Research News - August 19, 2016

On Thursday, October 6, MGH will celebrate the 14th Annual Clinical Research Day. The Division of Clinical Research invites investigators from across the hospital to submit abstracts at https://crp2016.abstractcentral.com/ by the September 6 deadline.

Please note that submissions must be about clinical research conducted at MGH and may include manuscripts published after September 1, 2015.
MGH awards for best abstracts:

• $5,000 Team Award (Nominations by chiefs required)
• $1,500 Translational Research Award, sponsored by the Department of Molecular Biology
• $1,000 Individual Award
• Departmental Awards for clinical researchers in Anesthesia, Emergency Medicine, Medicine, Neurology, Ob/Gyn, Pathology, Pediatrics, Pediatric Surgery, Performance Analysis and Improvement/Practice Improvement, Radiology and more!
• A raffle sponsored by Mass General Research Institute

Clinical Research Day will begin at 8 a.m. with the keynote address delivered by Dr. Sandra Glucksmann, Chief Operating Officer, Editas Medicine

Please contact Jillian Tonelli with any questions.

The ORCD is sponsoring consultation meetings for faculty and research fellows to meet with Amy Robb, Associate Director for Prospect Research and Funding Opportunities, Corporate & Foundation Relations, MGH Development Office, to set up personalized funding searches. Amy can meet with individuals who share funding goals.There are currently slots available in August.

This consultation will help you:

• Set up search parameters designed to identify funding sources for your research program.
• Receive a weekly report of updated search results.
• Gain a greater understanding of how to use COS Pivot to conduct additional searches on your own.

Please click here to register. If you do not see an available slot that works for you, please email orcd@partners.org to express your interest in meeting with Amy.

Partners Research Management has opened enrollment for its fall trainings, now managed through HealthStream.  Trainings are open to all members of the research community. 

Registration will no longer be through PeopleSoft as was done in the past.  To Enroll for RM trainings, please log in to HealthStream, which can be found under Utilities in the Partners P link. 

Click here to view our list of courses and schedule (See 3rd Trimester).  View our Training Page on Navigator to learn more about the content of our trainings and view previous slides. 

Registration Instructions can be found at the bottom of the Training Home Page​, and are also listed below: 

• Log into HealthStream ​from your Partners Applications, under Utilities: 
• If directed to the "The new look for HealthStream is here!" page, hit Continue.
• In the top menu bar, click Catalog
• Type in PHSRM in the search bar to view all of our courses.  You can also search by individual course name from the course schedule
• Select the desired Course to view the details
• Once in the desired course's page, select "Choose Class"
• Select "Register" to enroll
• A pop up will appear confirming enrollment for the course. 

Please save the date in your calendars, as a reminder email will not be sent from HealthStream.  All registered participants will receive an email from Research Management Training several days before the course with further details on location, parking, handouts, and other pertinent information.  If you do not receive an email within 3 days of the course, please contact Stania Augustin (857-282-1668), saaugustin@partners.org. 

Partners HealthCare Connected Health, in collaboration with MedTech Boston and Medstro, are excited to announce our upcoming innovation challenge, “The Fit Mind: Supporting Cognitive Function as we Age.”

Advances in medicine have the promise to extend lifespan to 100 years or beyond, yet with age often comes cognitive impairment. The Fit Mind Challenge is an open call for solutions to support cognitive function in an aging population. These solutions can be technologies, apps, sensors, policies, awareness campaigns, education initiatives (including provider, patient and public education) or other connected health solutions.

The finalists of the online challenge will be invited to pitch their ideas in front of a live audience at the Connected Health Symposium on October 20. A panel of judges will grill the finalists “Shark Tank” style and then choose a winner. Submissions are now open—submit your idea today! The 13th Annual Connected Health Symposium will take place October 20 and 21 at the Boston Seaport World Trade Center.

Click here to see our full Connected Health Symposium agenda.

On June 21, 2016, the NIH announced a new policy that mandates use of a single IRB for domestic sites involved in multi-site research that is funded in whole, or in part, by NIH.  This applies to research supported through grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, or the NIH Intramural Research Program. Of note, it does not apply to career development, research training or fellowship awards.

The policy will go into effect on May 25, 2017 for all research within the described scope.  And it will apply to all competing grant applications (new, renewal, revision, re-submission) that have a receipt date of May 25, 2017 or later and all contract solicitations issued after May 25, 2017.
A working group including Research Management, Human Research Affairs and Research Compliance is aware of this new policy and is working on the local processes and procedures needed to be in compliance with this new mandate.
The good news is that the use of a single IRB for multi-site research is not a new mechanism for PHS.  We have served as the single IRB for external institutions engaged in multi-site research AND we have also ceded IRB review to external IRBs.  This experience will inform how we move forward. 

The NIH has provided information regarding budgeting and what can be covered as direct versus indirect costs. The working group is reviewing this information and shall develop an internal process to help with developing appropriate budgets for those investigators who are subject to this new policy.

We shall provide updates as they become available.  If you have any immediate questions, you can contact: Maria Sundquist at MSUNDQUIST@partners.org.

We are asking anyone who interacts with the Partners HealthCare Innovation office to take our 3rd Annual Service Survey.  It will help us to provide the highest quality service to the entire Partners HealthCare system.

The survey is open until Friday, September 30, 2016. To begin, please click here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZBSMBWY

To thank you for your time, we are raffling off three registrations to the World Medical Innovation Forum.  The 2017 Forum will highlight state-of-the-art and emerging approaches to diagnose, treat and manage cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Last year’s forum had more than 1000 registrants from throughout the US, nearly 20 countries and staff from across the Partners Hospitals.  The 2017 World Medical Innovation Forum will take place May 1-3, 2017 at the Westin Copley Place in Boston. For more information, please visit our website at www.worldmedicalinnovation.org.

Tuesday, September 6, 12:00 - 1:00 PM, Simches Auditorium (3.110)
Broadcast to Isselbacher Auditorium (CNY-149, 7th Floor)

New developments in Clinical Research Support at MGH: A discussion of the Clinical Research Center (CRC) & an introduction to the new Translational Research Center (TRC)

David Nathan, MD, Director, Clinical Research Center     
Mason Freeman, MD, Director,Translational Research Center

Elected Representatives will be available 30 minutes before and after this meeting in Simches 3.120 if you’d like to speak with them.

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.

September 19 & 20, Royal Sonesta Boston

PCORI is hosting a FREE interactive workshop to provide applicants with the tools and strategies to develop and submit a winning application. Our goal is to continue building a community of researchers who have the passion to participate in patient-centered outcomes research. 

This workshop—led by our expert staff—will offer an overview of PCORI and our:

• Priority Topics for Research
• Funding Announcements
• Application Process
• Large Pragmatic Clinical Studies
• Research Partnerships and Engagement
• Clinical Research Network (PCORnet)
• Contract Award and Administrative Requirements

The workshop will provide opportunities to meet PCORI staff, ask questions, obtain resources, and network with other participants.

 Please join us for a Networking Reception and Dinner on September 19 from 5:00 pm–8:00 pm.

Click here to register!

For questions about:
Agenda and Speakers, e-mail: contractsworkshop@pcori.org

September 13, 2016, 1:30-2:30pm, Ether Dome, Bulfinch 4-430

Guest lecture sponsored by the MGH Learning Laboratory in conjunction with the Executive Committee on Teaching and Education (ECOTE)

“Medical Education Research as Translational Science”
William McGaghie, PhD
Professor in Medical Education & Preventive Medicine
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

All members of the MGH community are invited to attend.

Friday, September 9, 2016, 12:00 - 1:00 pm, Location provided upon registration.

The Center for Faculty Development’s Office for Clinical Careers presents a seminar for MGH faculty with HMS academic appointments.

Do you need help drafting the "Chief's letter" for your promotion?

This interactive session will focus on how to write a convincing letter for Harvard Medical School promotion committees. Learn how to help your chief understand and convey your story so that your promotion can move forward. Don’t let procrastination and anxiety get in your way!

Drafting Your Chief’s Letter
Facilitator: Theodore Stern, MD, Director of the Office for Clinical Careers, Ned H. Cassem Professor of Psychiatry in the Field of Psychosomatic Medicine/Consultation at HMS, and Chief of the Avery D. Weisman, MD, Psychiatry Consultation Service.

Faculty with HMS academic appointments, please click here to register by Tue, Sep 6. 

Accreditation
Partners HealthCare System is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Applications are now being accepted by the Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) for the MGH Claflin Distinguished Scholar Awards for Junior Faculty Women Investigators in Fundamental (Basic) & Clinical Research.

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?
Tuesday, October 12, 2016 - 5:00 PM

How do I learn more and apply?

Preliminary applications are now being accepted by the Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) for the Margaret Q. Landenberger Research Foundation 2016. 

What are they?
Margaret Q. Landenberger Foundation Award
The Margaret Q. Landenberger Research Foundation is a non-profit private foundation which focuses its support on promising early stage medical researchers. The ideal candidate is affiliated with an outstanding medical research institution and works under the supervision of experienced mentors. The goal is to assist these individuals by funding their current research, with the hope of enabling them to acquire more significant funding. The Landenberger Foundation does not restrict our support to any particular disease or medical condition, although they are looking for research with broad impact.
MGH is eligible to nominate one candidate.

When is the deadline?  
MGH Internal Preliminary Application Deadline:  Wednesday, September 14, 2016 - 5:00 p.m.

How do I learn more and apply?
Margaret Q. Landenberger Research Foundation 2016 - Click here

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.

• Pediatric Centers of Excellence in Nephrology (P50)
• Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa):  Global Health Bioinformatics Research Training Program (U2R) – NEW!
• George M. O'Brien Kidney Research Core Centers (P30)
• BD2K Research Education Curriculum Development:  Data Science Overview for Biomedical Scientists (R25) – NEW!
• Centers for HIV/AIDS-Related Structural Biology (P50) – NEW!
• Alzheimer's Clinical Trials Consortium (ACTC) (U24) – NEW!
• Asthma and Allergic Diseases Cooperative Research Centers (U19) – NEW!

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.

• Calder Research Scholar Award in Vitiligo/Pigment Cell Disorders, American Skin Association (ASA)
• Milstein Research Scholar Awards for Melanoma/Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer, American Skin Association (ASA)
• Joseph E. Wagstaff Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant, Angelman Syndrome Foundation, Inc. (ASF)
• Career Development Awards, Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, Inc. (CCFA)
• SUDEP Institute Challenge:  Developing Predictive Biomarkers of Epilepsy Seizures, Epilepsy Foundation
• Young Investigator Awards, Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA)
• Edmond J. Safra Core Program for PD Research - Target Advancement Program - Target Optimization Awards, Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF)
• Young Investigator-Led Collaborative Projects (YICPs), Target ALS Foundation Inc.
• Collaborative Industry-Led Consortia (ILCs), Target ALS Foundation Inc.

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: September 7; 7th day of each month

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

Design and Conduct of Clinical Trials: September 1 - October 20

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

Annual Women in Medicine Month Celebration: September 14