Research News - March 31, 2017

President Donald Trump's proposed budget for Fiscal 2018, which calls for a 20% reduction in funding for the National Institutes of Health, would have a devastating effect on medical research at Massachusetts General Hospital and across the country, says Harry W. Orf, PhD, senior vice president for research. Read more of Dr. Orf’s comments on the proposed cuts.

You may already know that Training Fellowships are exempt from the new 15% minimum IDC rate for Foundation, Public Charity, and Non-Profit Research Awards. 

Do you know how Training Fellowships are defined? 

Research Management has worked closely with Hospital Senior Research Leadership to provide a clear definition. You can find the revised FAQ here: 15% IDC Rate FAQ's​​

Financial Stewardship of Grants and Contracts training for all postdoctoral fellows is now available on HealthStream. This course prepares postdoctoral fellows for financial management of their own grants and contracts and what to expect when they become a Principal Investigator. This training is not mandatory but we strongly encourage postdoctoral fellows to enroll.  

The course can be found under Partners Applications > Utilities> HealthStream. If not using a Partners computer, HealthStream can be accessed at www.partners.org/healthstream.
Instructions for enrolling:

• Click 'Catalog' and search 'PHE Research Financial Stewardship of Grants and Contracts'
• Click on the title of the course and select "Enroll'

Any questions about the training should be sent to the Partners Research Compliance Office, phsrcr@partners.org.  

The annual National Job Shadow Day will once again be held on April 7.  MGH volunteers who serve as Job shadow hosts are matched with local high school students who are eager to see and learn about what you do at MGH.  As a job shadow host, you and the student(s) will meet for a couple of hours where they will learn about your work, the work of the department and how it ultimately connects to patient care.  These events are interactive -  you and your student(s) will have opportunities to learn about each other while they learn your secrets for success! Details are below.

• Friday, April 7, 9:45 AM –noon. Host will pick-up their assigned students at Yawkey Bldg/4th Floor, Room 4-910

To register as a job shadow host: please complete the volunteer registration form at https://goo.gl/forms/IedE3uFJL0ZEKkMq1

If you have any questions, please contact Tracy Stanley at tstanley2@partners.org or call 617-724-6424.

Bulfinch Temporary Service (BFT) coordinates summer hires for paid* positions including research assistants and paid internships. Bulfinch also coordinates the Center for Community Health Improvement summer jobs program for Boston area middle and high school students**. (The Bulfinch Temps Fringe Benefit Rate is 12% with an additional 8.5% Bulfinch Administrative Fee.)

It is essential to contact BFT to coordinate the hiring process as the candidate cannot start work until the hire is completed.  All hires must complete a CORI criminal background check, HireRight background screening, employment references, health screen and employment eligibility (form I-9) through HireRight/E-Verify***

Bulfinch Temps summer hire coordinator is Rhonda Johnson, or contact by phone at 617-724-0468.

The following steps MUST be completed prior to the start of an assignment:
(Incomplete paperwork will result in a delayed assignment start date and/or continued employment)
Department must submit a completed Bulfinch Requisition along with a detailed job description including   education requirements to rjohnson38@partners.org or fax to 617-724-6198.  The BFT requisition must be completed in its entirety. The following is essential information required:

• Candidate name
• The start/end date of assignment (assignment must be at least 6 weeks)
• Department work group number and GL account number (cost center)
• Timekeeper name and phone extension (back up timekeeper if available)
• Kronos time reporting method: Kronos Terminal (KT) or Kronos Self Service (KSS)
• Pay Rate (guidance is provided by Bulfinch Temps.  Hourly pay rates are determined in accordance with the MGH/PHS pay guidelines)

The hiring department is required to provide interview notes and two completed References from the candidate’s two most recent employers or current school advisors.

Candidates between the ages of 16 and 18 must provide a work permit and parental consent forms.  Note: Child labor laws restrict minors from working with hazardous materials, chemicals and/or biochemicals. 

Summer hires must be in compliance with the guidelines set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services, HIPAA regulations and Partners Occupational Health Department/CDC regulations. BFT ensures summer hires are in compliance with MGH hiring standards prior to working. An Occupational Health screening is required, including verification of immunization records and TB testing. Upon completion of the sign-on process the summer hire will be assigned to your department workgroup via the Kronos**** payroll system for easy processing of weekly hours.

* Salary rates for paid summer positions through Bulfinch Temps range from $11 upwards depending on the position.

** If your department is interested in employing a Boston Public Schools middle or high school student through the Summer Jobs program with the Center for Community Health Improvement, please call  617-724-3210.

***E-Verify is operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with Social Security Administration.  E-Verify electronically confirms an employee’s eligibility to work in the US after completion of the Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9). 

**** Managers/Supervisors must inform their department timekeeper when a temp starts an assignment in their department as the timekeeper is responsible for approving hours worked via the Kronos time reporting system. 

Note: To expedite the hiring process candidates must to apply to any online temporary position at www.mghcareers.org.

Wednesday, April 5, Simches Auditorium 3.110 (With videoconference to CNY 149, 7th Floor, Isselbacher Auditorium)

The annual MGH Celebration of Science and the Warren Triennial Prize and Symposium will be held on Wednesday, April 5, 2017 in Simches Auditorium (3.110), broadcasting to Isselbacher Auditorium at CNY 149. Click here to view the full agenda!

The Celebration of Science, which runs from 9:00 – 11:50 am, will include the introduction of the newly selected 2017 Class of MGH Research Scholars; the annual ECOR report, highlighting notable research accomplishments and events over the past year; and presentations from the winner of the 2017 Howard M. Goodman Fellowship and from the two recipients of the 2017 Martin Prizes for outstanding research achievements published by MGH investigators in the previous calendar year.  Please click here to view the Celebration of Science book.

The 2017 Warren Triennial Prize Symposium, which will be held from 2:00 – 5:00 pm, is honoring Dr. James Allison, MD, PhD, Executive Director, Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, for his breakthrough research in cancer immunology. The agenda features talks from four leading cancer researchers and the presentation of the Warren Triennial Prize, and will conclude with Dr. Allison’s prize lecture, “Immune Blockade in Cancer Therapy:  New Insights and Opportunities.”

Please note that there will not be a formal meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) or a poster session this year.

Tuesday, April 4, 4:00 – 5:00 pm, CNY 149, Room 2.204

Linking Cell Death and Autophagy Programs
Richard N. Kitsis, MD
Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) and Cell Biology
Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Monday, April 10, 12:00pm – 1:00pm, Simches Research Building, Room 3.110

Sponsored by the MGH Division of Clinical Research

Dr. Calum MacRae, MD, PhD,
Chief, Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School

There are a number of practical challenges that must be overcome if the current vision for precision medicine and ‘learning’ healthcare systems is to be realized.  These include changes in the scale and timing of diagnosis and intervention, the pace of drug discovery and the information content for much of biomedicine. Pilots of potential approaches to some of these challenges will be described including efforts in co-clinical modeling of disease, phenotype discovery and the creation of platforms for pragmatic clinical trials.

Light lunch will be served.

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

Thursday, April 20, 3:00 - 4:00pm, Simches Room 3.120

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

Lynn Simpson, Research Data & Analytics Services Manager and Jeremy Alphonse, EDC Project Analyst 
Enterprise Research Infrastructure & Services (ERIS)
Targeting the end of March, Partners HealthCare will upgrade REDCap from v6.15 to v7.0. This user group session will review the new feature releases and how best to implement and retro fit to production projects. We'll also use the time for users to share experiences and tips/tricks.

New REDCap v7.0 Features include:

• Repeating Instruments and Events
• Real-time validator for branching logic, calculations and conditional logic
• New Action Tags
• And more!

Target audience: Researchers that are tasked with managing projects, improving data and survey collection methods and making changes to production projects.

Registration is required. Contact Tiereny Morrison-Rohlfs with questions

Thursday, May 18, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

The Center for Faculty Development’s Office for Research Careers (ORCD) presents its annual poster celebration for MGH research fellows.

The ORCD's Research Fellow Poster Celebration will take place on May 18, 2017. The Poster Celebration highlights the excellent research being done by MGH postdoctoral fellows. The morning program includes lectures on the 'Trends in Biomedical Science' and 'Research Career Development.' Posters are on display all day.

Monday, June 12, 1:00pm – 5:00pm

We invite you and your colleagues to the 3rd Annual Skeletal Research Symposium hosted by the MGH Endocrine Unit.  This year we will feature talks by two talented leaders in the field, Sean Morrison, PhD from U Southwestern and Elizabeth Shane, MD from Columbia University.  We will also have talks by two young investigators who will present their research supported by Pilot Grants awarded by the CSR.  There will be a special seminar for young investigators and post docs presented by Dr. Shane entitled “Launching your career in today’s world”.  An important part of the symposium will be the poster session that will allow time for informal exchange about research ideas, prizes will be awarded.

There is no charge for this event but advanced registration is recommended due to limited seating.   To register or submit an abstract, please go to https://csr.mgh.harvard.edu/2017-symposium

The Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) is accepting applications for the April 3rd deadline for the Deliberative Interim Support Funding.  April is the second of three standing deadlines for these awards in Fiscal Year 2017.  The next deadline will be August 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?
Monday, April 3, 2017 - 5:00 PM

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

Preliminary applications are now being accepted by the Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) for the Charles H. Hood Foundation 2018 Major Grants Initiative to Advance Child Health research award. 

What are they?
Major Grants Initiative to Advance Child Health research award
The Charles H. Hood Foundation 2018 Major Grants Initiative to Advance Child Health supports outstanding investigators conducting innovative and transformative research in child health. The overall goal of the Program remains the funding of translational or clinical research that will improve child health clinical outcomes, or improve health care access, affordability, and quality. For the 2018 grant cycle, the Hood Foundation requests applications related to either of two areas of child health research: Neonatology or Brain Science and Child Development. 

The Major Grants Initiative is a component of the Hood Foundation’s research funding portfolio. Since 1942, the Foundation has supported investigators at New England research institutions to improve the health and quality of life for children. The Hood Foundation Child Health Research Awards Program has launched the careers of close to 600 junior faculty whose discoveries have contributed to significant improvements in child health. Since 1989, the Foundation has also supported 47 Postdoctoral Fellows conducting projects spanning the continuum from basic laboratory research to clinical and health services research.

MGH is eligible to nominate one candidate.

When is the deadline?  
MGH Internal Preliminary Application Deadline:  Monday, April 10, 2017 - 3:00 p.m.

How do I learn more and apply?
2018 Major Grants Initiative to Advance Child Health research award - Click here

We are pleased to announce the 2017 call for preproposals for Pfizer’s Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) program is now open. Pfizer CTI program collaborates with leading academic medical centers, the NIH, and foundations to speed the translation of novel targets to the clinic.

Who Should Apply
Researchers working with validated drug targets that are tractable with biologic modalities such as antibodies, peptides, proteins, ADCs and/or fusion proteins, who are interested in developing a novel therapeutic agent to address an unmet clinical need should apply.

Therapeutic Areas of Interest for Spring 2017

• Oncology
• Inflammation and Immune disorders
• Cardiovascular metabolic diseases
• Neuroscience
• Rare monogenic genetic diseases

Pre-proposals
Submission entails a brief, non-confidential 2-3 page overview of the target, mechanism (including evidence for disease linkage), and the proposed therapeutic drug. At a high level, the pre-proposal should suggest how the therapeutic hypothesis could be tested in the clinic.

Template of the preproposal can be downloaded from the website below: http://innovation.partners.org/about/special-programs.

Preproposals should be submitted via email to Partners Innovation at:  phsstrategicalliances@partners.org.

Deadline for Submission: April 24, 2017

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.

• Team-Based Design in Biomedical Engineering Education (R25)

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 note that any grant that brings in less than 15% in indirect costs (IDC) will need to be supplemented up to the 15% equivalent by existing investigator or departmental sundry funds. Resolution of this issue must occur prior to submission of the award.

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.

Week of 3/31/17

•  Congenital Heart Disease Research Grants, Children's Heart Foundation
• Independent Grants for Learning & Change (IGL&C):  Request for Improving Health Care Capacity in Immuno-Oncology, Pfizer, Inc.
• Independent Grants for Learning & Change (IGLC):  Track 2 - Call for Grant Applications (CGA) - Patient Education in Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer Treatment (CGA - MBC Patient Education), Pfizer, Inc.
• 2017 Global ASPIRE Young Investigator Research Awards in Endocrinology, Pfizer, Inc./ Advancing Science through Pfizer - Investigator Research Exchange (ASPIRE Research Awards)
• Advancing Science Through Pfizer:  Investigator Research Exchange (ASPIRE) Gene Therapy for Hemophilia Research Awards Program, Pfizer, Inc./Advancing Science through Pfizer - Investigator Research Exchange (ASPIRE Research Awards)
• New Connections:  Increasing Diversity of RWJF Programming, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)
• Learning Partnerships, Grace and Harold Sewell Memorial Fund

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

Deliberative Interim Support Funding
Application Deadline: April 3, 2017

The Harrington Scholar-Innovator Award
Letter of Intent Deadline: April 5, 2017

MGH ECOR Formulaic Bridge Funding Support
Application Deadline: April 7, 2017; 7th day of each month

Biomedical Research and Technology Development Needed to Support Astronaut Health During Exploration Missions
Letter of Intent Deadline: April 10, 2017

HMS Foundation Funds
Note: Click here to view a chart listing the HMS Foundation Funds that are currently available and the Institution that MGH faculty should apply through.

Center for Genomic Medicine Catalysis Awards
Application Deadline: June 15, 2017

HHMI Announces New Investigator Competition
Application Deadline: June 27, 2017

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

Child Health Symposium - Putting Kids First: Facilitating Multisite Pediatric Trials – April 4

Harvard Digestive Diseases Center (HDDC) Spring Symposium – April 4

The Implementation of Precision Medicine: Integrating Translational Research and Care Redesign – April 10

Strategies for Recruiting and Retaining Study Subjects – April 18

REDCap: Getting Started – April 20

Introduction to Bioinformatics – May 4 & 11

FY16 NIH Market Analysis

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