Those looking for a cost-effective way to spruce up their yards this spring can stop by the National Cancer Institute at Frederick Green Team’s booth during the Spring Research Festival on May 7 and 8. Pick up a free plant, donate overgrown plants from your yard, or swap for a new plant. Everyone is invited to participate in the swap, whether you have plants to donate or not.

The first National Interagency Confederation for Biological Research (NICBR) Exploring Careers in a Scientific Environment Symposium was held on Feb. 18 at the Advanced Technology Research Facility. The event drew more than 70 Frederick County public school teachers, who learned about the wide range of biomedical research being conducted by scientists in the NICBR agencies, as well as the variety of opportunities for students interested in pursuing careers in science and/or technology.

The National Interagency Confederation for Biomedical Research (NICBR) Scientific Symposium is open to postdocs, postbacs, graduate students, and technical support staff. The theme of this day-long symposium is “The Microbiome: Host Response to Disease”; however, presentations can cover any area of research being conducted by NICBR member organizations.

The 18th annual Spring Research Festival will take place May 5–8 at the NCI Campus at Frederick and Fort Detrick. This is the second year that the event is sponsored by the National Interagency Confederation for Biological Research (NICBR), an interagency committee made up of various research entities located within Fort Detrick.

The Second Annual David Derse Memorial Lecture and Award presentation was held on November 12, 2013, at the NCI at Frederick Conference Center to honor David Derse’s outstanding research accomplishments and to stimulate the exchange of innovative ideas that Derse was well known for promoting throughout his scientific career.