Stay Updated on Federal Research Guidance

The Office of Research website is your go-to destination for all updates regarding federally funded research. Visit the landing page for the latest guidance, view the FAQ document for extended information, and see the latest leadership message from Vice Chancellor for Research Harold Collard.

New Job Board and Resources for Postdocs

The UCSF Office for Postdoctoral Scholars (OPS) is dedicated to building community and supporting postdocs during this challenging time in our research landscape.

Visit the OPS home page for all activities, the Office of Career and Professional Development’s (OCPD) Opportunities and Job Board for open positions, and the OPS Career Opportunities resource page for a list of internal and external job boards. Postdocs can also sign up for nationwide matching opportunities on the Postdoc Portal.

Register for the April 24 Coping and Resiliency Program event to learn practical strategies for managing mental health and connect with fellow postdocs.

IDEA Listening Session Support Available

The AVCR-IDEA office has conducted surveys and listening sessions with faculty and staff to learn more about your concerns with the changing research landscape, and it is working with the Office of Research leadership to address them. In addition to the urgent economic and career effects, there is also uncertainty, isolation, moral injury, and a need for engagement and connection. These listening sessions have helped to address these latter concerns and create community.

The AVCR-IDEA office encourages research units to consider in-person listening sessions for staff and faculty and can support you in your planning efforts. Contact AVCRIDEA@ucsf.edu to learn more.

Become a UCSF Advocate!

Join UCSF Advocates to learn more about opportunities to connect with lawmakers, engage in policy change, participate in advocacy trainings/events, and more. Contact advocacy@ucsf.edu with questions.

Your Voice Needed: Research Data Survey

The UCSF Academic Senate's Research Data and Metadata Standardization Task Force needs your voice. Take a 20-minute anonymous survey to improve data practices and support reproducible research. Respondents may enter to win a gift card! Deadline: May 16.

CRIO Transition

The Office of Research has made the difficult decision to terminate the Chief Research Informatics Officer (CRIO) role, given the current funding environment. We thank Ida Sim, PhD, MD, for her voice and vision over the past two years and her work partnering across the enterprise. Her efforts led to many important advances in UCSF's informatics governance, in our approach to artificial intelligence (AI) and digital health infrastructure, and in training our community. 

The Office of Research remains committed to supporting the needs of UCSF's informatics and computational science research community and will continue many of the activities that Dr. Sim started, including the CRIO advisory council.

Dr. Sim will work over the next three months to transition other initiatives that have come from her office. For more on her accomplishments over the past two years, please see the CRIO webpage. 

CTEC Update

Key Reminder: Ensure Complete OCTA Submissions & Accurate ICF Language 

Avoid delays in study activation by ensuring that all required documents are submitted to the Office of Clinical Trial Activation and that your Informed Consent Form language aligns with the final budget and coverage analysis. Read the full reminder for detailed guidance and resources.

A reminder that CTEC aims to achieve an institutional median of 90 days for clinical trial activation, measured as time from the first submission of a trial protocol into a UCSF system (IRB or OCTA) to contract execution. To help streamline your activation process and achieve this goal, study teams should reference our Study Team Guide for UCSF Industry Clinical Trial Activation.

IRB Informed Consent Template and Companion Updates Coming Soon 

In 2023, the UCSF IRB completed a significant project to enhance the readability and understanding of informed consent forms by using plain language, aimed at helping potential research participants make informed decisions. You can read more about this project here. 

Currently, the IRB is in the final stages of developing updates to the informed consent form template and the companion document to further enhance the readability and understanding, to include new information provided by UCOP, and to improve the efficiency of IRB review. 

Stay informed about the latest updates and resources by visiting the Clinical Trial Excellence Campaign (CTEC) landing page. We appreciate your patience and look forward to sharing these important improvements with you soon. 

Charles Hart Transforms from Catalyst to Small Molecular Discovery

Read the exit interview with Hart, who is stepping down from his executive director role with the Innovation Ventures Catalyst Program and focusing his efforts at the UCSF Small Molecular Discovery Center (SMDC). He will still be involved with Catalyst as an industry advisor.

Research Spotlight

2025 IMPACT Scholars

The CTSI IMPACT program, designed to prepare UCSF researchers to disseminate their findings to governmental policymakers and those who influence them, is excited to welcome its first cohort of IMPACT Scholars. Congratulations to the 2025 awardees!

P2 Network Award Recipients

Aaron Kornblith, MD, and Margaret Lin-Martore, MD, have each received a P2 Network award in recognition of their contributions to research and education, respectively, in the field of pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). Learn more.