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Ohio Workforce Development

Ohio Workforce Development administers workforce development grants funding job training, apprenticeships, incumbent worker training, and employer-based training programs in OH.

NIBIB - National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering

SUMMARY We propose a three-day workshop, “Open-source Low-field MRI: Learn, Build, Scan,” to train biomedical imaging scientists through hands-on construction, scanning, and AI-based image reconstruction using low-cost, open- source MRI systems. Building on the successful “DELTA DIY MRI” at Johns Hopkins, it supports NIBIB’s leadership in biomedical imaging and NINDS’s neurotechnology workforce goals. The workshop’s three phases—Learn, Design & Build, and Scan—combine lectures, hardware prototyping, and real-time scanning with modular MRI setups. Daily milestones include RF Spin Echo and 1D projection (Day 1), 2D Turbo Spin Echo with deep learning super-resolution (Day 2), and 3D imaging with EMI mitigation (Day 3). Mentors with publication records will teach subsystems from magnets to phantoms. Luminary speakers will provide historical context and updates, fostering an engaging environment. Introductory sessions in GitHub and 3D printing will help participants of varied experience levels. Participants will use and contribute to open tools like PyPulseq, Virtual Scanner, and MRI4All, promoting reproducibility. The workshop plans to host 50 participants, with early registration, accessible venues, safety protocols, and NIH-compliant conduct policies. Attendees will gain access to detailed schematics, code, hardware docs, and recordings. The program expands access to MRI by enabling resource-sharing and providing post-workshop materials. Post-event support includes a resource hub, virtual mentoring, and remote scanner access. Promotion efforts include social media, society postings, and networks, with dissemination via project kits, walkthroughs, and tutorials. Scientific outputs include shared builds, software, and data reuse. Strategic backup plans address disruptions. Organizers—with experience and contributions to open-source MRI tools like PyPulseq—lead this initiative. The workshop aligns with PA-25-080 goals: technology dissemination, training, and research strengthening. It supports NIBIB’s imaging, workforce, and AI priorities, and NINDS’s neuroimaging goals. Deep learning super-resolution and phantom validation advance imaging rigor. Contextual understanding enhances critical thinking. Participants are encouraged to share knowledge, expanding capacity. Modular design allows replication in underserved regions. This scalable model aims to democratize MRI science and foster sustainable community growth, empowering technically fluent scientists to lead the future.

NCI - National Cancer Institute

OPTIMA: SUMMARY Although in vitro and in silico tissue models have been developed to predict cancer patient responses, they have yet to significantly influence clinical decision-making. This proposal seeks to integrate these models into clinical practice by establishing them as reliable tools for guiding treatment decisions as well as patient selection for clinical trials. However, several key challenges must be addressed, including the need for standardization and clinical validation of predictive capabilities. Leveraging ongoing therapeutic clinical trials provides a unique opportunity to overcome these challenges by facilitating validation and iterative standardization without requiring prohibitive upfront costs. The integration of combinatorial New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) into clinical trials offers a promising strategy to advance these predictive models for real-world applications. The major goal of this project is to develop clinical-grade combinatorial NAM assays to inform treatment decisions for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Taking advantage of three innovative clinical trials recently launched at MD Anderson, the study will evaluate the ability of combinatorial NAMs to predict patient responses in a timely, reliable, and reproducible manner. Three core methodologies— in vitro micro-organospheres (MOSs) and in silico DL-REFLECT and VirtualCellTherapy—will be validated using clinical samples and patient outcomes. Specifically, the project will develop combinatorial NAM assays to (1) improve treatment selection and outcomes for metastatic CRC (mCRC) patients after first line treatment, (2) accelerate therapeutic development for patients with minimal residual disease (MRD) who currently lack any treatment modalities or guidelines, and (3) enable better patient selection for CAR-NK therapies to succeed in solid tumors. After the initial standardization and clinical validation of the NAM assays, the Emerging Diagnostics Center (EDC) in the Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (DPLM) at MD Anderson will partake in the effort to develop them into College of American Pathologists (CAP)-accredited, laboratory developed tests (LDTs). The EDC will provide these combinatorial NAM assays to support clinical treatment decisions and patient selection for clinical trials at MD Anderson as well as provide training and dessemination support. Beyond assay development, the project aims to advance next-generation NAMs and expand workforce development. The project will explore new methodologies, such as extracellular matrix (ECM)-free 2D organoids for improved assay speed and cost-efficiency, micro-iPSC-organoids for toxicity assessments, and agent-based models for evaluating cell therapy dynamics. These innovations could be integrated into existing NAMs to enhance predictive accuracy and expand clinical applications. The project also aims to incorporate NAM education into biomedical curricula, to form regional partnerships for expanded outreach, and provide hands-on training for researchers, clinicians, and regulatory professionals.

NIDA - National Institute on Drug Abuse

Project Summary/Abstract Providing high-quality, patient-centered pain care is an essential component of nursing practice. However, for individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD), this goal is often obstructed not only by the complexities of pain management in this population but also by pervasive stigma. Nurses play a critical role in assessing and advocating for pain relief, yet they face significant challenges due to widespread stigma toward individuals with OUD. This stigma, shaped by insufficient education, limited clinical training, and societal attitudes, can compromise the quality of care delivered. This project will develop and pilot an evidence- and theory-informed intervention titled Stigma-reduction Training and Addiction Resources for Registered Nurses (STAR-RN). The intervention is designed to reduce stigma and improve nurses' knowledge and self-efficacy related to clinical decision-making in pain care for individuals with OUD during hospitalization. Guided by Intervention Mapping and a community-based participatory research approach, STAR-RN will be co-developed with individuals with lived experience of OUD and bedside nurses to ensure clinical relevance and practical application. The proposed study includes two specific aims: (1) develop the STAR-RN intervention; and (2) conduct a pilot study to evaluate its feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness, measured by changes in nurse stigma, pain-related knowledge, and pain management self-efficacy. This project is innovative in its integration of stigma and pain content into a unified, nurse-centered intervention designed specifically for hospital-based nurses, a critical but under-targeted workforce in existing efforts. The digital, modular format and inclusion of lived experience ensure the intervention is scalable, adaptable, and grounded in real-world contexts. The proposed work directly aligns with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) strategic priorities by addressing stigma as a modifiable barrier to care and advancing pragmatic, provider-level solutions to improve outcomes for people with complex pain and substance use needs. Through targeted training in addiction science, intervention design, qualitative methods, and interdisciplinary team science, this K23 award will provide the foundation for an independent research career focused on improving pain care and reducing disparities in acute care settings.

NIGMS - National Institute of General Medical Sciences

PROJECT SUMMARY – Overall It is predicted that virtually every type of clinician will use data science, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), in the future. Further, AI/ML is expected to play a dominant role across medical disciplines throughout the human lifespan. The utilization and ultimate training of deep learning models require specialized education and skills. The curation and processing of large datasets from locally sourced patient populations requires a curation and analysis team with specialized knowledge of transferring medical data between sites and potentially federated learning. Adding to this complexity is the potential for bias when diagnostic models are trained on datasets that don’t contain the characteristics of the population utilizing the model. There is a need to develop a talented AI and data science biomedical workforce that is trained in innovative approaches to working with large research datasets. In response to the Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Supporting Data Sciences Research in IDeA States through the Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) Phase 1 Program (NOT-GM- 23-011), we propose to create the Pacific Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science in Medicine (PAC-AID). The long-term goal of the PAC-AID is to form self-sustaining core facilities and an AI and biomedical data science program that continually trains investigators to utilize advanced data science to utilize all available biomedical data sources to improve health outcomes in Hawaii and the Pacific region. The objective is to create a nucleating site for the use of AI/ML data science technologies to further our understanding of human health in communities in Hawaii. Specifically, we will 1) foster a next-generation workforce to conduct biomedical research using Artificial Intelligence and advanced machine learning; 2) develop interactive state-of-the-art research cores and projects that support training opportunities for local investigators and foster collaboration across the national IDeA network; 3) establish a supportive Advisory Committee and Mentoring Team of academic leaders and content experts to provide the investigators and RPLs guidance on the successful completion of the Center’s and RPLs’ goals. The expected outcome of the PAC-AID is to form a synergistic environment for investigators to integrate AI and advanced machine learning into problems that were not solvable before. The positive impact on the state and large US community will be experienced investigators in various fields who can take full advantage of complex clinical, translational, and basic research data using AI and advanced data science methods.

NHLBI - National Heart Lung and Blood Institute

Sleep disturbances are highly prevalent during pregnancy, with 42–60% of individuals experiencing clinically significant insomnia. These disturbances are associated with impaired daytime functioning and serious maternal health risks such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and depression, as well as adverse infant outcomes including low birth weight and sleep problems. Despite the substantial and well-documented consequences of poor prenatal sleep, these problems often go untreated in standard perinatal care. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is the first-line, evidence-based treatment for insomnia and poor sleep quality and has demonstrated efficacy during pregnancy. Yet access and engagement are limited. Approximately 40% of adults drop out of CBT-I prematurely, and it is typically delivered by clinical psychologists—only 6% of whom are trained in behavioral sleep medicine. This workforce limitation significantly constrains the scalability of CBT-I, particularly in communities that face challenges with health care access. Community-based delivery models offer a promising and innovative approach to expanding access to prenatal sleep care. Doulas—non-clinical, community-based perinatal support workers—are uniquely positioned to help address these gaps due to their sustained contact with families, shared community backgrounds, and growing integration into health systems, including via Medicaid. National surveys indicate strong interest among doulas in delivering mental health (81%) and sleep health (78%) interventions, and studies support their effectiveness in supporting maternal well-being. We aim to adapt and pilot a doula-delivered prenatal CBT-I intervention through a Human-Centered Design (HCD) implementation-focused process. We will first (HCD Discovery Phase; Aim 1) conduct a community sleep needs assessment to identify perinatal sleep-related strengths, assets, needs, challenges, and facilitators, engaging key stakeholders (patients, doulas, OBGYNs, sleep specialists) through focus groups and a Perinatal Sleep Day summit. Next (Aim 2), we will co-design a patient-centered adaptation of CBT-I for delivery by doulas. Using HCD design/build methods, we will engage an Implementation Workgroup in iterative co-creation sessions and assess usability, feasibility, appropriateness, and acceptability, followed by Theater Testing of the full intervention with target users. Lastly (Aim 3), we will conduct a pre-post feasibility and acceptability pilot trial of the adapted intervention, including recruitment and training of community doulas. We will use mixed methods to evaluate maternal sleep quality, insomnia symptoms, and mood, along with implementation outcomes guided by Proctor’s Framework and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation. Findings will inform the design of a subsequent hybrid type I effectiveness-implementation RCT study design, including feasibility of the study timeline, recruitment and training strategies, assessment processes, attrition and engagement, and estimates of effect size. This project will fill a critical gap in maternal health care by integrating evidence-based sleep interventions into community perinatal services, improving access and enhancing maternal and infant outcomes.

Empire State Development

The Pay for Performance Operating Grant Program supports the operational resource needs of workforce training providers offering specialized job training in targeted, high-demand industries. Applicants can apply for funding to be used for a variety of programmatic expenses related to a new program or expansion of an existing program, such as curricula development, instruction and instructional materials, technology, marketing, and/or trainee supports, etc.

NCCIH - National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

Abstract There is an established (and growing) interest on the part of the lay-public in the use natural products, nutraceuticals, and herbal supplements as medicines. Given the complex relationship (even tension) between the established healthcare system and the desire of the public for alternative and “natural” therapeutics, it is vitally important that we better understand the benefits and risks of natural product pharmaceutics. This will require an expanded workforce of natural products investigators to contribute to the health and welfare of public. To that end, the central goal of the Penn State – Natural Products Pharmacology Training Program (PS-NPPTP) is to contribute to the next generation of natural products medicines researchers and educators. We seek funding in this initial application for 4 trainees each year (supported for two years each in the second and third years). We have assembled a very talented, productive, and well-funded collection of 21 investigators (from across eleven departments and two colleges at Penn State University) to serve as preceptors and mentors for this training program. There are two key characteristics of the training faculty: (1) They represent the complete spectrum of biomedical science approaches from computational biology (artificial intelligence and machine learning), to metabolomics, to receptor binding and spatial transcriptomics, to cell culture, to whole animal physiology and behavior, and all the way to human health outcomes research. (2) For the last several years, we have been working diligently to create a collaborative ecosystem to demonstrate that we are a cohesive research and training unit. In fact, in the last 4 years, we have co-authored 27 natural products papers that cross the various departments. An institutional match will fund 1 additional trainee each year and will provide funds to raise all stipends to the Penn State standard. This will permit a strong initial cohort of 5 predoctoral students per year. Students will be prepared for laboratory training in natural products pharmacology through a carefully crafted curriculum. Non-didactic activities include weekly meetings to build presentation and data analysis skills, monthly trainee-run meetings, and a yearly retreat. Continuous RCR and rigor and reproducibility instruction are provided by the graduate school and individual faculty members throughout the training program. Trainee leadership skills will be built through a peer-mentoring program and student-organized monthly meetings. This will produce increased retention through improved trainee satisfaction and feeling of community. In addition, there will be an ongoing Scientific Survival Skills program for professional development. An evidence-based assessment plan will track program effectiveness and guide future improvements. Mentor training and close attention to student progress and tracking will improve the overall experience for students and help recruit future cohorts.

NCATS - National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences

Abstract Since 2011, Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) has led transformational change across the university and beyond, embracing clinical and translational science best practices to advance rural health. Penn State CTSI leverages its team of established research leaders, the University’s land-grant mission, 17 Commonwealth campuses, and its academic health system, Penn State Health, to identify and address the specific needs of rural communities through evidence-informed practices and programs grounded in three core pillars: research infrastructure, community connections, and education and training. Building on its strong institutional leadership and engagement, the CTSI has established a clinical network of partners (Allegheny Health Network/Highmark Health) and collaborators (Primary Health Network, Geisinger Health, and the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers) with an expansive rural footprint across Pennsylvania, including 32 hospitals, over 1,100 clinics and health centers, and care provision for over 5,000,000 patients. Pennsylvania has a substantial rural population, with 48 of 67 counties designated as rural and over 3.1 million residents, nearly 25% of the state’s population, living in rural areas. These communities face higher rates of chronic disease and premature death and are less likely to participate in clinical research, contributing to the challenges to improving health. Penn State CTSI is expertly positioned to address these challenges through the following Specific Aims: Aim 1: Advance clinical and translational science through investigator-centered research infrastructure and the development, demonstration and dissemination of innovations across Pennsylvania and the CTSA network. Aim 2: Expand our Pennsylvania network through our partnerships, collaborations and national CTSA networks to facilitate and accelerate translational science to advance health, with a focus on rural communities. Aim 3: Cultivate a multidisciplinary workforce committed to rural translational science. Aim 4: Leverage real-world data from our learning health system and rural clinical research network through data science and informatics to advance rural health. Each aim is aligned to a core pillar of our approach. Aims 1 and 4 anchor the research infrastructure pillar, ensuring a strong, adaptable platform for clinical and translational science. Aim 2 drives the community connections pillar, embedding collaborative engagement with rural-serving partners to accelerate impact. Aim 3 forms the basis of the education and training pillar to expand capacity to advance health by cultivating a skilled, multidisciplinary workforce. The integration of these pillars supports a comprehensive, sustainable vision for translational science, positioning Penn State CTSI as a national leader in rural health innovation, advancing the science of translation while ensuring that its benefits reach communities across Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Workforce Development Board

Pennsylvania Workforce Development Board administers workforce development grants funding job training, apprenticeships, incumbent worker training, and employer-based training programs in PA.

NICHD - Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

ABSTRACT Sub-Saharan Africa's (SSA) 400 million adolescent girls and young women (AGYW, age 15-24) face disproportionate rates of HIV acquisition and suboptimal HIV care engagement. Despite the widespread availability of oral PrEP at public health facilities, uptake is impeded by low awareness, socio-cultural and access barriers, provider bias, and user dissatisfaction. Moreover, among PrEP-aware AGYW, uptake and continuation of PrEP is low due to side effects, fear of being seen with medicines, and low adherence support, undermining PrEP's preventative effects and leaving AGYW in need of critical HIV prevention. Our team and others have demonstrated that AGYW are interested in PrEP, especially newer modalities such as injectables, and that they prefer to seek HIV care at locations that foster privacy, are convenient, and are girl-friendly. Given the growing recognition that pharmacies, staffed by health workers who can be trained to provide expanded services, outnumber health facilities, can promote beneficial health behaviors, bridge gaps in health services, and mitigate health workforce shortages, we aim to expand this body of research to conduct an implementation science study on potential implementation models of pharmacy-based PrEP provision and adherence support for AGYW. In Uganda, the Community Retail Private Pharmacy Drug Distribution Point (CRPDDP) already provides pharmacy-based anti-retroviral therapy (ART) to over 48,000 clients across 160+ pharmacies (and increasing). Given the Uganda Ministry of Health's interest to expand this pharmacy-based differentiated service delivery model for increased reach and extended prevention offerings, we propose a mixed-methods study to garner foundational evidence to evaluate how this cadre of pharmacies already providing ART refills to PLHIV can include PrEP services generally and specifically tailored to AGYW. We hypothesize that these pharmacies can be well-equipped to reach AGYW with PrEP, given the critical role they already play in the community providing expanded care. As such, we propose to conduct formative research among CRPDDP pharmacies and their AGYW clients to advance implementation of pharmacy-based PrEP and adherence support. Guided by participatory processes of human-centered design, including in-depth interviews with AGYW who are potential PrEP users, pharmacists, and focus groups with pharmacy and youth advisory boards and MOH stakeholders, we will conduct formative research to understand barriers, facilitators, and desires for pharmacy-based PrEP to inform a discrete choice experiment (DCE) (Aim 1). We will then evaluate a series of implementation science outcomes—willingness, acceptability, feasibility, and readiness—among CRPDDP pharmacists (n=~160) (Aim 2), and conduct parallel DCE surveys among CRPDDP pharmacists and their AGYW clients (n=300) to evaluate preferences for pharmacy-based PrEP implementation models (Aim 3). By the end of the study, we will understand how a potentially ready platform of pharmacies can be expanded to provide PrEP care to a key population, and will have identified potential implementation gaps from user, provider, and policy perspectives .

NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT Despite availability of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for over a decade, many persons who could benefit from PrEP have not yet accessed PrEP services. Implementation of pharmacy-based PrEP is a promising strategy that presents opportunity to overcome barriers related to clinic distance and stigma and to increase PrEP access, uptake, and continuity of treatment among individuals who would benefit most. Despite the fact that team member and pharmacist Dr. Elyse Tung started the first pharmacy-based PrEP clinic nearly ten years ago, PrEP still is not widely available through pharmacies without a prescription from a doctor or other licensed clinician. As of 2024, not all states allow pharmacists to prescribe medications independently, and many insurance companies erect barriers to providing compensation to pharmacists for this role. Implementation science projects are needed to develop, refine, and evaluate the training and educational support required by pharmacists to expand their scope of practice. Health economics work is also needed to determine whether there are incremental financial benefits for pharmacies to provide injectable PrEP in addition to oral medications and to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of providing PrEP through telehealth. In response to RFA MH-25-185, we propose three specific aims. Aim 1 will build on a current supplement through the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative that is funding a pilot project to evaluate an online virtual community of practice (VCoP) for pharmacists and pharmacy staff to increase their knowledge, capabilities, and comfort in prescribing PrEP. Aims 2 and 3 will conduct financial analyses to provide information for new pharmacy implementation and use time and motion data to compare the costs and benefits of providing injectable PrEP versus oral PrEP and in-pharmacy visits versus telePrEP. This project addresses the Prevent pillar of the EHE plan with a secondary impact on the Diagnose pillar. This project also addresses the NIH HIV/AIDS Research Priorities (NOT-OD-20-018) to reduce HIV incidence by testing new prevention strategies and training the workforce. It is in synergy with the local EHE plan, the Washington State Department of Health, and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. The national strategy specifically calls out to leverage pharmacists’ knowledge and accessibility in nearly every urban and rural community as part of a comprehensive HIV prevention and care strategy. Ultimately our goal is to provide more PrEP options and motivate pharmacists and pharmacy owners to expand access points for PrEP care in locations and to populations disproportionately impacted by HIV infection in order to end the HIV epidemic.

NIA - National Institute on Aging

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The Policy, Place, Population Health, and Aging (P3HA) Training Program, housed within the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University (SU), aims to train outstanding predoctoral scholars to lead the next generation of high-impact population health science on how policies and place-level factors across the life course shape the health, longevity, and wellbeing of U.S. midlife and older adults. The urgent need for this program is reflected in the troubling trends of declining health and longevity and large and growing geographic differences in health and longevity among U.S. midlife and older adults, which is a NIA priority area for research. The P3HA program will train emerging scholars from four social science disciplines (economics, human development and family science, public administration, and sociology) to master the multidisciplinary frameworks, quantitative data, and advanced methods necessary to identify and explain how policies and place- level environments influence health and aging and the skills to translate their findings to policymakers and the public to inform strategies for change. We request NIA support for 10 predoctoral scholars for three years each. The Maxwell School will contribute matching funds that will guarantee five years of support for all T32 trainees. Trainees will combine the specific doctoral requirements of their disciplines with additional specialized P3HA training delivered through mentored research apprenticeships, substantive and advanced methods coursework, a multidisciplinary lab, professional development, and networking. Trainees will benefit from one-one-one, group, and peer mentoring. The P3HA program leverages the Maxwell School’s strengths in research and training in public policy. The program draws on a multidisciplinary set of 30 faculty mentors who have well-funded research programs and who lead the science on the roles of policies and places on health and aging; have substantial expertise in a range of causal, longitudinal, and contextual data and methods; are leaders in research translation to policy and public audiences; and have successful records of mentorship, including that 94% of their completed predoctoral trainees over the past decade went on to research careers. Trainees will also benefit from the robust research and training environments of four multidisciplinary research centers that regularly offer research seminars, data and methods workshops, professional development, and networking across disciplines. The P3HA program will be a powerful force for curricular coordination and multidisciplinary training at SU that will expand the biomedical research workforce pool to include social and population health scientists with expertise in the frameworks, data, and methods necessary to identify and explain the complex roles of policies and places on health and aging. Through T32 activities and resources and additional resources provided by the Maxwell School and the participating departments and centers, we expect trainees will become leaders in the health science workforce whose translational research will transform scientific debates and reshape policy and place-based approaches to addressing increasing morbidity and mortality among U.S. midlife and older adults.

NHLBI - National Heart Lung and Blood Institute

Project Summary/Abstract All essential 24-hr operations (e.g., first responders, hospital services) rely on nightshift workers who forgo nocturnal sleep for work. These essential services are available to us because of the 20% of the workforce who work nightshifts; however, they are provided little to no support in managing inverted sleep-work schedule, putting them at elevated risk for Shift Work Disorder (SWD). Because industries that rely on nightshift workers are often safety-sensitive, the consequences of impaired performance can be catastrophic (eg, Three Mile Island nuclear reactor meltdown, the American Airlines Flight 1420 crash, and the Exxon Valdez oil spill). Given this landscape, there is an urgent need for precision circadian medicine solutions. With support from multiple NIH awards, Dr. Cheng has laid the requisite foundation for vertical advancement in precision circadian medicine for SWD. For example, he pioneered the validation and creation of the first open-source, free, and widely accessible tool to track circadian rhythms in nightshift workers using wearable technology (ie, a free web portal). Furthermore, his work has also led to the understanding that a unitary focus on circadian misalignment for SWD may be overly reductionistic. This proposal seeks to enable the scaling-up of precision circadian medicine for nightshift workers by 1) leveraging digital health technologies (eg, consumer-based wearables), and 2) transforming the etiological framework of SWD from a unidimensional to a multi-level construct informed by a socioecological lens. In collaboration with a team of national leaders in sleep and circadian rhythms, Dr. Cheng will break ground in new directions of research. Potential directions include 1) examining the use of consumer-based wearable technology for precision circadian medicine, 2) establish the appropriate dose of light for a therapeutic response and remission in SWD, 3) improving the accuracy of circadian rhythms tracking with personalized parameters, 4) mechanistic evaluation of a multilevel etiological framework for SWD treatment, and 5) establish mechanistic targets for prevention of SWD. Additionally, the proposal also seeks to advance workforce development in precision circadian medicine by expanding training programs for undergraduates, doctoral students, and postdoctoral fellows. As a clinical psychologist with expertise in sleep and circadian physiology, Dr. Cheng is ideally positioned to lead this program of research to move the field of precision circadian medicine forward. He has demonstrated productivity in this area; his portfolio of work is well-cited, with a mean relative citation ratio of 2.88, which is higher than the 90% percentile of all scientific publications (NIH Office of Portfolio Analysis: iCite Tool). The proposed work would also advance five of objectives in the NHLBI Strategic Vision, and stands to significantly advance precision sleep medicine for this population, ultimately impacting outcomes related to occupational health, performance, safety, and public health.

NCATS - National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences

Project Summary/Abstract Community pharmacists are playing a growing role in improving public health and increasing access to preventive care via pharmacist-provided public health services beyond traditional dispensing and medication counseling.1-4 Pharmacists in various states are allowed to prescribe contraceptives, PEP/PrEP for HIV prevention, tobacco cessation products, test and treat for minor ailments, and more.1-4 By providing these services, pharmacists have demonstrated their ability to support public health, decrease chronic diseases, increase patient access to preventive care, and reduce health care costs.5-10 However, implementation of these public health services in community pharmacies remains low, despite widespread interest from pharmacists and patients.11-26 The current gap is that while a lack of innovative training strategies that reflect current pharmacy practice environments has been identified as a major barrier to implementation, no known solution exists. Our solution, the Preparing Pharmacists for Public health Services (PrePPS) software will be available to pharmacists for continuing education credits and pharmacy students through pharmacy school curricula. Our business, EmpoweRx, Inc has experience developing software for pharmacists to address barriers to implementation of pharmacist-prescribed contraceptive services as a part of an SBIR Phase II award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We will use this expertise to inform our work to support development of a training software to prepare the current and future pharmacist workforce and support implementation. In Phase I of this grant, we will gain an understanding of end-user (pharmacists and pharmacy student) needs when it comes to preparing pharmacists for providing public health services as we work through the first five iterative phases of the Design Thinking process: 1) Empathize, 2) Define, 3) Ideate, 4) Prototype, and 5) Test.27 In Phase II, we will complete the final phase of the Design Thinking process: Implement. The contribution of the proposed research is a market-ready PrePPS software that will increase pharmacists' and pharmacy students’ readiness and implementation of pharmacist-provided public health services. At the conclusion of this project, we will have a market-ready, proven, user-informed PrePPS software application that will facilitate future and current pharmacist workforce readiness to provide public health services and the implementation of pharmacist-provided public health services.

NIGMS - National Institute of General Medical Sciences

The proposed T32 program at the Ponce Research Institute–Ponce Health Sciences University (PRI-PHSU) is a rigorous, mentor-intensive doctoral training initiative designed to expand the geographic and institutional footprint of NIGMS-supported biomedical research. Situated in Puerto Rico, an IDeA-eligible region with no current NIH T32 predoctoral training programs, this initiative addresses longstanding needs in biomedical research workforce development by anchoring high-impact training infrastructure at a compact, research-active institution with a proven record of excellence under the prior R25/T32 mechanisms. The program’s mission is to prepare a new generation of biomedical scientists with deep methodological rigor, interdisciplinary fluency, and the ability to contribute across cancer biology, neuroscience, infectious disease, chronic disease modeling, and translational medicine. Training is structured around a milestone-driven curriculum, NIH-style proposal development, reproducibility- centered research, and embedded professional development. T32 support begins in Year 1 of the PhD program, with each trainee appointed for two years. The program will support 10 trainees annually. Faculty mentors represent five divisions across the basic biomedical sciences, each with active NIH funding, cross-sector collaborations, and a strong publication and mentoring track record. Career development is scaffolded through individual development plans, peer mentoring, proposal writing, externships, and a centralized dashboard that supports competitive transitions to postdoctoral research or biomedical careers. The program’s SMART objectives include reducing time-to-degree, increasing publication and fellowship submission rates, ensuring training in responsible conduct of research, and placing at least 75% of graduates in research-intensive roles within 12 months of graduation. Evaluation is multi-tiered and includes internal advisory review, external benchmarking, and a 15-year longitudinal tracking system, while dissemination activities span peer-reviewed publications, regional media, podcasts, public health forums, and national training networks. This T32 program will institutionalize a high-performance, regionally grounded training ecosystem that produces adaptable, rigorously trained biomedical scientists with national competitiveness and translational relevance.

NIAID - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

PROJECT SUMMARY There is an urgent need to strengthen the HIV clinical workforce in the United States, as demand for HIV prevention and treatment continues to rise while the supply of trained providers declines. Contributing factors include an aging clinician population, limited HIV-specific training during medical education, and systemic disincentives to managing complex HIV care. Concurrently, medical education is evolving toward online and self-directed formats, but most continuing medical education (CME) electronic curricula remain passive and do not adequately develop clinical reasoning. Case-based learning (CBL) and flipped-classroom (FC) models are more effective but remain resource-intensive and difficult to scale due to reliance on faculty time. Artificial intelligence (AI) offers a promising solution to this CME implementation gap by enabling dynamic, interactive, and scalable learning experiences that simulate expert clinical instruction. We have developed and piloted PRISM (Precision Review and Interactive Simulation in Medicine), a large language model (LLM)-based educational tool that delivers simulated case discussions, diagnostic feedback, and content review aligned with the Johns Hopkins Infectious Diseases curricula. In early testing, PRISM demonstrated high engagement and usability among medical students. This project extends this work and proposes to evaluate and refine PRISM- HIV, an AI-driven, case-based learning platform aligned with an existing HIV e-learning curriculum (Foundations in HIV Medicine). Target learners include medical residents, general internists, and advanced practice providers, who need to build confidence and competency in HIV medicine to address the workforce crisis. PRISM-HIV simulates a faculty preceptor to guide learners through interactive HIV case scenarios, promote clinical reasoning, deliver precision review, and assess user responses. Case-based learning and scenario details will map to the e-learning curriculum and core competencies, and facilitate efficient learning needed for continuing medical education of post-graduate learners in a manner aligned with adult learning theory. We will conduct a three-part study to: (1) evaluate the accuracy and consistency of AI-generated HIV cases and responses; (2) assess acceptability, usability, and user experience among internal medicine residents, primary care providers, and HIV clinicians using mixed methods; and (3) conduct a hybrid implementation-effectiveness trial comparing PRISM-HIV-enhanced learning to lecture-based learning alone, with outcomes based on knowledge acquisition, self-confidence, and RE-AIM implementation metrics. If successful, PRISM-HIV will offer a scalable and flexible continuing medical education (CME) tool to build HIV clinical capacity with minimal faculty burden. This project has the potential to modernize HIV education, support ongoing workforce development, and serve as a model for leveraging AI to improve healthcare delivery across multiple clinical domains.

U.S. National Science Foundation

The Professional Formation of Engineers (PFE) initiative integrates engineering research and education to improve and expand the nation’s engineering workforce. PFE is defined as the formal and informal processes and value systems by which people become engineers. The goal of PFE is to create an ethical engineering workforce with a global outlook and the ability to adapt to the rapidly evolving technical environment. This will help build a future engineering workforce with the skills to compete in the global marketplace, support emerging technologies, and grow U.S. industry. PFE supports projects in the ENGINEER program relating to future and current engineers’ training and education in many contexts, including formal classrooms, informal maker spaces, clubs and co-curricular activities, and workplaces. Such training encompasses cooperative education and internships, community-based experiences, and research labs. It also involves many scales of analysis, from mentor/mentee relationships to large-scale online learning and professional development experiences. Engineers must develop and maintain these learning opportunities with clear pathways to and through the profession. Such pathways include formal and informal education, apprenticeships, credentialing, and licensure, and consider relationships with other professionals, technical workers, and community members. Finally, such opportunities include transitions across and within academia and industry. To understand and improve this system requires expertise in both engineering and the social sciences.

U.S. National Science Foundation

The Professional Formation of Engineers (PFE) initiative integrates engineering research and education to improve and expand the nation s engineering workforce. PFE is defined as the formal and informal processes and value systems by which people become engineers. The goal of PFE is to create an ethical engineering workforce with a global outlook and the ability to adapt to the rapidly evolving technical environment. This will help build a future engineering workforce with the skills to compete in the global marketplace, support emerging technologies, and grow U.S. industry. PFE supports projects in the ENGINEER program relating to future and current engineers training and education in many contexts, including formal classrooms, informal maker spaces, clubs and co-curricular activities, and workplaces. Such training encompasses cooperative education and internships, community-based experiences, and research labs. It also involves many scales of analysis, from mentor/mentee relationships to large-scale online learning and professional development experiences. Engineers must develop and maintain these learning opportunities with clear pathways to and through the profession. Such pathways include formal and informal education, apprenticeships, credentialing, and licensure, and consider relationships with other professionals, technical workers, and community members. Finally, such opportunities include transitions across and within academia and industry. To understand and improve this system requires expertise in both engineering and the social sciences.

NHLBI - National Heart Lung and Blood Institute

Project Summary Systemically administered nanoparticles (NPs) offer transformative potential for targeted drug delivery, yet their unpredictable interactions with blood components-platelets, leukocytes, erythrocytes, and plasma proteins-limit clinical translation. This project addresses a critical gap by systematically linking NP formulation parameters to blood element binding under physiologically relevant flow conditions and developing a predictive computational framework for NP-blood interactions. Aim 1 will formulate and characterize a diverse library of lipid-based NPs varying in size, charge, PEGylation, and ligand chemistry to determine how physicochemical properties influence binding to blood elements. Aim 2 will quantify NP-blood interactions in a custom-designed whole- blood flow loop to capture dynamic binding effects under shear conditions relevant to human circulation. Aim 3 will develop and validate a random forest regression model that predicts NP-blood binding profiles from formulation parameters, integrating experimental data with machine learning to guide future NP design. Innovation and Significance. This study uniquely integrates nanomaterial formulation, blood biology, and data-driven modeling to reveal the mechanistic and predictive rules governing NP–blood interactions. By generating the first experimentally validated predictive model of NP–blood binding, the project will advance rational nanomedicine design and inform safer, more effective therapeutic development. Training and Institutional Impact. Conducted at the University of New Haven, a primarily undergraduate institution, this R15 project will provide immersive research experience in nanomedicine and computational modeling for undergraduate and graduate students. Trainees will gain skills in nanoparticle synthesis, blood biology, flow cytometry, imaging, and machine learning, fostering a new generation of biomedical engineers prepared for translational research careers. Long-Term Impact. The outcomes will establish a foundational framework for designing blood- compatible nanoparticles and support future NIH R01 or collaborative studies focused on predictive nanotherapeutics. The project aligns with NIH’s mission to promote health through innovative research and STEM workforce development at undergraduate institutions.

NIBIB - National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering

Current training models for bioengineering design often do not adequately prepare students for 21st-century challenges in the medical device industry, as they lack appropriate training in team-oriented science, critical thinking skills to identify medical problems, and immersion in clinical medicine, which is essential for addressing these problems. Responding to PAR-22-000, we at UC San Diego propose to re-envision our Bioengineering senior design curriculum through the implementation of the Clinical Undergraduate Research Experience and Skill-building (CURES) initiative. This program adopts a vertical integration model to: (1) expand clinical immersion and team-based medical device design modules within bioengineering coursework by incorporating a structured sequence of clinical modules and digital twin technology starting at the undergraduate level, (2) align clinical project conceptualization in BENG193: Clinical Bioengineering with senior design courses such as BENG187 and BENG188, ensuring clinical projects progress seamlessly into senior design teams co-mentored by clinical and bioengineering faculty, and (3) disseminate program materials and clinical digital twin systems through interdisciplinary campus events and broader regional and national networks to enable access across engineering departments. This vertically integrated, three-pronged approach will empower clinicians to mentor student teams in the didactic courses, whose enrollment we will double to accommodate half of all undergraduate students. Beyond coursework, the initiative will extend to include the majority of UC San Diego Bioengineering students in clinically focused senior design projects that incorporate real-world clinical problem-solving. The integration of innovative tools such as clinical digital twin technology, combined with models like progressive team-based training, will provide scalable and accessible approaches for delivering this education. We believe this initiative addresses critical gaps in bioengineering education by preparing students for the 21st-century workforce with hands-on clinical immersion, interdisciplinary collaboration, and structured mentoring. Moreover, this program will also address gaps for medical students who currently lack access to courses in medical device design, despite UC San Diego’s proximity to a leading biotechnology sector. Program success will be assessed by comparing cohorts with and without additional clinical immersion and team-based design coursework, as well as previous cohorts under the prior curriculum. With data on student interest, pilot successes, and measurable outcomes, we aim to achieve the following ambitious goals over five years: developing and integrating clinical immersion and digital twin technology into bioengineering courses, increasing clinical mentor involvement in senior design, and disseminating educational materials and program outcomes to create a scalable, sustainable impact.

U.S. Mission to the International Organizations

As the home of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), Vienna provides a unique multilateral platform for fostering these partnerships. Building upon the successful inaugural U.S. Space Forum in 2025, the U.S. Mission to the International Organizations in Vienna (UNVIE) is launching Project Constellation: Building a Constellation of Outer Space Partners at the United Nations as a long-term international partnership platform that strengthens collaboration among governments, industry, academia, entrepreneurs, and international organizations while supporting capacity building in emerging space economies that advances practical implementation of international obligations and non-binding guidelines and best practices adopted through COPUOS.Consistent with the objectives of Economic Support Funds (ESF), Project Constellation seeks to strengthen innovation ecosystems, promote entrepreneurship and commercial engagement, build institutional and workforce capacity, and expand economic opportunities through sustainable international partnerships.To be considered for funding under this opportunity, applicant SHALL:- Have demonstrated previous experience designing and delivering international training, capacity building, workforce development, educational exchanges, or public diplomacy programming on U.S. civil and/or commercial space activities. This should be addressed withing the project narrative section of your application. - The capacity to complete grant signing by September 31, 2026 and begin supporting the 2026 U.S. Space Forum (October 15-16).

U.S. Mission to the International Organizations

<p>As the home of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), Vienna provides a unique multilateral platform for fostering these partnerships.&nbsp;Building upon the successful inaugural U.S. Space Forum in 2025, the U.S. Mission to the International Organizations in Vienna (UNVIE) is launching Project Constellation:&nbsp;Building a Constellation of Outer Space Partners at the United Nations as a long-term international partnership platform that strengthens collaboration among governments, industry, academia, entrepreneurs, and international organizations while supporting capacity building in emerging space economies that advances practical implementation of international obligations and non-binding guidelines and best practices adopted through COPUOS.</p><p><br></p><p>Consistent with the objectives of Economic Support Funds (ESF), Project Constellation seeks to strengthen innovation ecosystems, promote entrepreneurship and commercial engagement, build institutional and workforce capacity, and expand economic opportunities through sustainable international partnerships.</p><p><br></p><p>To be considered for funding under this opportunity, applicant SHALL:</p><p>- Have demonstrated previous experience designing and delivering international training, capacity building, workforce development, educational exchanges, or public diplomacy programming on U.S. civil and/or commercial space activities.&nbsp;This should be addressed withing the project narrative section of your application.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>- The capacity to complete grant signing by September 31, 2026 and begin supporting the 2026 U.S. Space Forum (October 15-16).</p>

NIA - National Institute on Aging

PROJECT SUMMARY In order to address the health and well-being problems posed by an aging population in the United States, research that pinpoints how to protect aging adults from health risks is needed. To enable rigorous, high-quality research in this area, two scientific approaches are necessary. A lifespan approach addresses the fact that aging is a complex, dynamic, cumulative process that unfolds across time. A biopsychosocial approach addresses the fact that psychological and social factors interact with physiological factors to drive aging. Work that integrates lifespan and biopsychosocial perspectives requires both scientific understanding across disciplines and also requires knowledge in strategic collaboration, scientific leadership, effective communication, and project management. The Society for Biopsychosocial Science and Medicine (formerly the American Psychosomatic Society) has integrative work as its very mission, and across 82 meetings has been where cutting-edge research combining biological factors with psychosocial factors is presented. However, lifespan approaches have not been traditionally centered at the meeting. Therefore, we will pursue aims under the conference theme of Biopsychosocial Science and the Future of Health and Well-Being Across the Lifespan. First, we aim to provide methodological, content, and career development training to prepare junior scholars for a career in biopsychosocial lifespan research. We will do so by supporting a mentorship program called the Developing Investigator Program—a mentorship program for promising trainees where senior members with a history of external funding are matched with each junior investigator to provide mentorship and concrete feedback on a grant proposal. Second, we aim to advance science that elucidates the personal, interpersonal, societal, and environmental factors influencing aging. We will do so by providing programming highlighting the highest caliber biopsychosocial aging and lifespan research. For example, we will invite experts to provide scholar training sessions will provide concrete and actionable resources for scholars to engage in biopsychosocial lifespan aging research in HRS, MIDUS, and other NIA-funded longitudinal deeply phenotyped datasets. Based on empirical literature on mentorship, we are innovating on the traditional one-time events often offered at conferences to create infrastructure for two-year long relationships. The expected outcome of these endeavors is a scientific workforce trained in approaches that integrate across biology, psychology, and social factors to ultimately improve health and well-being throughout the lifespan.