RISE: The Robert W. Finberg, MD Memorial Research Training Awards for UMass Chan Department of Medicine Postdocs and PhD or MD/PhD Students

The 2025 application period is now complete. The next cycle will be in 2026.

Goal/Purpose

Established in 2022, RISE: The Robert W. Finberg, MD Memorial Research Training Awards are dedicated to helping future researchers and physician-researchers RISE above and learn without limitations, grow in their rich academic experiences, and achieve their goals.

Funds will be awarded in two categories: One to a PhD or MD/PhD student award and a second award to a postdoctoral fellow.

Prize

$1000 cash prize to a postdoctoral fellow and $750 to a UMass Chan PhD or MD/PhD student. Each awardee will be invited to give a 15-minute presentation on their research at the department level seminar series at the end of the year.

Deadline for submission: The 2025 application period is now complete. The next cycle will be in 2026.

Eligibility and application process

All current PhD, MD/PhD students and postdocs in good standing at UMass Chan are eligible to apply. Eligible participants must complete the application and submit by the application deadline.

Criteria for selection

Candidates will be considered based on their scholarly accomplishments as well as their contributions to the training environment in the Department of Medicine. Candidates will be evaluated by a committee of UMass Chan reviewers and the final selection will be made based on the following criteria:

The candidate’s body of work both published and ongoing in the field of Innate Immunity.
The candidate’s contributions to DOM activities and the training environment.
Only a single nominee.
Awardees will present their work at a department-level seminar series at the end of the year.

Award conditions

Awardees will receive a $1000 prize to a postdoctoral fellow and a $750 prize to a UMass Chan graduate student. Applicants agree in advance that if chosen, they will give a 15-minute presentation on their research at the department level seminar series at the end of the year.

Application requirements

Applicant Information (name, degree program, mentor lab)
One page description of the applicant’s scholarly work (including figures, references not included)
One paragraph description of candidate’s career goals
Support letter from primary mentor
OPTIONAL: any published article DIRECTLY RELATED to the proposal may be appended to the application

Review process

A Review Committee will assess applications based on the applicant’s eligibility and adherence to the criteria for selection, as described above.

Applications should be submitted to: Michelle Morrison

2025 RISE Awardees

Applications were scored by an independent review panel and the following individuals have been named as the inaugural awardees:

Shrutika Mintri
Student awardee
Project title: Characterizing inflammasome activation by bacterial amyloid Curli complexes from biofilms in dendritic cells
Primary mentor: Dr. Stefania Gallucci
Secondary mentor: Dr. Kate Fitzgerald

Pooja Parameswaran
Student Awardee
Project Title: HSV-1 inhibits NLRP1 induced pyroptosis in primary human keratinocytes
Primary mentor: Dr. Megan Orzalli

Learn more about the 2023 awardees.
R ead their feature in UMass Chan news.