistic analysis of data intensive projects may contain many steps that are not covered in the tutorials or
documented in the methods section of publications – our speakers will try and capture these elements in their presentations. Registration is due April 14, 2021.
-AGU Fall Meeting: Call for Session Proposals (https://www.agu.org/Fall-Meeting/Pages/Present/Proposals) – (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116386) – NEW!
Submit a proposal for general scientific sessions, Union and special sessions, town halls, and scientific workshops to help shape discussions at the AGU Fall Meeting 2021 and within the Earth and space sciences community. This year’s Fall Meeting (December 13-17) is planned to be a hybrid in-person (New Orleans) and online meeting. Deadline: April 14, 2021.
-AGU Honors and Asahiko Taira International Scientific Ocean Drilling Research Prize Nominations (https://www.agu.org/Honor-and-Recognize/Honors/Union-Prizes/Taira-Prize) –
Nomination deadline: April 15, 2021.
-Southern California Geobiology Symposium: Registration and Abstract Submission Open (https://earth.usc.edu/geobio/index.html) – (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116386) – NEW!
The University of Southern California will host the first virtual Southern California Geobiology Symposium on May 20-21 (through Zoom and Gathertown). The SoCal Geobiology Symposium is an annual student-organized symposium for scientists interested in astrobiology, climate science, ecology, geochemistry, geology, microbiology, oceanography, and paleobiology. We welcome scientists from all levels of academia and both those living in Southern California and from around the world. Undergraduates, graduate students, and post-docs are encouraged to submit abstracts for posters or talks to share their research; selection will prioritize those from the rotating SoCal Geobio host institutions (USC, Caltech, and UC Riverside). Registration and abstract submission deadline: April 23, 2021.
-JOIDES Resolution Facility Board: Request for Information (http://www.iodp.org/proposals/submitting-proposals) –
Submit by April 30, 2021 for consideration by the JRFB’s Working Group on Science Framework Proposals and Requirements, and by June 10, 2021 for consideration by the JRFB.
-CJM: Call for Papers on Astrobiology – Insights into Microbial Life on Earth and Beyond (https://cdnsciencepub.com/do/10.1139/news.2020.10.07/abs/) –
Submission deadline extended: May 6, 2021.
-IODP: Host an Ocean Discovery Lecturer (https://usoceandiscovery.org/lecture-series/) – (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116386) – NEW!
Apply to host an Ocean Discovery Lecturer for the 2021-2022 academic year. The Ocean Discovery Lecture Series (formerly the Distinguished Lecturer Series) brings discoveries of the International Ocean Discovery Program to academic research institutions, museums, and aquaria. The 2021-2022 lecturer topics range from climate history, ocean circulation, ice sheet dynamics, marine magnetics to geomicrobiology and more; including C-DEBIer Karen Lloyd (University of Tennessee, Knoxville) on “The mysterious deep subsurface biosphere: What sustains one of the largest, slowest ecosystems on Earth?”. Application deadline: May 15, 2021.
-NAS: Call for “Ocean-Shot” Concepts: Transformative Research for the Decade (https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/us-national-committee-on-ocean-science-for-sustainable-development-2021-2030#sl-three-columns-e33ae106-08bc-49e3-8baf-078797861e38) –
The next call for submissions is due July 1, 2021.
Ongoing Activities:
* -C-DEBI: Community Workshop Support (http://www.darkenergybiosphere.org/research-activities/research-support/workshops/) –
* Unlearning Racism in Geoscience (URGE) (https://urgeoscience.org/) : January 18 to May 7, 2021
* Ridge Seminar Series (https://ridgeseminarseries.wordpress.com/)
Education & Outreach
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-University of Naples Federico II: New Masters Program in the Biology of Extreme Environments (http://www.bioextreme.it) –
Please share your expression of interest (https://forms.gle/61y95j5d6yUM7od57) or find out more on the website (http://www.bioextreme.it) .
Proposal Calls
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-IODP: Call for Drilling Proposals (http://iodp.org/proposals/call-for-proposals) –
Deadline: April 1, 2021.
-NSF BIO / CISE: Center for Advancement and Synthesis of Open Environmental Data and Sciences (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505829) –
Letter of intent due date: April 1, 2021.
-NSF: Organizational Change for Gender Equity in STEM Academic Professions (ADVANCE) (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5383) –
Institutional Transformation preliminary proposal deadline date: April 22, 2021.
-NSF OCE: Request for Expression of Interest Regarding Provision of a Drilling Vessel to Support Future International Scientific Ocean Discovery (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21043/nsf21043.jsp) –
Expressions of Interest should be provided by May 1, 2021.
-NSF: Convergence Accelerator Phases I and II for the 2021 Cohort (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505795&org=NSF&sel_org=NSF&from=fund) — NEW!
A key aspect of Convergence Accelerator projects is the innovation curriculum that requires a significant time investment and frequent participation of all partners such as academia, industry, non-profit, government, and other sectors under the guidance of coaches. The curriculum includes a team science and human-centered design approach that rapidly moves projects towards deliverables in both Phase I and Phase II that will have broad scale national impact. This solicitation for FY 2021 invites proposals for the following Track Topic among others: Networked Blue Economy (Track E). This track aims to create a smart, integrated, connected, and open ecosystem for ocean innovation, exploration, and sustainable utilization. Letter of Intent Due Date for Phase I Full Proposals: May 5, 2021.
-NSF: Understanding the Rules of Life: Emergent Networks (URoL:EN) (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21560/nsf21560.htm) –
Predicting Transformation of Living Systems in Evolving Environments. Full proposal deadline: May 10, 2021.
-NSF BIO: LEAding cultural change through Professional Societies (LEAPS) of Biology (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21049/nsf21049.jsp) –
Proposals should be submitted by May 14, 2021.
-NSF: Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503214) –
Full proposal deadline: July 26, 2021.
-NSF OCE: Chemical Oceanography (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=11698) –
Full proposal target dates: August 16, 2021 and February 15, 2022.
-NSF OCE: Physical Oceanography (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=12729) –
Full proposal target dates: August 16, 2021 and February 15, 2022.
-NSF: Research Traineeship (NRT) Program (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505015) –
Full proposal deadline date: September 6, 2021.
-NSF OISE: International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20598/nsf20598.htm) –
Track I: IRES Sites (IS) due date: September 21, 2021. Track II: Advanced Studies Institutes (ASI) due date: September 28, 2021.
-NSF: Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (NSF INCLUDES) (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505289) –
Letter of intent deadline date: October 4, 2021.
-NSF: Accelerating Research through International Network-to-Network Collaborations (AccelNet) (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21511/nsf21511.htm) –
Full proposal deadline: October 11, 2021.
-NSF GEO: Ocean Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (OCE-PRF) (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21538/nsf21538.htm) –
Full proposal deadlines: November 12, 2021.
-NSF HRD: Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5483) –
See the program solicitation for proposal windows and deadlines through 2021.
-NSF BIO: Integrative Research in Biology (IntBIO) (https://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505850&org=NSF&sel_org=NSF&from=fund) –
Full proposal deadline date: January 25, 2022.
-NSF: Mid-Career Advancement (MCA) (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505749) –
Full proposal target date: February 7, 2022.
-NSF BIO / NIH: Enabling Discovery through GEnomics (EDGE (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21546/nsf21546.htm) )-
Full proposal deadlines: February 17, 2022.
Rolling Calls:
* -C-DEBI: Research Exchange Program (http://www.darkenergybiosphere.org/research-activities/research-support/exchange/) –
* IODP-USSSP: Proposals for Pre-Drilling Activities (http://usoceandiscovery.org/pre-drilling-activities/)
* NSF GEO: Antarctic Research Program Solicitation (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21567/nsf21567.htm)
* NSF GEO: Arctic Research Program Solicitation (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21526/nsf21526.htm)
* NSF GEO: Geoscience Opportunities for Leadership in Diversity (GOLD) (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505906) – — NEW!
* -NSF OCE: Biological Oceanography (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=11696) –
* NSF BIO IOS: IMAGiNE FG: Functional Genomics (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21034/nsf21034.jsp)
* NSF BIO DEB: Poorly Sampled and Unknown Taxa (PurSUiT) (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20059/nsf20059.jsp)
* NSF BIO: Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503634)
* NSF BIO: Infrastructure Innovation for Biological Research (IIBR) (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21502/nsf21502.htm)
* NSF BIO: Tool Development for Cell Biology (Tools4Cells) (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21057/nsf21057.jsp) – — NEW!
* NSF: NSF and US-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF) Research Cooperation (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20094/nsf20094.jsp)
* NSF BIO: NSF and UK Research and Innovation BBSRC Research Cooperation (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20118/nsf20118.jsp)
* NSF BIO: Research Assistantships for High School Students (RAHSS) (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2018/nsf18088/nsf18088.jsp)
* NSF BIO: Research Experience for Teachers (RET) (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2018/nsf18089/nsf18089.jsp)
* NSF MCB: Transitions to Excellence in Molecular and Cellular Biosciences Research (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505821)
* NSF: Non-Academic Research Internships for Graduate Students (INTERN) Supplement (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21013/nsf21013.jsp)
* NSF: Career-Life Balance (CLB) Supplement (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21021/nsf21021.jsp)
* UNOLS: Cruise Opportunity Program (https://www.unols.org/unols-cruise-opportunity-program)
Employment
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-Oregon State University: CEOAS Sea-going Oceanographer Cluster Hire (https://ceoas.oregonstate.edu/cluster-hire/) –
Review of applications will begin on April 16, 2021 and continue until April 30, 2021.
-Bigelow Laboratory: Postdoctoral Scientist on Harmful Algal Blooms of the Gulf of Mexico (https://bigelow.freshteam.com/jobs/YItlT6zIerjS/postdoctoral-scientist-in-harmful-algal-blooms-of-the-gulf-of-mexico) — NEW!
Bigelow Laboratory seeks to recruit a postdoctoral scientist to investigate biological interactions and mechanisms that trigger the initiation and termination of harmful algal blooms in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). The project is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and is part of a large interdisciplinary effort that includes biological, chemical, and physical oceanographers and modelers from six institutions. The postdoctoral scientist will be mentored by Dr. Joaquín Martínez Martínez and will assume a leading role in the first systematic study of the impact of viruses on the dynamics and physiology of Karenia brevis and their associated bacteria. They will also participate in annual research cruises in the GoM and collaborative experiments in Florida and Abu Dhabi with other team members. Candidates must have a Ph.D. degree in marine virology/microbiology or a relevant field and be proficient in microbial culturing techniques, microbial genomics, and
bioinformatics. For full consideration, the application should be received by April 16, 2021.
-Georgia State University: Permanent Lecturer in Geosciences (https://geosciences.gsu.edu/2021/03/08/full-time-geosciences-non-tenure-track-position-open) –
To ensure consideration, please submit all electronic materials by April 30, 2021.
-IODP: Forum Chair (https://www.iodp.org/forum-chair-call-for-applications-2021/file) — NEW!
IODP is accepting applications from qualified candidates to serve as the next IODP Forum Chair, with a term beginning October 1, 2021. The Chair is expected to promote the scientific accomplishments of IODP at select scientific meetings, to attend the meetings of the Facility Boards and the Science Evaluation Panel, and to organize the annual IODP Forum meeting. As the role will require some dedicated time, the Chair should be provided appropriate support from their institution or Program Member Office. The Chair of the IODP Forum will be selected for their scientific and managerial leadership and is expected to be a well-recognized scientist who will be the face of IODP. Deadline: May 14, 2021.
-Pennsylvania State University: Postdoctoral Researcher on Microbial Metabolic Networks (https://sites.psu.edu/macaladylab/) — NEW!
The Macalady Lab is seeking applicants for a postdoctoral research position for a project starting in August 2021, although some flexibility is built in. The postdoc will work with a graduate student and an undergraduate student on metabolic networks in microbial enrichments. Expertise with environmental bioinformatics programming and enrichment culturing is desirable but not absolutely required. Related fieldwork is optional. The postdoc would have the opportunity to affiliate with Penn State’s Astrobiology Research Center, Microbiome Center, and/or Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics depending on interest. Contact Jenn Macalady directly for details like things we like about living in State College (https://sites.psu.edu/macaladylab/state-college/) .
-WHOI: Chief Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Officer (https://careers-whoi.icims.com/jobs/1396/chief-diversity%2c-equity%2c-and-inclusion-officer/job) –
-Heising-Simons Foundation: Science Program Officer (https://www.hsfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/Science-Program-Officer.pdf) –
-MBARI: Principal Investigator or Principal Engineer (focus on seafloor patterns and processes) (https://www.mbari.org/principal_investigator_engineer/) –