The National Science Foundation (NSF) is launching its 2022 NSF Policy Office Webinar Series focusing on specific topics of interest to the research community. The first webinar in the series—scheduled for today (January 31)—will detail NSF’s Current and Pending Support Policy and frequently asked questions.

Attendees are encouraged to submit questions in advance so that speakers and panelists may tailor their remarks to answer the most pressing questions. Please submit your questions to [email protected] or when you register here. There is no cost to participate. Recordings from previous webinars and conferences are available on the NSF’s Resource Center page or YouTube channel.

The deadline to register for the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS) Dissemination & Implementation (D&I) Science Program’s 4th Annual Implementation Science Reading Course is February 1. The course content and discussions are geared toward researchers and practitioners new to the field of implementation science and research teams applying for NUCATS D&I pilot funds or other D&I-sponsored funding. Students, trainees, and faculty from Northwestern University and NUCATS affiliates are invited to participate.

The online course will run February 17–June 9, with meetings held 9:00–10:00 a.m. CST every two weeks (on Tuesdays).

Course enrollment is limited to 30 participants. To sign up before the February 1 deadline, please complete this brief registration survey. For questions about the course or the NUCATS D&I Program, e-mail [email protected].

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

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 Office of Research Development is excited to announce an expanded version of research professional (RP) orientation, including content relevant for research professionals across all four Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute Pillars:

The first orientation session will be held virtually on February 15 from 9:00–11:00 a.m.

Research Professional (RP) Orientation will provide an overview of the Manne Research Institute, research administrative offices and support services, available research technologies, research specific training and education, and research professional community engagement opportunities.

Newly hired RPs across all research pillars, research students, interns, and research administrative staff. In addition, we encourage and invite all current RPs to sign up for a refresher in the upcoming months.

RP Orientation will be held virtually on the second Tuesday of each month. The session will last 90 minutes.

How do I sign-up or assign a new RP up for a session? 

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.

The Best Practices, Education & Tools (BET) 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). 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)

"Succeeding with Your K Award" professional development seminar series allows early career faculty members and post-doctoral fellows to look at their own work and that of others in a critical but supportive manner. The free interactive and supportive peer-mentoring sessions offered through NUCATS cover a variety of topics, including elevator pitches, the K-to-R transition, and diversifying your funding portfolio.

The sessions are held the third Monday of each month (except January). The next session (held via Zoom) is February 21 from noon to 1:30 p.m. CST. NUCATS sends invitations to early career faculty members or post-doctoral fellows supported on a National Institutes of Health K Award. If you have not received an invitation and feel you should be included, please email Christine Charles, Program Coordinator, NUCATS.

The Office of Research Development, in collaboration with Dr. Paul Schumacker, is seeking additional presenters for the "Research in Progress" series. This is an excellent opportunity to share your work with our research enterprise and continue fostering a sense of community and collaboration with one another. Please note, at this time all presentations will be online utilizing the Microsoft Teams platform.

To sign up for a RIP presentation slot, please add your name, lab, and preferred email to a vacant window in the Excel sign-up document (on the Lurie Children's Sharepoint site). Please do not overwrite existing reservations. If you have any technical difficulties signing up or questions, please email Beatrice Apikos-Bennett.

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 February 28. 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.

The deadline to submit applications to the inaugural Lurie Children’s Digital Health Investigator Award, which recognizes academic pursuits related to digital health tools, is today, January 31.

Click here to begin the application process. Complete the form indicating your interest and then receive a slide template via email to pitch your idea. Once you submit your slide deck (4 slides maximum) you’ll receive an invitation to participate in a 15-minute pitch session scheduled in February to pitch your idea to Digital Health Leaders and Smith Child Health Catalyst research experts. Submissions received before the January 31 deadline will have the opportunity to receive feedback in advance of the pitch session, though early submissions are not required. You may also attend optional drop-in sessions held on Fridays in January to refine your idea with a member of the Digital Health Investigator Award team. A link to office hours will be included in the email with the slide template.

The annual Conflict of Interest Survey for research at Lurie Children’s Hospital will launch Tomorrow, Tuesday, February 1. You will receive a link to the survey and login instructions if you are subject to one or more policy regarding conflicts of interest and business integrity. For Manne Research Institute investigators, this includes requirements to disclose certain external financial relationships as required by federal and institutional policies if responsible for the design, conduct, or reporting of research or sponsored programs.

As a reminder, new significant financial interests must be disclosed on an ongoing basis within 30 days of discovering or acquiring the interest. Additional details can be found in Lurie Children’s Policy on Financial Conflicts of Interest in Research and Sponsored Programs.

If you have questions regarding your financial interest disclosures in research, or the review and management process, please contact the Office of Research Integrity and Compliance (ORIC) at 312-503-7110 or [email protected]

As the Research Business Office prepares for the launch of Workday and continues the work on the organization-wide At Hand transformation, we need to limit or stop updates to some of the legacy systems to ensure data can be transferred from systems such as Infor-Lawson and ImageNow into Workday. The RBO will be issuing further changeover memos and reminders as we approach the April Go Live date.

Clarification: This does not apply to funds or grants, only operating cost centers. Funds/Grants will continue to be opened on Lawson through mid-March. More information will be provided as that date approaches.

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

To make this period easier for those who are incurring expenses and those awaiting reimbursement, please note:

Please follow this link to more detailed information regarding the Workday transformation.

Applications for the Voices of Child Health in Chicago Survey Investigator Opportunity Due February 7  

The deadline to apply for the Voices of Child Health in Chicago (VOCHIC) Survey Investigator Opportunity is February 7. Investigators and study teams can apply to have a brief survey module administered to approximately 1,000 Chicago parents in an upcoming wave of the VOCHIC Parent Panel Survey. Junior investigators are particularly encouraged to apply.

This is the second round of the VOCHIC Survey Investigator Opportunity. Data from past investigators have been used in manuscripts, conference abstracts, VOCHIC reports, and as pilot data in grant applications.

Click here for additional details. To apply, please fill out this application and submit the completed form to Marie Heffernan, Associate Director, Voices of Child Health in Chicago, at [email protected]. 

Applications due February 18 

The Northwestern Primary Care Practice-based Research Program (NP3) announces 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 February 18. 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 has announced a funding opportunity Request for Proposals (RFP), accepting budgets up to $50,000 for rare disease clinical repurposing trials supporting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. More information can be found here.

To start a proposal, log into CureAccelerator or sign up as a Researcher or Clinician. Please direct questions to [email protected].

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.