Research News - September 9, 2016

Each year, Partners research institutions lose tens of millions of dollars of indirect cost recovery from sponsors who pay less than our government-negotiated indirect rates.  A number of these sponsors (mostly foundations, public charity, or non-profit organizations) pay no indirect costs or pay an amount below the hospital gift/sundry IDC minimum of 15%.  These unrecovered costs are real and substantial, and must be covered from general hospital operating margins that are increasingly being squeezed by the dramatic shifts in healthcare reimbursement.  Labs that are funded primarily or exclusively with these no- or low-overhead awards are being subsidized both by the clinical operations of the hospital and by those research labs funded by awards that do pay full overhead.   

Accordingly, effective October 1, 2016, we are instituting a new policy regarding acceptance of research awards that pay an IDC level below the hospital minimum of 15%. Specifically:

All research grant applications submitted to foundations, public charity, or non-profit institutions on or after October 1st 2016 must have an IDC rate of not less than 15%.  If the award does not include funds sufficient to meet this requirement (because of a sponsor limitation to indirect cost reimbursement), then the PI and/or their department will be financially responsible for covering the shortfall with sundry funds that will be escrowed at the time the award is made.  Investigators who wish to apply for grants paying below the 15% IDC minimum, who do not have sundry resources to cover the shortfall, must consult with their supervisors/mentors and/or units/departments before applying to ensure there is a fund identified to cover the IDC delta.

Training fellowships from foundations, public charity, and non-profit organizations are excluded from this minimum IDC requirement.  Industry training fellowships are subject to the 15% minimum IDC recovery.

All grants currently funded below the 15% minimum, and those applied for before October 1st 2016 and subsequently awarded, are grandfathered and will not be subject to the new minimum requirement.

For additional information please refer to the F&A Cost Rate Policy.

The Clinical Trials Office would like to remind investigators planning to submit investigator- initiated proposals to private industry of the importance of having an executed Confidential Disclosure Agreement in place before providing protocols or other academic output to private industry.  We recently encountered an instance where an investigator submitted a detail protocol to a company without a CDA, the company decided to fund the clinical trial, but excluded the PHS investigator from participating or receiving any credit.  Without executed CDAs in place private industry can use data and ideas provided by you and your research team in emails, teleconferences and face- to- face meetings without attributing credit to you.

To protect your intellectual property and that of your institution, please contact the CTO in advance of providing protocols, manuscripts, etc. to industry. Our team can assist you in getting these agreements in place often within a few days.   We can be reached at 857-282-1861.

To visit our website:  https://partnershealthcare-public.sharepoint.com/Pages/Clinical-Trials-Office.aspx

The Partners Biobank is pleased to announce the Biobank Portal Genomic Pilot.  The Genomic Pilot allows researchers to search for genomic variations for 5,000 genotyped subjects, in combination with the health care, patient survey and phenotype data already existing for these subjects in the Biobank Portal. For the set of 5,000 genotyped subjects, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and insertion or deletions (indel) genomic variants are available for querying in the Portal.
To participate in the Pilot, please opt-in by selecting the Biobank Portal Genomic Pilot project from the list of available projects after logging into the Biobank Portal (available from the Partners start menu and http://biobankportal.partners.org)

For questions and feedback about the Genomic Pilot, contact biobank@partners.org OR Stacey Duey - Project Specialist sduey@partners.org

In collaboration with departments within MGH and the greater Boston scientific community, the ORCD is pleased to offer Phase II of its career exploration part-time internship pilot program for MGH postdoctoral research fellows. The CPP initiative is designed to give postdocs the opportunity to explore careers outside the research laboratory while continuing their research as MGH trainees.

CPP interns will gain experience, skills and the knowledge to help them make informed decisions about their next career step while fulfilling educational goals for their postdoctoral training. The CPP program is flexible, with most opportunities consisting of 4-6 hours per week that can be scheduled to accommodate a postdoc’s required time in the laboratory. The total duration of most CPP opportunities is 8-12 weeks. PI approval is required for participation in this program, and we hope PIs will support interested postdocs’ participation in this enhancement of the MGH training experience. Internship opportunities include science communications, science curriculum development, program development and management and academia-industry collaborations. The skills learned will benefit postdocs with academic and non-academic career goals.

Please click here for more information about CPP internship opportunities and the application process. Applications are due Mon, Sep 19.

Please click here to read the Summer newsletter from the Partners Clinical Trial Office (CTO).

Please click here to read the latest news from the NIH Office of Extramural Research.

Monday, September 12, 2016, 4:00 – 5:00 pm, CNY 149, Isselbacher Auditorium, 7th Floor

Smartphone proteins connecting gene expression and metabolism
Matthias W. Hentze, Prof. Dr. med., ML, FAA.
Director, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)

Refreshments provided prior to start of Seminar
Shuttle bus leaves MGH main campus (Blossom St.) every 15 minutes

Contact person: vtheodoracopoulos@partners.org

Thursday, September 22, 2:00 – 3:00pm, Simches Room 3.120

Sponsored by the MGH Division of Clinical Research and the MGH Clinical Research Center

Speaker: Kathy Hall, MS, APC-BC, NE-BC, Nursing Director, MGH Clinical Research Center

As part of a research study an investigator may decide to delegate certain tasks to a member of the study team, who is trained to perform such tasks. Please join Kathy Hall as she discusses the responsibilities that can and cannot be delegated to study staff.  Kathy will discuss the following topics:

• What tasks can be delegated to a clinical research assistant or coordinator?
• What tasks can be performed by a clinical research nurse or nurse practitioner?
• What study-related activities can only be performed by an investigator?
• What to do if you have been asked to perform a task you are not qualified to perform.

Registration is required. Please contact Kelsey Gay with any questions.

September 30, 2016, 12:00 -1:30 pm, MGH Main Campus (details provided with registration)

Faculty Development Communication Series
Is it possible to distinguish one’s research paper from the thousands of others written each year, by communicating science in a clear and compelling fashion? 

This seminar provides instruction on how to write a scientific manuscript using the structural aspects of storytelling, i.e. dramatic arc. We will explore the logic of narrative craft and adapt it to writing a scientific manuscript. Dr. Luna will introduce his Scientific Storytelling method for writing research manuscripts, and provide tips for implementing it into the basic components of a research manuscript: Title, Abstract, Figures, Results, Introduction, and Discussion.

Speaker: Rafael E. Luna, PhD, Program Director, Office for Faculty Affairs, HMS
Instructor, BCMP, HMS
Author of The Art of Scientific Storytelling

Wednesday, October 5, 2016, 8:00 - 9:00 am, O'Keefe Auditorium

Join us for our quarterly speaker series on innovation in healthcare! 

Dr. Punam A. Keller is the Charles Henry Jones Third Century Professor of Management and Associate Dean for Innovation and Growth at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.  She teaches corporate managers to enhance employee well-being, and health administrators to use strategic marketing to improve the effectiveness of their service delivery systems.

Dr. Keller leads a variety of social marketing projects to increase patient compliance and reduce health care costs. She recently completed two successful projects - reduce heart failure readmission rates (with Mayo Clinic) and increase prescription drug adherence (with CVS/Caremark). She partnered with CDC to create a marketing tool for customizing and measuring the effectiveness of health communications. The free online tool, MessageWorks, is available to the public at healthcommworks.org. She is a board member of PSI (Population Services International), the largest NGO providing health products and services to the poorest, most isolated people in the world.

Breakfast will be provided starting at 7:30 AM. Click here to register!

Mondays, 9/19 & 10/24, 3:00-5:00 pm, One Constitution Center, Charlestown, MA

The ERIS Scientific Computing team opened registration for the fall ERISOne Linux Cluster trainings. ERISOne is a computing cluster used for data processing and analysis available as a shared resource at no cost. Each hands-on course has limited space, and registration is required.

Visit rc.partners.org/events to register for the course that fits your experience level.

Wednesdays, 12:00pm-1:30pm, Simches 3.110

September 14, 2016 (ending at 1pm)
Feng Zhang, PhD - Genome Editing: Prospects and Challenges

September 21, 2016
Robert E. Kingston, PhD - The nucleosome as a direct regulator in epigenetics and development
Jeannie Lee, MD, PhD - To Xist or Not?

October 5, 2016
Roy Perlis, MD, MSc- Building (and using) a cellular biobank for brain diseases
Jordan Smoller, MD - EHRs and biobanks: What’s the use?

October 12, 2016
Mark Daly, PhD - TBA

November 2, 2016
Daniel MacArthur, PhD & Heidi Rehm, PhD - Genomic approaches to rare disease diagnosis

November 9, 2016
George Church, PhD - Talk Title TBA (Total Biological Analysis and Assembly)

December 7, 2016
Jose Florez, MD, PhD & Alexander Soukas, MD, PhD - A comprehensive pharmacogenetic approach to metformin action

December 14, 2016
Aravinda Chakravarti, PhD - Gene regulatory networks as the fundamental units of function and disease

January 4, 2017 - TBA

January 18, 2017 - TBA

February 1, 2017
David Altshuler MD, PhD - TBA

Organizers: Angela Cook & Michael Talkowski, PhD

Have suggestions or questions? Let us know! Contact Shannon at sstratton2@mgh.harvard.edu

Applications are now being accepted by the Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) for the MGH Research Scholars Program

What is it?
The Massachusetts General Hospital Research Scholars Program was established with the aim of supporting MGH research faculty who are pursuing either fundamental (basic) or clinical research at the level of Assistant, Associate or Full Professor.  The intent of these awards is to support the careers of outstanding MGH investigators doing cutting-edge research that is highly innovative and expected to result in fundamental scientific discoveries and/or clinical applications. This year, we are asking applicants to choose one of three categories based on the research proposed in the application: Clinical research, Fundamental research, or Population and health research.

How much is each award?
These awards are for $500,000 over 5 years; and will be funded at $100,000 per year, including 15% indirect costs.

When is the deadline?
Tuesday, October 18, 2016 – 5:00 PM

How do I learn more and apply?

• Click here to read more and apply online.
• Click here to see a list of past recipients.
• Visit the ECOR website for other funding opportunities.

Applications are now being accepted by the Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) for the MGH Howard M. Goodman Fellowship

What is it?
This is an endowed fellowship established by the MGH Department of Molecular Biology in honor of the founding Chief of the Department, Dr. Howard M. Goodman. The award is intended to further the careers of outstanding independent young scientists who have demonstrated the potential to rise to a leadership position in their chosen field. Applicants who hold a full-time appointment in any MGH Department and are primarily engaged in research, are eligible to apply.

How much is the award?
The award is for two years at $150,000, plus 15% indirect costs, per year and is effective April 1, 2017.  

When is the deadline?
Monday, October 3, 2016 – 5:00 PM

How do I learn more and apply?

• Click here to read more and apply online.
• Click here to see a list of past recipients.
• Visit the ECOR website for other funding opportunities.

Applications are now being accepted by the Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) for the Tosteson and Fund for Medical Discovery (FMD) Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards for Fundamental (Basic) and Clinical Research!

What is it?
The Tosteson & FMD Awards are intended to support junior investigators (MD and PhD fellows/postdocs) at Massachusetts General Hospital pursuing either fundamental (basic) or clinical research.  
The ECOR Subcommittee on Review of Research Proposals (SRRP) reviews the applications and selects the awardees. The top three applicants will receive Tosteson Awards - named for the longtime Dean of the Harvard Faculty of Medicine - and the remaining awardees receive FMD awards.

How much is each award?
The awards are $40,000 for one year, plus applicable fringe benefits and 15% indirect costs.

When is the deadline?
Monday, October 3, 2016 - 5:00 PM

How do I learn more and apply?

• Click here to read more and apply online.
• Visit the ECOR website http://ecor.mgh.harvard.edu/ and specifically the Tosteson and Fund for Medical Discovery page under the ECOR Post Doctoral Awards section of the Awards and Grants tab of the site.

The Wellman Center for Photomedicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital is pleased to invite applications for the Bullock postdoctoral fellowship for research aimed at understanding and solving important biomedical problems. PhD, MD and MD PhD research fellows are eligible for this award.
This multidisciplinary fellowship was created to foster interactions between researchers from diverse fields of science and medicine. Combined mentorship and collaboration between two Harvard Medical School faculty members, at least one of whom is based at the Wellman Center, is required. An external collaborator is preferred. It is anticipated that the fellow will perform the majority of their research at the Wellman Center. For additional information regarding the Wellman Center please visit http://www.massgeneral.org/wellman/

The Fellowship will provide one year of support. An award of up to $60,000 direct costs is anticipated. The award will be administered by the Wellman Center. Funds may be used for stipend (minimum effort 60%), fringe benefits and research supplies.  Recipients will be required to submit periodic progress reports, present their work at a noon lecture and submit a final written report
Criteria for funding are scientific quality, an enabling collaboration that might not occur otherwise, potential medical and scientific impact, and career development of the Fellow. 

For eligibility and other award information, please click here.

The Antimicrobial Resistance Diagnostic Challenge is a $20 million federal prize competition seeking innovative, rapid point-of-care laboratory diagnostic tests to combat the development and spread of drug resistant bacteria. A rising public health problem, antibiotic resistant bacteria cause at least 2 million infections and 23,000 deaths each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  The Challenge calls for new, innovative, and novel laboratory diagnostic tests that identify and characterize antibiotic resistant bacteria and/or distinguish between viral and bacterial infections to reduce unnecessary uses of antibiotics, a major cause of antibiotic resistance. With real-time detection, healthcare providers would be able to identify infecting pathogens and resistance factors within hours, rather than days, and use the knowledge to tailor treatment to each individual.

The Challenge is a joint effort between the National Institutes of Health and the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) in support of the White House’s National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria. NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and ASPR’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) are each contributing $10 million to the Challenge. The Challenge also was developed with technical and regulatory expertise from the CDC, Food and Drug Administration, and NIH Office of the Director. For more information about the challenge or how to apply, please visit the challenge website.

We ask that all MGH Investigators interested in applying for any limited submission award submit a Letter of Intent (see detailed instructions below) to the MGH Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) by the deadline indicated for each award to be considered to receive an institutional nomination.

Process
Submit a one- to two-page Letter of Intent (LOI) to the MGH Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) via email to ecor@partners.org.  In addition to your LOI, please include an NIH Biosketch.

The letter of intent should include:

• Name of the Principal Investigator with appropriate contact information
• A descriptive title of the potential application
• Brief description of the project
• 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 investigators interested in applying for each limited submission award, the LOIs will be used to assess candidates and a review and selection process will take place.

Current Limited Submission Funding Opportunities
Please click here for more information and for our internal deadlines.

• BD2K Research Education Curriculum Development:  Data Science Overview for Biomedical Scientists (R25)
• Centers for HIV/AIDS-Related Structural Biology (P50)
• Alzheimer's Clinical Trials Consortium (ACTC) (U24)
• Asthma and Allergic Diseases Cooperative Research Centers (U19)

If there is a limited submission funding opportunity you do not see listed above or you have any additional questions, please contact Erin McGivney at 617-643-6471.

Please contact Corporate & Foundation Relations in the Office of Development at devcfr@mgh.harvard.edu 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.

• Young Investigator Award, Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT)
• Distinguished Investigator Innovation Grants, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
• Linked Standard Research Innovation Grants, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
• Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Innovation Grants, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
• Standard Research Innovation Grants, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
• Young Investigator Innovation Grants, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
• Independent Investigator Awards:  Lung Cancer Discovery Award, American Lung Association (ALA)
• Countdown to a Cure Initiative: Investment Grants: Bringing Bioengineers to Cure HIV, amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research
• Postdoctoral Research Fellowships, Cystinosis Research Foundation
• Annual DeGregorio Foundation Award for Cancers of the Esophagus and Stomach, DeGregorio Family Foundation for Stomach and Esophageal Cancer Research and Education
• Grants:  Central Fund - Research Workshops, Suomen Kulttuurirahasto/Finnish Cultural Foundation
• Individual Investigator Research Grant, Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB)
• Accelerate Clinical Trials Grant, Free to Breathe
• Edmond J. Safra Core Program for PD Research - Target Advancement Program - Target Validation Awards, Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF)
• Marilyn Hilton Award for Innovation in Multiple Sclerosis Research: Bridging Grants for Physician Scientists (BGPS), Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
• Marilyn Hilton Award for Innovation in Multiple Sclerosis Research: Pilot Innovator Grants, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
• Awards for Established Investigators - Pilot Awards, Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA)
• Longitude Prize, National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA)
• OREF & Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) Trauma Research Grant, Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF)
• Collaborative Pediatric Cancer Research Awards Program: Grant Funding Opportunity In Pediatric Oncology - Independent Investigator and Consortium Grant, Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research
• Special Initiatives:  The Social, Economic and Political Effects of the Affordable Care Act, Russell Sage Foundation (RSF)
• TSFRE Nina Starr Braunwald Research Fellowship, Thoracic Surgery Foundation (TSF)
• TSF Nina Starr Braunwald Research Grant, Thoracic Surgery Foundation (TSF)
• TSF Research Grant, Thoracic Surgery Foundation (TSF)

Please click here for further details on these funding opportunities.

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

MGH ECOR Formulaic Bridge Funding Support
Application Deadline: October 7; 7th day of each month

The MGH Claflin Distinguished Scholar Awards
Application Deadline: October 12, 2016

Boston Biomedical Innovation Center (B-BIC) Accepting PILOT & DRIVE Grant Pre-Proposals

A Primer on Complex Trait Genetics - Principles for the Beginning Investigator September 13

Annual Women in Medicine Month Celebration September 14

Getting to Know PCORI: From Application to Closeout  September 19 & 20

Looking for something you saw in a previous Research News release? Check out our archive!