dkNET community events and announcements in March, 2026

Dear dkNET Community,

dkNET provides updates on activities of interest to the NIDDK-supported community. You could keep up to date on these activities through our Twitter feed @dkNET_info, through our Community Calendar, or through dkNET e-mail list. If you have an event or funding opportunities you'd like to advertise, please contact us info_at_dknet.org.

dkNET News

• dkNET Upcoming Webinar: "Towards a Virtual Cell - the Need for Actionable, Robust Perturbation Models", presented by Prof. Fabian Theis, PhD, Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, Germany on Friday, March 12, 2026, 11 am - 12 pm PT. More information: https://dknet.org/about/webinar.

• dkNET Summer of Data Student Program: Calling all students in NIDDK relevant disease research fields! Ready to explore data management, FAIR data, rigor and reproducibility, and data sciences? The dkNET Summer of Data program offers training to boost your research skills. Application deadline: April 13, 2026. More information: https://dknet.org/about/Summer-Program

Funding News

• HIRN Emerging Leader Funding Initiative: HIRN announced he HIRN Emerging Leader funding initiative aimed to provide support and protected time for senior postdoctoral fellows seeking to pursue studies that will enhance their transition toward independent research careers. Application due date: May 1, 2026.

Events in March 2026

Mar. 04, 2026

2026 NIH Obesity Research Task Force Virtual Symposium: Present and Future of Obesity Medical Education in the United States

This workshop will convene obesity medicine specialists and educators to discuss the current state and future of the following:

• Education and training in obesity medicine for medical students, resid ents, and fellows in the United States
• Certification pathways in obesity medicine for physicians, registered dietitian–nutritionists, and advanced practice providers
• Continuing education opportunities in obesity medicine for health care professionals, including exercise physiologists, fitness trainers, and pharmacists

This workshop also will present input from major medical professional societies and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as the patient perspective that informs all aspects of workforce education in obesity medicine.

Location:  Virtual

More information: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/news/meetings-workshops/2026/2026-obesity-research-task-force-symposium

Mar. 05-06, 2026

27th NIH Tissue Chip Consortium Meeting + Complex In Vitro Model (CIVM) Qualification Framework Public Workshop

Please join us at the 27th National Institute of Health (NIH) T issue Chip Consortium Joint Meeting with C-Path’s predictive safety testing team. The Complex In Vitro Model Workshop will be held on March 5-6, 2026 at the National Cancer Institute in Rockville, Md. Over the past 13 years , the NIH has brought together members of the NIH Tissue Chip Consortium, including funded academic investigators, members of the pharmaceutical industry, and government agencies to accelerate the use, adoption, and ultimately dissemination of tissue chip technology across the United States.
This year, NIH has partnered with C-Path’s Predictive Safety Testing Consortium, a recognized global leader in drug development, to put together a joint meeting at no registration cost focused on accelerating the employment of tissue chips within the drug development pipeline. Day 1 (March 5) will focus on Contexts of Use for Today and Tomorrow and Evidentiary Considerations for MPS, while Day 2 (March 6) will focus on Integration of In -Silico NAMs, including tissue chips.

Location:  Rockville, MD, USA

More information: https://c-path.org/27th-nih-tissue-chip-consortium-meeting-civm-qualification-framework-public-workshop/

Mar. 09, 2026

Early Bird Registration Deadline: The Immunology of Diabetes Society (IDS) Congress

The 21st Immunology of Diabetes Society (IDS) Congress, will be held in Brisbane, Australia in 2026! The IDS Congress is the premiere meeting for the international community of researchers, clinicians and industry representatives studying the pathogenesis and treatment of type 1 diabetes. Every 18 months, members of IDS convene to share the latest in cutting edge research, debate big questions in the field, and catch up with old and new colleagues. The Brisbane conference is sure to be another memorable IDS meeting, and we look forward to your participation. Meeting dates: April 20-24, 2026.

Location:  Brisbane QLD, Australia

More information: https://www.ids2026.com.au/

Mar. 12, 2026

dkNET Webinar "Towards a Virtual Cell - the Need for Actionable, Robust Perturbation Models"

Join dkNET Webinar on Thursday, March 12, 2026, 11 am - 1 2 pm PT

Presenter: Prof. Fabian Theis, PhD, Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, Germany; TUM Schools of Computation, Information and Technology & Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Germany

Abstract

TBA

Dial-in Information: https://uchealth.zoom.us/webinar/ register/WN_ah0G3w3YQwqoV15WQYKe7g

More information: https://dknet.org/about/webinar

Mar. 13, 2026

Application Deadline: Hypoglycemia & Diabetes Course

Hypoglycemia in diabetes is a major health risk affecting patients in both the short- and long-terms.  There is a need for increased research in this area that bridges basic and clinical perspectives. The primary objective of this course is to provide an intensive discussion of the fundamentals, state-of-the-art advances and major gaps in our understanding of hypoglycemia in diabetes.  Broadly targeted at both trainees and experienced investigators, the course will combine formal presentations and informal discussions around the biochemistry, cell biology, physiology, and clinical implications of hypoglycemia.  The course will stress the recent research into the role of glucagon dysregulation during diabetes, and how this counter-regulatory hormone not only exacerbates the disease but also represents a potential new therapeutic target.  

Research on the molecular and cellular changes that occur in response to diabetes is critical in understanding and treating hypoglycemia during the disease.  With the advent of genomics, proteomics, and novel techniques in cell biology, an extraordinary opportunity now exists to develop comprehensive models of hypoglycemia from a systems physiology perspective including pancreas, liver, gut, and brain function.  This research can learn from and provide a scientific structure to clinical approaches to diagnose and treat hypoglycemia.  At a practical level, it can lead to novel molecular targets for biological treatments of diabetes. Attendees will be able to interact with senior investigators on a one-to-one basis in an informal environment. Applications are invited from medical and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty.
Course dates: June 10-17, 2026

Location:  Long Island, New York, USA

More information: https://meetings.cshl.edu/courses.aspx?course=c-diabetes&\;year=26

Mar. 16, 2026

Maximize Your Keystone Symposia Experience – A CU Anschutz Pre-Conference Workshop

Before heading to the mountains for your Keystone Symposia, take advantage of a unique opportunity at the?University of Colorado Anschutz, the premier academic health center in the Rocky Mountain region. This interactive pre-workshop focuses on preparing you to?network with confidence, equipping you with practical tools to g et the most out of your conference experience and long-term strategies to connect with colleagues, publishers, funders, potential employers, and other key audiences. Through hands-on activities, you’ll practice crafting your research story for diverse audiences and sharpen your skills for starting, sustaining, and wrapping up conversations effectively. 

More information: https: //www.keystonesymposia.org/cu-anschutz-workshop

Mar. 16-19, 2026

Keystone Symposia: Gut-Brain Axis

The meeting will unite experts from neuroscience, gut biology, metabolism, nutrition, and pharmacology, from across academia and industry, to explore the physiological and therapeutic relevance of gut-brain communication. Held jointly with the Keystone Symposia conference on Islet Biology and Diabetes: Beta Cell Compensation, Failure and Recovery, the e vent will also examine how these signaling pathways intersect with metabolic regulation and diabetes. Shared sessions and networking opportunities will foster cross-disciplinary collaboration and innovation towards novel discoveries with clinical impacts. 

Location:  Breckenridge, CO, USA

More information: https://www.keystonesymposia.org/conferences/conference-listing/meeting/L62026

Funding Opportunities Information and Deadlines in March 2026

Mar. 01, 2026

Funding Opportunity Application Due: Complement-ARIE Reduction to Practice Prize Competition

The NIH Common Fund has launched the Reduction to Practice Challenge, a prize competition that invites innovative New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) solutions from teams who can successfully demonstrate implementation of integrated human-based solutions in a practical and usable form within a three-year period. This is a three-phase challenge:

• Phase 1: Proof of Concept and Feasibility Studies

• Phase 2: Prototype Development and Milestone Achievements

• Phase 3: Prototype Delivery for Validation and Qualification

The total cash prize purse for this competition is $7,000,000 to be shared among the winners.

More information: https://www.herox.com/Complement-ARIE-RTP

Mar. 06, 2026

NIDDK Funding Opportunities Application Due: New Investigator Gateway Awards for Collaborative T1D Research (R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The New Investigator Gateway Award in T1D Research is design ed to support a robust pipeline of innovative projects and talented new investigators in T1D research. In addition to providing support for preliminary research, the Gateway program provides an opportunity for new Program Di rectors/Principal Investigators (PD/PIs) to pursue their studies within the intellectual environment of a select number of large, ongoing collaborative research programs. Embedding awardees within an established scientific framework in each of these consortia will provide unique opportunities for New and Early Stage Investigators to increase their understanding of key questions in the field, to network, and to establish unique and potentially long-lasting collaborations that will propel their careers forward. Bringing New and Early Stage Investigators into existing collaborative research networks will also benefit the networks by providing new ideas and perspectives. 

This NOFO is associated with the Special Diabetes Program (https://www.niddk.nih.gov/a bout-niddk/research-areas/diabetes/type-1-diabetes-special-statutory-fundin g-program/about-special-diabetes-program) which funds research on the prevention, treatment, and cure of type 1 diabetes and its complications, including unique, innovative, and collaborative research consortia and clinical trials networks.  

More information: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DK-26-009.html

Mar. 07, 2026

NIH Funding Opportunity Application Due: Engineering Improved Stem Cell-Derived Islet Cells for Replacement Therapies (R01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

This funding opportunity is designed to support research in understanding how to engineer intrinsic characteristics of stem cell-derived islet cell products that can result in improved cell replacement therapy out comes. Unlike cadaveric human islets, stem cell-derived islet cell products are generated from well-defined and highly controlled cell bank sources. Their banking, manufacturing, and quality control processes can be used t o instill optimized cell characteristics resulting in more resilient and durable graft viability and function. This funding opportunity aims to stimulate studies on targets and pathways amenable to such engineering approaches and to encourage preclinical testing and validation of such strategies. This NOFO is associated with the Special Diabetes Program https://www.nid dk.nih.gov/about-niddk/research-areas/diabetes/type-1-diabetes-special-statutory-funding-program/about-special-diabetes-program) which funds research on the prevention, treatment, and cure of type 1 diabetes and its com plications, including unique, innovative, and collaborative research consortia and clinical trials networks.

More information: https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/360931

Mar. 11, 2026

Funding Opportunity Proposal Deadline: The In vitro Disease Modelling: Type I Diabetes-on-a Chip Platforms for Translational Research

This RFA aims to support accelerated translation and regulatory pathways of Disease Modifying and Islet Cell Replacement Therapies for Type 1 Diabetes by prioritizing the use of validated and standardized organ-on-chip systems and other New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) and in this fully aligns with the NIH's commitment to advancing human-relevant research while reducing reliance on animal models. Validated NAMs, including organ-on-chip and integrated human-cell models, could cover all critical safety and efficacy endpoints. Conventional animal testing would only be considered when a specific scientific question cannot yet be addressed with NAMs, and even then, only with minimal use and strong justification.

More information: https://www.breakthrought1d.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/RFA_Organ-on-a-chip_Call-Document.pdf