Research News - October 20, 2017

Beginning October 31st, all access to Partners email when you’re not connected to the Partners network will require that you confirm your identity by text message or phone.  This is being done to improve security and provide a better user experience across all access points to email.
If you currently access email using Outlook Web App (OWA), Office 365 or VPN, you will not see any changes to your log on experience.

Who is likely to be impacted by this change?
When not connected to the Partners network onsite or over VPN, users of Outlook 2007 and Mac users with Apple Mail or Outlook 2011 will not be able to connect to email.  More information

What is the best way to access email when working remotely?

• Use Outlook Web App (OWA) available over the internet at http://www.partners.org/email
• Connect to the network using VPN, a secure, remote access solution
• It is recommended that all users upgrade to the latest version of Office 2016.

If you have questions, need additional assistance or to request VPN access, please contact the IS Service Desk.
 

Tuesday, October 24, 12:00-1:00pm, CNY Campus

Join ORCD and PDD staff for an interactive workshop to learn more about popular tools for career exploration and professional development including the Academic Career Readiness Assessment, the Individual Development Plan and the Annual Career Planning Form.
It's not too early to start thinking about your next steps. Learn how to use these tools to maximize your options, develop your skills, identify transferable skills and prepare for your next move with confidence.

You may register for the workshop here. Email pdd@partners.org with questions.
 

Responsible Conduct of Research Using Laboratory Animals
Anne Clancy Ph.D., MGH Director of Animal Welfare Assurance
Wednesday, October 25, 2017 10:00-11:00 am - Massachusetts General Hospital Simches Conference Room 3120

This course provides a general introduction to the regulatory issues that must be considered when using animals in research. It includes a description of the federal regulations governing how research with animal subjects should be conducted, and uses case studies to illustrate these concepts and provide practical information for meeting institutional requirements.

Responsible Conduct of Research Using Biological Materials
Ryan Schlimgen, Ph.D., Director, PIBC
Wednesday, November 1, 2017 10:00-11:00 am - Massachusetts General Hospital Simches Conference Room 3120

This course has two primary focuses.  First, we want to provide and understand the federal, state, and local laws and regulations that govern the use of biological materials in research laboratories and clinical trials. And second, we want to provide an over-view of the policies, procedures, and tools adopted by Partners Healthcare and its affiliated Hospitals to comply with those laws and regulations.

Registration for these lectures is required and can be done in HealthStream, by searching for the title of the course.  Each lecture is worth one RCR credit for NIH trainees. For additional information or if you have questions, please contact phsrcr@partners.org.
 

Tuesday, October 31 @ 4:00pm, 149 CNY / 2.204

Good Enough Solutions in Biology and Medicine:  Coping with Genetic Diversity
James Weiss, MD
Chief, Division of Cardiology
Director, Cardiovascular Research Laboratory
UCLA
 

November 2, 2017
In a relaxed atmosphere over food and drink, learn about the Health Disparities Research Program at Harvard Catalyst and meet students, fellows, and faculty from across the university who are interested in health disparities research. Themes selected for this year’s event include: Child & Adolescent Health, Genomic/Precision Medicine & Epigenetics, Global Health & Immigrant Health, LGBTQ Health, Psychosocial Stress & Violence, and more. Experience in these areas is not required to attend. 4:00-6:00pm, Courtyard Café, Warren Alpert Building, HMS. RSVP to attend.

Wednesday, November 8, 1:00-2:00pm, Simches Research Building, 2nd Floor, Garrod/Mendel Conference Room

• Do you have questions about the Epic charge review process?
• Are you new to MGH research billing and responsible for reviewing charges in Epic?
• Has it been a while since you last reviewed charges in Epic and you would like a refresher?
• Do you know what to do when there is a research billing error?
• Would you like to make certain you are reviewing charges correctly?
• Do have difficulty submitting Patient Care Correction requests in Insight?
• Do you a particular issue with

This workshop is offered each month to address these and other research billing related issues and questions.  The workshop is open to clinical research investigators, research nurses, research coordinators/assistants, project managers/coordinators, or grant administrators.  Class size is limited to allow for discussion and questions.

Register here. Please contact Tiereny Rohlfs with any questions.
 

Tuesday, November 14, 12:00 - 1:30pm, O’Keefe Auditorium (with live broadcasting to Charlestown, Chelsea and Revere Healthcare Centers)

The Executive Committee on Community Health (ECOCH) & The Mass General Research Institute invite you to attend the 2nd Community Research Symposium.  Presentations will be given by the following:

• Impact of Smoke-free Rules in Public Housing
  • ​Doug Levy, PhD, Mongan Institute Health Policy Center, MGH
  • John Kane, MPP, Boston Housing Authority
     
• Retention in care for HIV Infected Latino Immigrants
  • Julie Levison MD, MPhil, MPH, Division of General Internal Medicine, MGH
  • Carmen Rios, Respite Case Manager, Barbara McInnis House
     
• Cultural Considerations and Health Literacy
  • Nancy Morris, PhD, ANP, UMass Medical School Graduate School of Nursing
  • Chioma Nnaji, MEd, MPH, Africans for Improved Access-Multicultural AIDS Coalition
     
• Mental Health and Cancer Care
  • Kelly Irwin, MD, MPH, Psychiatry & the MGH Cancer Center
  • Ben Macri, NP, North Suffolk Mental Health

Registration is required for this event.  Please click here to register (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CommunityHealthcareSymposiumRSVP)
 

Thursday November 16, 11:00am - 12:00pm

Speakers: Elyse R. Park , Ph.D., MPH, Christina Psaros, PhD, Lara Traeger, PhD
Elyse Park is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School | MGH
Mongan Institute for Health Policy | MGH DCR Qualitative Research Faculty

Course Description:
This one session course will guide clinical researchers on how to utilize cognitive interviewing for instrument development. We’ll address how to use this technique to collect data to enhance the validity of an assessment instrument (survey) and assess participants’ understanding of an item and responses to an item. The course will be most beneficial for individuals who have an interest or experience in survey development.

Click here to register
 

March 23 - 26, 2018, Cold Spring Harbor, NY

Application Deadline: January 31, 2018

Instructors:
Carl M. Cohen, Workshop Director 
Suzanne L. Cohen, Workshop Co-Facilitator
Marquita M. Qualls, Guest Instructor
See the roll of honor - who's taken the course in the past

This is a highly interactive 3.5 day workshop in which you will develop the skills necessary to lead and interact effectively with others, in both one-on-one and group settings. The workshop will focus on techniques, situations, and challenges that relate specifically to leading and managing in the scientific workplace. It will emphasize learning by doing and will involve role playing, giving and receiving feedback, and group problem solving. Much of the learning will be peer-to-peer. Participants will be expected to discuss their own experiences and listen to others as they discuss theirs.

The workshop will help participants identify areas where they need guidance and growth, as well as how to capitalize on areas of strength. Participants will have the opportunity to share their experiences and challenges with others and to receive feedback and guidance from others with experience in leading scientists in a variety of settings. At the end of the course, participants will be linked through a unique on-line community in which they can continue learning from one another and from the course instructors.

Key focus areas of the workshop will include:

• Recognizing and understanding leadership in a science setting
• Using negotiation as a tool in scientific discussions and problem solving
• Identifying and resolving conflicts in the lab
• Dealing with difficult people and situations
• Communicating your ideas and plans in a way that engages others
• Leading effective and productive meetings
• Becoming effective citizen scientists

For more information, please click here. If you are planning to attend this workshop, please let us know at ecor@mgh.harvard.edu.
 

Grand challenge 1: Make diagnosis cost-effective and accurate, and guide individual clinical decisions based on real-time monitoring and massive patient data sets.

Award Types and Amounts:

• 5 (five) grants at $100,000 (total costs) per team (to be spent over 1-2 years)

Letter of Intent: A Letter of intent submitted via the ECOR Online Grant Management Portal is required by December 1, 2017 if you plan on submitting a proposal. Letters of intent should include the names of the principal investigators from both MGH and MIT and a brief description of the project. Please note: Write to: imes_rfp@mit.edu AND to ecor@partners.org

Full Proposal Submission Date: January 15, 2018

Project Start Date: April 15, 2018

Submission Information: Letters of intent and applications should be submitted onlinevia the ECOR Online Grant Management Portal. This user-friendly system will allow the MGH PI to submit on behalf of the MGH-MIT team.  Click here for instructions for submitting the application and letter of intent online.

Click here for more information.
 

The Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) is accepting applications for the December 1st deadline for Deliberative Interim Support Funding.  December is the first of three standing deadlines for these awards in Fiscal Year 2018.  The next deadline will be April 1, 2018.

What are they?
Deliberative Interim Support Funding
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 for a previous submission of this grant and are now requesting support for the resubmission of the same grant.  Investigators in this category must apply through the Deliberative Interim Support process for this application regardless of the score they received.

When is the deadline?
Friday, December 1, 2017 - 5:00 PM

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

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 would normally hold the position of Assistant Professor, and 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, 2018.

When is the deadline?
Wednesday, October 25, 2017 – 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.

The National Cancer Institute is pleased to announce the Outstanding Investigator Award (OIA) funding opportunity announcement: PAR-17-494. The OIA will support investigators with outstanding records of productivity in cancer research with up to $600,000 in direct costs per year for seven years to provide funding stability. NCI anticipates making about 50 awards annually.

The OIA will allow funded investigators the freedom to embark on long-term projects of unusual potential in cancer research; the opportunity to take greater risks and be more adventurous in their lines of inquiry; and sufficient time to develop new techniques.

The applicant PD/PI will be expected to commit at least 50 percent of her/his research activities to the OIA; the Institution will be expected to commit at least 20 percent salary support.

Although MGH may submit more than one application to this program, provided each is scientifically distinct, an institutional review and a letter of nomination is required for applicants to this funding opportunity.

Process

Anyone interested in applying to this program must submit a 1-2 Letter of Intent to ecor@mgh.harvard.edu by Thursday, October 26, 2017 at 12:00 pm (noon).

The letter of intent should include:

1. Name of the Principal Investigator with appropriate contact information
2. A descriptive title of the potential application
3. Brief description of the project

https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2015/nsf15504/nsf15504.pdf

MGH LOI Deadline: 11/10/2017
NSF Deadline: 1/10/2018

MGH may select up to 3 applications (1 for instrument development, 2 for instrument acquisition)
The Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) provides organizations with opportunities to acquire major instrumentation that supports the research and research training goals of the organization and that may be used by other researchers regionally or nationally.

Each MRI proposal may request support for the acquisition (Track 1) or development (Track 2) of a single research instrument for shared inter- and/or intra-organizational use. Development efforts that leverage the strengths of private sector partners to build instrument development capacity at MRI submission-eligible organizations are encouraged.

The MRI program assists with the acquisition or development of a shared research instrument that is, in general, too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NSF programs. The program does not fund research projects or provide ongoing support for operating or maintaining facilities or centers.

LOI Instructions:
Submit a 1-2 page Letter of Intent (LOI) to the MGH Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) via email to ecor@mgh.harvard.edu.   In addition to your LOI, please include an NIH biosketch.

The letter should include:

1. Name of the principal investigator with appropriate contact information
2. Track number (Track 1 Acquisition or Track 2 Development)
3. Instrument Description
4. Justification of Need
5. Major Users
6. Estimated cost of equipment
7. Planned location of equipment
8. Will any renovations be required to install equipment?

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.

• Dr. Ernest J. Ring Academic Development Grant (SIR Foundation)
• Diabetic Foot Consortium – Clinical Research Units (U01)
• Collaborative Program Grant for Multidisciplinary Teams (RM1) (Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

If there is a limited submission funding opportunity you do not see listed below or you have any additional questions, please let us know at ecor@mgh.harvard.edu.
 

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 10/20/17

• AACR Cancer Interception Research Fellowship, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
• AACR-Loxo Oncology Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
• AACR Lymphoma Research Fellowships, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
• AACR Myeloma Research Fellowship, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
• AACR Lung Cancer Research Fellowships, American Association for Cancer Research
• AACR Translational Immuno-oncology Research Fellowships, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
• Pinnacle Research Award in Liver Disease, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD)
• Research Scientist Award in Neuroradiology, American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR)/The Foundation of the ASNR
• PSF/MTF Allograft Tissue Research Grant, American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)/Plastic Surgery Foundation (PSF)
• CART Grants, CART Fund (Coins for Alzheimer's Research Trust)
• Broad Medical Research Program at CCFA (BMRP-CCFA):  Inflammatory Bowel Disease Grants, Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, Inc. (CCFA)
• Pilot Study Program, Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research
• Scientific Scholar Award, Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research

Howard M. Goodman Fellowship 2018
Application Deadline: October 25

Bullock Postdoctoral Fellowship
Application Deadline: November 1

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

Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center:  Call for 2018 Pilot Projects
Application Deadline: November 30

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

PCORI - Click here for the latest funding opportunities from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).

Using CQH-Mart for outcome studies – October 23
Clinical Research Program: Developing a Peer to Peer Auditing Program – November 7
Discover Brigham 2017 – November 9

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