Research News- January 17, 2014

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. Check out the new ECOR Website!

The new ECOR website is live! This website is designed to help you easily find the information you need to apply for grants and awards. You can also see a complete schedule of ECOR and Research Council meetings, download documents and handouts from Research Council meetings and check out the latest ECOR initiatives.

Click here to visit the new ECOR website.

2. Windows 7/Office 2007 rollout/End-of-Support for Office 2003 applications

Effective April 8, Microsoft will no longer support Windows XP and Office 2003. After this date, Microsoft will discontinue all free security updates and other necessary support components for these operating systems and they will need to be removed from our desktop computers.

What does this mean for users at MGH/MGPO?

The current Windows 7 upgrade initiative includes Office 2007, and the migration of all users is anticipated for completion in April. Departments will continue to receive notifications regarding their upgrade timing, and users will then be able to convert old Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents into the updated format.

What does this mean for applications that use Word or Excel 2003?

Applications that have dependencies on Word and/or Excel 2003 will likely need to be upgraded.

If you own an application that has such dependencies, please provide these details to the MGH/MGPO IS contact below. This information will be used to help identify possible solutions for your upgrading needs.

What does this mean for Access 2003 databases?

It is expected that users/owners of individual or shared Access 2003 databases may require further assessment and consideration of conversion options to maintain full functionality and prevent loss of data. In the interim, there is a "virtual Access 2003" option that is a part of the Windows 7 image that will continued to be delivered to users during the upgrade and for a brief period of time after the Windows7/Office 2007 is complete.

The MGH/MGPO Information Systems department is looking to identify Access database owners/users that may be impacted by this end of support notification.

If you use an Access 2003 database, please provide the following details to the contact below. This information will be used to help source remediation options for how you move forward and address your upgrade needs:

-Access Database Owner/Contact Person

-Primary purpose for use

-User(s) of database

-How often is it used?

-Is it located on a single computer or shared drive?

Please send details for Access, Word, or Excel to Jina Yoo (617-726-9304) at jyoo6@partners.org by Friday, January 31.

We will provide testing area's where database owners can test their applications with Office 2007 and Office365. For databases/applications that need to be upgraded, we will work with the database owner to identify various upgrade options, including a referral to a number of software contractors with Office application experience should any departments need to purchase custom programming.

EVENTS

1. Research Staff Appreciation Day to be rescheduled

The Research Staff Appreciation Day originally scheduled for January 21st is being rescheduled to a later date in the spring due to unexpected logistical matters. Stay tuned......more details will be forthcoming shortly!

2. My Innovation Journey: Leading Partners' innovators share their story

Thursday, January 23, 2014, 5-7pm, MGH, Simches Research Center Auditorium; Reception to follow

A panel of four nationally recognized Partners HealthCare innovators will share personal insights on how they first recognized their interest in invention, how they acted on it, their career as an innovator, and the benefit of their inventions.

Speakers:

• Rox Anderson, MD
• Paul Ridker, MD
• Kricket Seidman, MD
• Mehmet Toner, PhD

To register go to: www.partnersinnovatorsforum.eventbrite.com

Walk-in registrations will be available on the day of the event.

3. CRP Spotlight Series: Managing and Reporting Unanticipated Problems Including Adverse Events

Wednesday, February 12, 12:00pm - 1:00pm, Simches Room 3.110

Elizabeth Hohmann, MD, Physician Director, Partners IRBs
   Sarah White, MPH, Director, Partners Quality Improvement Program

Dr. Hohmann will discuss the events that constitute an "unanticipated problem". As part of the discussion, Dr. Hohmann will mention the current regulations governing unanticipated problems and the requirements for reporting such events. Sarah White will discuss the best practices for identifying, documenting, and reporting unanticipated problems to the IRB and sponsors according to the regulations and Partner's Polices. 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. RCR Eligibility: Completion of this course will fulfill one lecture/discussion requirement. Registration is required. Contact Jillian Tonelli with further questions about this session.

4. K Writing Workshop

Thursday, February 13, 2014, 1:00-3:00pm; Harvard Medical School, Joseph B Martin Conference Center, Rotunda Room

Are you writing a K? Get practical advice.

Ingrid Bassett, Kenneth Freedberg, Athe Tsibris, Rochelle Walensky
Special guest : Robin Huebner, PhD, NIAID program officer (by phone)

Join us for lunch at 12:15. Space is limited - PLEASE RSVP

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

1. MGH Claflin Distinguished Scholar Awards

MGH Claflin Distinguished Scholar Awards
for Junior Faculty Women Investigators in Basic & Clinical Research

Applications are now being accepted by the Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) for the Claflin Distinguished Scholar Awards!

What are the Claflin Awards?
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 transitional funding will increase opportunities for women to advance to senior positions in academic medicine.

The awards are aimed at MGH junior faculty women pursuing either basic or clinical research that are within 10 years of first full-time faculty appointment.

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?
Tuesday, March 4, 2014 - 9:00 PM

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

2. Limited Submission Funding Opportunities

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:
1. Name of the Principal Investigator 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 investigators interested in applying 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.

• Hyundai Hope Grant Program
• Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs) in Human Cancer for Year 2014 (P50)
• Programs to Increase Diversity Among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research (PRIDE) (R25)
• Programs to Increase Diversity Among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research (PRIDE) (R25)
• Coordination Center for Programs to Increase Diversity Among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research (PRIDE) (R01)
• NIH Coordination and Evaluation Center for Enhancing the Diversity of the NIH-Funded Workforce Program (U54)
• NIH National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) (U54)
• Superfund Hazardous Substance Research and Training Program (P42)
• Environmental Health Sciences Core Centers (EHS CC) (P30)
• Botanical Dietary Supplement Research Centers (BDSRC) (P50)
• Jointly Sponsored Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Institutional Predoctoral Training Program in the Neurosciences (T32)

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.

3. 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.

• Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) Research Grants, Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation
• Early Career Development Award, Foundation Fighting Blindness
• Type 1 Diabetes Research Grants, Iacocca Family Foundation
• Clinical Investigator Award, Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation
• Grants, A-T Children's Project
• Faculty Grant Program, National Marfan Foundation (NMF)
• Deborah Munroe Noonan Memorial Fund, Health Resources in Action (HRiA)/The Medical Foundation
• Heiser Program for Research in Leprosy 2014, New York Community Trust (NYCT)
• Grants Program in Eating Disorders Research, Klarman Family Foundation

Please click here for further details on these funding opportunities.

4. NIH Update for Week Ending January 17, 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

Barancik Prize for Innovation in MS Research 

Nomination Deadline: January 31

Alex's Lemonade Stand: 2014 Pediatric Oncology Student Training (POST) Program
Application Deadline: February 10

2014 Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award
   Application Deadline: February 17

Subject Recruitment and Retention Series - 1/28, 2/5

Research Nurse Book Club: RN Roundtable - January 28

Welcome to the Genetic Code: An Overview of Basic Genetics - February 3

IRB Hot Topics: What Constitutes a Minimal Risk Study? - February 4

Study Electronic Data Capture: REDCap and StudyTRAX - February 26

Hands-on MORA Training: Managing Monitor Online Record Access - February 28

Executive Committee On Research (ECOR) Massachusetts General Hospital

50 Staniford Street, Suite 1001, Boston, MA 02114

ecor@partners.org