NIMBioS News
 Bi-Monthly News from the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis
November-December 2013, Vol 5, Issue 6
UPCOMING DEADLINES

Modeling Leptosiprosis Investigative Workshop
Application Deadline: Feb. 10

Requests for Support for Working Groups, Investigative Workshops, and Sabbatical Fellowships
Application Deadline: March 1

COMING SOON!
NIMBioS Tutorial: Computing in the Cloud: What Every Computational Life Scientist Should Know
April 26-31

NIMBioS Tutorial: Algebraic and Discrete Biological Models for Undergraduate Courses
June 18-20

Visit our website for more details.

Report Your Results

The results produced from NIMBioS research activities are important in measuring our success. Click the button below for an online form to report publications and/or other products that have resulted from your NIMBioS activities. Click here for specific language to use in acknowledging NIMBioS in your work.
 


Connect
NIMBioS 2013 At-A-Glance
First meeting of the NIMBioS Working Group on Hierarchy and Leadership
2013 was a busy year for NIMBioS. We hosted seven new Working Groups, three Investigative Workshops, and numerous education and outreach events at NIMBioS on the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, campus. We welcomed four new postdoctoral fellows, bringing our current total to 15 postdocs. We also bid fond farewell to other postdocs who finished their fellowships and moved to new positions at Harvard University, University of Hawaii, University of Minnesota, the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Defense, among others. We also hosted 19 undergraduates in the summer REU (renamed Summer Research Experiences) program and had a record attendance of more than 160 participants in the 5th annual Undergraduate Research Conference.

NIMBioS postdocs, short-term visitors, and other NIMBioS collaborators have collectively added to our growing list of publications, presentations, and other products. The results produced from NIMBioS research activities are important in measuring our success. Please take a few moments to report publications and/or other products that have resulted from your NIMBioS activities.

We look forward to another productive year in 2014. Applications are now open for the March 11-13 Investigative Workshop on Interface Disease Models; the April 24-25 Investigative Workshop on Modeling Contamination of Fresh Produce; the April 28-30 Investigative Workshop on Predictive Models for Ecological Risk Assessment; the May 19-21 Tutorial on Parameter Estimation for Dynamic Biological Models; and June 3-5 Investigative Workshop on Modeling Leptosiprosis. And that's just the first half of the year! 

 

Don't forget upcoming deadlines to request support for: 

Short-term Visits are considered four times a year with deadlines on March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1.
Featured Science: Name That Tune
The same algorithm used to find tunes in music retrieval systems has been successfully applied in identifying the signature whistles of dolphins, affording a new time-saving device for research into the world of dolphin communication. A recent study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, describes a new method for identification that uses an algorithm based on what's called the Parsons code, which has been used extensively in computerized retrieval of tunes from music databases. Until now, classifying dolphin whistles has typically been done by examining a spectrograph.
Education Spotlight: Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (SRE)
Looking for a fun and challenging research experience this summer? NIMBioS will soon be taking applications for its eight-week long Summer Research Experiences (SRE) program for undergraduates and teachers interested in research at the interface between mathematics and biology. Projects will range from mathematical modeling of Johne's Disease to statistical techniques related to cardiac rhythmic disorder, among others. The program runs from June 9 - August 1, 2014, on the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, campus. Application deadline: February 14. For more information, click here.
Upcoming Research and Training Opportunities at NIMBioS
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS
December 11 is the next deadline for submitting requests for postdoctoral support. All areas of research at the interface of biology and mathematics will be considered. We are especially interested in activities expanding beyond the research supported to date, including research in areas of molecular biology, cell biology, network biology, immunology and systems biology. If you miss the December 11 deadline, your next chance to request postdoctoral support from NIMBioS is September 1. To apply, click here.
Applications are now being accepted for the NIMBioS Investigative Workshop: Interface Disease Models, to be held March 11-13, 2014, at NIMBioS. This investigative workshop brings together biologists, modelers, and veterinarians to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of current modeling frameworks to capture the dynamics both within and between wild and domestic hosts. Application deadline: December 16, 2013. For more information and how to apply, click here.
Applications are now being accepted for the NIMBioS Investigative Workshop: Modeling Contamination of Fresh Produce, to be held April 24-25, 2014, at NIMBioS. Food borne diseases associated with fresh produce continue to cause serious difficulties for public health. This workshop focuses on modeling microbial contamination of fresh produce along the post-harvest supply chain. Application deadline: January 20, 2014. For more information and how to apply, click here. 
Applications are now being accepted for the NIMBioS Investigative Workshop: Predictive Models for Ecological Risk Assessment, to be held April 28-30, 2014, at NIMBioS. This workshop will bring together a multi-disciplinary group to explore the challenges and opportunities for developing models designed to link between levels of biological organization in order to help inform ecological risk assessment and environmental policy. Application deadline: January 20, 2014. For more information and how to apply, click here. 
Applications are now being accepted for the "Spring Opportunities Workshop for Women in the Mathematical Sciences," to be held April 9-11, 2014, at NIMBioS. This workshop will familiarize women in the mathematical sciences with professional opportunities in academics, industry and government labs and help them thrive in mathematics-related fields. Graduate students and PhD's are invited to apply to attend. Application deadline: January 20, 2014. Click here for more information and the online application forms.
Applications are now being accepted for the NIMBioS Tutorial: Parameter Estimation for Dynamic Biological Models, to be held May 19-21, 2014, at NIMBioS. This tutorial is for biologists interested in doing statistics with more complex non-linear models of their data and for mathematicians interested in learning how to apply their modeling skills to the unique demands of real dynamic biological data. Application deadline: January 31, 2014. For more information and how to apply, click here. 
Applications are now being accepted for the NIMBioS Investigative Workshop: Modeling Leptosiprosis, to be held June 3-5, 2014, at NIMBioS. This workshop will bring together a multi-disciplinary group of experts to explore the state of knowledge of leptospirosis transmission in animal and human populations and the capabilities and limitations of existing techniques for explaining currently available empirical data. Application deadline: February 10, 2014. For more information and how to apply, click here. 
March 1 is the deadline for submitting proposals for new scientific and educational activities at NIMBioS. Although all areas at the interface of mathematics and biology are acceptable, potential organizers are particularly encouraged to submit requests for Working Groups and Investigative Workshops in areas of molecular biology, cell biology, network biology, immunology and systems biology. Information is also available on our website for other categories of requests for support.
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The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) brings together researchers from around the world to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries to investigate solutions to basic and applied problems in the life sciences. NIMBioS is funded by the National Science Foundation in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with additional support from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
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NIMBioS is located at the Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville
1122 Volunteer Blvd, Suite 106, Knoxville, TN 37996-3410
Phone: +1 865 974 9334
Fax: +1 865 974 9300
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