MGH Research News for August 9, 2024

August 9, 2024

Announcements, events, funding opportunities and more news for the Mass General Research Institute community.

In this edition:

(Scroll down for more info and click on the links for additional details)

Funding Opportunities

CORT Pilot & Feasibility Award
Center for Musculoskeletal Research Requests Proposal for Pilot and Feasibility Studies
NIMH Instrumentation Program
Harrington Prize for Innovation in Medicine
Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Pilot Study Grants
Limited Submission Funding
Foundation Funding Opportunities

Announcements:

NEW Animal Bioware web site maintenance
NEW! IACUC Policy Updates
NEW Pathways to Science Mentors for Bunker Hill Community College Students
NEW Anaconda Software
Mass General Brigham Research Hub Website
Call for Posters, Clinical Research Day

Events:

Conquering the K Workshop
NEW Parental Wellness Program Summer Series
MGB Cancer Forum
The Center for Suicide Research and Prevention Annual Conference
NEW Speed Mentoring Hour
NEW Drop-In Sessions for CRCs
4th Annual Conference on Precision Psychiatry
The Lowdown on the HMS Teaching Requirement and Fulfilling Ways to Fulfill It
Women in Medicine and Science Symposium and Marcela del Carmen Lecture 2024
NEW MGH Research Core Day
MGRI & Chen Research Symposium
2024 Virtual Tumor Course
Mentoring the Mentors Workshop
Two Meditation Sessions available every week

NEW CORT Pilot & Feasibility Award

The Center of Research Translation on Osteoporosis Bone Anabolic Therapies (CORT), based in the Endocrine Unit at MGH, and funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (NIAMS) P50 mechanism is announcing a request for Pilot and Feasibility Research proposals ($30,000/year direct costs plus 15% indirect costs). This announcement is directed to faculty proposing highly focused research projects that address mechanisms of action of osteoporosis bone anabolic therapies using preclinical or clinical models. Specifically, pilot and feasibility funding is encouraged to be used to support development of novel technologies that contribute to this goal. Awardees will be expected to present progress to CORT members biannually and provide a written annual report.

Letter of intent due: Friday, Sept 13

Learn more

Center for Musculoskeletal Research Requests Proposal for Pilot and Feasibility Studies

The Center for Musculoskeletal Research (CSR), based in the Endocrine Unit at MGH, and funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (NIAMS) is announcing a request for Pilot and Feasibility Research proposals ($35,000/year), NO RENEWALS ARE ALLOWED. The Awardees will be expected to present progress to CSR members biannually and provide a written annual report.

Letter of intent due: Monday, August 19

Learn more

NIMH Instrumentation Program

The NIMH Instrumentation Program (S10) encourages applications from NIH funded investigators that conduct mental health-related research to purchase or upgrade a single commercially available instrument or a group of components to create an instrument that is not commercially available. There is no maximum limit on the cost of the instrument, though the amount awarded by the NIH will be between $200,000 and $600,000. Examples of instruments that might be submitted under this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) include light microscopes, electron microscopes, spectrophotometers, and biomedical imagers.

If you are interested in applying for this grant, please fill out this NIMH S10 application and confirmation of endorsement form and return it to ecor@mgh.harvard.edu by Wednesday, September 4, 2024. We encourage applicants to continue working on their NIH application while ECOR reviews your internal LOI.

The MGH Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) will commit funding to provide institutional support for NIMH S10 proposals. ECOR has made this commitment because it recognizes that institutional support greatly increases the likelihood that a S10 will be funded.

The NIH deadline for applications is October 9, 2024, so we would greatly appreciate your notification of interest as soon as possible.

Learn more

Harrington Prize for Innovation in Medicine

The Harrington Prize for Innovation in Medicine, presented by the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals – part of The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development – honors a physician-scientist who has moved science forward with notable achievements in innovation, creativity and potential for clinical application.

This annual prize includes:

An unrestricted $20,000 honorarium
The Harrington Prize Lecture, delivered at the 2025 AAP/ASCI/APSA Joint Meeting
Lecture at the 2025 Harrington Discovery Institute Symposium
A personal essay, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation

This prize requires an institutional nomination; however, MGH is not limited in the number of nominees we can submit. If you are interested, please contact MGH ECOR at ecor@mg.harvard.edu by August 14, 2024 to be considered.

Learn more

Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Pilot/feasibility Study Grants

FUNDING POLICIES: Awards will be between $35,000-50,000 Direct Costs plus Indirect Costs. Recipients of PFS grants will be expected to utilize at least one CSIBD Biomedical Core CSIBD Cores (massgeneral.org), present the progress of their PFS during the CSIBD Annual Workshop and Symposium held in November, provide a written interim progress report during the first year of the project and a final progress report after the completion of the project, and acknowledge support from the CSIBD (P30DK043351) on presentations and manuscripts resulting from the PFS project.

DEADLINE: September 30th 2024

FUNDING PERIOD: Rolling. 12 month period.

Learn more

Limited Submission Funding Opportunities

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.

CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES:

See full details for all awards on our website.

Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) Organizational Research Education Award to Promote Diversity (UE5 – Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

MGH LOI Deadline: 8/09/24

Learn more

G. Harold & Leila Y. Mathers Foundation Grants

MGH LOI Deadline: 8/12/24

Learn more

Short Courses on Utilizing the NIH Stage Model to Develop Behavioral Interventions to Promote Healthy Aging (R25 – Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) – NEW!

MGH LOI Deadline: 8/13/24

Learn more

Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) (T32)

MGH LOI Deadline: 8/14/24

Learn more

Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Centers (P30 Clinical Trial Optional)

MGH LOI Deadline: 8/15/24

Learn more

Modern Equipment for Shared-use Biomedical Research Facilities: Advancing Research-Related Operations (S15 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) – NEW!

MGH LOI Deadline: 8/19/24

Learn more

Foundation Funding Opportunities

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 opportunities. Note that proposals are still routed through the standard InfoEd/Research Management process.

For all open foundation funding announcements, see the MGB Innovation External Funding Database

CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES:

See this week’s full foundation funding announcements (including eligibility, RM deadlines, and IDC) on our website.

NEW! Implementation Research Grant (multiple funding levels), American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)/American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF). $100,000 (10% IDC). LOI Deadline: September 20
Intervention Research Grant Program, American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)/American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF). $50,000 (10% IDC). LOI Deadline: September 20
New Investigator Awards, American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT). $100,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: August 30
National Glaucoma Research (NGR): Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards, BrightFocus Foundation. $150,000 (IDC Exempt). Application Deadline: October 31
National Glaucoma Research (NGR): Standard Awards, BrightFocus Foundation. $200,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: October 31
Pathway and Pipeline Research Grants, CurePSP – Foundation for PSP/CBD and Related Brain Diseases. $100,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: October 3
Discovery Grant Program (DGP), Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). $750,000 (10% IDC). LOI Deadline: September 18
Emerging Issues Grant, Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). $100,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: September 27
Research Opportunities (multiple opps), Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES). $50,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: November 15

Do you want to learn more about identifying external funding opportunities? Please click here to request a research consultation with Amy Robb or see ECOR’s website for information on the Pivot database.

NEW Animal Bioware web site maintenance

On Thursday, August 15, 2024 from 3:30pm – 6:30pm, CCM-IT will be performing maintenance to the Animal Bioware web application.

Please do not attempt to access the application during this maintenance window as it will be unavailable during this time.

If you have any questions or problems, please contact CCMITSUPPORT@PARTNERS.ORG

NEW! IACUC Policy Updates

The following revised policies and guidelines were approved by the MGH IACUC and are available for review on the MGH IACUC website. Please review these documents to ensure that you are following current requirements and be sure to update any relevant documents and practices you may have in your laboratory.

Effective September 1, 2024:

Policy on Housing of Vertebrate Animals Outside of CCM Centralized Facilities, Version 3.0
Guidelines for Surgical Fire Prevention, Version 2.3

If you have any questions, please contact the MGH IACUC Office or MGH IACUC Compliance.

NEW Seeking Pathways to Science and Medicine Mentors

for Promising Bunker Hill Community College Students

The Pathways to Science and Medicine (PSM) Workshops and Mentoring Program is a joint initiative with Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC), Mass General Postdoc Association, Harvard Medical Postdoc Association (HMPA), and MGH Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI). The purpose of the program is to further expose BHCC students to diverse career paths within the fields of science and medicine by way of workshops and mentoring.

When: Spring Semester October 2024 through December 2024

Communications Tool(s): Teams, Zoom or Phone

Learn more

NEW Anaconda Software - Update from Digital

Background:

Anaconda software is used by many researchers to simplify use of Python. The company changed their licensing model in 2020 to significantly limit use of the free tier. Anaconda recently informed MGB that we appeared to have many users of this product that require the purchase of a paid license.

What’s changed:

Mass General Brigham is no longer eligible to use the free tier. From Anaconda’s website “Nonprofit entities with over 200 employees or contractors require a paid license of Anaconda Business or Enterprise.”

Learn more

Mass General Brigham Research Hub Website

We are pleased to announce that the Mass General Brigham Research Hub website is now live at https://researchhub.mgb.org /! The Research Hub is the new home for Mass General Brigham Research Compliance and Mass General Brigham Research Education and Training. Our offices have worked with Mass General Brigham Digital to create this site to serve as the single source of truth for our research compliance and research education offices for all of Mass General Brigham. We are in the process of updating individual websites across the system to redirect users to this new single source. Please visit the Research Hub and let us know what you think!

Please Note: Research Hub is NOT replacing the Research Navigator site. All other research oversight and support offices will remain on the Navigator site.

Call for Posters, Clinical Research Day

The Division of Clinical Research would like to thank you for participating in this year’s Clinical Research Day (CRD). Abstract submission is now closed. We have begun accepting poster submissions. The abstract book will be compiled and available at CRD on October 10, 2024.

Poster Submission is due by Sunday, September 15, 2024.

An astounding 218 submissions have expressed interest in presenting a poster this year. This is a truly heartening level of interest that aptly exemplifies the strength of the research community here at MGH.

See these events and more on the calendar of events

Conquering the K Workshop

August 12, 2024, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm, Virtual

Speaker: Karen Miller, MD, Chief, Neuroendocrine Unit, MGH

This is a workshop for NIH Career Development Grants or K Grants applicants. Bring one section of your upcoming K grant to review and discuss with fellow applicants and one of our experienced faculty! Please sign up for the Conquering the K Course to review basic information on K grants and specific pieces. It is highly recommended that you take this course before attending the workshops.

NEW Parental Wellness Program Summer Series

August 19, 2024, 12:00 - 1:00, Virtual

Parents with kids of all ages – join us for an informal discussion about pre-teen and adolescent development and associated topics. Please send your questions ahead of time to help guide the conversation.

Facilitator: Julie Potter, MD, Physician at MGHfC Adolescent Medicine

Faculty Parental Wellness Program’s mission is to support faculty across MGB who are navigating parenthood through initiatives that promote well-being, build community, support a healthy work-life balance, and foster both personal wellness and professional productivity.

NEW Drop-In Sessions for CRCs

August 21, 2024, 12:00 - 1:00, Virtual

Are you a clinical research coordinator? Do you have questions about MGB or MGH clinical research processes or systems, who to contact, and the next steps? We are here to help. Come to the DCR’s Virtual Drop-In Sessions for CRCs! Get answers to all of your clinical research operations questions from experienced members of the DCR and chat with your fellow CRCs. Drop-in sessions are hosted on MS Teams bi-weekly on Wednesdays from Noon to 1:00 PM starting June 12th.

Teams Link

NEW MGB Cancer Forum

September 9, 2024, 12:00 -1:00 pm, Virtual

We are delighted to launch the MGB Cancer Forum “snap-talk” series, which will be held virtually, starting September 9, 2024, and then on the first and third Monday of each month from 12:00-1pm (with alternative dates for holidays).

This new series builds on the past three years of success with the popular MGH Cancer Forum, which we are now expanding as an introductory, community-building zoom seminar series across MGB Cancer. Our format involves three 12-minute talks, each followed by a moderated Q/A. Speakers for the MGB Cancer Forum are drawn from lab-based cancer research faculty at MGH and BWH, with the goal of including all investigators at our institutions within a two-to-three-year rotation.

The Center for Suicide Research and Prevention (CSRP) Annual Conference

September 18, 2024, 9:00 – 2:00 PM, Virtual

The Center for Suicide Research and Prevention (CSRP) at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University is the NIH’s newest practice-based center for suicide research. We are a multidisciplinary center aimed at advancing and implementing innovative research. The CSRP is hosting a free, virtual conference that aims to share the expertise of scientists, clinicians, and community leaders shaping the future of suicide prevention. The event will be held virtually on Wednesday, September 18, 2024 from 9 AM – 2 PM EST via Zoom.

NEW Speed Mentoring Hour

September 19, 2024, 1:00 - 2:00, Virtual

Every month, two mentor leaders from different departments will answer your questions about any aspect of being a mentee or mentor. You do not need to be in the same department as the leaders—this event is open to faculty across MGH, but registration is required. Come ready with your questions and be ready to learn not only from the senior mentoring leaders but also from fellow attendees.

This session is scheduled for September 12, 1 – 2 pm, with Joshua Goldstein, MD, PhD, Vice Chair for Faculty Affairs, Emergency Medicine; and Narasaiah “Nara” Gavini, PhD, MPhil, Associate Provost for Research, MGH Institute of Health Professions.

Mentor leaders will meet with up to 8 faculty members, each given 7-8 minutes to ask questions on any aspect of mentoring or being mentored and receive input from the mentor leaders.

10th Annual World Medical Innovation Forum

September 23-25, 2024

Presented by Mass General Brigham and Bank of America, the 2024 World Medical Innovation Forum will focus on three major investment and scientific growth areas—oncology, rare disease, and immunology and inflammation. At the Forum, you’ll have direct access to speakers and peers including dozens of leading CEOs, senior investors, entrepreneurs, government officials, and prominent Harvard clinicians and scientists.

We look forward to welcoming you to Boston—the hub of biotech—and the state-of-the-art meeting center at the top-rated Encore Boston Harbor September 23–25.

The Lowdown on the HMS Teaching Requirement and Fulfilling Ways to Fulfill It

September 24, 2024, 12:00 – 1:00 pm, Zoom

Attend this panel discussion to gain clarity on what constitutes teaching and awareness of existing opportunities and ways to grow as a teacher. The goal of this session is for faculty to develop meaningful and fulfilling teaching responsibilities.

Panelists:

Bernard S. Chang, MD, Dean for Medical Education

Grace C. Huang, MD, Dean for Faculty Affairs and Professor of Medicine, HMS

Alberto Puig, MD, PhD, FACP, SFHM, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education and the Morton Swartz MD Academy Associate Professor of Medicine, HMS

Rosalind Segal, MD, PhD, Dean for Graduate Education and Professor of Neurobiology, HMS

Women in Medicine and Science Symposium and Marcela del Carmen Lecture 2024

September 25, 2024, 3:00 - 6:00 PM, Simches Research Building 2nd floor

The Women in Medicine and Science Symposium highlights the achievements of women faculty and trainees at Brigham and Women’s and Mass General Hospitals. The Symposium celebrates the accomplishments of women faculty and trainees across different disciplines – including basic science, clinical and translational research, clinical innovation, and education – with the goal of strengthening the MGB community.

Marcela del Carmen Lecture Keynote speaker: Jill Goldstein, PhD, MPH

NEW MGH Research Core Day

September 26, 2024, 2:00 - 4:00 pm – CNY Building 149, Conference Room A

Please join the Research Community in learning more about the Cores! Cores from other institutions are welcomed to join! Light refreshments and a raffle will be provided.

Please contact researchmanagement@mgh.harvard.edu if you have any questions, or if you would like to register your core. General attendees do NOT need to register for this event.

4th Annual Conference on Precision Psychiatry

Innovation to Implementation

September 26-27, 2024

The Annual Conference on Precision Psychiatry, hosted by the MGH Center for Precision Psychiatry, is becoming a leading venue for showcasing advances in the application of precision medicine approaches to psychiatric research and clinical practice. The Conference will be held virtually over the course of two days: Thursday, September 26th and Friday, September 27th, 2024.

Earn 7 continued education credits for participating this year!

MGRI & Chen Research Symposium

October 16, 2024, 9:00 - 12:00 PM, Simches Research Center

Learn how researchers and clinicians are using the latest in artificial intelligence technology to advance our understanding of disease, improve patient care and streamline healthcare delivery at Massachusetts General Hospital, in the communities we serve and across the globe.

2024 Virtual Tumor Course

October 28, 2024 – Thursday, October 31, 2024

39th Critical Issues in Tumor Microenvironment: Angiogenesis, Metastasis and Immunology

For comprehensive information about this course, including faculty, schedule, and pricing, please visit the 39th Critical Issues in Tumor Microenvironment: Angiogenesis, Metastasis and Immunology website

The “39th Annual Critical Issues in Tumor Microenvironment: Angiogenesis, Metastasis and Immunology” course will continue to offer the best in critical analysis of what is currently known about the tumor microenvironment, angiogenesis, metastasis, immunology. This will include chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies, tumor metabolism, and the role of microbiome.

Mentoring the Mentors Workshop

October 28-29, 2024

The 2-day in person workshop features didactic and interactive sessions on practical tips for mentoring including sessions on the meaning of mentorship, leadership styles, emotional intelligence, distance mentoring, team-based mentoring, individual development plans, funding sources for mentoring efforts, time managemenet and teaching work-life balance to mentees.