Research News - November 18, 2016

Due to the MGH holiday, Research News will not be sent out on Friday, November 25. We hope you have a happy and safe holiday!

Partners offers these simple tips to keep you and your family safe over the holidays:

Traveling:

• If your device such as a smartphone or laptop is lost or stolen, please report it to the Partners IS ServiceDesk as soon as possible.
• Keep your home safe! Be cautious when sharing travel plans on social media and arrange to have mail and deliveries stopped or picked up.
• Be wary of “free” Wi-Fi hotspots. Use the Partners VPN for a secure connection, or limit any use of sites, including Partners, which require personal information or a login.

Shopping:

• Report any fraudulent credit card, store, or bank transactions promptly: see http://www.idtheft.gov/.
• Use only trusted apps or sites when banking or shopping online. Look for the padlock or https:// in the browser bar. The “s” in https:// stands for secure. 
•  If you purchase a new device, always keep the software updated, use a strong password, and enable encryption.

We hope you find these safety tips useful this holiday season. Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Tuesday, November 29, 2016, 12:00 - 1:00 pm, MGH Main Campus, details provided upon registration

The Center for Faculty Development's Office for Research Career Development presents a seminar for HMS faculty and trainees.

Responsible Mentorship

This seminar will cover topics in authorship of science manuscripts, including:
• Guidelines for assigning authors on a manuscript
• Grey areas in authorship decisions
• Case studies of authorship disputes and resolutions
• Tips for successful collaborations and authorship determination

Speaker: Elyse Park, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry

Please click here to register by Wed, Nov 23.

Wednesday, Nov 30, 1:00 - 2:00 pm,  WebEx Meeting Info   |    Add to Calendar

Do you have colleagues who speak about data science and machine learning tools on their genomic and patient data? Do you wonder how these tools and technologies may be used in your research?
ERIS' Scientific Computing team invites you to a webinar to learn how a big data analytics platform can be used for complex analytics and data transformations across large and diverse datasets in the life and health science domains led by Sarah Aerni, PhD Biomedical Informatics, Principal Data Scientist at Pivotal for the Life Science area. Pivotal is an open source platform software and service provider. Through an in-depth analysis of real-world use case examples, participants will leave with an understanding about big data analytics in life and health science, the tools available, and that this work can be done at Partners HealthCare using the Integrated Data Environment for Analytics (IDEA) platform. All are welcome to join the webinar.

Thursday, December 1, 12:00 - 2:00 pm, WebEx or Prudential Center

This month, Susan Stanton, Director of PHS Technology Planning and Bill Henderson, PHS Senior Technology Strategist will give an update on current technology evaluations and describe the evaluation process. Lynn Simpson, ERIS Corporate Team Lead will discuss and demonstrate a new ERIS service offering, LabArchives. LabArchives is a web-based electronic notebook platform designed for scientists to organize and share laboratory data within their study team, department, or external collaborators. RSVP Online by 11/29 and note if you plan to attend remotely so that details are sent. Contact rcc@partners.org with questions about Tech Lunch.

Thursday, December 1, 1:30 - 2:30 pm, O’Keefe Auditorium

“Determinates of Physical Restraint Use among Critical Care Patients: An Exploratory Study of Nurses”
Presented by: Jeanne Dolan, RN, MSN
This presentation will explore, among nurses, factors that influence the initiation or discontinuation of physical restraints in SICU patients and describe nurses’ perspectives on specific characteristics that factor into the decision-making process used to determine physical restraint use in the surgical critical care population”

“A NEW Approach to Blood Transfusion Preparation: Using Data as Our Guide”
Presented by: Anne Marie Que, CRNA, MS
This presentation will describe the work surrounding the concept of blood management from a data perspective, as a patient-centered standard of care to reduce, eliminate, or optimize blood transfusions to improve patient outcomes.

Norman Knight Nursing Center for Clinical and Professional Development at Massachusetts General Hospital is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Ohio Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. (OBN-011-91) (OH-239, 10/1/2017OH).

The learner must stay for the entire program and submit a completed evaluation to obtain contact hours.

Shorten the e-registration wait time in line on Dec. 1 and preregister for the event using this link:  http://www.cvent.com/d/2vq32q

Thursday, December 15, 2016, 2:30 – 4:00 pm, Simches 3.120

Speakers: Karen K. Miller, MD and Andrew Nierenberg, MD

NIH mentored K awards are Career Development Awards that support mentored research and research training for up to 5 years. If you are thinking about applying for a K award, please join us for this general information session on the awards and application process.

Karen K. Miller, MD and Andrew Nierenberg, MD, will discuss topics such as:

• Which K is right for you?
• How important is mentoring? How do you choose a good mentor?
• What are the components of the grant application?
• When should you apply?
• What resources are available to help your write the proposal?

This will be an informal session with time for questions. Light refreshments will be served.

Please note: A formal, multi-session course on preparing a proposal for an NIH Career Development “K” Award will be offered in February 2017. The application process will begin in December 2016. The formal course is specifically for those who have started to work on a K award application and are planning to submit a proposal within the next year.

Monday, December 19, 2016, 12:30 – 2:00 pm, Simches 3.110

The Partners HealthCare Biobank is a large research data and sample repository. It provides researchers access to over 30,000 high-quality, consented samples to help foster research, advance our understanding of the causes of common diseases, and advance the practice of medicine. The Partners Biobank Portal at http://biobankportal.partners.org/ is a web-based tool that allows researchers to access and query clinical and genomic data about consented Biobank subjects as well as make Biobank sample requests for plasma, serum and DNA.

The first hour of the course will provide an introduction to the use of the Biobank Portal and aims to help participants achieve the following:

• Understand the types of data stored in the Biobank Portal
• Navigate through the main functions of the tool
• Create a query and make a request for clinical samples
• Understand concepts of Healthy Controls, Curated Disease populations, Genomic data

The last half hour of the course will be optional for any participants who would like additional time to see live demonstrations and work with a Portal expert directly regarding their queries and questions.
This course is geared toward investigators and staff at all levels interested in using the Biobank Portal for their research.  It is recommended that participants register to use the Biobank Portal at http://biobankportal.partners.org/ prior to the course.

Thursdays, January 5, 12, 19, 26, February 2, 1:30 – 3:00 pm, Simches, Room 3.110

Sponsored by the MGH Division of Clinical Research and the MGH Biostatistics Center

Brian Healy, PhD, MGH Biostatistics Center
This course will provide clinical researchers with a solid foundation in biostatistical concepts. Intended for those with minimal statistical experience, these five lectures will serve as an introduction to biostatistical issues in clinical investigation and will prepare students for more advanced courses on clinical trial design and biostatistics offered through the DCR’s Education Unit. 

January 5: Types of Data, P-Value, Steps for Hypothesis Testing, and T-Test
January 12:  ANOVA and Regression
January 19: Analysis of Dichotomous Outcomes and Time to Event Outcomes
January 26: Power and Sample Size
February 2: Grant Writing: Statistical Considerations Section with Pilot Data

Registration is required. Please contact Jillian Tonelli with any questions.

The Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) is accepting applications for the December 1st deadline for the Deliberative Interim Support Funding.  December is the 1st of three standing deadlines for these awards in Fiscal Year 2017.  The next deadline will be April 1, 2017.  

What are they?
This is open to Principal Investigators during a lapse or delay in their research funding from the NIH or another Federal agency (e.g., the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense).  Investigators must have applied for independent, long-term support (R01, R21, U01 and P01).  The Deliberative Interim Support process is open to:

1. Investigators whose grants were not scored or whose scores were not translated into a percentile ranking.
2. Investigators whose grants received scores >20th percentile.
3. Investigators who have already received Formulaic Bridge Funding or Deliberative Interim Support on their A0 grant application and are now requesting support for their A1 or A0 resubmission.  Investigators in this category must apply through the Deliberative Interim Support process for their A1 and A0 resubmission regardless of the score they received on their resubmitted grant.

When is the deadline?
Thursday, December 1, 2016 - 5:00 PM

How do I learn more and apply?
Deliberative Interim Support Funding - Click here

Deadline: Tuesday, December 20th, 5pm EST

The Center for Skeletal Research (CSR), based in the Endocrine Unit at MGH, and funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (NIAMS) is announcing a request for Pilot and Feasibility Research proposals. ONE clinical grant ($30,000/year) will be awarded this year, which may be renewable for an additional year for a maximum of two years funding in total. Awardees will be expected to present progress to CFSR members biannually and provide a written annual report.

Eligibility is based on the criteria listed below:

1. Junior faculty proposing highly focused Skeletal Biology research projects with the goal of generating preliminary data sufficient to support an application for independent NIH research support. Applicants in this group must meet the NIH Early Investigator Criteria (New Investigators who have had less than 10 years of research or research training experience after the completion of their terminal research degree or medical residency, see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/new_investigators/index.htm).  Awardees of K grants in their last 2 years of K funding may apply with committed effort but cannot receive salary from the P&F.
2. Established researchers from outside the bone field proposing innovative studies relevant to Skeletal Biology.
3. Established Skeletal Biology investigators proposing studies relevant to Skeletal Biology that represents a clear departure from their established line of investigation. Investigators must invest at least 1 calendar month of effort.  If salary requests do not reflect this effort, cost-sharing plans must be indicated. Applicants who are not U.S. citizens or permanent U.S. residents must have active visas permitting them to remain in the U.S. for the full period of the proposed research Funding is anticipated to start on June 1, 2017.

For submission details, go to https://csr.mgh.harvard.edu/pilot-and-feasibility-studies

Applications are now open for the PMI Challenge for the Underserved. Define solutions using tools and tech and win $25k in cash prizes. Pre-proposal deadline November 21st.

A call for all innovators inspired to build digital health tools that connect underserved populations to the Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI). Partners, rules, application and more at PMIChallenge.org

This challenge is made possible through the collaboration of stakeholders from the public and private sector, including NHIT Collaborative, Partners Healthcare, TracFone, HIMSS and The National Human Genome Center at Howard University.  Prizes totaling $25,000 will be funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.  The Consortium for the Improvement of Medicine through Innovation and Technology (CIMIT) at Massachusetts General Hospital is providing the Challenge application management infrastructure.

For more information, visit the PMIChallenge.org website for the application details.

The Innovation Fellows Program is a new initiative that seeks to increase collaboration between the Partners HealthCare community and industry.

The program provides a two-way training opportunity where personnel are exchanged between the PHS core hospitals—Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital—and participating biopharmaceutical companies, investment funds and other commercial entities.
The program offers on-site experience within a company for postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty that can enhance the skills of the participants and train our investigators to better understand our industry partners.

The skills participants may acquire include clinical trial design, cutting-edge research techniques, project management, data analysis, drug development, protocol review, reimbursement considerations and regulatory interaction, among others.

Benefits:

• Develop capabilities and skills across the R&D pipeline and commercialization process
• Create and grow new industry partnerships and collaborations
• Gain exposure to alternative career paths and/or new opportunities for career acceleration

Qualifications:

• MD, PhD, or a joint degree
• Clinical fellows must have completed their residency
• Research fellows must have two years of postdoctoral training
• Faculty

How to Apply:
For more information and to express your interest, visit the Partners HealthCare Innovation website.
Please respond by November 27.

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.

• Alzheimer's Clinical Trials Consortium (ACTC) (U24)
• NINDS Institutional Center Core Grants to Support Neuroscience Research (P30)
• T Cell Reagent Research for the Study of Allergic Diseases (U19)
• Asthma and Allergic Diseases Cooperative Research Centers (U19)

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.

• Research Grant Program: A-T Post Doctoral Fellowship Award, A-T Children's Project 
• NARSAD Independent Investigator Grants, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
• Vision Award (Antonio Champalimaud Vision Award), Champalimaud Foundation
• Research Program:  External Awards Program, Focused Ultrasound Surgery Foundation
• Sisley-Lejeune Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Fondation Jerome Lejeune/Jerome Lejeune Foundation 
• Research Fellowship Grant (RFG), Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER)
• Gilead Sciences Research Scholars Program in HIV, Gilead Sciences, Inc./Gilead Sciences Pty Ltd
• SFA Research Grants, Sarcoma Foundation of America (SFA)
• Research Grants, Whitehall 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: 7th day of each month

Merck KGaA Darmstadt Germany Biopharma Innovation Cup 2017
Application Deadline: January 31, 2017

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

IRB Roundtable: Consent Form Writing – December 1

QI Roundtable: Informed Consent Process – December 15

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