Dennis Belisle, graduating in December with a Master of Music, received the inaugural Robert W. Pedersen Memorial Research Award this fall. The funding he received from this award is going toward allowing the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra to perform his compositions during a special concert at 8 p.m. on Friday, November 15, at the Powell Recital Hall in the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center. You can listen to samples of Belisle’s work on his website, dennisbelisle.com and learn more about him and his work on Tennessee Today.

NEXUS is a biennial, interdisciplinary conference hosted by the graduate students in the University of Tennessee’s English department. In 2020, the theme of NEXUS is “Threshold(s).” Through this theme, the organizers hope to foster conversations within and among scholarly communities about the transformative concepts, experiences, spaces, and texts that connect us to each other and to our work in particular disciplines. The deadline for proposals for this March conference is December 6. Graduate students and faculty alike are invited to submit proposals, so take advantage! Visit nexus.utk.edu for more details.

You might think that you won’t ever need to get IRB approval for the research you’re planning. You might be surprised. Wouldn’t it be better to be prepared? Register for an IRB 101 session on November 13 or December 3 and find out if you need to get IRB approval, and how to go about it.

The University of Tennessee has scheduled four training sessions for InCites, an online research analytics and evaluation tool. InCites is a research evaluation platform that allows for in-depth analysis of trends and citation patterns of the publication activity data. Visit the Office of Research and Engagement to learn more about InCites and register for a session.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE), Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) conducts early-stage research and development (R&D) to strengthen the body of scientific and engineering knowledge supporting industry efforts to develop new technologies that increase U.S. hydropower and marine and hydrokinetics (MHK) generation. Marine and hydrokinetic technologies convert the energy of waves, tides, and river and ocean currents into electricity and have the potential to provide millions of Americans with locally sources, clean, and reliable energy. The Marine and Hydrokinetics (MHK) Graduate Student Research Program is designed to provide graduate thesis research opportunities in marine and hydrokinetics at DOE laboratories and other DOE/WPTO-approved facilities. Deadline for the 2020-2021 cycle is December 9, 2019.

The Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) Postdoctoral Research Program offers recent doctoral degree recipients the opportunity to conduct research in DOE’s fusion energy research and development programs. Participants acquire experience and training in areas of fusion energy science, interact with outstanding scientists and engineers, and have access to advanced equipment and facilities. Appointments are made to designated DOE laboratories, universities, and contractor fusion energy centers. Deadline for the 2020-2021 cycle is December 16, 2019.

The Student Mentoring and Research Training program (SMaRT) seeks to further promote research and utilize our unique partnership with ORNL by funding paid spring semester graduate mentors and 10-week undergraduate internships that focus on ORNL-related research with a UT faculty member. Graduate student mentors will meet with undergraduate students at least twice per year during the months of February–October. Find out more information about requirements and how to apply at scialli.utk.edu/smart/. Deadline for applications is October 31st.

If you have had a faculty mentor who has helped you reach your goals and go beyond what you might otherwise have achieved, you can show your appreciation by nominating them for an Excellence in Advising Chancellor Award. There is a category for “Faculty for Excellence in Graduate Mentoring and Advising,” and you can submit your nomination at Chancellor’s Honors Banquet website.

Teaching and Learning Innovation has announced that the Innovative Teaching & Learning Conference 2020 will take place on March 31, 2020 in UT’s Student Union. This conference highlights the importance of good teaching in higher education settings by featuring the innovative teaching practices that occur in college classrooms across the state of Tennessee. The period for accepting proposals that highlight practices, pedagogies, and/or methods of delivery in the higher education context is now open. The deadline to submit your conference proposal is November 8, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. You can learn more and submit your proposal via the TLI website.

If you’re interested in teaching online, but you’re not sure where to start, or if you’ve already taught online but want some new ideas or strategies, head over to the Student Union Ballroom on October 28, 2019. The Online Course Showcase, hosted by Teaching and Learning Innovation’s Online Programs and the Office of Information Technology, will be providing opportunity for faculty who have designed and taught online classes to share their insight. Stop by between 10am and 4pm as your schedule allows!