July 12, 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

NEW Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards
Interim Support Funding 24-3
Chong Jin Park Innovative Pilot Award, Aging and Palliative Care
Limited Submission Funding
Foundation Funding Opportunities

Announcements:

NEW MGH Research Risk Assessment
Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research Unit Interest Survey
The Connell Nursing Research Scholarship Program
Financial Planning 10-week Class
Clinical Research Day Call for Abstracts

Events:

LSN: Planning for IRB Submission of a New Protocol and Using Insight
Business Excellence Workday Update for the Research Community
NEW Life-Changing Research: How our groundbreaking discoveries transform patient care
NEW Chester Pierce Research Society Speaker
Study Team Roles and Responsibilities – What You Can and Cannot Do!
Simple and Quick Research Participant Compensation
LSN: Agreements, DUAs, and MTAs (Agreements, DUAs, and MTAs)
NEW Summer Research Trainee Program, 2024 Student Final Presentations
NEW Conquering the K Workshop
NEW LSN: Strategies for Managing Investigator-Initiated Studies
NEW Parenting Series 2023-2024
NEW LSN: Transitioning a Study- What to do when you inherit a study?
NEW REDCap MYCap
10th Annual World Medical Innovation Forum
4th Annual Conference on Precision Psychiatry
Two Meditation Sessions available every week

NEW Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards

The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship program provides funding to the very best postdoctoral applicants, both nationally and internationally, who will positively contribute to the country's economic, social and research-based growth. The award is designed for Canadian Citizens, permanent residents of Canada and foreign citizens of Canada.

The objective of the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship program is to:

attract and retain top-tier postdoctoral talent, both nationally and internationally
develop their leadership potential
position them for success as research leaders of tomorrow

The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship is a stipend of $70,000 (taxable) per year for 2 years and does not support indirect costs (IDC).

MGH Internal Application Deadline: Friday, August 9, 2024 at 5pm

Sponsor Application Deadline: Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Learn more

Interim Support Funding 24-3

The Interim Support Funding (ISF) Program is open to Principal Investigators during a lapse or delay in their research funding from the NIH or another Federal agency (e.g., the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense). Investigators must have applied for independent, long-term support (R01, R21, U01, P01, equivalent federal research grant). The intent of the program is to rescue strong scientific programs that are in need of bridge funding in order to sustain their research. Applications will be accepted regardless of percentile or score, including applications that were not discussed.

Deadline - Thursday, August 1, 2024 - 5:00 PM

Learn more

Chong Jin Park Innovative Early Career Pilot Award in Aging and Palliative Care

This grantwill support research focused on health equity and improving the lives of older people and or those with serious illness through research in population and health care delivery science.

The Ki Sub Joung Innovative Junior Faculty Pilot Award in Aging and Palliative Care

will support research focused on improving the lives of older people and or those with serious illness, with an emphasis on vulnerable populations.

Each award is $50,000 per year, plus 20% indirect costs.

Project Period: 12 months

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.

Limited Competition: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Postdoctoral Research Training Grant for the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program (T32 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

MGH LOI Deadline: 7/17/24

Learn more

Susan G. Komen Career Catalyst Research Grants – NEW!

MGH LOI Deadline: 7/19/24

Learn more

Susan G. Komen Career Transition Awards – NEW!

MGH LOI Deadline: 7/19/24

Learn more

Cummings $30 Million Grant Programs – NEW!

MGH LOI Deadline: 8/01/24

Learn more

Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) (T32)

MGH LOI Deadline: 8/14/24

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.

AAT Deficiency In-Cycle Grant Opportunities (multiple opps), Alpha-1 Foundation. $100,000 (No IDC). LOI Deadline: September 27
Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant for Alternatives to Animal Research in Human Health or Sex Differences (women scientists only), American Fund for Alternatives to Animal Research (AFAAR). $40,000 (Unspecified IDC). Application Deadline: October 1
AGA-Bern Schwartz Family Fund Research Scholar Award in Pancreatic Cancer, AGA Research Foundation/American Gastroenterological Association (AGA). $300,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: December 4
Collaborative Sciences Award, American Heart Association (AHA). $1 million (10% IDC). LOI Deadline: October 3
Research Supplement to Promote Diversity in Science, American Heart Association (AHA). $134,832 (No IDC). Application Deadline: February 6
NEW! Early-Stage Investigator Award, American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA). $30,000 (10% IDC). LOI Deadline: October 1
Research Grants (multiple opps), American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA). $75,000 (20% IDC).
Career Awards at the Scientific Interface (CASI), Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF). $560,000 (IDC Exempt). LOI Deadline: September 4
Career Development Award (CDA) (multiple opps), Conquer Cancer Foundation/American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). $200,000 (6.3% IDC).
Global Oncology Young Investigator Award (GO YIA), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)/Conquer Cancer Foundation. $50,000 (10% IDC). LOI Deadline: September 19
Young Investigator Award (YIA) (multiple opps), Conquer Cancer Foundation/American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). $50,000 (5% IDC).
Academic Clinical Trials Programme, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). $1 million (15% IDC). LOI Deadline: August 1
Career Development Program for Fellows and Instructors (multiple opps), Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). $625,000(5% IDC). Eligibility Phase Deadline: October 18
Grants and Awards (multiple opps), Thoracic Surgery Foundation (TSF). $180,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: September 15
Basic Neurobiology Research Grants (multiple opps), Whitehall Foundation, Inc. $300,000 (25% IDC). LOI Deadline: October 1

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 MGH Research Risk Assessment

Ever wonder how we collaborate with departments across MGH to come up with solutions that reduce administrative burden, streamline processes, and provide you with the tools needed to do your job? We listen to your experiences and use that feedback to build our annual work plan. Your voice has helped build robust solutions like the Onboarding Checklists, Transfer Out Process, BioLift, and several others. By taking the MGH Research Risk Assessment Survey, you have the opportunity to continue that dialogue and give us your input anonymously. The survey is short and will ask you to rate 5 areas of our research infrastructure and provide feedback for each risk area. The survey will remain open until July 31st.

We’re your partners in compliance. Help us help you!

Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research Unit Interest Survey

The Division of Clinical Research's Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research (QMMR) Unit provides consultations with investigators and research teams on qualitative and mixed methods research, including study design, data collection, data coding, analysis and interpretation, dissemination of results, and the development of research proposals and protocols. The Unit also offers educational lectures and a monthly drop-in investigator working group.

We want to hear from you about your interest in current and additional services from the QMMR Unit! Please fill out this 5 minute survey:

https://redcap.partners.org/redcap/surveys/?s=P4M3M3CLYWW49PM9

Contact: Jamie Quinkert, PhD jquinkert@mgh.harvard.edu

The Connell Nursing Research Scholarship Program

The Connell Nursing Research Scholars (CNRS) program is a Post-Doctoral 18-month research intensive experience, designed to promote the advancement of interdisciplinary patient/family care at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) through nursing research.

Connell Nursing Research Scholars will work over the course of 18 months to build nursing science through the investigation of issues that influence the delivery of cost effective, safe, efficient, high-quality patient/family-centric care as well as care redesign and health policy. Participation in the CNRS program as an Early or Mid–Career Nurse Researcher offers each scholar the time and active mentoring needed to generate and disseminate knowledge to advance interdisciplinary health care for all.

Proposal due: August 15, 2024

Learn More

Final Announcement Financial Planning 10-week Class

Class begins July 17

The Center for Faculty Development is excited to partner with Her Personal Finance to offer a 10-week online financial planning class for all faculty at MGH (not only women)! The course is targeted to early career faculty but is open to faculty at all career stages.

Have questions about how much to save for retirement or how much you should invest in a single asset like a house? Unsure if you should pay off your student loans first or save more for retirement?

This class is designed to answer those questions while helping you navigate common pitfalls which trip up professional faculty in academic medicine. This is a unique opportunity, and space is limited.

Facilitated by Eryn Schultz, MBA, Founder of Her Personal Finance.

Classes will take place every Wednesday from 4-5pm from July 17 to September 18, 2024.

Learn More

Clinical Research Day, Call for Abstracts

We are excited to announce that this year’s Clinical Research Day will be hosted on Thursday, October 10, 2024! At this time, the Event Portal is open for abstract submissions! Abstract submissions has been extended to July 15, 2024. Submission guidelines are available within the portal.

The event topic this year is Gene and Cell Therapy: Current challenges for implementation. Our keynote speaker is Roger Joseph Hajjar, MD, Director of Mass General Brigham Gene and Cell Therapy Institute. Abstract submission topics are not limited by the event topic.

We are excited to offer a number of hospital wide awards, departmental awards, and recognition awards.

See these events and more on the calendar of events

LSN: Planning for IRB Submission of a New Protocol and Using Insight

July 12, 2024, 11:00 am - 12:00

LSN: Planning for IRB Submission of a New Protocol and Using Insight Speaker: Grace Ha, Senior Clinical Research Project Manager, Cardiovascular Research Center, MGH When: Virtual via Zoom Location: Friday, July 12, 2024 | 11:00 am-12:00 pm Description: Insight is the MGB-built website that houses all things research management. In this session, we will cover the steps for submitting a brand-new protocol to the MGB IRB using Insight as well as some tips and tricks for new protocol submissions.

Business Excellence Workday Update for the Research Community

July 12, 2024, 11:00 am - 12:00

Subject: BEx Workday Update

Agenda: The Business Excellence Engagement Leaders will provide a “Workday” update to the Research Community.

Zoom link

NEW Life-Changing Research: How our groundbreaking discoveries transform patient care

July 15, 2024, 10:00 pm - 11:00 pm, Virtual

All Mass General Brigham employees are invited to join us for the first installment of a new series of quarterly town halls celebrating how Mass General Brigham research is harnessing expertise from across our organization to transform clinical care and improve patient outcomes.

Featuring panelists from our clinical care and research communities, the first town hall will focus on how treatments and outcomes for patients with glioblastoma are being transformed by research advances at Mass General Brigham.

NEW Chester Pierce Research Society Speaker

July 15, 2024, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm, Virtual

The Chester Pierce Research Society (CPRS) is a quarterly speaker series named in honor of the late Professor Emeritus in Psychiatry Chester Pierce, MD, the first African-American physician-scientist and full professor at Mass General. CPRS exposes the Mass General and external community to novel basic science, clinical, translational, health services and disparities research by our talented UiM physicians and scientists.

J. Sawalla Guseh, II, MD

Director, Cardiovascular Performance Program, Massachusetts General Hospital

Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Learn Something New: Study Team Roles and Responsibilities – What You Can and Cannot Do!

July 15, 2024, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm, Virtual

LSN: Study Team Roles and Responsibilities – What You Can and Cannot Do! Speaker: Alison McManus, DNP, Clinical Research Nurse Manager, Principal Investigator, Alzheimer’s Clinical & Translational Research Unit, MGH When: Monday, July 15, 2024 | 1:00-2:00 pm Location: Virtual via Zoom Description: As part of a research study, an investigator may delegate specific tasks to study team members trained to perform such tasks. This session will discuss the responsibilities that can and cannot be delegated to study staff.

Simple and Quick Research Participant Compensation

July 16, 2024, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm, Virtual

Existing Manual Methods for documenting, monitoring and tracking participant payments via cash, gift card or check.

Automating Payment by connecting study events to points that participants can independently exchange for gift cards.

Optimizing Setup to maximize subject engagement and retention.

The presentation will examine the administrative burden associated with compensating research participants using traditional methods including establishing and implementing payment processes, documenting and monitoring transactions, addressing participant inquiries and reporting payments. It will also show how to eliminate this burden by using a portal that connects study events (e.g., completing a form) to points that participants can exchange for gift cards, as well as enter data, securely message the research team, and receive personally relevant study and/or disease information.

LSN: Agreements, DUAs, and MTAs (Agreements, DUAs, and MTAs)

July 18, 2024, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm, Virtual

LSN: Agreements, DUAs, and MTAs (Agreements, DUAs, and MTAs) Speakers: Stephanie Stone, Director of Contracting, Research Management, MGB, and Chris Beares, Director, Innovation, MGB When: Thursday, July 18, 2024 |11:00 am-12:00 pm Location: Virtual via Zoom Description: Anytime we do research involving other institutions, other companies, or other Academic Medical Centers (AMCs), we need an agreement (i.e., a written contract) to cover it. In this session, we will discuss the different types of research contracts that exist and who to contact to make sure these contracts are in place.

NEW Summer Research Trainee Program, 2024 Student Final Presentations

Simches 3.110

The MGH Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) invites you to attend the 2024 SRTP student final research presentations. This three-day event is open to the MGH community, and all are invited to participate! Refreshments will be available on July 18th from 12 - 1 pm, July 24th from 8:15 – 8:30 am and July 25th from 12 - 12:15 pm.

Presentation Days:

Thursday, July 18 (1 pm - 2 pm), Simches 3110
Wednesday, July 24 (8:30 am - 1 pm), Simches 3110
Thursday, July 25 (12:15 pm - 5:45 pm), Simches 3110

NEW Conquering the K Workshop

July 22, 2024, 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm, Virtual

Conquering the R Workshop Speaker: Andrew A. Nierenberg MD, Co-Director, Center for Clinical Research Education When: Monday, 7/22/24 | 12:00-2:00 pm Location: Virtual via Zoom Description: This course is sponsored by the MGH Division of Clinical Research 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 LSN: Strategies for Managing Investigator-Initiated Studies

July 24, 2024, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm, Virtual

LSN: Strategies for Managing Investigator-Initiated Studies Speaker: Maryam Masood, Sr. CRC, Neurology, MGH When: Wednesday, July 24, 2024 | 1:00-2:00 pm Location: Virtual via Zoom Description: Compared to Sponsor-initiated studies, Investigator-initiated studies offer scientists the opportunity to perform the research precisely as they design it. However, this opportunity also increases the responsibilities of the study team. Unlike industry-sponsored studies, Investigator-initiated studies often have more flexible study protocols and procedures and reduced external oversight. This session will give you key insights into study design and set-up, milestone planning and development, further strategies to monitor studies throughout their tenure and closeout, and information that can assist in reducing potential errors and protocol deviations.

NEW LSN: Transitioning a Study- What to do when you inherit a study?

July 25, 2024, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm, Virtual

LSN: Transitioning a Study- What to do when you inherit a study? Speaker: Devin Qualls, Clinical Trials Project Manager, Neurology, MGH When: Thursday, July 25, 2024 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm Location: Virtual via Zoom Description: In the best-case scenario, you, as the study coordinator, are involved in a study throughout the whole lifecycle of the project: from startup, enrolling subjects, and collecting data to closeout. But most of the time, you get handed a project that someone else got started, and you’re expected to continue the momentum. So, what do you do? This session aims to give you actionable steps to quickly take on a new study that has already started.

NEW REDCap MYCap

July 26, 2024, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm, Virtual

REDCap MyCap Speakers: Daniel Foley, Applications Analyst II, and Jeremy Alphonse, Project Analyst II, Research Information Science and Computing (RISC) Applications and Services When: Friday, 7/26/24 | 12:00-1:00 pm Location: Virtual via Zoom Description: MyCap, a new feature now available in REDCap, is a customizable participant-facing mobile application (app) that captures patient-reported outcomes based on a REDCap project. MyCap collects data through surveys and the automated administration of active tasks (activities performed by participants using mobile device sensors under semi-controlled conditions) from any mobile device (iOS or Android). Learning Objectives: MyCap Overview Explain what the MyCap Mobile App can provide participants and researchers, identify likely research projects that would benefit from MyCap, and review the process for requesting access to the tool. MyCap Build Process A demonstration on how to setup a MyCap enabled project will be included. Activation of surveys/tasks/active tasks will be provided. Future MyCap Improvements A discussion of upcoming features available for MyCap enabled projects will be shown.

NEW Parenting Series 2023-2024: The Phenomenon of College Student Isolation and Disengagement: Insights and Advice from Experts

Tuesday, July 30, 2024 • 12:00 – 1:00 pm, Virtual

The Parenting Series is an Office for Women’s Careers initiative focused on well-being and work-life balance for MGH faculty and trainee parents.

Our panelists, two of whom work in college settings, will provide an inside view of the current atmosphere in colleges as well as a brief rundown of services to support college student well-being. They will discuss how parents can best educate their children in developing resilience and celebrating humanness in its many manifestations.

Panelists:

Wendy Adam, Williams College Director of Wellbeing Services
Peter Marcus, PsyD, MGH Staff Psychologist
Elyse Nelson Winger, Tufts University Chaplain

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.

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!