Research News - September 16, 2016

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.

The MGH Youth Programs team is seeking volunteers to mentor Boston middle school students through their science fair projects. Mentors meet with students at MGH or the Charlestown Navy Yard on two Friday mornings each month, October through January. No particular expertise in mentoring or science fair projects needed! The MGH Youth Programs team provides ongoing mentor training and support. For more information, please contact Tracy Stanley at (617) 724-6424 or tstanley2@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, 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

Please click here to register or email orcd@partners.org if you have any questions

Wednesday, October 5, 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!

Thursday, September 29, 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM, MBC- Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, 300 Technology Square 8th Floor, Cambridge, MA

Biomere is sponsoring a daylong event in Cambridge focusing on “Translating Innovation in Discovery through Collaboration”.

Click here to view the agenda and register.

Limited registration, so be sure to reserve your spot early! Lunch and breakfast will be provided***
**100% of ticket sales will be donated to retired animal sanctuaries for NHPs**

Cosponsors:
Ora Clinical, Inc.: http://www.oraclinical.com
MBI (Massachusetts Biotechnology Initiatives): http://www.massbiomed.org

Tuesday, September 27, 1:30 – 3:00 pm, 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
• Determining what is billable to insurance
• Routing charges appropriately
• 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 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 Joseph Connolly  with further questions about this session.

The rest of the Clinical Trial Billing Educational Series schedule is listed below. All sessions will be held from 1:30 – 3:00 pm in the Simches 3.120 Conference Room, MGH:

• Clinical Trial Billing (Part 2): Tracking Charges and Patient Care Corrections
• Clinical Trial Billing (Part 3):  Special Considerations – MCAs and Devices

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, and a committee will select the final candidates to submit applications to the foundations. 

Awards include:

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

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 October 17, 2016 at 5:00PM.

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

 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.

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.

Applications are now being accepted for the NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs), which repay up to $35,000/year (for two years) of a researcher's qualified educational debt in exchange for a commitment to engage in NIH mission-relevant research. The program represents an important investment by NIH in the future of health discovery and medical research, and aims to help relieve some of the financial burden for scientists and researchers pursuing advanced education and training in medicine and clinical specialties. Details of the program and the application process are available at lrp.nih.gov (the application deadline is Nov. 15).

The Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) is accepting applications for Formulaic Bridge Funding Support.

What are they?
Formulaic Bridge Funding Support is offered to assist MGH Principal Investigators (PIs) during a lapse or delay in their research funding from the NIH.  To be eligible for Formulaic Bridge Funding, applicants must have applied as a PI for an R01 or R21 NIH grant to support an independent, long-term research program. The Formulaic Bridge process is open to:

1. Investigators whose grants received a score < or = 20th percentile and have received written communication from the NIH that the grant will not be funded.
2. Investigators whose grants received a fundable score (< or = 20th percentile), but are three months past the nominal start date of their NIH grant. NOTE: written communication from the NIH that the grant will not be funded is not necessary. We will not accept requests for funding if the grant is more than six months past the nominal start date.

When is the deadline?
7th day of each month

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 Formulaic Bridge Funding Support under the Awards and Grants tab.

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

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 Grants, Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer (ALSF)
• Innovation Grant, Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer (ALSF)
• Epidemiology Grants, Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer (ALSF)
• Heart to Heart Grant, Alpha Phi Foundation
• Clinical Scientist in Nephrology Program, American Kidney Fund (AKF)
• Reproductive Sciences - Preterm Birth Initiative (BTBI), Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF)
• CART Grants, CART Fund (Coins for Alzheimer's Research Trust)
• Research Grants, Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation (DTRF)
• Kidneeds Grants, Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation (GCRCF)/Kidneeds
• IRP Research Grant, International Foundation for Research in Paraplegia (IRP)
• Translational Research Grant, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PANCAN)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship for Basic Scientists, Parkinson's Disease Foundation (PDF)
• Pfizer Independent Grants for Learning & Change (IGL&C): Emerging Therapies in the Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema), Pfizer, Inc.
• Pfizer Independent Grants for Learning & Change (IGL&C): Addressing Knowledge Gaps in Implementing Risk Communication Recommendations, Pfizer, 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: 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

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

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