Research Revealed: Celebrating Innovation
Spotlight
Celebrating Innovation: BU Innovator of the Year and Insights on Translating Ideas into Impact
On Tuesday, May 5, a dynamic panel of speakers will explore how cutting-edge biological innovations move from discovery to real-world medical applications. Through lightning talks, experts will address regulatory challenges, investor risk, and strategies for navigating uncertainty and securing funding.
The event also includes the presentation of the BU Innovator of the Year Award to Dr. Wilson Wong, professor of biomedical engineering. Register on the Office of Research website.
Mark Your Calendar
Trainings & How-to
Seminars & Events
- 5/4: Frontiers in New Manufacturing: A Symposium in Honor of Ted de Winter
- 5/5: Innovator of the Year – Translating Bioengineering Discoveries into Real-World Impact
- 5/5: Boston Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health Symposium
Research Funding
Merck Research Laboratories SEEDS Program
Merck Research Laboratories (MRL) has invited Boston University to participate in their MRL Scientific Engagement and Emerging Discovery Science (SEEDS) Program as one of a select group of seven institutions. The program will provide BU faculty investigators with funding up to $200,000 (direct and F&A) and access to MRL scientists to advance the most innovative discoveries for therapeutic targets, pathways and technologies.
Learn more on the Office of Research website. Initial, non-confidential pre-proposals must be submitted to Industry Engagement (engagebu@bu.edu) for review by Monday, June 1, 2026 to allow for internal review prior to formal submission to MRL by Thursday, June 11, 2026.
Updates to BU’s Limited Submission Opportunities Process
Hosted by Research Development, this informational webinar will walk through updates to BU’s internal process for selecting institutional applicants and address common questions about limited submission opportunities (LSOs). LSOs are research funding opportunities that limit the number of applicants from a single institution/organization.
Whether you have applied for LSOs before or this is your first time hearing about them, faculty and investigators across BU, including the Medical Campus and Boston Medical Center, will come away with a clear understanding of this process, recent changes, and strategies for funding your research. Register on the Office of Research website.
Extensive Database for Funding Across Disciplines
BU offers all faculty and staff a free subscription to Pivot-RP, a database updated daily with federal, non-federal, foundation, and private funding opportunities in every discipline. With the BU subscription, members can save search criteria and receive weekly updates on new and upcoming funding opportunities. Learn how to set up your account and get started on the Office of Research website.
More Funding OpportunitiesGrant Management
NIH Updates Late Submission Policy and Ends Continuous Submission
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have updated its policy for late submission of competitive applications. Specifically, it ends Continuous Submission, announces modifications to reasons considered for late submission, and announces the prohibition of Fellowship, Small Business, and International Collaboration late applications. For more information on this update and to stay informed on future federal updates, see the Federal Research Policy Announcements and Updates Hub.
NSF CISE CAREER Proposal Writing Workshop
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Computer and Information and Engineering (CISE) will host a comprehensive, full-day workshop featuring presentations and panel discussions led by NSF program directors; insights from previous NSF CAREER award recipients; and focused breakout sessions tailored to various programs, where attendees will have the opportunity to interact with NSF CISE program directors in smaller groups. Register on the NSF website for the virtual version of this workshop held on Monday, May 11.
More Grant ManagementEthics & Compliance
Global Reliance Agreements Established Between CRC, BMC, and BUMC
Boston University’s Institutional Review Boards have put in place global reliance agreements to streamline multisite collaboration across the Charles River Campus (CRC), Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston University Medical Campus (BUMC). These agreements:
- Automatically apply to qualifying minimal‑risk collaborative research
- Simplify and standardize the reliance process for faculty and staff working across the campuses
- Take effect immediately
Learn more on the Office of Research website.
Note: CRC students working on BMC/BUMC research projects are covered under a separate reliance agreement and should follow the procedures described here.
Colony Management Support Services for Research Labs
The Animal Science Center Support Services group provides colony management assistance to labs on both the Medical and Charles River campuses. The team has 17 years of experience supporting Animal Science Center facilities and offers fee-for-service support tailored to lab needs, including routine colony maintenance, data tracking, coordination of related services, and more. Learn more about the services they offer on the Office of Research website.
More Research ComplianceCollaboration and Impact
Communicating the Impact of Your Research
If you’re looking to develop the skills to clearly communicate the significance and impact of your research to both the media and the public, two recent trainings with Kevin Anselmo from Experiential Communications offer practical guidance to help you feel more confident and prepared when speaking with journalists. The sessions focus on translating complex research into clear, compelling messages for broader audiences.
Recordings from the sessions are now available on the Office of Research website (Kerberos password required), providing flexible, on-demand access to strategies you can use to strengthen your communication skills at your own pace.
BEACON’s First Year of Global Outbreak Monitoring
The Biothreats Emergence, Analysis and Communications Network (BEACON)–based at Boston University’s Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases (CEID) and operated in partnership with the Hariri Institute for Computing and Data Sciences at Boston University and HealthMap at Boston Children’s Hospital–has reached its one-year milestone. BEACON is now used by more than 100 government and multilateral public health organizations, reaching users across 226 countries, territories, and recognized autonomous zones. The program has produced 2,169 reports on outbreaks spanning 169 countries, and even outer space. Learn more about the program on the CEID blog.
Explore Public Service and Urban Leadership with the Menino Fellowship
Jointly established with BU’s Initiative on Cities (IOC), the Menino Fellowship with the National League of Cities (NLC) provides one Boston University undergraduate student with the opportunity to explore an interest in public service, city-level programs and policies, and municipal leadership on behalf of children, youth, and families through a directed study and semester-long paid internship in the Washington, D.C. headquarters of the NLC. Applications for the 2026–2027 academic year are due on Thursday, May 14, 2026. Learn more and apply on the IOC website.
More Collaboration and ImpactNotes & News
The Boston University Global Development Policy Center recently participated in the 2026 International Monetary Fund (IMF)–World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C., taking part in nearly 50 events, including seven events hosted by the center in collaboration with international partners. These events brought together prominent panelists and speakers from around the world on topics including global imbalances, development finance, industrial policy, and IMF program conditionality reform.
Professor Lee Roberts, Physics (CAS), and Assistant Professor Dillon Brout, Astronomy (CAS) were awarded prestigious 2026 Breakthrough Prizes on April 18. Described as the “Oscars of Science,” the awards were co-founded 12 years ago by leading technology philanthropists, including Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg.
Professor Alice Cronin-Golomb, Psychological & Brain Sciences (CAS), and Professor Plamen Ch. Ivanov, Physics, (CAS) have been elected American Association for the Advancement of Science fellows.
Professor, Everett W. Lord Distinguished Faculty Scholar, and Chair Carey Morewedge, Marketing (Questrom), has been named to the Thinkers50 Radar 2026.
Three Boston University College of Engineering faculty members have been inducted into the 2026 American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering College of Fellows, a top honor recognizing the top 2% of researchers in the field. The researchers include: Distinguished Professor of Engineering Ioannis Paschalidis, Electrical and Computer Engineering (ENG); Professor and Chair Shannon Stott, Biomedical Engineering (ENG); and Professor and Graduate Chair Darren Roblyer, Biomedical Engineering (ENG).
Assistant Professor Pawel Przytycki, Computing and Data Sciences (CDS), has been given a Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award for $2.2 million from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
Barbara E. Corkey Professor Katya Ravid, Medicine (Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine), a member of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Scientific Committee, participated in providing the ASH response to the NIH’s Request for Information (RFI) to assess the utility of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in biomedical research.
College of Fine Arts Dean Harvey Young has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
A new collaboration between BU’s Center on Forced Displacement and the World Health Organization (WHO) aims to investigate some of the issues fueling drug-resistant infections among the world’s most vulnerable populations. Led by Professor Muhammad Zaman, Biomedical Engineering (ENG).