DEADLINES

The Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital Department of Pediatrics and Manne Research Institute Office of Research Development staff are planning to highlight presentations by faculty, fellows, and residents at this year's Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Meeting in Denver, April 21–25. If you are presenting at PAS, please return the attached form or forward a copy of your PAS acceptance letter to Kathy Ozmeral by March 14. 

Presenter: Joshua Wechsler, MD, MSCI

Presentation Title: Rapid mast cell activation drives mucosal barrier dysfunction in eosinophilic esophagitis

Presentation Description: Mucosal mastocytosis is well-appreciated in eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), however its role in pathogenesis, and as biomarker of disease activity remains unclear. This talk will focus on the recent identification of increased mast cell density among treated EoE patients with persistent mucosal barrier dysfunction (MBD) despite resolution of eosinophilia. In addition, rapid mast cell activation has been identified as a key factor in driving MBD in EoE, supporting the need for targeting of mast cells in EoE.

Time: March 7, 11:00 a.m.–noon

Location: Virtual meeting via Microsoft Teams. Please follow the link below. Google Chrome is suggested for best quality. When joining please click "audio off" to prevent an echo.

Virtual Research-in-Progress presentation slots are available every Monday from 11:00 a.m. to noon. Sign up for a RiP presentation opportunity here. (Sharepoint site)

The Office of Research Development will continue to host a newly expanded version of Research Professional (RP) Orientation on the second Tuesday of each month. RP Orientation will provide an overview of Manne Research Institute, research administrative offices and support services, available research technologies, research specific training and education, and research professional community engagement opportunities.

The next orientation session will be held virtually on March 8 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.

Supervisors and managers must complete the RP Orientation Intake form for all new hires. Please note that one intake request is required per employee. Contact [email protected] with any questions or concerns.

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine’s Galter Health Sciences Library & Learning Center is offering the following classes during the month of March:

All times are CST. Click on the class links for descriptions and to register. Classes fill up quickly and registration is recommended. Classes meet for approximately one hour and are free to affiliates of the Galter Health Sciences Library & Learning Center. Many of the classes are available by request to Feinberg School of Medicine faculty, staff, students, and residents. For a complete list of available classes, click here.

Email [email protected] for more information.

The Best Practices, Education & Tools Committee of the Institute for Advanced Clinical Trials for Children (I-ACT) will host “Clinical Research Staff Recruitment and Retention,” an educational webinar scheduled for March 8 from 11:00 a.m. to noon. Panelists will be announced soon. SOCRA members will be able to apply for CEU credits. View the flyer here. Questions can be directed to [email protected].

Registration is open for the next Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) course offering. Classes will be held online via Zoom on Thursdays from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. CST, through March 31 (12 classes total). Northwestern University postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty who have received NIH training or career development awards are required to complete the RCR series, which provides an overview of the principles and expectations of conducting research ethically and responsibly. View the syllabus (.PDF)

Research Scholar Day is an opportunity to share and celebrate scholarly work being done at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute. Hosted by Lurie Children’s, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and Manne Research Institute, this year’s event will be held in the Simpson Querrey Institute building on May 11 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Opening remarks will be delivered by Dr. Matthew Davis, Dr. Patrick Seed, and Dr. Jennifer Trainor. The poster sessions will be structured to allow presenters to have an opportunity to view the research of their peers. A faculty reviewer will be assigned to each presenter to review the research and speak with presenters briefly during their assigned session. Presenters may also invite mentors, program directors, and other colleagues to attend.

The deadline to submit abstracts is April 15. Posters should be printed to be displayed on May 11. Further details about the opportunity can be found here (PDF).

The Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute website will be launched in 2022. It will feature profiles for individual researchers and lab or program pages for affiliated research groups. The Office of Research Development invites you to submit information about yourself for your new profile page using this form.

If you are the head of a lab or research group, please visit the research communications page and select the appropriate form for your research pillar.

Please have submissions completed by March 31. If you have any questions, or would like to discuss the contents of your new Manne Research Institute profile in more detail, please contact the Office of Research Development.

To close our current system and change over to Workday for expense reporting, please be aware of the following deadlines:

The Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences (NUCATS) Institute is accepting nominations from community stakeholders to serve on the inaugural NUCATS Community Advisory Board. Nominations, including self-nominations, are due today, February 28. The mission of the NUCATS Institute is to accelerate innovative and inclusive clinical research from the lab to the community to improve human health for all. Contact NUCATS Administrative Director Keith Herzog at [email protected] with questions.

The Northwestern Primary Care Practice-based Research Program (NP3) announced its 2022 cycle of practice-based research seed grants for Northwestern University researchers and primary care clinicians or practices to collaboratively develop a partnership and research area of interest that addresses an issue of importance to primary care. Clinicians from Federally Qualified Health Centers or community health centers, Northwestern Medicine Primary Care practices, Pediatric Practice Research Group practices, and Northwestern researchers are invited to apply. Awards will be given for Research Collaborations and Partnership Development proposals.

Visit the NP3 website to learn more about this opportunity, access the RFP, and view examples of previous awardees. Interested applicants are required to contact NP3 to discuss the fit and feasibility of an application by March 2. Interested faculty should contact their Office of Sponsored Programs contact as soon as possible.

Cures Within Reach Announces RFP for Rare Disease Clinical Repurposing Trials Supporting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Cures Within Reach, a Chicago-based philanthropic leader in drug, device, and nutraceutical repurposing research, announces a new funding opportunity/request for proposals (RFP) for budgets up to $50,000 for rare disease clinical repurposing trials supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Eligible rare diseases clinical repurposing trials are led by U.S.-based underrepresented racial/ethnic minority PIs as defined by the NIH, Section A or address rare disease racial/ethnic health disparities as defined by the NIH (can be led by U.S.-based PIs of any ethnicity). The RFP is part of Cures Within Reach’s CureAccelerator Live! for Rare Diseases philanthropic pitch event to be held on June 9 (attendance can be virtual). Proposal submissions are due March 9.

Visit Cures Within Reach for more information and direct questions to [email protected]. Please reach out to your OSP contact as soon as possible, if interested in pursuing this opportunity.

Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital is accepting applications for the 2022 Katz and Manne Research Institute Summer Scholars Program. The program is designed to provide undergraduates summer experiences in research related to childhood health and disease. Through the ongoing generosity of Jim & Ellyn Katz and the Manne Research Institute, we are offering competitive paid research opportunities with Manne Research Institute investigators located in Chicago.

Interested students should review our website to learn more about this year’s course offerings, participating faculty mentors, and representative research projects from their research teams. Prioritization will be given to students who plan to attend the program in-person, although virtual research projects will be considered.

Applications are due March 11. Award notifications will be sent by email by April 4. Please share this information within your network to help identify interested students.

Northwestern Memorial Foundation and the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences (NUCATS) Institute announce the Request for Applications for the 2022 Dixon Translational Research Grants Initiative. The Dixon Translational Research Grants Initiative is seeking proposals for innovative, multi-disciplinary clinical and translational research collaborations at Northwestern Medicine that can make an impact in medical science at a national level. The deadline to submit applications is March 18 by 5:00 p.m. CST. For information on the award classifications, funding levels, and application process, visit Dixon Translational Research Grants Initiative.

Attaining the goal of advancing our national and international reputation as a premier children’s hospital will require a robust and mixed portfolio of individual and multi-investigator federal grants. As one step to meet this goal, Lurie Children’s Hospital and Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute have implemented a mandatory Scientific Peer Review (SPR) process for all prime Federal grant submissions. Click the button below to learn more.

Content submitted for this bi-weekly Events & Deadlines update will be published at the next available opportunity. To submit an item for the Manne Research Institute's monthly newsletter, including staff news, research highlights, educational opportunities, and more, please use this link. Newsletter content should be submitted by the last business day of each month. You can also visit the Research Communications page for archived updates, newsletters, and additional resources.