eRoundup for 11/06/09

The NIH Clinical Center has launched a Leadership Sabbatical in Clinical Research to provide researchers an opportunity to gain additional knowledge and to develop their managerial and leadership skills by exposing them to the foundational elements required to manage a clinical research enterprise. It is expected that the experience will provide critical information for managing a clinical research program. With six core modules, the program targets physicians and allied health professionals, healthcare management, administrative professionals, extramural NIH staff overseeing clinical trials, and intramural NIH investigators. Click here for more information. 

Academic Medicine is seeking articles for a special issue examining the implications of comparative effectiveness research (CER) for academic health centers (AHCs) and how the academic medicine community should be contributing to CER. Of interest are articles that (1) examine strategies for incorporating knowledge derived from CER into all levels of clinical practice and medical education in AHCs; (2) report key strategies to further develop the CER knowledge base to assist patients, providers and policymakers in making data-based decisions; and (3) analyze relevant policy issues that must be considered in developing and using the CER knowledge base and the implications of these issues for medical schools and teaching hospitals. Proposals (not to exceed 300 words) and complete contact information should be submitted by January 31, 2010 to guest editor Harold Alan Pincus, MD, here. Click here for more information. 

ResearchMatch.org is an electronic volunteer recruitment registry designed to allow individuals from anywhere in the country an opportunity to securely self-register and express an interest in being prospectively considered for participation in research studies, including clinical trials. This disease-neutral, Web-based recruitment tool complements existing successful participant recruitment strategies employed throughout the CTSA. ResearchMatch is an effort involving the majority of the CTSA Consortium. For more information, contact info@researchmatch.org.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the NIH, has awarded approximately $208 million to two programs that support research to better understand the human immune response to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, including those that may be introduced into a community through acts of bioterrorism. The grants were awarded to the Cooperative Centers for Translational Research on Human Immunology and Biodefense (CCHI) and the Immune Mechanisms of Virus Control (IMVC). NIAID also has received approximately $21 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to supplement these two programs and fund some additional researchers. Rafi Ahmed, PhD, of Emory University, was awarded a portion of approximately $130 million over the next five years under the CCHI program and one year of supplemental Recovery Act funding in addition to the CCHI program funding. The long-term goal of the CCHI and IMVC programs are to identify new vaccines and drug targets. For more information click here. 

Dr. Nadine Kaslow, a professor at Emory University School of Medicine and chief psychologist at Grady Health System, was quoted on KY3.com in the article Springfield man advocates polyamory on October 29. Dr. Ifor Williams, a pathologist at Emory University School of Medicine, was quoted by Consumer Affairs in the article 'Conveyor Belt' route to better vaccines also published on October 29.

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), part of the NIH, is using $5.4 million of Recovery Act funds to accelerate basic studies of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS). These cells are reprogrammed from skin or other easily obtained adult cells and appear to be similar to stem cells derived from embryos. To speed iPS research, NIGMS has awarded one-year grant supplements to 22 scientists at 16 institutions in 12 states and the District of Columbia. Andres Garcia of Georgia Institute of Technology is one such investigator. To download a high-resolution image of an iPS cell, click here. Click here for more information.

RFA-HG-09-014 - Comparing Design Approaches for Sequencing Disease-Associated Regions Found in Genome-Wide Association Studies (U01). 

NIH funding to support the development, expansion, or reconfiguration of infrastructures needed to facilitate collaboration between academic health centers and community-based organizations for health science research. In this community research infrastructure program, NIH establishes the role of Community Research Associate (CRA), who will be a community representative and serve as a primary liaison facilitating communication and collaboration between the academic health center and the local community.  Applicants must identify at least one CRA. The NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement, Recovery Act Limited Competition: Building Sustainable Community-Linked Infrastructure to Enable Health Science Research (RC4), RFA-OD-09-010 has just been published in the NIH Guide. Click here for the full announcement. Letters of Intent are due November 12; the application deadline is December 11; and the earliest anticipated start date is July 2010. This initiative is funded under the Recovery Act. 

The Emory Center for Injury Control has created a multidisciplinary Faculty Seed Grant Program to facilitate and promote innovative, preliminary, and interdisciplinary research activities to yield future high-impact injury prevention research. The four categories of grants (One-year Pilot Grants, Grant Application Awards, Community-based, Capacity-building and Translation Research Grants, and Cooperative Grant) are designed to provide incentives and support for researchers to work collaboratively with interdisciplinary teams and community members on projects that can lead to larger grant proposals related to violence and unintentional injury prevention or that support the preparation of a larger grant proposal. The seed grants range in amounts but all reflect total costs (covering both direct and indirect costs, where applicable) for projects lasting one year or less. Application

The SPORE in Head and Neck Cancer is soliciting new proposals for two of its Pilot Project Programs. The Career Development Program (CDP) is designed to provide training and guidance for academic physician-scientists, clinician-investigators, and laboratory-based scientists who wish to dedicate their efforts to translational research in the areas of diagnosis, imaging, prevention, treatment, and improvement in quality of life in head and neck cancer. The CDP will fund up to three CDP candidates per year for a period of two years, with a maximum of $50,000 in direct funds for each year. The Developmental Research Program (DRP) seeks to identify new research opportunities and to increase the number of investigators engaged in translational research for head and neck cancer by supporting meritorious proposals that might expand into full research projects in the future. Original projects with the potential to develop into independent R01 grants with a focus in head and neck cancer are encouraged. The DRP will fund up to four pilot projects for a period of one year with a total of $35,000 in direct funds for each year. All applicants must submit a Letter of Intent to the SPORE Administrator (dmray@emory.edu) by Wednesday, November 25, prior to sending in proposals. Proposals must be prepared using forms provided in the CDP or DRP Application Package, and must be sent to the SPORE Administrator (dmray@emory.edu) by Friday, December 4. Further information about these two pilot project programs can be found here.

The Community Engagement & Research Program (CERP) Grants Program is designed to provide funding and technical assistance to community-based organizations (CBOs) to build capacity and skills to conduct research in collaboration with academic researchers. The CERP Collaborative Research Capacity Grants Program invites applications from community-based organizations interested in forming a research partnership with academic researchers affiliated with Morehouse School of Medicine, Emory University, or Georgia Tech. The grants program includes two phases: Phase 1 (March 1, 2010 to September 30, 2010): During this period, grantees will attend a series of workshops and apply what they learn to a new or existing health project in their organization. Workshops will cover community assessment, program planning, evaluation, and grant writing. Grantees will also work in collaboration with one or more academic researchers to design a pilot study that lays the groundwork for a research grant proposal developed in Phase 2. Funding for Phase 1 will be $15,000 and a brief continuation application will be required. Phase 2 (October 1, 2010 to September 30, 2011): During this period, grantees will conduct the pilot project planned in Phase 1 and work with academic researchers to write a grant proposal to address a community-identified health disparity. These grant proposals will ultimately be submitted to a government agency or to a foundation. Funding for Phase 2 will be $15,000. For more information click here.

Junior faculty at the MD or PhD level from a wide variety of disciplines at Emory University, Morehouse School of Medicine, or Georgia Institute of Technology who are committed to an academic career in clinical and/or translational research and who have excellent potential to become an independent clinical investigator are encouraged to apply to the KL2 - Mentored Clinical and Translational Research Scholars (MCTRS) Program. The KL2 award provides support for didactic and mentored research training for junior faculty committed to a career in clinical investigation. KL2 award recipients must devote 75% professional effort to the program. Applicants who are successfully funded will receive salary support, a KL2 technical budget ($25,000 per year) for research costs and tuition, and some salary support for the KL2 scholar's Lead Mentor. KL2 scholars accepted into the program will receive a total of 75% salary support for 75% effort in the program. Partial or matching salary support from the applicant's division, department or other non-federal sources is highly encouraged but not required. The KL2 - Mentored Clinical and Translational Research Scholars (MCTRS) Program is supported by the Atlanta Clinical & Translational Science Institute (ACTSI/NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA). Please see the program's website for more details. Those interested in applying are urged to contact Cheryl Sroka at the ACTSI Research Education, Training & Career Development (RETCD) program office at 404-727-5096 or csroka@emory.edu.

You are invited to attend a book-signing to honor Emory neurosurgeon and CNN medical journalist Dr. Sanjay Gupta. His new book, Cheating Death: The Miracles That Are Saving Lives Against All Odds, was published this fall. The event takes place on Wednesday, November 18, from 6:00-8:00 p.m., in the WHSCAB Auditorium (1440 Clifton Road). A program at 6:30 p.m. will include a short presentation by Dr. Gupta and some clips from his documentary, Another Day: Cheating Death. Read excerpt. Free parking is available at the Emory Michael Street Deck (550 Michael Street). 

The CTSA Public-Private Partnership Key Function Committee will organize a CTSA Industry Forum to take place on February 17-18, 2010, in the Natcher Conference Center in Bethesda, MD. The purpose of the forum is to explore current practices and successful management models to promote efficient and effective collaboration with CTSA organizations. The goal is to streamline the development of new drugs, devices, and diagnostics to improve the public health of the nation. For more information, contact Lili Portilla, NCRR. 

The Association for Prevention Teaching and Research (APTR), in partnership with Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research (MICHR), will sponsor Improving Children's Health Through Community-Engaged Research, on April 23, 2010, at the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor, MI. This workshop will feature prominent experts and dynamic breakout sessions designed to prepare for conducting team science. The event will also focus on developing academic and community partnerships to improve the health of children and youth-through collaborative, community-engaged research.  A pre-workshop reception is planned for the evening of April 22. For more information, contact Molly White or Nichole Washington. 

Washington University in St. Louis will again host the National Predoctoral Clinical Research Training Program Meeting, May 3-4, 2010. Meeting events will take place in the Eric P. Newman Education Center and the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center at Washington University School of Medicine. The goals of this meeting are to bring together TL1 Predoctoral Program trainees from CTSA consortium institutions to share research findings and experiences and to provide TL1 Predoctoral Program Directors an opportunity to meet face-to-face and discuss common issues of program management and predoctoral student career development. Program administrators are also welcome to attend. For more information, visit the meeting website or email Joe Wilson. 

The new curriculum in the Emory University School of Medicine now includes a Discovery Phase that requires all third year students who have completed medical school through their clinical rotations, to engage in an approved, mentored research project for at least five continuous months beginning in the spring of 2010. There is no salary commitment on the part of mentors or projects to have these talented individuals join your team.  Click here for more information.

Current medical students at Emory University School of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), and other health professional trainees pursuing doctoral degrees in public health, biomedical engineering, nursing and other fields at Emory, MSM and GA Tech can apply for short-term (3 month) stipends ($5,190 of salary support) funded by the Research Education, Training and Career Development (RETCD) program of the ACTSI. This mechanism will support medical and graduate students who are interested in a short course program focused on clinical and/or translational research under the mentorship of a successful, federally funded faculty mentor. Application for the short-term training program includes several components that should be submitted electronically. For more information please click here.

The Grady East Point Neighborhood Clinic site is a community-based ACTSI Clinical Interaction Site that provides comprehensive support for clinical investigation with various core resources and facilities. ACTSI provides support, equipment, consultation, nursing and lab services, and the infrastructure necessary for Emory, MSM, and Georgia Tech faculty to conduct clinical research at the Grady East Point Neighborhood Clinic. For more information please click here. To learn how to submit a protocol click here.