In this edition:

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

Funding Opportunities

• NEW Mass General Neuroscience Transformative Scholar Awards
• Mass General Brigham Precision & Genomic Medicine T32
• Pilot & Feasibility Grants in Nutrition, Obesity, and/or Metabolism
• MGH Physician and/or Scientist Development Award 2024
• The Tommy Fuss Scholars Program in Precision Psychiatry
• The MGH Claflin Distinguished Scholar Awards
• Limited Submission Funding
• Foundation Funding Opportunities

Announcements:

• NEW Celebration of Science 2024 Virtual Poster Session
• Mass General Brigham MESH Core 2024
• My Green Lab Certification
• NORC Initiative – Inspire Program 
• The Global Non-Communicable Disease Research Training
• Discounted Stata Licenses

Events:

• NEW Faculty Transition Webinar Series
• 2023 Anne Klibanski Visiting Lecture Series 13
• NEW Basic Biostatistics for Clinical Research
• NEW Parenting Series
• Ethical Considerations of Access to Investigational Medicines
• NEW Celebration of Mentoring at MGH
• NEW Biobank Portal
• NEW Digital Research Education
• NEW Introduction to Research Patient Data Registry
• NEW K to R Transition Workshop
• NEW REDCap Getting Started
• Two Meditation Sessions available every week

NEW Mass General Neuroscience Transformative Scholar Awards



Thanks to generous philanthropic donations, Mass General Neuroscience (MGN) will provide up to seven (7) Neuroscience Awards to encourage and support young investigators in conducting laboratory and/or clinical research in Neuroscience and Brain Health, Tinnitus, Neurodegeneration, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (new this year). Interdisciplinary research across 2 or more of the 4 departments representing Neurosciences is encouraged but not required.

Each award will consist of a commitment of $150,000 total costs ($75K annually total costs for two years, inclusive of 20% indirect costs) intended to support salary and/or research expenses of the junior investigator during a two-year period at Mass General.

Mass General Brigham Precision & Genomic Medicine T32



The MGB Training Program in Precision & Genomic Medicine, co-led by Jordan W. Smoller, MD, ScD, and Heidi Rehm, PhD, brings together three outstanding components to build a world-class training program in precision and genomic medicine:

1. An internationally-recognized faculty with expertise in precision and genomic medicine across a broad range of disciplines.
2. Outstanding institutional resources bridging clinical, genomic, and data sciences.
3. Deep engagement with cutting edge, collaborative initiatives at the regional, national, and international levels to provide rich training experiences.

Funding is for 2-years and awards cover salary, travel to professional meetings, and other training-related expenses. Trainees will perform research in their respective Mentor’s lab but will participate in all T32 training related requirements (meetings, journal club, etc.) throughout the Mass General Brigham Healthcare System.

Application materials are due February 23, 2024 at 5:00 PM, and the fellowship term begins July 2024. Please direct any inquiries to Program Manager, Marina Wilson (mwilson49@mgh.harvard.edu). 

Pilot & Feasibility Grants in Nutrition, Obesity, and/or Metabolism



The Nutrition Obesity Research Center at Harvard (NORCH) is currently seeking applications for Pilot & Feasibility Grants related to nutrition, obesity, and metabolism. These awards are for up to $30,000, with the possibility for up to $30,000 additional funding during year 2 via a competitive renewal. The deadline to apply is February 2, 2023.

MGH Physician and/or Scientist Development Award 2024

The MGH Physician and/or Scientist Development Award (PSDA) is designed for MD and/or PhD investigators at MGH who are considered underrepresented in academic medicine (UiM). This Award is intended to provide transitional funding for support in the development of physicians and scientists underrepresented in academic medicine, and thereby increase opportunities for UiM researchers to advance to senior positions in academic medicine at MGH. This award is a key faculty initiative of the CDI. 

How much is the award?

$180,000 plus 20% indirect costs will be awarded to be spent over a three or four-year period, with a maximum of $60,000 plus indirect costs per year for 3-year awards and a maximum of $45,000 plus indirect costs per year for 4-year awards. 

When is the deadline?

Wednesday, February 7, 2024– 5:00 PM

The Tommy Fuss Scholars Program in Precision Psychiatry

The Center for Precision Psychiatry (CPP) is committed to fostering the careers of early career investigators in the emerging area of precision psychiatry. Integrating research, clinical implementation, education and training, the Center is committed to driving innovation to implementation and making discoveries that can be translated to clinical care.

The Tommy Fuss Scholars Program in Precision Psychiatry will support innovative research efforts by early career investigators. Scholars will work with CPP faculty on projects aligned with the CPP mission and goals including therapeutics, big data analytics, precision treatment matching, mobile health technologies, genomics, neuroscience, and clinical trials.

Applications Due: January 15th, 2024, 5:00pm EST

Please direct any questions to mghctrprecisionpsych@mgh.harvard.edu

The MGH Claflin Distinguished Scholar Awards

for Junior Faculty Women Investigators 

What are the Claflin Awards?

Although women scientists are recruited to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) programs, their advancement to senior faculty positions is still far less frequent than that of their male counterparts. In 1993, The Women in Academic Medicine Committee, originally chaired by Mrs. Jane D. Claflin, Honorary Trustee, was established to facilitate the academic careers of women in science at MGH.  

How much is each award?

These are two year awards for $60,000 per year in direct costs, plus 20% for indirect costs.

When is the deadline?

Tuesday, January 30, 2024 - 5:00 PM

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.

The National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (UG1 Clinical Trial Required)

MGH LOI Deadline: 1/10/24

Learn more

Assessment of Climate at Institutions (Act) Award (RC2 – Clinical Trial Not Allowed) – NEW!

MGH LOI Deadline: 4/01/24

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 full details for all awards on our website.

1. Drug Development Program, Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation. $5 million (No IDC). LOI Deadline: February 5
2. Neuroimaging and CSF Biomarker Development Program, Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation. $600,000 (No IDC). LOI Deadline: February 5
3. Prevention Pipeline, Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation. $5 million (No IDC). LOI Deadline: February 5
4. Investigator-Initiated Research Grant Program, American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR). $150,000 (10% IDC). LOI Deadline: January 19
5. Research Grants, American SIDS Institute. $70,000 (No IDC). LOI Deadline: March 1
6. Central Auditory Process Disorders Pilot Research Awards and Postdoctoral Fellowships, Autism Speaks (AS). $60,000 (10% IDC). LOI Deadline: January 16
7. Prader-Willi Syndrome Research, Foundation for Prader-Willi Research (FPWR). $150,000 (8% IDC). LOI Deadline: March 1
8. Bridge Funding Award, Foundation for Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM). $75,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: January 1
9. Emerging Research Grants (ERG), Hearing Health Foundation (HHF). $50,000 (10% IDC). Application Deadline: February 29
10. NEW! Pilot Award Program for Myelodysplastic Syndrome Research, Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation. $100,000 (No IDC). LOI Deadline: March 11
11. Extracorporeal Photopheresis Immunomodulation in Thoracic Transplantation Challenge Grant, International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT). $90,000 (10% IDC). Application Deadline: January 17
12. O.H. Frazier Award in MCS Translational Research, International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT). $65,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: January 17
13. NEW! Development of Interventions to Modulate Immune Cell Trafficking in T1D, JDRF. $900,000 (10% IDC). LOI Deadline: January 17
14. New Investigator Research Grant Program, Leukemia Research Foundation, Inc. $150,000 (No IDC). LOI Deadline: February 16
15. MDA Development Grants (DG), Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). $210,000 (No IDC). LOI Deadline: January 26
16. MDA Research Grants (RG), Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). $300,000 (10% IDC). LOI Deadline: January 26
17. Therapeutic Development Opportunities Addressing MS Progression and Progressive Forms of MS, National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS). $800,000 (No IDC). Pre-Application Deadline: January 24
18. Grant Program, Patty Brisben Foundation for Women's Sexual Health. $48,000 on average (10% IDC). LOI Deadline: February 2
19. Policies for Action: Policy Research to Advance the Inclusion of Immigrant Families and Children, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). $450,000 (12% IDC). Application Deadline: February 15
20. Postdoctoral Fellowship, Scleroderma Research Foundation (SRF). $110,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: February 15
21. Research Grants (multiple opps), Scleroderma Research Foundation (SRF). $600,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: February 15
22. Optic Nerve Degeneration in Glaucoma, The Glaucoma Foundation (TGF). $120,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: March 1
23. NEW! Trinity Challenge on Antimicrobial Resistance, SOLVE/Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). ≈$1.25 million (10% IDC). Application Deadline: February 29
24. Daylight and Healthy Ageing Research Grants, Velux Foundation. ≈$114,000 (Unspecified IDC). Application Deadline: April 30
25. Daylight Research Grants, Velux Foundation. ≈$459,000 (Unspecified IDC). Application Deadline: April 30

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 Celebration of Science 2024 Virtual Poster Session

A Celebration of MGH Trainees 

The Celebration of Science 2024 Virtual Poster Session gives researchers the opportunity to create a compelling visual display of their work and present it to some of the best scientific minds in the nation. The poster session is an essential part of the Scientific Advisory Committee meeting, which highlights excellence in research at MGH. Posters of Distinction will be chosen to receive a $1,000 travel award to a scientific meeting.

A review panel will select a group of finalists from the submitted abstracts. Those finalists will be required to present their poster in order to be considered for the travel award.

ELIGIBILITY

Awards will be restricted to trainees (fellows and graduate students) and research staff (research coordinators, research technicians, etc.) The abstract submitter must have a full-time appointment at MGH.

QUESTIONS

If you have problems or questions please email sac@partners.org

Mass General Brigham MESH Core 2024

Join us at Mass General Brigham MESH Core 2024! Submit your abstract for poster or oral presentation at this unique healthcare innovation course, happening on May 20th and 21st in Boston.

MESH Core, presented by MGB Innovation, is a two-day intensive, in-person, hands-on healthcare innovation course designed for beginners and seasoned innovators alike. Open to both internal and external attendees, the course is suitable for physicians, researchers, allied health professionals, students, executives, investors, and the public. A combination of lectures, hands-on cases, networking, roundtables, and scientific sessions.

The abstract submission deadline is December 15th, 2023, and top-voted abstracts have a chance to win a cash award. Accepted abstracts will be notified in early 2024.

My Green Lab Certification

MGB is looking for 20 labs interested in receiving My Green Lab Certification

Research is one of the most energy and waste-intensive parts of the healthcare enterprise, with labs using up to 10 times more energy than typical office space, and producing large amounts of plastic, chemical, and biohazard waste. As part of its effort to meet the Healthcare Sustainability Pledge, Mass General Brigham (MGB) will provide funding for 20 research labs across the system to enroll in the “My Green Lab” Certification Program in laboratory sustainability. 

Funding for participating labs will pay for the cost of enrolling in the My Green Lab certification process. In addition, MGB will gather additional research data via short questionnaires and lab-specific energy and waste monitoring. The questionnaire will assess how participation in the program affects environmental attitudes and workplace satisfaction. Energy and waste monitoring will help MGB measure the overall direct impact of the program and calculate potential savings.



Applicants must have a primary full-time faculty appointment and their own research lab at a Mass General Brigham institution.  

NORC Initiative – Inspire Program 

The INSPIRE Program is an inter-NORC initiative whose overarching goal is to promote the careers of early career scientists (i.e. INSPIRE Scholars) by facilitating speaking opportunities and career development mentorship at NORCs outside of the Scholar’s institution. INSPIRE Scholars will be paired one to one with mentors (i.e. INSPIRE Champions) who will provide guidance and support for research presentations, facilitate national speaking opportunities, and provide career development mentorship.

INSPIRE Scholars will also be provided opportunities to receive peer to peer mentorship with other INSPIRE Scholars with events/ meetings hosted by the INSPIRE Program. Further, the program will also provide funding to Scholars to cover costs associated with in-person national presentations facilitated by the INSPIRE Champions.

Application Deadline: December 18, 2023 at 5pm EST

The Global Non-Communicable Disease Research Training

This post-doctoral fellowship, led by Dr. Jessica Haberer, is now accepting applications! We encourage you to apply for this fellowship if you are interested in research training related to a wide range of global NCDs, primarily involving cardiovascular, cardiometabolic, lung, and blood (non-cancer) diseases, as well as interactions between infectious diseases and such conditions. Types of research include clinical epidemiology, clinical trials, environmental exposures, diagnostics, genomics, health services research, and implementation science.

The application deadline is December 15, 2023.

For any questions, reach out to Lindsey Garrison (legarrison@mgh.harvard.edu). 

Discounted Stata Licenses

The Research Computing Core offers Stata licenses to the Research Community at a discounted rate via rcservices.partners.org. Stata is a statistical software package that provides tools for analysis, data management and graphics. Interested in learning new tips or looking to learn about new functionality with Stata 18? Check out the Stata Webinars, which are offered free of charge via the vendor's website.

See these events and more on the calendar of events

NEW Faculty Transition Webinar Series

“Successful Transition to Retirement While Balancing Continued Engagement at MGH”

Monday, December 18, 2023, 12:00 – 1:00 pm

The Center for Faculty Development’s Office for Senior Faculty Transitions invites you to join a panel of MGH faculty members who transitioned to retirement while finding opportunities to stay engaged in academic activities, such as teaching and mentoring.

2023 Anne Klibanski Visiting Lecture Series 13

Tuesday, December 19, 2023, 12:00 - 1:00 pm

"Pediatric Heart Health: 4 High Impact Topics for General Pediatricians and Pediatric Cardiologists"

The Anne Klibanski Visiting Lecture Series was created to support and advance the careers of women. These lectures offer the opportunity for women faculty from outside institutions that have hosted Anne Klibanski Scholars to present on their expertise, either alone or in tandem with an Anne Klibanski Scholar.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Discuss the role of preventive cardiology in general and subspecialty pediatrics care.
• Discuss the role and impact of targeting modifiable childhood cardiovascular disease risk factors.  
• Discuss recent advances in fetal cardiology. 
• Discuss recent advances in pediatric cardiology.

Target Audience: This activity is intended for faculty and faculty trainees.

Course Director: Darshan H. Mehta, MD, MPH, Office for Well-Being; Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Presenters:

Hanano Watanabe, MD, MS, Assistant Professor and General Pediatric Cardiologist, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York

NEW Basic Biostatistics for Clinical Research

Fridays, January 5 - February 2, 9:30-11:00 am  

This course will provide clinical researchers with a solid foundation in biostatistical concepts. Intended for those with minimal statistical experience, these five lectures will serve as an introduction to biostatistical issues in clinical investigation and will prepare students for more advanced courses on clinical trial design and biostatistics offered through the DCR’s Education Unit. 

Speaker: Brian Healy, PhD, MGH Biostatistics Center

NEW Parenting Series

Managing (and Preventing) Anxiety & Depression in Our Children: Teaching Skills To Step into the Future

Thursday, January 11, 2024, 12:00 – 1:00

Anxiety feels and looks powerful and messy, but it’s not complicated once you understand its repetitive processes. Unfortunately, much of what we learn for ourselves and then offer to students/parents to deal with anxiety, stress, and emotions often makes the problem worse. While most of us know the obvious signs of anxiety, how it chronically (and perhaps covertly) impacts families and schools is missed and misunderstood. And the solutions offered often feel cliched and ineffective. Based on current research and over 30 years of clinical experience, Lynn Lyons will talk about the common traps adults fall into and the key adjustments needed to prevent and help mental health challenges in our kids. 

Ethical Considerations of Access to Investigational Medicines

Thursday, January 18, 1:30 – 2:45 pm

This lecture is co-sponsored by the Research Ethics Consultation Unit of the Division of Clinical Research and the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics.

During the development of new medicines, manufacturers and research sponsors may be confronted with a decision about whether to provide access to a medicine that has not yet been approved for use by a health authority. This question can arise during the conduct of clinical trials when there is a gap between the end of a trial and when the medicine is available to be prescribed. Or it may come up as a request for “compassionate use” when a patient is facing a life threatening condition for which there are no available treatments. This talk will explore the ethical considerations underpinning these decisions and the importance of considering the various stakeholder perspectives.

Speaker:

Karla G. Childers, BA, MSJ, MSBE

Head, Bioethics-based Science & Technology Policy

Office of the Chief Medical Officer

Johnson & Johnson

NEW Celebration of Mentoring at MGH

Making Mentorship Matter

Monday, January 22, 2024, 12:00 – 1:30 pm 

Join the Center for Faculty Development to celebrate the vibrant mentoring culture at MGH! This event will recognize recipients of 2023 departmental, MGH-wide, and Harvard mentoring awards. In particular, the winners of the 2023 CFD Excellence in Mentoring Awards will be announced.

“Making Mentorship Matter”

The celebration includes a keynote presentation, “Making Mentorship Matter” by Angela Byars-Winston, PhD, Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

NEW Biobank Portal

Wednesday, January 24, 10:00 – 11:00 am

The Partners Biobank Portal is a tool that links consented subjects from the Partners Biobank with their health care data from the electronic medical record (EMR) and allows researchers to request clinical samples for these subjects.

This course will provide an introduction to the use of the Biobank Portal application for clinical research, including the review of healthcare data, types of samples available, genomic information and requesting data. The course is geared toward investigators and staff at all levels interested in the utility and information of the Biobank Portal for research.

NEW Digital Research Education: Digital Health Research Support Teams at MGH/MGB

Wednesday, January 24, 1:00 – 2:00 pm

For research investigators, study staff, and administrators, this 45-minute course will help you better understand and access internal resources and tools that will help you advance your research initiatives. This first class in the three-part Digital Research Education provides an overview of the hospital’s research support structure and identifies the departments and teams involved. Providing a roadmap to help you navigate the hospital’s research support structure and identify the departments and groups involved.

NEW Introduction to RPDR

Thursday, January 25, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm

The Research Patient Data Registry (RPDR)* brings clinical information to the researcher's fingertips and ensures the security of patient information by controlling and auditing the distribution of patient data within the guidelines of the IRB.

This course will provide an introduction to the use of the RPDR (Research Patient Data Registry) application for clinical research, including the review of healthcare data, creating a query and requesting data. The course is geared toward investigators and staff at all levels interested in the utility and information of the RPDR for research.

*Link requires you to be on an MGB workstation or VPN.

NEW K to R Transition Workshop

Thursday, January 25, 2:00 – 4:00 pm

This course is sponsored by the MGH Division of Clinical Research

This is a workshop for applicants of R Grants. Bring one section of your upcoming R grant to review and discuss with fellow applicants and one of our experienced faculty!

NEW REDCap Getting Started

Friday, January 26, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm

REDCap Representatives: Dan Foley and Jeremy Alphonse

Description:

In collaboration with the Harvard Catalyst, REDCap is a free, secure, web-based application hosted by Partners Research Computing and designed to support electronic data capture for research studies. 

This course will provide a high-level overview of the REDCap tool. Learn about study start-up, project life cycles, data management, and how to program data fields and branching logic. There will be time devoted to user’s Q&A and design questions.

Two Meditation Sessions available every week

SESSION 1: Meditation Mondays with Dr. Darshan Mehta 

Every Monday, 8:00 – 8:30 am, Zoom à next session, Monday, December 18!

Co-sponsored by the Center for Faculty Development’s Office for Well-Being and the MGPO Frigoletto Committee

Join Darshan Mehta, MD, MPH, Director, Office for Well-Being, for a guided meditation session on Monday morning. 

Register and add to calendar

SESSION 2: Midweek Meditation with Guest Leader 

Every Wednesday, 8:00 – 8:30 am, Zoom à next session, Wednesday, December 20!

Sponsored by the Center for Faculty Development’s Office for Well-Being

Join guest leader, Alyssa Adreani, Spiritual Care Department, Newton Wellesley Hospital, for next Wednesday’s guided meditation session.

Register and add to calendar

See these events and more on the calendar of events

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