Call for Applications: Pathogen Data CUREs—Curriculum Development Workshop

Call for Applications

Pathogen Data CUREs—Curriculum Development Workshop
Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences with Pathogen Data

Apply by November 28, 2025

Notifications by December 19, 2025

Goal

Assemble a small team of educators and pathogen researchers to co-develop curricular materials that prepare undergraduate students with the skills and techniques needed to collect, interpret, and analyze pathogen data.

Why

The Pathogen Data Network (PDN)—part of the NIH NIAID Bioinformatics Resource Centers—builds tools and resources that advance infectious disease research and support workforce development. Preparing undergraduates with computational and analytical skills ensures a strong pipeline of professionals ready to prevent and manage future outbreaks.

Learn more: Pathogen Data Network, NIAID BRCs.

Who Should Apply

Educators and researchers committed to undergraduate research and data literacy. The invited attendees will include individuals with expertise in:

Genomics and microbiology
Course-based research experiences (CUREs)
Assessment and evidence-based teaching
Pathogen research (academic, clinical, or field)
Genomics laboratory techniques and sequencing—including Oxford Nanopore
Bioinformatics (assembly, annotation, FAIR data management)
Data science, cloud computing, and AI

Applicants need not have all skills—strength in one or more areas and a commitment to collaboration are most important.

Desired outcomes

The creativity of the team and knowledge of workforce needs could result in a variety of products that educators could build on. Some examples might include:

A set of pathogen workforce competencies and assessments for course design
Undergraduate-friendly protocols for the assembly and annotation of pathogen genomes
Wet-lab experiences with non-pathogenic samples
Software tools and computing environments for classroom-friendly data analysis

Commitment

Attend and fully participate in a four-day, in-person workshop; the exact workshop date and location will be a consensus decision amongst the invited applicants. We anticipate holding the workshop in February or March of 2026.
Contribute to the development of new curricular materials.
Pilot the resources in undergraduate classrooms or support others who do.
Make materials openly available and ready to pilot by June 2026.

Support & Benefits

All travel (domestic or international), lodging, and meals covered.
$300 faculty stipend for participants from higher-education institutions.
Access to technical support, materials, and implementation resources.

Apply by November 28, 2025

Notifications by December 19, 2025

Join the effort to prepare the next generation of pathogen data professionals—and help shape the future of undergraduate bioinformatics education.

This project is supported by the National Institute of Allergy And Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number U24AI183840. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.