The FIU Minority Opportunities in Research (MORE) Program began in 1985 and has grown to include the MBRS RISE, MBRS SCORE and MARC U*STAR Programs. The FIU SCORE Program assists FIU faculty in the preparation of grant proposals and provides administrative support post-award. The RISE Program also promotes the involvement of undergraduate and graduate students in research by providing salaries for the students, tuition for graduate students, and travel funds for the students to attend scientific meetings. In a similar fashion, the MARC U*STAR Program focuses on Junior and Senior undergraduate students. The students are involved in original research and, depending on their level, are expected to present their work at professional meetings and publish their results in research journals. The FIU MORE Program also enriches FIU by bringing prominent guest speakers to campus to meet with students, cosponsoring an annual symposium and providing a clearing house for students to learn about special training programs and career opportunities in biomedical research, such as NIH internships.

FIU offers, through a variety of academic programs, advanced study and research in the biomedical area at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. The Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Physics, Computer & Information Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical & Materials Engineering, Dietetics & Nutrition, Environmental Studies and Psychology all offer B.A., B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. programs, and there are also opportunities in the FIU College of Medicine and in the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work.

So whether you are a faculty member interested in learning about NIH/NIGMS funding opportunities or a student interested in a career in biomedical research, chances are the FIU MORE Program has something for you!

MBRS RISE PROGRAM NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS!!!
GRADUATE APPLICATION DEADLINE January 27th, 2012
UNDERGRADUATE APPLICATION DEADLINE February 24th, 2012

MARC U*STAR PROGRAM NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS!!!
APPLICATION DEADLINE March 1st, 2012 by 5:00 PM

APPLY NOW

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY BIOMEDICAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY SYMPOSIUM

BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY:

Cellular and Molecular Interactions

March 3rd and 4th, 2011

Modesto Maidique Campus, MARC Pavilion
11200 S.W. 8th Street, Miami, Florida 33199

On behalf of the symposium organizing committee, I would like to invite you to participate in the 13th Biomedical and Comparative Immunology Symposium in Miami, at Florida International University (FIU). This annual symposium will address recent advances in our understanding of diverse biological systems and phenomena. It will focus on cellular and molecular mechanisms of fundamental processes that govern organismal development, reproduction, cellular differentiation, disease, growth and survival. We anticipate that biologists and biomedical scientists working with a variety of vertebrate (including human and other mammals) and invertebrate organisms will find the plenary sessions and other scientific presentations informative and stimulating. Please share this invitation with your colleagues, post-doctoral fellows and students. We look forward to welcoming you to South Florida where we hope you will also enjoy the weather and the wealth of cultural diversity seen in the restaurants, museums, tropical gardens and shopping centers.

Plenary Speakers

From the Study of DNases to Anticancer Drug Screening; an Unexpected Scientific Journey
Renato Aguilera, Ph.D.
Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX.

From Sea to Pharmacy – Lessons Learned and Future Prospects from Marine-Derived Small Molecules

Phil Crews, Ph.D.

Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA.

The Molecular Dialogue of Beneficial Animal-Bacterial Symbiosis: Lessons Learned from the Squid-Vibrio Association
Margaret J. McFall-Ngai, Ph.D.
Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI. 

See you in March!

Charles H. Bigger, Ph.D. (biggerc@fiu.edu)  
Chairperson, Symposium Organizing Committee

Aileen Landry, (alandry@fiu.edu)
Symposium Coordinator

MBRS RISE
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INITIATIVE (BRI)
2011 STUDENT SUMMER RESEARCH AWARDS

Mini-grants are available to fund student summer research awards in the biomedical sciences through a Program Development Award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (MBRS RISE Program). Awards, up to $3000 each (with convincing budget justification) will be awarded for the summer of 2011. Selection of awardees will be based on scientific merit of the proposed project and the overall quality of the application. Applications will be reviewed and assessed according to the published criteria and ranked by external and internal reviewers. The funds are to be used for purchase of research supplies only and cannot be used for OPS wages, travel, equipment (costing $1000 or more), or books. Please note that funds are available for the purchase of scientific software (costing less than $1000) to be used in the laboratory only.  Graduate and undergraduate students, currently engaged in biomedical research are invited and encouraged to apply with a sponsorship letter from their research supervisor. To be eligible for an award a student must be enrolled in a degree program at FIU and be in residence during the summer and fall of 2011. Students who will be graduating in fall 2011 are not eligible unless they (or their research supervisor) can confirm that the project will be completed by the awardee and a report on the funded project will be presented by the student at the annual MARC U*STAR & MBRS RISE Student  Mini-Symposium in the fall (2011) or at the 2012 Biomedical and Comparative Immunology (BCI) Symposium (March 1st & 2nd, 2012) since all award recipients are required to present their research at one or other symposia to meet the eligibility requirements of the award. The application form and instructions for submission are available electronically via email or may be obtained as hard copies from the MBRS office (MARC 340).  All students engaged in biomedical research are encouraged to apply.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS IS 5:00 P.M., MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28TH, 2011. RECIPIENTS OF THE RESEARCH AWARDS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AND NOTIFIED BY APRIL 1ST, 2011.

For additional information, please contact MBRS RISE Program Coordinator, Aileen Landry at 305-348-7311 or via email at alandry@fiu.edu.

 
Charles H. Bigger, Ph.D.
FSRTA Executive Director
MBRS RISE Program Director
Professor, Biological Sciences
Florida International University
Modesto Maidique Campus
MARC 351
Office: 305-348-3100
Email: biggerc@fiu.edu
mbrs.fiu.edu