Research News- Nov. 15, 2013

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. MGH Center for Comparative Medicine (CCM) Animal Ordering Web Site - Routine Maintenance Scheduled

On Thursday, 11/21/13 from 3:30pm - 6:00pm CCM will be performing routine maintenance to the Animal Ordering Web Site (http://ccm.partners.org). Please do not attempt to access the application during this maintenance window.

We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause.

If you have any questions or problems, please email us at MGHCCM@PARTNERS.ORG

2. Partners Center for Personalized Genetic Medicine Research Core - Reduced Pricing!

The Partners Center for Personalized Genetic Medicine Research Core is pleased to offer reduction in prices for Illumina Genotyping and Affymetrix Expression Services.

Illumina Genotyping - We are now offering much reduced pricing for Illumina Infinium Genotyping and Methylation chips. Some Genotyping chip prices have dropped as much as 64%, such as the OmniExpress Infinium chips (2001-4000 samples). Our Infinium and Methylation processes are fully automated using Biomek FX and Tecan EVO liquid handling systems, with scanning on Illumina iScan Systems and allele calling using Illumina Genome Studio by experienced staff. Samples are managed throughout the process using our internal GIGPAD LIMS.

Affymetrix Expression Analysis - Affymetrix recently released the Human Transcriptome Array 2.0. This is a high resolution array containing > 6.0 million distinct probes; 70% of the probes cover exons for coding transcripts while 30% cover exon-exon splice junctions and non-coding transcripts. Until Dec 15th we will be offering this chip as a bundle with the Affymetrix WT Plus amplification and labeling kit, for $443 per sample for full service processing, after Dec 15th our prices will be $543 per sample.
We are accepting orders now, please contact Ashley Blau ablau@partners.org or 617-768-8557 with any questions. For more info, please visit our website (http://pcpgm.partners.org)

3. Core of the Week: MGH Martinos Center - Technology and Computational Core

MGH Martinos Center - Technology and Computational Core
Director: Bruce R. Rosen, MD, PhD
Location: Building 149 13th Street, 2nd Floor, Charlestown

The backbone of the Martinos Center is the Imaging and Computational Core Resources. The Imaging Core includes an extensive and expanding inventory of state-of-the-art MR, MEG, Optical Imaging and PET Imaging facilities andequipment, including related laboratories and testing rooms.

The Computational Core oversees data processing, computational infrastructure, software and hardware issues. Together the Imaging and Computational cores develop and provide state-of-the art biomedical imaging and image processing technology and techniques to the Center's research faculty and user community.

The Core resources are fully supported by user fees drawn from research grants, instrumentation grants, and industry agreements. The core facilities are available for use to all qualified investigators from academic, medical, government and industry labs. While the mission primarily involves research and development, the Core also provides a clinical MEG service to the hospital (MGH). A clinical MRI service is not available.

To learn more about the Technology and Computational Core, please click here.

4. PHS Government Affairs Update- November 14, 2013

Click here to read the Partners Government Affairs Update.

EVENTS

1. MGH Research Core Day

December 2, 2013, 1:00 - 4:00 PM, Simches 3 Conference Area

Please join us for the 1st MGH Core Day event! Stop by the Simches 3 Conference Area immediately following Research Council to learn more about the Cores at MGH!

Light refreshments will be provided.

2. SAC 2014 Scientific Poster Session

Wednesday, April 2, 2014, 11:00 AM - 1:45 PM, Wyndham Beacon Hill, 5 Blossom Street, Boston, MA 02114

ECOR is now accepting submission of abstracts for the 2014 SAC Poster Session!

Deadline for Submission: Tuesday, December 10, 2013 - 9:00 PM

The SAC Poster Session gives researchers the opportunity to create a compelling visual display of their work, and present it to some of the best scientific minds in the nation. It is an essential part of the two-day meeting, which highlights excellence in research at MGH. Presenters must be a MGH employee.

Twelve $1,000 Awards of Excellence
for Scientific Meeting Travel
-6 for Clinical Research
-6 for Basic Research

For Submission Form and Instructions Go To: https://ecor.mgh.harvard.edu/SAC/SubmitPoster.aspx
Please contact sac@partners.org with any questions.

3. MGH Seminar Series in Cell Biology

Tuesday, November 19, 2013, 4:00 PM, Isselbacher Auditorium (CNY Bldg. 149-East, Room 7231)

Sponsored by the Division of Nephrology

"Signaling Mechanisms for the Regulation of Neutrophil Chemotaxis and Degranulation"
Dianqing (Dan) Wu, Ph.D.
Professor, Program in Vascular Biology and Therapeutics
Department of Pharmacology
Yale University School of Medicine

Host: Roy J. Soberman, M.D.

Contact: Christine Plouffe: email:cplouffe@partners.org; phone: 617-724-1502

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

1. NIH NINDS Limited Submission Award

We ask that all MGH Investigators interested in applying for the award listed below submit a Letter of Intent (see detailed instructions below) to Harry W. Orf, PhD, Sr. Vice President for Research, and ECOR, by the deadline indicated for the award, to be considered to receive an institutional nomination.

Process
Submit a one- to two-page Letter of Intent (LOI) to Dr. Orf (horf@partners.org), Sr. Vice President for Research, with a copy to ECOR@partners.org. The deadline to submit your LOI is Friday, November 29, 2013.
The letter of intent should include:
1. Name of the Principal Investigator(s)with appropriate contact information
2. A descriptive title of the potential application
3. Brief description of the project
4. Brief description of why you specifically should be selected to receive institutional nomination for this award

In the event that there is more than one MGH investigator interested in applying any of these awards, the LOIs will be used to assess candidates and a review and selection process will take place.

NINDS Neuroscience Development for Advancing the Careers of a Diverse Research Workforce (R25)

Funding Opportunity Purpose: The purpose of the FOA is to invite applications for mentoring and professional activities to advance the careers and neuroscience development of diverse neuroscience researchers. The goal of the NINDS Neuroscience Development for Advancing the Careers of a Diverse Research Workforce (NDACDRW) is to support mission relevant development and/or implementation of programs to: (1) increase the pool of Ph.D.-level research scientists from diverse backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical research who are neuroscience researchers- participation is limited to graduate, post-doctoral and/or junior-faculty career levels only; and (2) facilitate career advancement/transition of the participants to the next step of their neuroscience careers.

NINDS support for R25 program relies equally on scientific merit and programmatic considerations. Consequently, we recommend that potential applicants contact program officials at NINDS before preparing an application. NINDS will not support projects if they do not fulfill current programmatic priorities at NINDS.

MGH Letter of Intent Due Date: 11/29/13
NIH Letter of Intent Due Date: 12/24/13
Application Due Date: 1/25/14
Award Budget: Direct costs are limited to $250,000 per year.
Award Project Period: The total project period for an application submitted in response to this funding opportunity may not exceed 5 years.

2. Private Funding Opportunities

Please contact Corporate & Foundation Relations in the Office of Development at devcfr@partners.org if you wish to submit a proposal in response to any of these funding opportunities. Note that proposals are still routed through the standard InfoEd/Research Management process.

• McKnight Scholar Awards, McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience
• Research Grants, Gustavus and Louise Pfeiffer Research Foundation
• Hilda and Preston Davis Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in Eating Disorders Research, Health Resources in Action (HRiA)/The Medical Foundation
• Lymphatic Education and Research Network Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards Program, Health Resources in Action (HRiA)/The Medical Foundation
• Klingenstein Fellowship Awards in the Neurosciences, Esther A. and Joseph Klingenstein Fund, Inc.
• Fellowship Programs: The Fellowship in Child and Adolescent ADHD & the Fellowship in Child and Adolescent Depression, Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation (KTGF)
• New Investigator Fellowship Training Initiative (NIFTI), Foundation for Physical Therapy
• Research Grant Program, Cerebral Palsy International Research Foundation (CPIRF)
• Ethel and Jack Hausman Clinical Research Scholars Award, Cerebral Palsy International Research Foundation (CPIRF)

Please click here for further details on these funding opportunities.

3. Young Investigator Grant for Probiotics Research

The focus of the 2014 grant is to improve understanding of mechanisms by which potential probiotics, including beneficial commensals, interact with the host and gastrointestinal microbiota to improve physiology and bodily function.

Proposals on dietary intervention to improve physiological function, health status and reduce disease risk are preferred over proposals on disease pathogenesis, drugs and therapies.

Research cannot employ commercial probiotic strains, but publicly available, non-commercial strains are acceptable.

Grant Information and Maximum Funding Amount
The annual grant amount is $50,000 per grant recipient with a maximum of 10% of this amount dedicated to overhead costs. Three grants will be funded per year with each given to different institutions in the United States. Funds may be used for technical support and supplies. Principal investigator salaries and travel are not funded. Equipment is rarely funded and only when it is critical to the project, is not available through the institution's core facilities, and receives approval in advance from The Global Probiotics Council. Under exceptional circumstances a second year will be considered on a competitive basis.

Funding will run from July 2014 to June 2015.

Please click here for additional information.

4. NIH Update for Week Ending November 15, 2013

For the latest National Institutes of Health notices, requests for applications, and program announcements, follow this link: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/WeeklyIndex.cfm

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Reminders of recently posted funding opportunities, deadlines and events

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) Deadlines
-Phase I/II Infrastructure Grant, Deadline: November 18, 2013 - Apply Now!
-Young Investigator Award, Deadline: December 16, 2013 - Apply Now!
-Epidemiology Grants, Deadline: December 16, 2013 - Apply Now!

MGH ECOR Deliberative Interim Support Funding
Application deadline: December 2, 2013 - 9:00 PM

Sequestration Relief Funding
Application deadline: December 2, 2013 - 9:00 PM

The MGH Research Scholars Program
Application Deadline: Tuesday, December 3, 2013 - 9:00 PM

Charles A. King Trust Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program
Application deadline: December 16, 2013

Barancik Prize for Innovation in MS Research
Nomination Deadline: January 31, 2014

2014 Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award
Application Deadline: February 17, 2014

2nd Annual Brigham and Women's Hospital Research Day - November 21

Study Electronic Data Capture: REDCap and StudyTRAX - December 16

Save the Date: Research Staff Appreciation Day - January 21, 2014