Agenda

The Sleep Research Program for Advancing Careers (SOAR) and the Young Investigators Research Forum (YIRF) are joining forces to offer trainees an exciting opportunity to advance their careers in sleep and circadian science. This collaborative event will provide hands-on training in grant review, expert feedback on research ideas, and practical advice for navigating the academic research environment. Trainees will also explore funding opportunities from government and non-profit agencies, with the chance to engage directly with program officials. Additionally, participants will network with peers, faculty, and senior investigators, fostering connections and collaborations to support their professional growth.

The in-person meeting is April 19-21, 2026, at The Westin Michigan Avenue in Chicago, IL.

Location
The Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago
909 North Michigan Avenue

Day 1: Sunday, April 19, 2026
Time (CST) YIRF Activity SOAR Activity
12:00 pm Lunch (Optional)
Room: Millennium Park
2:00 pm Welcome SOAR Fellows and YIRF Trainees
Room: Millennium Park
2:15 pm Speed Networking
Room: Millennium Park
3:30 pm Break
3:45 pm Presentation: Fostering Collaborations in Research
Speaker: Kelly Baron, PhD
CME: 0.5
Room: Millennium Park		 Full Grant Review: Mock Study Section
Chair: Louise O’Brien, PhD
Room: Grant Park
4:15 pm Presentation: Thriving in Academia
Speaker: Galit Levi Dunietz, PhD
CME: 0.5
Room: Millennium Park
4:45 pm Break
5:00 pm Presentation: Navigating the (Bumpy) Path to Early Career Awards
Speaker: Jessee Dietch, PhD
CME: 0.5
Room: Millennium Park		 Full Grant Review: Mock Study Section (continued)
Room: Grant Park
5:30 pm Presentation: Building a Strong Foundation in Sleep Research: Best Practices for Early Career Scientists
Speaker: Christopher Depner, PhD
CME: 0.5
Room: Millennium Park
6:00 pm Break
6:30 pm Dinner
Room: Lincoln Park

Day 2: Monday, April 20, 2026
Time (CST) YIRF Activity SOAR Activity
7:00 am Breakfast
Room: Millennium Park
8:00 am Panel: Disseminating and Publishing Your Work
Room: Millennium Park
9:00 am Breakout Groups: Advancing Your Sleep Research Career in a Changing Landscape
Room: Millennium Park
10:00 am Break
10:15 am Panel: Sleep Research Funder Representatives
Room: Millennium Park
12:00 pm Lunch
1:00 pm Grant Proposal Blitz: Specific Aims
Small Groups
CME: 3.0Group 1: Sleep-Disordered Breathing: Mechanisms & Devices
Room: Garfield Park

Group 2: Sleep Health Management & Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Room: Marquette Park

Group 3: Sleep & Circadian Physiology
Room: Washington Park 1

Group 4: Circadian & Sleep Health Across Lifespan
Room: Washington Park 2

Group 5: Neurodegeneration & Cognitive Aging
Room: Millennium Park

Group 6: Population Sleep Health & Disparities
Room: Millennium Park

 Nurturing Relationships with Statisticians
Speaker: Mayte Suarez-Farinas, PhD
CME: 0.5
Room: Grant Park
Resubmissions
Speaker: M. Safwan Badr, MD, MBA
CME: 0.5
Room: Grant Park
Open Discussion
Room: Grant Park
2:30 pm Break
2:45 pm Grant Proposal Blitz: Specific Aims
Small Groups (continued)		 Meeting and Writing Time with Faculty
Room: Grant Park
4:00 pm Break
5:30 pm Dinner, Activity and Transportation

Day 3: Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Time (CST) YIRF Activity SOAR Activity
7:00 am Breakfast
Room: Millennium Park
8:00 am Mock Grant Review Study Sections
CME: 2.75

Study Section A
Chair: Katie Sharkey, MD, PhD
Room: Garfield Park

Study Section B
Chair: Dayna Johnson, PhD
Room: Marquette Park

Study Section C
Chair: Philip Cheng, PhD
Room: Washington Park 1

Study Section D
Chair: Patrick Strollo, MD
Room: Washington Park 2

Study Section E
Chair: Christopher Depner, PhD
Room: Millennium Park

Study Section F
Chair: Sairam Parthasarathy, MD
Room: Millennium Park

 Storytelling in Grantwriting
Speaker: Michael Twery, PhD
CME: 0.5

Room: Grant Park
Biosketch and Letters of Support Review Session
Speakers: Maya Elias, PhD, RN & Erik St. Louis, MD
CME: 0.5

Room: Grant Park
Meeting and Writing Time with Faculty
Room: Grant Park
10:45 am Break
11:00 am Presentation: Negotiating and Renegotiating for an Academic Position
Speaker: Katie Sharkey, MD, PhD
CME: 0.5

Room: Millennium Park
11:30 am Presentation: How to Give a Great Talk
Speaker: Philip Cheng, PhD
CME: 0.5

Room: Millennium Park
12:00 pm Working Lunch
12:10 pm Presentation: Importance of How and When to Say No
Speaker: Sairam Parthasarathy, MD
CME: 0.5

Room: Millennium Park
12:40 pm Presentation: Getting the Most out of the Mentor/Mentee Relationship
Speaker: Patrick Strollo, MD
CME: 0.5

Room: Millennium Park
1:10 pm Closing Remarks and Adjourn

Additional Resources & Opportunities

The AASM Foundation has compiled several resources on sleep research funding agencies. You are strongly encouraged to review any resources and pre-recorded webinars for any funding agencies you are interested in before the in-person meeting.

Sleep Research Resources

The SLEEP meeting provides evidence-based education to advance the science and clinical practice of sleep medicine, disseminates cutting-edge sleep and circadian research, promotes the translation of basic science into clinical practice, and fosters the future of the field by providing career development opportunities at all levels. There is simply no other gathering of sleep professionals anywhere of this scale. The conference is attended by thousands of individuals from all around the world, all connected by their interest and/or expertise in sleep medicine. Many of these attendees are pioneering leaders in the field. If you are looking to network, you must attend SLEEP.