In this edition:

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

Funding Opportunities

• NEW Innovative Treatments for Disorders of Consciousness
• The Smith Family Awards for Excellence in Biomedical Research
• Gabrielle's Angel Foundation for Cancer Research
• Harrington Scholar-Innovator Award
• Support for Early Career Investigators
• Limited Submission Funding
• Foundation Funding Opportunities

Announcements:

• NEW Clinical Research Survey
• NEW Clinical Research Day Call for Abstracts
• NEW IACUC Policy Updates
• Call for Abstract Reviewers and Final Presentation Panelists
• Software Offering - ChemDraw

Events:

• Speed Mentoring Hour
• RCR Program: Managing Conflicts of Interest
• CRN Collaborative Journal Club
• MGH Ode to Joy: A celebration of the arts
• Research Town Hall
• NEW Conquering the K Course
• NEW RCR Program: Research Integrity
• Introduction to Bioinformatics
• NEW Clinical Research: Improve Subject Retention and Publish Faster
• Faculty Transition Webinar Series Session 5
• Brief Mental Health Interventions for Suicide Risk
• Fourth Annual Conference on Precision Psychiatry
• 10th Annual World Medical Innovation Forum
• Cambridge Science Festival
• 4th Annual Conference on Precision Psychiatry
• Two Meditation Sessions available every week

NEW Innovative Treatments for Disorders of Consciousness

Spaulding Rehabilitation, in collaboration with the Curing Coma Campaign, announces the following funding opportunity to generate and initiate disruptive ideas in the treatment of patients with disorders of consciousness. This award funds projects that create infrastructure to enable prospective multicenter RCTs (including adaptive platform trials) and/or evaluate biologically plausible treatments. Acquisition of pilot data for larger multicenter studies is a key aim of this initiative. 

Applying for this opportunity is a two-step process. Applicants first submit a brief Letter of Intent (LOI). Applicants will then be advanced to the next round and invited to submit a full proposal. The LOI submission window opens June 3, 2024, with a submission deadline of July 15, 2024. Visit the website and email SRNOutcomesCenter@partners.org for more details.

The Smith Family Awards for Excellence in Biomedical Research

The mission of the Awards Program is to launch the careers of newly independent biomedical researchers with the ultimate goal of achieving medical breakthroughs. The three‐year Award supports newly independent faculty engaged in basic or translational biomedical research. Investigators in the physical sciences (physics, chemistry and engineering) whose projects focus on biomedical science are also encouraged to apply. While basic research projects involving human subjects, data, and samples are eligible, clinical trials research is beyond the scope of this program.

This opportunity is open to full-time faculty at MGH who received or will receive their Assistant Professor appointment on or between 10/1/22 and 4/1/25. The award is $400,000 over three years, inclusive of 5% institutional overhead. 

Please contact Foundation Relations in the Office of Development at devcfr@mgh.harvard.edu if you wish to submit a proposal in response to this opportunity. They will be able to advise you on the application process.

Preliminary proposal deadline: Tuesday, June 18, 2024 at 12:00 Noon (Those applicants who make it to the second stage will be invited to submit a full proposal in early October).

Gabrielle's Angel Foundation for Cancer Research

What are they?

"For nearly three decades, Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation has provided significant financial support to some incredibly promising physician scientists, who are applying novel and state-of-the-art techniques to address fundamental problems in the genesis and treatment of blood related cancers. Since 1996, the Foundation has committed more than $43 million in grants to over 330 junior faculty members at the nation’s leading institutions. These grants continue to be a sign of excellence and represent support for many of the most exciting new scientific ideas in blood cancer research.”

MGH is eligible to nominate a maximum of two candidates - one in the mainstream/conventional medical research category and one in the integrative medical research category.

How much is the award?

The award will be for three-year period at $75,000.00 per year (including 10% IDC), contingent on the submission of acceptable annual progress reports.

Deadline

MGH internal pre-proposal: Monday, June 10, 2024 at 5:00pm

Full application to sponsor: Friday, August 16, 2024

Harrington Scholar-Innovator Award

Harrington Discovery Institute (HDI) invites you to submit an LOI for the 2024 Harrington Scholar-Innovator Award. The award offers successful applicants multiple opportunities for funding in addition to expertise from pharma-experienced leaders with a track record of bringing drugs to market. Intellectual property rights are retained by the award recipient or their institution.

Up to 12 Scholar-Innovators will be selected to receive:

• $100,000 guaranteed grant award;
• Drug and business development support from Harrington’s Therapeutics Development Center advisors; 
• Opportunity to compete for acceleration funds up to $300,000;
• Opportunity to qualify for investment funds typically up to $2MM; 

Letters of Intent (LOI) Due: June 5, 2024

Support for Early Career Investigators at the Translational and Clinical Research Center

The TCRC at Massachusetts General Hospital will support two early career investigators each year to perform their pilot and feasibility studies or studies related to their early career awards on the TCRC.

Awardees will not be charged for nursing, nutrition, or sample processing time, the TCRC annual fee or the TCRC per visit fee for research conducted on the TCRC (for up to $10,000 per year for two years). Coordinator support will not be available through this program.

Awardees will be supported via consultation with the TCRC Medical Resource Officer in protocol development, building of budgets, grant writing, filing of INDs/IDEs, and study implementation. They will receive guidance regarding participant recruitment and retention in the study, and other support as necessary for successful completion of the proposed project. Awardees will be encouraged to participate in Catalyst supported resources such as the C/T Academy and the GRASP program.

Deadline for Submission: July 1st

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.

St. Baldrick’s Fellows (St. Baldrick’s Foundation)

MGH LOI Deadline: 6/10/24

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.

1. Beckman Young Investigators (BYI) Program, Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. $600,000 (No IDC). LOI Deadline: August 1
2. Blepharospasm/Meige Research Grants, Benign Essential Blepharospasm Research Foundation, Inc. (BEBRF). $50,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: September 30
3. Shaffer Fund for Innovative Glaucoma Research (multiple opps), Glaucoma Research Foundation. $55,000 (No IDC). Preliminary Proposal Deadline: July 15
4. Research Grants (multiple opps), Merck KGaA. ≈$326,000 (Unspecified IDC). LOI Deadline: August 31
5. Research Support Grants, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation. $75,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: August 31
6. Career Development Award, Sleep Research Society (SRS)/Sleep Research Society Foundation (SRSF). $50,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: August 25
7. Research Grants, The Cure JM Foundation (Cure JM). $150,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: August 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 Clinical Research Survey

DCR Course Offerings Survey

The Division of Clinical Research wants to know what you think about our courses and curriculum. Please take a few minutes to fill out this survey. Thank you! 

Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research Unit Interest Survey

The DCR'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 15-20 minute survey https://redcap.partners.org/redcap/surveys/?s=P4M3M3CLYWW49PM9. 

NEW 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 will close on July 1, 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.  

NEW IACUC Policy Updates

The following revised policies 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 May 15, 2024:

• Protocol Review Process, Version 1.11
• Amendment Review Process, Version 2.1
• Policy on Rodent Breeding and Cage Density, Version 1.7

Effective July 1, 2024:

• Policy on Adequate Veterinary Care, Version 2.3
• Policy on Animal Acquisition, Quarantine, and Acclimation, Version 3.0
• Policy on Post-operative and Post-procedural Care, Version 1.7
• Policy on Surgery and Other Experimental Procedures, Version 2.0

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

Summer Research Trainee Program (SRTP) Call for Abstract Reviewers and Final Presentation Panelists

Are you a research faculty member interested in getting involved in SRTP? We are seeking clinical, fundamental, and population health faculty researchers to serve as SRTP student Abstract Reviewers or Final Presentation Panelist. Please click here to see details and to provide your availability. 

Learn more

Software Offering - ChemDraw

Time to renew your ChemDraw license through the Digital Research Computing Core. Annual ChemDraw licenses expire each year on May 25th. Your license will automatically cancel, and you will need to order again at rcservices.partners.org (MGB login required). ChemDraw licenses are $102/year per User and new licenses can be ordered and accessed today.

ChemDraw is a powerful, yet easy-to use, tool for producing chemical and biological drawings. You can create your own drawings or use those provided in the library of available templates. For more information on ChemDraw go to the Digital Research Computing Core's software page. All questions may be directed to rcc@partners.org.

Learn more

See these events and more on the calendar of events

CRN Collaborative Journal Club

Monday, June 10th, 2024, 12:00 - 1:00 pm



This journal club will discuss the value and the core concepts of the CRN across clinical and research

settings. We will discuss the CRN's focus on balancing research and clinical care while working with

research participants.

Learning Objective(s):

At the end of this activity, the CRN will be able to explain the complementary relationship between the CRN

and clinical nurse (CN).

MGH Ode to Joy: A celebration of the arts

Monday, June 10th, 2024, 4:00 - 5:00 pm



The Center for Faculty Development announces the first MGH Ode to Joy—an in-person celebration to recognize the incredible talent that exists outside of and beyond the talent performed in MGH labs, clinics, and OR, and revel together in the transformative power of artistic expression.Food will be provided.

Research Town Hall

Tuesday, June 11th, 2024, 9:00 - 10:00 am



Join us for a Research Town Hall with Dr. David Brown and Dr. Robert Kingston. At this meeting they will discuss research at MGH and what they are doing to advocate for you during this time of change. They will reinforce their commitment to scientific discovery, innovation, and research infused care during the ongoing process of integration.

This is an excellent opportunity to voice your questions and feedback to Dr. Brown and Dr. Kingston. Don't miss this chance to be part of the conversation shaping the future of our research community at MGH.

NEW Conquering the K Course

Monday, June 17, 2024, 3:00 - 5:00 pm



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!

NEW RCR Program: Research Integrity

Wednesday, June 18, 2024, 2:00-3:00 pm



In this interactive seminar, participants will learn about the importance of research integrity through reviewing case studies of research misconduct. The course covers methods to avoid research misconduct and obtain viable results. Students will be able to answer ethical questions regarding reasons behind study processes and articulate the consequences of misconduct.

Introduction to Bioinformatics

Tuesday, June 18th | 3:30-5:00pm 

Speaker: Ruslan Sadreyev, Director of Bioinformatics

This introductory mini-course is intended for experimental and clinical researchers who would like to get oriented in basic Bioinformatics concepts and tools. It is intended as a primer that would allow you to better understand general ideas, approaches, and available methods, and to start asking the right questions about your experimental data in the context of major next-generation sequencing applications: RNA-seq, single-cell RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq, metagenomics, pathway analyses etc. 

If you want to drill very deeply into a specific question or to get hands-on experience, this probably isn't a course for you. However, we are open to organizing more in-depth courses and workshops in the future.

NEW Clinical Research: Improve Subject Retention and Publish Faster

Thursday, June 20th, 2024, 12:00 - 1:00 pm

Participants will learn methods to:  

• Engage subjects in a portal using incentives, secure communication, and delivery of personally relevant information.
• Visualize outcomes to make data more accessible and actionable for decision-making.
• Publish results faster by connecting data capture and the analytical process into a single, integrated system. 

Summary: The presentation will explore innovative strategies to enhance participant engagement and retention in clinical research through a user-friendly web portal that enables participants to enter data, earn points for automated gift card compensation, communicate securely with the research team, and access personally relevant study and disease information. It will also demonstrate efficient methods to streamline the transition from raw study data to the polished manuscript by integrating analytical, editing, and text formatting tools within the data collection system.

Faculty Transition Webinar Series Session 5

Thursday, June 20th, 2024, 12:00 - 1:00 pm

The Faculty Transition Webinar Series sponsored by the Office for Senior Faculty Affairs addresses the many elements that come into play as faculty move toward retirement.

This is an entirely new webinar focused on a topic of increasing interest: The mechanics of *partial* retirement while still maintaining an MGH and HMS connection. Topics will include maintaining an HMS appointment and the requirements for maintaining benefits and other MGH privileges.

Panelists:

Bethany Westlund, PhD, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, HMS

Mindy Dellert, Academic Appointments Manager, HMS

Jeffrey L. Ecker, MD, Chief, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, MGH

Virginia C. Rosales, CEBS, HR Benefits Manager, MGH MGPO Professional Staff Benefits

Brief Mental Health Interventions for Suicide Risk

Friday, June 21st, 2024, 10:00 - 11:00 am

Featured speakers include:

Dr. Jessica Schleider – Director of the Lab for Scalable Mental Health at Northwestern University

“Making the Moment Matter: Digital Single-Session Interventions for Suicide Risk and Crisis Response”

Dr. John Torous – Director of the Digital Psychiatry Division at Harvard Medical School

“Clinical Considerations for Digital Resources in Care for Patients With Suicidal Ideation”

Dr. Michael Zimmer – Director of the Center for Data, Ethics and Society at Marquette University

“Data Ethics and Digital Mental Health Interventions: Opportunities & Gaps”

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

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!

Cambridge Science Festival

Sunday September 29, 2024, 12:00 - 4:00 PM

The Mass General Research Institute will once again be participating in the Cambridge Science Festival's Science Carnival and Robot Zoo this September. We're on the lookout for enthusiastic scientists from Mass General (like you!) to join forces and create engaging experiments and activities aimed at sparking curiosity amount kids about how the human body works.

Think along the lines of emonstarting lung function using ballons or extra cting DNA from straberries - the sky's the limit!

Please sumbit your proposal by June 7th at 12:00 am.

Two Meditation Sessions available every week 



SESSION 1: Meditation Monday with Dr. Darshan Mehta 

Every Monday, 8:00 – 8:30 am, Zoom à next session, Monday, June 3!

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 the 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, June 5!

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

Join guest leader, Douglas Greve, PhD, Department of Radiology, for next Wednesday’s guided meditation session.

Register and add to calendar

See these events and more on the calendar of events

Research Institute website

Bench Press Blog

MGH Research Intranet