Research News - June 10, 2016

June 13-16: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm each day!

Sponsored by MGH Research Institute, Research Safety Committee, MGH Safety

The MGH Research Safety Committee invites you to Laboratory Spring Cleaning Days!

June 13-16: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm each day!
June 13: CNY Building 114, Lobby
June 14: Simches Building, Conference Room 3130
June 15: CNY Building 149, West Lobby
June 16: Thier Building, (right-hand) Side of the Tent on the Bulfinch Patio

Work with representatives from Safety, Research Management, B & G, and Environmental Services to schedule pickups of Chemicals and Old Equipment during the day.

Recycle bins will be at various locations for old supplies, cardboard, etc.

Bring your old computers to us for immediate recycling.

Schedule a time to defrost your freezer and discard old material. Other recycling information will be provided at information tables.

We will serve refreshments to all participants. Sign in at tables to become eligible for raffle to win $25 cafeteria gift certificates.

Here is your chance to get rid of unwanted clutter in your lab!!!

Click here to print a flyer to post in your lab!

Tuesday, June 14, 1-4 pm & Wednesday, June 15, 1-4 pm, Ruth Sleeper Hall, Room 070, MGH main campus (corner of Parkman St. and Blossom St., across from the Wyndham Hotel)

The MGH Department of Biomedical Engineering’s Model Shop will be hosting an open house to showcase its capabilities in design, machining, and fabrication.

MGH Biomedical Engineering offers highly specialized prototyping and fabrication facilities that provide custom designs and tooling to meet the needs of researchers and clinicians within MGH and Partners.

Our services include the manufacturing of one-of-a-kind products, design and development of models, product customization, CAD services, equipment repairs, and 3D printing.

Reservations are not required but RSVPs are encouraged: modelshop@partners.org

For more information, visit our website: http://biomed.partners.org/modelshop

Monday, June 20, 2016, CNY 149

On June 20, 2016, the MGH Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging will participate in the Alzheimer’s Association’s annual “Longest Day” fundraising event. We will open the doors of the Center to the public, offering patients, families and others a behind-the-scenes look at how we are tackling Alzheimer's disease using a range of state-of-the-art imaging techniques.

The day’s events will include:

Tours of Our MR and PET Imaging Facilities (10am, 10:30am, 1pm, 1:30pm)
The Martinos Center is home to some of the most advanced imaging technologies in the world. When our integrated MR-PET system was installed in 2010, for example, it was one of only two in the U.S. The tours of our facilities will offer a rare look at the technologies and how we are using them to better understand Alzheimer’s.

Talks by Alzheimer’s Experts (11am, 11:45am, 12:30pm)
Three guest speakers will discuss the ways in which they and others in their respective fields are working to tackle Alzheimer’s.

• Scott McGinnis, M.D., a staff neurologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital and MGH and an instructor at Harvard Medical School, focuses on improving diagnostic and treatment methods in neurodegenerative dementias. He has particular interests in, for example, atypical, non-memory presentations of Alzheimer disease. (11am)

• Jonathan Jackson, Ph.D., a clinical neuroscientist at Harvard Medical School and MGH investigates genetic, neurophysiological, and cognitive changes as people get older, as well as in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. His work explores the intersection of these methods as a basis for the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease, especially before memory problems begin. (11:45am)

• Katie Brandt, M.M., is a powerful public speaker and passionate advocate, educator and trainer in the areas of caregiver support, Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD) and the impact of dementia on caregivers and families. Her many presentations have examined the legal, financial, logistical and emotional challenges of caring for a loved one with dementia. (12:30pm)

  
Visitors can also explore poster presentations (all day) describing cutting-edge studies of Alzheimer’s and find additional information from the MGH Institute for Brain Health and Division of Clinical Research, the Alzheimer’s Association, and others at our Resource Tables (10am-3pm).

Complimentary boxed lunches will be available. Please click here for more information and to register!

Tuesday, June 21, 2016, 5:00 - 7:00 pm, Location: CNY, details provided upon registration.

Come join the Graduate Student Division (GSD) and the Mass General Postdoc Association (MGPA) at this outdoor event where you can meet and socialize with other graduate students and postdocs, and enjoy a BBQ dinner. Lots of fun and food are guaranteed!

Please click here to register by Wed, Jun 15.

Friday, June 24, 2016, 1:00 – 3:00 pm, CNY 149, Conference A and Atrium Area

All members of the MGH and Partners Research Community are invited to learn more about the research core services available at MGH.  

When: Friday, June 24, 2016, 1:00-3:00 PM
Where: CNY 149, Conference A and Atrium Area
Light refreshments will be provided, along with a raffle!  
We hope to see you all on Friday, June 24, 2016

If you are interested in registering your core for this event, please email ResearchManagement@mgh.harvard.edu

Tuesday, July 12, 2016, 2:00– 3:30 pm, Simches 3.120

Sponsored by the MGH Division of Clinical Research

Speaker: Melissa Frumin, M.D., M.S., Chair, Partners IRB
In this course, participants will receive an overview of the ethical foundation of Human Subject Protection in clinical research. This will be done through case studies of typical protocols that have come before the Partners IRB. These cases will raise issues of risk/benefit, surrogate consent, research with children, decisionally impaired subjects and medical record review.

Registration is required.  Please contact Kelsey Gay with questions.

July 25, 2016, 9:00 am – 12:30pm, Simches 3.120

This orientation program will provide Fellows who are completing their clinical year and entering their research years at MGH with an overview of the process of clinical and translational research at MGH. In this course, participants will receive an overview of clinical research at MGH, review the overall architecture of clinical research, and will be introduced to key resources available to clinical/translational investigators at MGH.

This course will be limited to Fellows who are completing their clinical year and entering their research years at MGH.

Please register here: Clinical Research Fellows Orientation Please contact Jillian Tonelli with any questions.

Preliminary applications are now being accepted by the Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) for the Smith Family Awards for Excellence in Biomedical Research.

What are they?

The Smith Family Awards for Excellence in Biomedical Research
The mission of the Awards Program is to launch the careers of newly independent biomedical researchers with the ultimate goal of achieving medical breakthroughs. The three‐year Award supports newly independent faculty engaged in basic biomedical research. Investigators in the physical sciences (physics, chemistry and engineering) whose projects focus on biomedical science are also encouraged to apply. Clinical trials are outside of the scope of this program however, basic research using human specimens is eligible. In recognition of the importance of research collaboration by the scientific community, collaboration is an additional, but not required, positive ancillary factor. These projects may involve researchers within and/or outside MGH.

MGH is eligible to nominate two candidates.

When is the deadline?  
MGH internal preliminary applications: Wednesday, June 15, 2016 – 5:00 PM

How do I learn more and apply?
The Smith Family Awards for Excellence in Biomedical Research - Click here

Preliminary applications are now being accepted by the Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) for the NIH Director’s Early Independence Awards.
 
What is it?
The NIH Director’s Early Independence Award Program supports exceptional investigators who wish to pursue independent research directly after completion of their terminal doctoral/research degree or clinical residency, thereby forgoing the traditional post-doctoral training period and accelerating their entry into an independent research career.

MGH is eligible to nominate two candidates to apply to NIH for this award.

When is the deadline?  
MGH internal preliminary applications: July 5, 2016 – 5:00 PM

How do I learn more and apply?
Click here to for more information and to apply for this award.

The Harrington Prize for Innovation in Medicine, presented by the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) and the Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals - part of The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development, honors the physician-scientist who has moved science forward with notable achievements in innovation, creativity and potential for clinical application.

This annual prize provides the awardee with:

• An unrestricted $20,000 honorarium
• The Harrington Prize Lecture, delivered at the ASCI/AAP Joint Meeting
• A review, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation

  This prize requires Institutional Nomination; MGH is not limited in the number of nominees we can submit. If you are interested, please contact MGH ECOR at ecor@partners.org by July 15, 2016 to be considered.

Click here for more information.

MTEC is excited to announce a solicitation focused on the clinical, prototyping, and manufacturing needs to develop a visual prosthesis that addresses capability gaps for vision restoration and rehabilitation. Specifically, this research opportunity will seek to develop an innovative solution for prototyping an appropriate brain-machine interface.

The overarching goal of this program is to provide a prototype visual prosthesis for human testing within 5 years that (1) provides the ability to navigate for ambulation, identify faces and objects critical to daily life, and read large print, and (2) is economically feasible. 

Applications to MTEC should clearly state how the proposed research provides an innovative solution to a critical problem in the development of a brain machine interface prototype for vision restoration.

View the full solicitation for more details

Proposal Due Date: August 22, 2016

Questions related to this RPP should be directed to:    

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.

• Fogarty Global Health Training Program (D43) – NEW!
• Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Centers (42)
• Nutrition Obesity Research Centers (NORCs) (P30)

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.

• Novel Research Grants - New Research Grants for Novel Approaches to Lupus, Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR)
• Distinguished Innovator Awards in Lupus and Autoimmunity, Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR)
• Macular Degeneration Research Standard Award, BrightFocus Foundation
• Brian D. Novis Senior Research Award, International Myeloma Foundation (IMF)
• Bridge to Independence Award, Simons Foundation/ Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI)

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

JDRF Training Awards 
Application Deadline: June 27

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

Stepping Strong Innovator Awards
Application Deadline: July 18

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

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