Research NewsletterIssue: ORN-2023-46

NAI-NJIT Workshop on Sustainability Societies:

Advancing Healthcare Through Technology Translation

Integrated with

2023 NJIT Faculty Research Showcase

(Featuring FY 24 New Faculty and Faculty Seed Grant Recipients)

November 13, 2023; 9.00 AM – 4.00 PM, Ballroom A/B and Gallery, Campus Center, NJIT

Recent technological and pharmaceutical advances in healthcare have yielded tremendous improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of deadly maladies, from cancers to infectious diseases. Yet a critical problem remains: Too few people, and particularly those in under-resourced communities in both impoverished and affluent nations, have access to the life-changing remedies many of us take for granted. These disparities are unsustainable in a functioning global society.

What we need are affordable, simpler and more effective healthcare technologies that can be administered easily in a wide range of settings. This is not merely a research and development challenge that is solved by ingenious inventors, but one of market validation and translation as well. These devices must win the acceptance of users, clinicians, payors and regulatory agencies. Partnerships among academic researchers, healthcare providers, regulators and businesspeople that enable them to pool ideas, expertise, resources and investments will speed the commercialization of new personalized, preventive and precision healthcare applications. In keynote and panel discussions at the fall NAI-NJIT workshop, leaders from each of these key stakeholder groups will discuss potential pathways to success.

Also, please join us at the 2023 NJIT Faculty Research Showcase this afternoon to learn about exciting new research projects from our new faculty, recipients of NJIT’s Technology Innovation Translation and Acceleration seed grants and researchers from other New Jersey universities. The workshop and showcase will be held in-person in Ballroom A at the Student Campus Center. Light lunch will be served. All faculty, staff and students are invited to attend.

To see the program agenda and booklet , click here. 

NSF: Incorporating Human Behavior in Epidemiological Models (IHBEM); International Research Experiences for Students (IRES); Designing Synthetic Cells Beyond the Bounds of Evolution (Designer Cells); Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC)

NIH: BRAIN Initiative Connectivity across Scales Data Coordinating Center (BRAIN CONNECTS DCC) (U24)

Department of Defense/US Army/DARPA/ONR: Young Faculty Award (YFA) 2024; The Department of Defense (DOD) Fiscal Year 2025 Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP); Strategic Technology Office (STO) Office-wide; Information Innovation Office (I2O) Office-wide

Department of Energy: Environmental System Science (ESS); Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers and Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT); Spurring Projects to Advance Energy Research and Knowledge Swiftly (SPARKS); Climate Resilience Centers

NASA: ROSES 2023: F.5 Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology

National Endowment of Humanities: Humanities Research Centers on Artificial Intelligence; Digital Humanities Advancement Grants; Humanities Initiatives

On the heels of Biden's executive order, agencies get White House directive on implementing AI: The White House released draft policy guidance on the government’s use of artificial intelligence Wednesday that it says will help agencies both manage the risks of the technology and harness its benefits, following the release of the administration’s AI executive order on Monday.  Government agencies can look for new requirements to test AI systems, create new chief AI officers and more. “This memo specifically pertains to how federal agencies responsibly use AI, which is important both because of the fundamental missions in federal agencies and the way that those missions impact society [and] impact individuals,” Jason Miller, deputy director for management at Office of Management and Budget, told Nextgov/FCW in an interview on the guidance. “It's important because the government as an enterprise can lead by example, both at home and abroad, in the responsible use of AI.” More information is posted on the NextGov website.

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NSF and partners kick off the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource Pilot Program: On Oct. 30, President Biden signed Executive Order 14110 directing NSF to launch the NAIRR pilot program by bringing together federal and private sector contributions to expedite federal government support for responsible AI research and the U.S. AI research community, particularly researchers in academia and small businesses. In this way, NAIRR seeks to democratize access to AI innovation and support critical work advancing trustworthy AI.  The event fostered a merging of insights from prospective providers of the resources and expertise that will be made available through the pilot program. Participants discussed the dual aims of the pilot to advance AI research and democratize access, as well as how to quickly leverage existing resources and best practices. This gathering is the first in a series of planned workshops and meetings that will engage the broader community in the design of the pilot, from bringing in user perspectives to setting guidelines and principles for the responsible use of the platform and the safety of the research conducted through it.   The planning for the NAIRR pilot program is informed by an implementation plan that was submitted to the president and Congress in January 2023, developed through a two-year consultative process by a task force co-chaired by NSF and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.  More information is posted on the NSF website.