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Programs

Catalyst Translational Research Awards

This award program is a mechanism to foster innovation, collaboration, and translational research projects among QSI RENU faculty in the school of engineering and the school of medicine. It is expected that the proposed research will have a high impact on patients, regarding restoring, augmenting, or preserving tissue or organ function. These awards require at a minimum of one engineering faculty member and one clinical faculty member to be co-PIs. The awards, up to $80,000 each, have a duration of 18 months and progress updates be presented at months 6- and 12- post award with a final report at the completion of the award period.

Postdoctoral Fellows Program

QSI RENU's Postdoctoral Fellowship of Excellence in Translational Regenerative Engineering is a highly competitive award educating the next generation of scientists that will advance academic research technologies into patient-facing products. During this program, Postdoctoral Fellows will engage in transdisciplinary research with a focus on developing solutions for clinicians and patients. The topics of research will focus on topics of regenerative engineering, and selected candidates will conduct their research primarily at the QSI RENU laboratories located in Northwestern's downtown Chicago medical campus in the Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center (11th floor). Ideal candidates should be recent PhD graduates, having completed their degree within the past 2 years. Candidates should have completed their PhD in a field relevant to regenerative engineering in disciplines such as biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, materials science, bioengineering, or a related field. Applicants should not have completed a previous postdoctoral experience. Additionally, candidates should identify at least 2 QSI RENU faculty, one from the school of engineering and one from the school of medicine to serve on a co-advisory role. Their advisory team may be expanded to other faculty as needed. The award will consist of a $85,000 stipend paid over 12 months plus benefits and will be renewable for an additional year pending satisfactory progress.

Clinical Fellows Program

QSI RENU’s Clinical Fellowship of Excellence in Translational Regenerative Engineering is a highly competitive award educating the next generation of clinician-scientist that will advance research technologies into patient-facing products. During this program, Fellows will engage in transdisciplinary research with a focus on developing solutions for clinicians and patients. The topics of research will focus on topics of regenerative engineering, and selected candidates will conduct their research primarily at the QSI RENU laboratories located in Northwestern's downtown Chicago medical campus in the Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center (11th floor). Ideal candidates should be recent PhD graduates, having completed their degree within the past 2 years. Candidates should have completed their PhD in a field relevant to regenerative engineering in disciplines such as biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, materials science, bioengineering, or a related field.

Convergence Awards

These awards are designed to enable the acquisition of a new competency in one of the convergence areas of regenerative engineering (advanced materials science, stem cell and developmental biology, physical sciences, translational medicine). They will also address the dearth of medical professionals and physician/scientists trained in preclinical models, which are critical to regenerative engineering solutions and technologies. Expenses that would be covered include travel and housing accommodations to another research institution or company, fees for courses or training, stipend or per diem for the awardee’s living expenses, and supplies for materials and reagents for the project. Awardees must be co-mentored by at least two QSI RENU faculty members with complementary expertise.

The Convergence Award Programs Expectations

  • Train medical students, fellows, and residents interested in regenerative engineering on the establishment of preclinical animal models that can evaluate regenerative engineering technologies. The award will help cover expenses associated with learning the implementation of a new preclinical model for a disease or medical condition, whose outcome can be improved via regenerative engineering technology developed through QSI RENU.
  • Train engineering students (B.S., M.S. and Ph.D.) and post-doctoral associates interested in integrating nanotechnology, biomaterials science, or physical sciences with stem cell and developmental biology to restore tissue and organ functions. One of the mentors must have expertise in stem cell and/or developmental biology.
  • Train pre-doctoral biosciences students or post-doctoral associates with backgrounds in stem cell and developmental biology on how to integrate engineering, nanotechnology, biomaterials science, or physical sciences into their stem cell or developmental biology backgrounds to restore tissue and organ function.

Questions?

For more information concerning award opportunities, please contact Professor Ameer directly at g-ameer@northwestern.edu

Internships and Sabbaticals

These awards aim to promote the exchange of ideas, experiences, and competencies to enhance the development of the regenerative engineering field and workforce. Funds will be used to help offset living expenses for students that go on to engage in internships at companies affiliated with QSI RENU, faculty from non-QSI RENU institutions that are interested in doing a sabbatical on regenerative engineering research with a QSI RENU member, industry representatives that are interested in collaborations with QSI RENU.

Opportunities

Visiting Sabbaticals

QSI RENU invites faculty in bioengineering-related disciplines to join the institute for a mini-sabbatical as a visiting faculty member to participate in regenerative engineering research. The successful candidate will have an opportunity to:

  1. Gain access to and training on specialized instrumentation in the laboratories of the PIs,
  2. Gain access and training at core facilities on campus,
  3. Purchase supplies and materials as necessary to obtain preliminary data that they can use to write proposals in collaboration with QSI RENU PIs,
  4. Receive mentorship and career advice from the QSI RENU PIs through bi-weekly communications.

A monthly stipend will be provided. Visiting appointment length and start date are flexible.

Questions?

For more information concerning award opportunities, please contact Professor Ameer directly at g-ameer@northwestern.edu

Translational Research Awards

These grants will help cover expenses associated with testing the safety and/or efficacy of tools, technologies or candidate products in preclinical models that are relevant to first in human studies by independent, third-party contract research organizations, academic, or corporate research organizations.

Manufacturability and Scalability

This program will provide funds to pay an experienced development, process, or quality systems engineer or consultant, to help establish the feasibility for manufacturing the potential product for and their use for first-in-human studies. QSI RENU works closely with INVO to identify a path to the commercialization of promising regenerative engineering technologies. This program will also give access to and potentially training for using QSI RENU’s good manufacturing practice facility, located on the 11th floor of the Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Building.