On February 17, 2021, JGI and the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) co-hosted a JGI Engagement: Accessing Resources at Multiple DOE User Facilities with a Single Proposal webinar, inviting researchers to apply for access to multiple genomics and molecular characterization capabilities in just one research proposal. Guest speaker Michelle O’Malley of UC Santa Barbara talked about how her approved FICUS proposals have helped advance her research.
Learn more here about the “Facilities Integrating Collaborations for User Science” (FICUS) program. Letters of Intent are due March 17, 2021.
Q&A from the Webinar:
Q(uestion): Who can apply for this proposal call?
A(nswer): We work with people from all around the world. We work with start-ups and mature companies, as long as the data are not proprietary. In addition, the JGI has a Partnerships Development Team which helps catalyze collaborations with companies (and other institutions).
Q: In her presentation, Michelle O’Malley said that having constant conversations helped with the proposal process. How do we know who is the person to contact?
A: Contacts are listed on the proposal call page. Feel free to reach out to any of them with questions.
Q: Apart from instrumental support, how much help can users expect for data analysis of the different omics analysis? Are users expected to be trained to handle the huge amounts of data for each of the different analysis?
A: We go from sample submission to data analysis, and we can help train researchers to do the biological interpretation.
Q: Are there limits to what can be requested in a proposal?
A: Yes, but the ceilings vary depending on the requests. Please contact EMSL and JGI staff to help you appropriately scope a proposal that will be competitive.
Q: Can you elaborate on the single-cell genomics capabilities?
A: EMSL’s capabilities include laser capture microdissection, single cell sorting and nanoPOTs. The JGI’s single cell capabilities range from traditional single cell sequencing and mini-metagenomics to more targeted approaches, such as BioOrthogonal Non-Canonical Amino acid Tagging (BONCAT).
Q: Do you offer scholarships and/or support for students and academics?
A: JGI and EMSL do not provide scholarships or financial support, but they provide scientists with accepted proposals free access to their resources.