The American Medical Association designated September as Women in Medicine Month to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of women physicians. Each year, the Women Physicians Section honors physicians who have offered their time, wisdom, and support to advance women with careers in medicine.

Join us for “Pathways to Leadership” Celebrating Women in Medicine Month
When: Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, 12:00-1:00 PM
Guest Speaker: Susan Hingle, MD, Professor of Internal Medicine, Associate Dean for Human and Organizational Potential, Chair of the Department of Medical Humanities, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine; Past President of the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA).
Moderator: Memoona Hasnain, MD, MHPE, PhD, Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Medical Education and Public Health; Associate Dean for Faculty Development.

Register Here

Join us for a special SEII session honoring Dr. Bellur Prabhakar, Senior Associate Dean for Research and former Head of Microbiology & Immunology, as he concludes 50 years of excellence i experimental and translational research. The program will feature reflections from Drs. Robert Barish, Mark Rosenblatt, Jerry Krishnan, department heads, and senior faculty, with Dr. Paul Chan moderating and a reflective talk from Dr. Prabhakar.

When: Saturday, September 13, 10:00 a.m.
Where: CMWT 224, Irwin Auditorium
Register Here

Additional events will be held throughout the symposium. See details here.

The Dean’s Distinguished Lecture series, launched in 2022, highlights cutting-edge, multidisciplinary research from leaders in biomedical science. Join us for the upcoming Dean’s Distinguished Lecture featuring Anjana Rao, PhD, Professor at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology and adjunct professor at UCSD, is internationally recognized for her pioneering research in T cell biology, calcium signaling, and epigenetic regulation by TET proteins, with significant implications for cancer immunotherapy.

Lecture: Regulation of DNA and Histone Methylation, Clonal Hematopoiesis, and Cancer
When: Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, 2:00 p.m.
Where: CMWT 227 Irwin Auditorium (Reception to follow, 3–4:30 p.m., Faculty Alumni Lounge)

Register here

The UI COM Office of Faculty Development is offering a new series of virtual mentor training workshops for faculty. Registration is required with separate links for each session.

Overview of Mentorship: Practical Tips for Effective Mentoring in Academic Medicine
When: Monday, December 1, 2025, 12:00 p.m.
Host: Memoona Hasnain, MD MHPE, PhD. Register here

Communication Skills for Effective Mentorship
When: Monday, December 8, 2025, 12:00 pm
Host: Kathryn Fraser, PhD. Register here

Coaching as a Key Element of Mentorship
When: Monday, December 15, 2025, 12:00 pm
Host: Stephanie Joe, MD. Register here

The University of Illinois College of Medicine held its Annual Faculty Meeting on Thursday, August 14, 2025. The program featured updates from leadership, lightning talks from faculty, committee reports, and campus gatherings with a reception. Annual faculty meeting materials

On Friday, August 15, 2025, the University of Illinois College of Medicine celebrated over 300 incoming M1s across all campuses at its 31st Annual White Coat Ceremony. Surrounded by family and friends, students received their white coats, symbolizing their pledge to humanism in medicine. More information and ceremony recording

The University of Illinois Provost’s Leadership Retreat Advancing Mentoring at UIC on Tuesday, August 19, 2025. Please visit the 2025 leadership retreat page to explore the event agenda, access slides from each of the sessions, and explore the collection of mentoring resources and programs.

The Office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs invites applications for UIC’s Teaching Recognition Program (TRP), a faculty-administered award honoring teaching excellence. Up to 16 faculty will be recognized with a one-time $1,500 increase to their base salary.

Eligibility: Tenured, tenure-track, and non-tenure-track faculty with >49% FTE teaching appointments and continuous teaching at UIC during Fall & Spring of 2022–25.

Deadlines: Intent to Apply: Wednesday, Sept 10, 2025 (11:59 PM)
Application Deadline: Friday, Oct 10, 2025 (11:59 PM)

Applicants are encouraged to review the award guidelines and spotlight videos on the TRP webpage, showcasing innovative teaching practices from past recipients. Awardees are expected to serve on the TRP Review Committee in a future cycle and share their practices through panels or workshops. For questions, contact the program here: TRP contact.

The annual Research Forum invites participants from all UI COM campuses to present their research posters and share their findings, catalyzing collaboration among researchers. This year's event will be held in-person on Friday, November 7.  

This is an important opportunity for students, post-docs, and research staff to present their work to the College of Medicine, receive feedback from more senior researchers, and compete for prizes. All eligible UI COM community members are encouraged to submit their abstracts and posters to take part in this important event. Submissions are now open. Please consider volunteering your time to judge.

Submissions open: Tuesday, Sept 2, 2025
Judges sign-up: Tuesday, Sept 2, 2025
Submissions close: Friday, Oct 3, 2025
Judges assigned & submissions viewable online: Late Oct, 2025
Research Forum Held: Friday, Nov 7, 2025

Important Notes:
Transportation will be provided for judges and participants from the Rockford and Peoria campuses.
Your submission must include an abstract, poster, and all required information requested in the form. Incomplete submissions will not be reviewed.
Submit your abstracts and posters
Read the submission guidelines

UIC DME invites applications for the Ilene B. Harris Legacy Fund, offering up to $40,000 for one year to support innovative research in health professions education. For full details and to apply, visit https://go.uic.edu/harrisfund.

High-quality proposals in medical and health professions education are encouraged, particularly in the areas of assessment, curriculum studies, educational leadership and organizational change, research methods, evaluation methods, and instructional methods. Proposals in other areas are also welcome.

Letter of intent due: Oct. 15, 2025
Project start date: May 15, 2026

The Office of Technology Management is accepting applications for the Fall 2025 Proof of Concept Award, offering up to $50,000 in initial funding (with potential for an additional $150,000) to help researchers advance technologies with commercial potential.
Eligibility and program requirements:

Are you interested in participating in activities that help recruit gifted students to the University of Illinois College of Medicine? The UI COM Office of Admissions invites faculty from all disciplines to serve as interviewers for Recruitment Days, held September 2025 – February 2026. Faculty interviews are a highlight of the program, which also includes student panels and curriculum presentations. Faculty interviewers are trained on the interview process.

Format: Virtual interviews (Tues–Fri, 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m.)
Length: 30 minutes each; faculty may select multiple slots

This is a great opportunity to engage prospective students and showcase our talented faculty. If you're interested in participating, please email Trevonne Thompson, MD, Associate Dean for Admissions, at tthomps@uic.edu.

Igniting the thoughts and solutions of influential UIC changemakers to inspire and create a better world.

                               36 presenters • 3-minute talks • 2 hours of inspiration

When: Thursday, November 13, 2025
Time: 1:30-4:45 p.m.
Where: Student Center East, Illinois Room
Doors open at 1 p.m.
Reception to follow the event.

Register by November 8

The university is transitioning to Canvas as the main learning management system, beginning in Fall 2026. Canvas will replace Blackboard. To orient faculty into Canvas, Learning Technology Solutions (LTS) and Canvas are hosting several early adopter workshops to learn about Canvas and the new accessibility tool Yuja Panorama:

Canvas Training
Canvas Early Adopters Workshop #1: Getting Started in Canvas
Canvas Early Adopters Workshop #2: Assignments, Grading, and Feedback
Canvas Early Adopters Workshop #3: Quizzes and Item Banks

Yuja Panorama Training
YuJa Panorama Overview: Getting Started with UIC’s New Accessibility Tool for Course Content
YuJa Panorama Hands-On Workshop: Practical Strategies for Improving Accessibility in Your Course Materials

More events being hosted by LTS & Canvas will be posted on their Events page.

Join the 2025 Power of Women in Medicine Summit™ to celebrate and empower women in medicine through networking, learning, and collaboration.

When: Sept 18-20, 2025
Where: The Drake Hotel, Chicago, IL
UIC faculty get 10% off with the code UIC10
Register here

The AAMC invites eligible faculty to apply for the Midcareer Faculty Leadership Development Seminar at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Resort & Spa. This three-day program is designed for Associate Professors with at least two years in rank and focuses on building leadership skills through plenaries, interactive sessions, and networking. Topics include persuasive communication, negotiation, and strategic career planning.

When: Dec 1-3, 2025
Where: Bonita Springs, FL
Application Due: Sept. 17, 2025 submit here

Note: The seminar has been updated from Mid-Career Women Faculty Leadership Development Seminar to Midcareer Faculty Leadership Development Seminar to ensure greater accessibility and inclusivity for all midcareer faculty who may benefit from the program.

Rapid Response: Reinvesting in Racial and Indigenous Health Equity Research
The purpose of this call for proposals is to meet the current moment by supporting timely, actionable health equity research that has been interrupted by shifts in federal funding.

Rapid Response Research funding is exclusively available to applicants who have already received federal funding (e.g., from the NIH, CDC, NSF) for their health equity research, but have since had their funding partially or fully rescinded due to federal administrative actions.

Key Dates:
October 1, 2025 (3 p.m. ET) - Deadline for receipt of brief proposals
Week of November 17, 2025 - Applicants are notified of review committee decisions
January 15, 2026 - Grant start date
Learn more about the selection criteria.

The Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation is accepting applications for the 2026 Macy Catalyst Awards for Transformation in Graduate Medical Education, offering up to $100,000 over 18 months. Proposals should focus on innovative strategies to improve residency and fellowship training in one of the Foundation’s three priority areas:

Eligibility: Any resident, fellow, or faculty member involved in graduate medical education.
Apply for funding
Deadline: September 17, 2025

The We-CARE program fosters faculty well-being, belonging, and inclusion by offering confidential peer support and collegiality—not therapy—through trained faculty volunteers known as We-CARE Helpers. Adapted from a Harvard model used nationwide, the program provides a safe space for faculty to share concerns such as burnout, workplace conflicts, or career challenges, while connecting them with additional resources. We-CARE Helpers represent the diversity of our College and are available to listen with empathy and without judgment.

Stephanie Joe, MD, FACS & Memoona Hasnain, MD, MHPE, PhD, We-CARE Co-Directors.
See We-CARE Website for more info.

The Designing and Leading Inclusive Faculty Mentoring Programs at UIC Toolkit is now available to offer best practices for designing and leading inclusive faculty mentoring programs across a breadth of departments and colleges nestled within the UIC landscape. This toolkit includes interactive resources, such as the UIC Mentoring Map and best practices checklists for Units, Mentors, and Mentees. These Administrator Toolkits were created to provide easy access to tools and resources to help administrators manage compliance, support unit operations, and improve workplace effectiveness. Requests for additional toolkit topics may be submitted through this contact page.

The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research reminds the research community about the website which contains updates on federal research agency policy changes. Researchers are encouraged to contact the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP), by emailing NotifyOPS@uic.edu, if you have either received a direct communication from a funding agency and/or if your research is experiencing impacts from these policy changes.

Please continue to monitor the Council on Governmental Relations (COGR) website on the ‘2025 Administration Transition Information & Resources’ as these rapid changes are occurring. The research community should also familiarize themselves with the Facilities & Administration (F&A) Cost information as federal agencies continue to make changes to F&A cost models.

UI COM now offers free access to Nature Masterclasses On-demand, an online platform with 24 self-paced courses designed to support researchers at every stage of their career. Taught by Nature Portfolio editors, courses cover topics such as writing and publishing papers, science communication, and creating research posters, with new content added regularly. You may explore and access the full list of available courses through the UI COM Nature Masterclasses website. The user guide, which includes step-by-step instructions on how to register and navigate the platform. Register for the Nature Masterclasses today and start exploring these valuable resources and enhance your skills at your own pace.

UIC provides institutional access to Faculty Insight and Medical Insight from Academic Analytics to support faculty recruitment, retention, and career development.

Faculty Insight (for tenure-track/tenured faculty): Create a research profile, explore collaborators, and receive personalized suggestions for funding, awards, and publication outlets.
Medical Insight (for College of Medicine faculty): Compare research metrics across medical schools, explore collaborations, and identify targeted funding and awards.

Faculty Affairs has developed the Pathways to Highly Prestigious Awards  to help faculty identify developmental awards that support long-term success. Faculty are encouraged to review and update their Faculty Insight/Medical Insight profiles for accurate records of research and funding, and to provide feedback on the tools impact.

We welcome submissions for our newsletter related to faculty development updates, training and funding opportunities.

Contact: Rohan Verma, Program Coordinator UICOM Office of Faculty Development, rverma26@uic.edu or Dr. Memoona Hasnain, Associate Dean for Faculty Development, memoona@uic.edu.

Extended Version of the Newsletter
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