We hit the ground running last month, with the planning and launching of new exciting initiatives, so it’s been a busy few weeks. Can you believe it’s already mid-2024? In this June edition, we are going to let you in on the many programs happening at IndiaBioscience. To start with, we have launched a brand new science-art competition ‘Create-it!’, and applications for the 5th IndiaBioscience Outreach Grants (IOG) open this month! We are also excited to announce the Regional Young Investigators’ Meeting Grants (RYIM) awardees for 2024-2025.
Not to be left behind, our podcast platform, IndiaBiospeaks, is back with the 'RADIO PDF' series and IndiaBioreads has released new articles from the popular Journey Of Young Investigators’ (JOYI) series 2024. Check them all out below!
And if you'd like to contribute an article, produce a podcast or organise a workshop with us, write to us at hello[at]indiabioscience[dot]org. You can also connect with us on social media (X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube) or join our mailing list to stay in the loop.
Stay engaged and enable change. We're delighted to have you as part of our community, and we hope you enjoy this edition of our newsletter (the incoming monsoon and a cup of tea will make it better!)
Drum roll, please! IndiaBioscience is thrilled to announce the Regional Young Investigators’ Meeting Grants (RYIM) awardees for 2024-2025. Let's give a round of applause to the four brilliant Regional Young Investigator teams! This year's RYIMs will be held in Bangalore (Karnataka), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Manesar/Sonipat (Delhi NCR), and Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).
The RYIMs aim to promote collaboration and change within the scientific community by fostering local networks of scientists and science professionals. Want to know more about the RYIM dates and program schedules? Stay tuned for updates on our website!
Do you have an exciting outreach project idea? If yes, your wait is over! We are thrilled to share that the call for the 5th IndiaBioscience Outreach Grants (IOG) program will open on 14 June 2024. The IOG aims to support Young Investigators, in collaboration with students, science communicators, science artists, and other life science professionals, in their efforts to bring science to the community. We look forward to receiving your outreach proposals!
We are also excited to announce that, to commemorate the 5-year journey of the IndiaBioscience Outreach Grants (IOG), we now have an official logo to be used by IOG awardees!
We will also host an informational webinar to answer your queries and clarifications on 24 June 2024 from 4:00 - 5:00 PM IST. You can register here for the webinar. For queries and clarifications, write to us at iog[at]indiabioscience[dot]org.
We are seeking recent awardees of national and international grants who are willing to share their insights and success stories. If you are one of them, please fill out the form by 21 June 2024. Your participation would be highly appreciated and will help us build a comprehensive resource for prospective applicants.
The updated e-compendium will be available in the resource section of our website.
IndiaBioscience and Rukhmabai Initiatives announced a joint pilot community program last month, She Inspires! This program aims to identify and support women science professionals who are passionate about engaging with school children in their community. The applications for the program are now closed. Keep an eye out for updates on the awardees!
In a new initiative, IndiaBioscience has launched Create-it! A science-art competition supported by HiMedia Laboratories. With a range of themes from petri art to showcasing science via doodles, this is your opportunity to showcase your research through art. In addition to an exciting set of prizes, select entries will be featured on our website, social media and an e-compendium.
So, whether your tool of choice is a pipette or paintbrush, unleash your creativity! The last date to apply is 30 June 2024. Register here.
IndiaBioscience X Taylor & Francis: Ethics in the age of open science (IndiaBiostreams)
Taylor & Francis, in partnership with IndiaBioscience, is hosting an interactive workshop on 'Ethics in the age of open science', with a focus on best practices in medical publishing. With a stellar lineup of speakers, this workshop will address expectations in adhering to ethics in medical publishing, a field fraught with challenges related to data accuracy, scientific reproducibility and patient confidentiality. If you work with clinical material, research populations, or are a medical doctor, this session will help you get your questions answered!
You can register here. Registration is free and open to all, so hurry up!
In partnership with the Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, we organised a webinar last month on the i3c BRIC-RCB PhD Programme in Biosciences. With Arvind Sahu, Executive Director, RCB, and Divya Chandran, Sam Mathew and Sivaram Mylavarapu, the virtual session addressed the details of the application process, selection criteria, and unique structure and features of this newly-launched programme.
We've released two new episodes in our much-loved series, RADIO PDF, where we hear from postdoctoral researchers across India and abroad. In the second episode, Ashwini V. Mohan, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Biodiversity Genomics Lab, University of Neuchatel, Switzerland, joins us. You can listen to the episode here.
The third episode features Sravanthi Nadiminti, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Leibniz Research Institute for Molecular Pharmacology (FMP), Berlin. You can listen to the entire episode here.
SCIENCE COMMUNICATION
In our science communication vertical, we published several columns and news articles last month.
Scroll down to get a glimpse of these articles below!
How are researchers from the Global South doing in terms of their counterparts in the West? From limited visibility due to many reasons to the complex issue of restricted mobility, this article by Debraj Manna, a PhD student at Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, discusses the multifaceted factors affecting the scientific community from Global South.
Open science, particularly through preprints, is gaining global traction and is integral to India’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy. While preprints offer accessibility benefits, their adoption in India lags, highlighting the need for recognition and incentives at various career and funding assessment levels. In this article, Sudeepa Nandi, an ASAPbio fellow and a PhD student at TIFR Mumbai, discusses the barriers to the preprint model in India and offers some key recommendations.
A research team, led by Santosh Kumar Upadhyay, at Panjab University, Chandigarh, conducted a detailed study on RBOH (respiratory burst oxidase homolog) genes of the bread wheat, Triticum aestivum (TaRBOH). RBOHs are vital proteins in plants, and their thorough characterisation in wheat and other crop plants could lead to the development of crops better equipped to withstand stress conditions.
Science Gallery Bengaluru (SGB) introduces the innovative ‘Exhibition in a Box’ concept, extending the reach of their exhibitions beyond physical confines. Packed with multimedia experiences, these portable boxes bring engaging learning opportunities to diverse audiences, transcending geographical limitations and fostering inclusivity.
A collaborative study published in Nature Medicine challenges previous notions about dengue severity, revealing a significant association between primary infections and disease severity. Conducted across three hospitals in India, the study underscores the need for a broader approach in dengue vaccine development and suggests potential implications for global vaccine efforts.
Poonam Thakur is an Assistant Professor at Indian Institute of Science and Education Research-Thiruvananthapuram (IISER-TVM). In this first article of Journey Of Young Investigator (JOYI) 2024 series, Thakur shares her academic journey detailing her transition back to India, research challenges during the pandemic, and the importance of mentorship and networking.
Shruthi Vembar is an Assistant Professor at Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology (IBAB), Bengaluru. In this second article of the Journey Of Young Investigator (JOYI) 2024 series, she chronicles the challenging transition journey to India, facing dilemmas of networking, acceptance of short-term offers, and unanswered questions about the academic hiring process.
Dhanawantari L. Singha is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Botany at the Rabindranath Tagore University, Hojai, Assam. In this third article of the Journey Of Young Investigator (JOYI) 2024 series, she shares her journey from a small village in Assam, her career aspirations, and the challenges and realities of being a mother in science academia.
SKILL BUILDING
Crafting Your Career (CYC) workshops
IndiaBioscience conducted an online Crafting Your Career (CYC) workshop on 10 May 2024 for Masters’ students and PhD researchers from National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Raebareli. With a host of virtual tools, mock demonstrations, and interactive modules, the 3-hour workshop highlighted the importance of identifying one’s professional strengths and interests, navigating job interviews, and the advantages of professional networking while building a career in life sciences.
If you are interested in organising a Crafting Your Career Workshop for master’s students or PhD and postdoctoral researchers at your institute or university, or as part of a scientific conference programme, please visit our new CYC webpage, and write to us at cyc[at]indiabioscience[dot]org.
IndiaBioscience’s iGAP in partnership with EMBO announces a webinar on EMBO Fellowships & Funding Opportunities. In this webinar, the speaker, Karin Dumstrei will introduce the EMBO postdoctoral fellowships and short-term grants, and will give insights on eligibility and selection criteria. To register for the webinar, click here.
Applications for the EMBO Lab Leadership Courses were recently evaluated, and shortlisted group leaders have been intimated. This year, IndiaBioscience in partnership with EMBO, will co-organise two Lab Leadership Courses in NCBS, Bangalore, and IISER Pune. We look forward to meeting some of you there!
Have you been awarded an international grant? Have you mentored a colleague for their international grant application? We invite stories/anecdotes from Indian life science researchers who have recently or previously been awarded international grants. Your stories could inspire other researchers seeking international funding opportunities. If you are interested in sharing your story or mentorship inputs, please let us know through this form.
Shortlisted stories (with only light editing) will be published on the iGAP webpage. Additionally, you may become a part of our mentor database and get a chance to mentor prospective applicants for international grants.
Scroll down to read the recent 'Voice from the community' article.
What is Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)? What does ChatGPT do when you give it a ‘prompt’? What are the benefits and limitations of GenAI tools in teaching and learning? How can educators use these tools creatively in their classrooms, while ensuring that their students do not become over-dependent on them? This webinar aims to address these questions and more.
The webinar will be useful for biology educators teaching in colleges and universities, and their students.
Sabuj Bhattacharyya is the Research Ethics and Integrity Officer at the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council-Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (BRIC-inStem), Bengaluru. In this interview, he speaks to Bharti Dharapuram, an ecologist and science writer, about the multiple facets of research ethics, the joys and challenges of teaching it, and building a more mindful research culture.
Networking among educators can strengthen the entire education community. In this article, educator Anupma Harshal shares how a pedagogy workshop gave her and many other educators from across the country the opportunity to network and how the entire education community benefitted from it.
#EducatorsMonday
On the last Monday of every month, we post a question for educators on all of our social media handles. We invite you to post your answers, see responses by others, and enjoy the threads of conversation.
Our question for May was: What comes to your mind when you think of networking?
We launched our first e-compendium of this year, the Rewind to the Young Investigators’ Meeting series (2009−2024). This inspiring collection celebrates the remarkable journey of scientists who've attended YIM over the last 15 years, along with recently published articles and participant feedback from YIM 2024. It is your trip down ‘YIM-lane’!
You can download your copy of the free compendium here.
In partnership with Juggernaut Books, IndiaBioreads hosted a virtual book chat with Anirban Mahapatra, microbiologist and author of ‘When The Drugs Don’t Work: The Hidden Pandemic that Could End Modern Medicine’. From seminal experiments with soil microbes to the economics of why pharmaceutical companies choose not to manufacture antibiotics, this was a holistic discussion on a serious healthcare challenge. We also had giveaways for participants who brought their best questions to the doctor (err…webinar)!
In case you missed the discussion, watch the YouTube recording here.
Visitors at IndiaBioscience
We had a visit from our new Board member, Krishnaveni Mishra, a Professor at the University of Hyderabad! We always enjoy having the community drop into our office or meeting you at conferences and workshops across India. See an IndiaBioscience team member? Come by and say hi!
In case you don’t know - we have a dedicated thread (#ScienceJobsTuesdays) for jobs, grants and events on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and a monthly Jobs and Internships monthly newsletter, that you can subscribe to here. Let us help you find your next opportunity!
Are you an institute, university, company, private enterprise, incubation park or a science collective, and are thinking of ways to engage with IndiaBioscience? Or want to explore possibilities of being a part of YIM 2025?
Given our diverse programs and initiatives, we are always looking for new ways of supporting the life science community. Get in touch, anytime!
