Research News - September 8, 2017

In case you missed the MGH Research Council meeting on Tuesday, please click here for the slides.

If you would like to submit a question for Dr. Slavin to address at the October 2 Research Council meeting, where he will be conducting his “Annual Conversation with the Research Community”, email your question to us at ecor@mgh.harvard.edu.

We invite you to take the 2017 Partners HealthCare Innovation (now including Partners HealthCare International) Annual Service Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JNRRJ8T

Your thoughtful and candid input will help us improve all aspects of our service to the PHS community and collaborators worldwide.  Your responses will remain anonymous unless you choose to share your name at the end of this survey.  If you do, you will be eligible to win a ticket to the 2018 World Medical Innovation Forum, April 23-25, 2018.  For more information on the Forum and its Artificial Intelligence focus, please visit: https://worldmedicalinnovation.org/

2017-2018 Partners Connected Health Innovation Fellowship Program Now Accepting Applications Through September 22, 2017

Join our community of curious, open-minded and mission driven disrupters in healthcare!

The Connected Health Innovation Fellowship invites clinicians who want to use digital innovation to challenge the status quo in healthcare and re-imagine healthcare. The Fellowship provides exposure to digital innovation projects with key industry partners, as well as a chance to formally learn about developing and testing digital products in real clinical settings.  By providing mentorship, access to funding opportunities, and collaboration opportunities with the startup economy in Boston, the Fellowship provides a unique and rich context in which participants are encouraged to develop their own ideas and research. 

Qualified clinicians of Partners HealthCare and its affiliate hospitals are eligible to apply for one of 15 Fellowship positions. Applications are now being accepted through September 22, 2017; the online application can be accessed here.

Click here for more information. For any questions regarding the program, please contact Sunita Patolia at spatolia@partners.org.

Do you want to learn skills and gain experience to take your career in a new direction? The Career Pathways for Postdocs (CPP) initiative offers short-term, part-time internships to help you make informed choices about careers away from the laboratory bench.  Internship opportunities for fall 2017 include: academia-industry collaborations, non-profit administration/communications, program development and management, regulatory compliance, research core administration, research innovation and commercialization, and science communication in different settings (academic research, internet presence, museum exhibits).

Please click here for more information.
Deadline for applications is 4:00pm on Wednesday, September 13, 2017.
For questions, please email orcd@partners.org.

If you are applying for a Claflin Award, and have questions about your application, the Center for Faculty Development's Office for Women's Careers (OWC) encourages you to take advantage of the pre-award Claflin Consultation Initiative (CCI) for applicants.

The CCI is designed to help eligible faculty prepare their best application for the 2018 Claflin Distinguished Scholar Awards. Many prior Claflin winners have volunteered their time to answer questions and offer guidance and encouragement to potential applicants. Coaches may give advice on all aspects of the application, including the research plan, budget, description of child-rearing responsibilities, and advice for repeat applicants.  Please click here to request a consultation by Fri, Sep 8.

Note: If you have questions about your eligibility, please click here or email ecor@mgh.harvard.edu before registering for the CCI.

ERIS Scientific Computing wants to know what applications customers view are the most important in use on the ERISOne Linux Cluster today and what should be added in the future. Please complete a brief survey. Requests for new applications for ERISOne can be made anytime by completing this request form.

In the life of an institution, there are moments when it makes sense to pause and reflect on what it will take to move to the next step, to make a meaningful difference, to push boundaries. For Massachusetts General Hospital, that time is now.

The hospital is laying the groundwork for a fundraising campaign that will shape Mass General and the way it cares for patients for decades to come. 

A campaign like this presents an opportunity to showcase ideas that are truly broad and transformative. 

We want to ensure that the ideas and values of the research community are represented in campaign planning discussions, so we are asking you to think about what this institution could do from a research standpoint that could be truly transformational. 

We want your big ideas – ambitious and grand suggestions that have the potential to have a deep impact on health care and medicine. Your ideas will help us define and shape the campaign that lies ahead.

On September 4, a web portal will go live for two weeks so that every member of the MGH community can participate by offering their ideas. 

We hope that the research community will be well represented in these submissions, be it ideas from individuals, multidisciplinary teams or entire centers.
Every day at Mass General, lives are being improved and saved by innovations that began long ago as the germ of someone’s idea. If we can continue to think creatively and boldly, then decades from now, a new generation of patients will benefit from the big ideas that we identify as part of this campaign.

SUBMIT YOUR IDEAS

**Don't wait—the deadline for submitting ideas is Friday, Sept. 15 at 6 pm **

Department of Pathology Research Core at Charlestown Navy Yard (CNY) is now offering services in mass cytometry with the latest generation of CyTOF (Cytometry by Time Of Flight) instrument - Helios. Primary services offered at the core would be running samples prepared with Maxpar metal-labeling technology, guidelines to panel design, data transfer after the analysis, basic data processing such as normalization and de-barcoding of the FCS files.

Helios, a CyTOF system, aids in comprehensive understanding of single cell phenotypes, signaling pathways and functions of a cell by simultaneously measuring ~35 parameters for millions of cells. Mass Cytometry employs analysis of heavy metal tagged antibodies bound to the cellular targets of interest thereby allowing for the evaluation of the immunophenotypic and functional complexity of a cell.

Researchers are encouraged to follow the website for further information (https://researchcores.partners.org/flow/about). In order to request for the service or for further information on mass cytometry at MGH Pathology, please contact Dr. Ravi Mylvaganam (RMYLVAGANAM@mgh.harvard.edu),   Hiranmayi Ravichandran (HRAVICHANDRAN@mgh.harvard.edu), or Dr.Frederic Preffer (PREFFER@helix.mgh.harvard.edu).

Look for upcoming seminars in the next few months using this exciting new technology!

Thursday, September 14, 12:00 PM, CNY149, 7th Floor, Isselbacher Auditorium
Will be broadcasted MGH Bulfinch 165

Homeostatic immunity to the microbiota
Yasmine Belkaid, PhD, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH)

Contact Person – Fiona Chen (617/726-1527)
http://www.massgeneral.org/ciid/ourseminars/seminarseries.aspx

Thursday September 21, 12:00 – 2:00 pm, WebEx, Prudential Center or Assembly Row

Members of the MGH Lab of Computer Science will discuss and demonstrate the clinical trials portal: https://clinicaltrials.partners.org. Alexander Turchin, MD and Shervin Malmasi, PhD from the BWH Department of Medicine will discuss and demonstrate Canary. Canary, is a free and open-source solution designed for users without natural language processing (NLP) or software engineering experience. It was designed to be fast and work out of the box via a user-friendly graphical interface. Please RSVP Online by Noon on 9/19. Contact rcc@partners.org with questions about Tech Lunch.

Thursday, October 12, 10:00am – 12:00pm, Simches 3.120

Sponsored by the MGH Division of Clinical Research and the MGH Office of Research Compliance

Pamela Richtmyer, Senior Research Compliance Associate, MGH Research Compliance

This presentation will provide a basic overview of clinical research billing.  Attendees will gain a general understanding of the clinical research billing process including:

• Developing a study budget that will cover all costs
• Epic research billing responsibilities
• Determining what is billable to insurance
• Routing charges appropriately
• Insight Patient Care Correction process
• Maintaining financial health of study
• Understanding relevant regulations and requirements
•  Available resources

The Clinical Trial Billing Education Series is provided by MGH Research Compliance for the MGH Division of Clinical Research.

This course is geared towards investigators, research nurses, study coordinators, project managers, and all other study staff.

This program meets the requirements of the Board of Registration in Nursing, at 244 CMR 5.00, for 1 contact hour of nursing continuing education.

Registration is required. Contact Cassidy Peters with questions.

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

What is it?
The Tosteson & FMD Awards are intended to support junior investigators (MD and PhD Research Fellows/Clinical Research Fellows) 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 will include a stipend of $47,500 plus applicable fringe benefits and 15% indirect costs.

When is the deadline?
Monday, October 2, 2017 - 5:00 PM

How do I learn more and apply?

• Click here to read more and apply online.

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 would normally hold the position of Assistant Professor, and 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, 2018.  

When is the deadline?
Wednesday, October 25, 2017 – 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 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 healthcare 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?
Thursday, October 12, 2017 – 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
Claflin Distinguished Scholar Awards!

What are the Claflin Awards?
Although women scientists are recruited to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) programs, their advancement to senior faculty positions is still far less frequent than that of their male counterparts.  In 1993, The Women in Academic Medicine Committee, originally chaired by Mrs. R. Morton Claflin, Honorary Trustee, was established to facilitate the academic careers of women in science at MGH.  Recognizing that a significant obstacle to career advancement is the difficulty of maintaining research productivity during the child-rearing years, this Committee, with the sponsorship of the Executive Committee on Research (ECOR), established the Claflin Distinguished Scholar Awards.  It is intended that this funding will increase opportunities for women to advance to senior positions in academic medicine.

How much is each award?
These are two year awards for $50,000 per year in direct costs, plus 15% for indirect costs.

When is the deadline?
Wednesday, October 11, 2017 - 5:00 PM

How do I learn more and apply?
Click here to read more and apply online!

Each year several foundations invite HMS faculty and postdocs to apply for their fellowships and grants, which serve as critical funding at the early stages of a research career.  Interested investigators must first apply for the HMS nomination through the HMS Foundation Funds office, and a committee will select the final candidates to submit applications to the sponsors. 

Awards include:

• Brain Research Foundation Seed Grant Program
• Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award
• Dana Foundation David Mahoney Neuroimaging Program
• Macy Foundation Faculty Scholars Program
• Mallinckrodt Scholars Award
• Mary Kay Innovative/Translational Cancer Research Award
• Packard Fellowships in Science and Engineering
• Rita Allen Foundation Scholars Award

Faculty and postdocs interested in applying for any of the awards listed above can apply for the HMS nomination by submitting an application online no later than Monday, October 16, 2017 at 5:00PM.

Information on funding opportunities offered through the HMS Foundation Funds is available online at: www.hms.harvard.edu/foundationfunds

In case you missed the HMS Foundation Funds presentation held on September 5th, in Simches 3.130, please click here to view the PowerPoint presentation.

Please direct all inquiries to Clare Lamont, Office of the HMS Dean for Academic and Clinical Affairs, 617-432-7463, clare_lamont@hms.harvard.edu.

The Football Players Health Study seeks to support innovative research studies that have substantial potential to impact the health and wellbeing of future, current, or former football players. To date, we have solicited data from thousands of former football players from across the country regarding the conditions that affect them most. 

Among these conditions are pain, arthritis, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea. Proposals related to these topics, in addition to others that address common diagnoses observed in professional football players, will be considered. 

Since our target population is dispersed across the country, we are committed to supporting interventions and/or assessments that could be performed remotely. Applications should contribute to our understanding of risk factors, prevention strategies, and potentially interventions to mitigate injury or disease that may affect professional football players.

Eligibility: Principal investigator can be any faculty member who holds a Harvard University appointment, such as research scientist/associate, lecturer, instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, or professor, irrespective of degree or institutional affiliation. Co-investigators can be from outside Harvard, and can be trainees.

To learn more, apply, and view RFA and FAQs, visit our website.
Deadline: October 13, 2017, 5:00pm EDT
For questions, email pilotstudies@footballplayershealth.harvard.edu.

Read about our active research projects on our 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

If there is more than one MGH investigator 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.

• Alcoholic Hepatitis Clinical and Translational Network – Late Phase Clinical Trials and Observational Studies (Collaborative U01)
• Alcoholic Hepatitis Clinical and Translational Network – Data Coordinating Center (U24)
• Alcoholic Hepatitis Clinical and Translational Network – Clinical Pilot Trials (U01)
• Limited Competition: A Data Resource for Analyzing Blood and Marrow Transplants
• Chronic Kidney Disease in Children Central Biochemistry Laboratory (U24)
• George M. O'Brien Kidney Research Core Centers (P30)
• Population Dynamics Centers Research Infrastructure Program FY 2018 (P2C)

If there is a limited submission funding opportunity you do not see listed below or you have any additional questions, please let us know at ecor@mgh.harvard.edu.

Please note that any grant that brings in less than 15% in indirect costs (IDC) will need to be supplemented up to the 15% equivalent by existing investigator or departmental sundry funds. Resolution of this issue must occur prior to submission of the award.

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.

Week of 9/8/17

• QuadW Foundation-AACR Fellowship for Clinical/Translational Sarcoma Research, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
• Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Innovation Grants, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
• Standard Research Innovation Grants, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
• Lung Cancer Discovery Award, American Lung Association (ALA)
• Allergic Respiratory Diseases Award (AAAAI), American Lung Association (ALA)
• Alpha-1 Research Grant (A1), American Lung Association (ALA)
• Advanced Clinical Research Award (ACRA), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)/Conquer Cancer Foundation
• Career Development Awards, Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, Inc. (CCFA)
•  Research Fellowship Awards, Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, Inc. (CCFA)
• Senior Research Awards, Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, Inc. (CCFA)
• PKD Foundation Fellowships, Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation (PKD Foundation)
• PKD Foundation Research Grants, Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation (PKD Foundation)

MGH ECOR Formulaic Bridge Funding Support
Application Deadline: October 7, 2017; 7th day of each month

Partners Innovation Discovery Grant Program - Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Cognitive Computation, and Machine Learning
Application Deadline: September 25, 2017

MGH Claflin Distinguished Scholar Awards
Application Deadline: October 11, 2017

MGH Research Scholars Program
Application Deadline: October 12, 2017

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

Responsible Conduct of ‘Omics’ Research - September 11
IRB Roundtable: New Submissions - September 14
Lab Management: Building Your Lab Team – September 18
Post Doc Appreciation Ice Cream Social – September 19
Qualitative Coding – September 20
An Introduction to the RPDR Query Tool – September 21
Introduction to the Partners Biobank Portal – September 21
MGH Clinical Research Day - October 5

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