Goeddel Family Technology Sandbox Fellows Program

The UC San Diego Technology Sandbox is an academic-industry partnership housing high-end instrumentation for cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM), mass spectrometry, flow cytometry, and light microscopy that is dedicated to facilitating cutting-edge research at UC San Diego. A key element of this partnership is the development of highly trained personnel – “Technology Sandbox Fellows” – with expertise in instrument operation, data acquisition, and data analysis, who will work directly with UC San Diego researchers and industry partners to develop and expand instrument and software capabilities, and/or data processing and interpretation. Technology Sandbox Fellows are expected to possess significant expertise in their associated technical area when they enter the program. By the end of their tenure at UC San Diego, Fellows will be ideally positioned to lead research groups or core facilities that further push technological development in their chosen area and expand the accessibility of high-end instrumentation to a broad group of researchers.

Sandbox Fellows will split their time between the Technology Sandbox and performing research as a postdoctoral fellow or senior staff member in a UC San Diego laboratory.

Each Fellow will focus in a particular technology area and will be expected to contribute to the major goals of the Sandbox in multiple ways:

• Fellows will work with facility users to collect and interpret high-quality data, particularly in difficult or challenging cases requiring the specialized expertise of the Fellow;
• Depending on the need, Fellows will also aid with training of users on high-end instrumentation.
• Fellows will be encouraged to leverage their unique access to high-end instrumentation to push the capabilities of the instrumentation forward and will serve as a point of contact with technical counterparts in industry to promote the enhancement and sustained operation of high-end instrumentation.
• Fellows will contribute to the educational mission of the Sandbox, aiding in development and leading of workshops and other training activities.

By the end of their tenure, a Sandbox Fellow will have become an expert in both the optimal use and maintenance of a particular class of high-end instruments, employed this expertise in achieving scientific goals of their research project in their host lab, engaged in training activities involving high-end instruments, and contributed to the development and growth of the Technology Sandbox while advancing their own career goals.

Sandbox Fellow appointments will be subject to availability of openings and funding. Mentors with interested trainees should reach out to biosandbox@ucsd.edu for more information.