FASEB Launches IDeA and EPSCoR Webinar Series

By: Naomi Charalambakis
Wednesday, June 12, 2024
On June 26, FASEB is launching a webinar series to raise awareness about IDeA (Institutional Development Awards) and EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research), funded through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF), respectively. These programs aim to strengthen research capacity and broaden the distribution of federal funding in states that historically receive low levels of support. Every other month, the webinar series will spotlight various states and scientists benefitting from the IDeA and EPSCoR programs.

The first webinar, “The Impact of IDeA Funding in Mississippi” scheduled for June 26 at 1 pm ET, will feature faculty from the University of Mississippi Medical Center to discuss how grant funding through the IDeA Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) mechanism enabled the institution to establish the Center of Excellence in Perinatal Research (CEPR). Speakers Jane Reckelhoff, PhD, Licy Yanes Cardozo, MD, and Kedra Wallace, PhD, will share how this center has enhanced researchers’ ability to study the mechanisms underlying several diseases that disproportionately affect rural populations such as preeclampsia, hypertension, renal disease, and metabolic disorders.

As early-stage investigators, Cardozo and Wallace will also share how IDeA funding has bolstered their careers. Biomedical workforce development is another key advantage of the IDeA program and serves as a vital component of an institution’s research capacity. For example, the COBRE grant supporting CEPR has enabled 16 early-career investigators to obtain the preliminary data needed to secure independent funding, an essential step for research and professional development.

Registration for the first webinar is available here. Future webinars in the series include “How IDeA Co-Funding Supports Early-Career Investigators” on August 20 and “How Institutional Department Chairs Can Advocate for Researchers in IDeA/EPSCoR States” on October 15.