MGH Research News for September 27, 2024

September 27, 2024

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

In this edition:

Funding Opportunities

NEW MGH Research Scholars 2025
NEW The Moore Inventor Fellows 2025
HMS Foundation Funds
Howard M. Goodman Fellowship 2025
Fund for Medical Discovery (FMD) Research Fellowship Award
Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Pilot Study Grants
Limited Submission Funding
Foundation Funding Opportunities

Announcements:

Leadership Development Program for Researchers
HMS Core for Mentorship Excellence
MGRI Image Awards

Events:

NEW REDCap CDIS/ CDP (Clinical Data Pull) Functionality
Mass General Brigham Research Town Hall
NEW Obtaining Philanthropy Funding for Your Research
NEW IMG Residency Annual Panel Session 2024
Fun Fridays- Writing Flash Essays
NEW MGH October Research Council
The Chester Pierce Research Society
NEW Clinical Research Day 2024
2024 Warren Alpert Foundation Prize Symposium
Northeast Symposium on Biomedical Optics
MGRI & Chen Research Symposium
3-session Workshop on Creating Decision Worksheets
2024 Virtual Tumor Course
MGH New Faculty Orientation
Mentoring the Mentors Workshop
Leadership Skills Retreat
Speed Mentoring Hour
Gene and Cell Therapy Research Symposium
Two Meditation Sessions available every week

NEW MGH Research Scholars 2025

The MGH Research Scholars program is a philanthropy-fueled initiative established to support MGH research faculty and accelerate important work that will improve and transform the future of healthcare. The intent of these awards is to support the careers of outstanding MGH investigators doing cutting-edge research that is highly innovative and expected to result in fundamental scientific discoveries and/or clinical applications. This opportunity is open to faculty at the level of Assistant and Associate Professor.

Each award is $500,000 over 5 years; funded at $100,000 per year, including 20% indirect costs.

Deadline: Wednesday, November 6, 2024 – 5:00 PM

Learn more

NEW The Moore Inventor Fellows 2025

Gordon Moore’s contribution to the development of microelectronics helped produce the exponential growth of the digital revolution. In the spirit of Moore’s passion for science and penchant for inventing, the foundation seeks to support people who create new tools, technologies, processes, or approaches with a high potential to accelerate progress in the foundation’s three main areas of interest: scientific research, environmental conservation and patient care.

MGH is eligible to nominate a maximum of two (2) candidates. The award is $200,000 per year for three years. In addition, the foundation will provide the host institution with $25,000 each year to cover costs associated with administering the grant award.

MGH pre-proposal deadline: Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at 5:00pm

Learn more

HMS Foundation Funds

Each year several foundations invite HMS faculty and postdocs to apply for their fellowships and grants, which serve as critical funding at the early stages of a research career. Interested investigators must first apply for the HMS nomination through the HMS Foundation Funds office, and a committee will select the final candidates to submit applications to the sponsors.

Awards include:

Brain Research Foundation Seed Grant
Mary Kay Foundation Scientific/Innovative Cancer Research Grant
Packard Foundation Fellowship in Science and Engineering
Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award
Gordon and Betty Moore Inventor Fellows

Learn more

Howard M. Goodman Fellowship 2025

This is an endowed fellowship established by the MGH Department of Molecular Biology in honor of the founding Chief of the Department, Dr. Howard M. Goodman. The award is intended to further the careers of outstanding independent young scientists engaged in discovery-based science, who would normally hold the position of Assistant Professor, and have demonstrated the potential to rise to a leadership position in their chosen field. Applicants who hold a full-time appointment in any MGH department and are primarily engaged in research are eligible to apply.

The award is $100,000 per year for two years plus 20% indirect costs and is effective April 1, 2025.

New Deadline: Wednesday, October 8, 2024 - 5:00 PM

Learn more

Fund for Medical Discovery (FMD) Research Fellowship Awards

The FMD Awards are intended to support the salary of junior investigators (MD and PhD Research fellows, Clinical Research Fellows, Instructors), during a one-year period at MGH, who are in the training phase of their research. We recognize that research at MGH integrates the full translational spectrum of discovery from "bench to bedside to community and population.” To ensure that all areas of research conducted at MGH are included and eligible for FMD fellowship awards, ECOR is offering 3 types of training awards: fundamental research fellowships, clinical research fellowships, and population health care sciences fellowships.

The award will include a stipend of $70,000 plus applicable fringe benefits and 20% indirect costs.

Deadline: Tuesday, October 1, 2024 - 5:00 PM

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.

Strategically Focused Research Network (SFRN) on Inflammation in Cardiac and Neurovascular Disease (American Heart Association)

MGH LOI Deadline: 10/08/24

Learn more

St. Baldrick’s Research Grants – NEW!

MGH LOI Deadline: 10/29/24

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.

Imaging Research in Alzheimer’s and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases, Alzheimer's Association (ALZ). $200,000 (10% IDC). LOI Deadline: October 23
Part the Cloud Translational (PTC) Gene Targeting Challenge (multiple funding levels), Alzheimer's Association (ALZ). $2 million (10% IDC). LOI Deadline: October 24
Zenith Fellows Award Program, Alzheimer's Association (ALZ). $450,000 (10% IDC). LOI Deadline: November 13
Funding Program for Global Real-World Data Platforms (ALZ-RWD), Alzheimer's Association (ALZ). $1 million (No IDC). LOI Deadline: Continuous
Clinical Scientist in Nephrology Fellowship Program, American Kidney Fund (AKF). $180,000 (IDC Exempt). Application Deadline: December 16
Diversity and Inclusion Research Grant, American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). $50,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: December 6
ASGE Research Award, American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). $75,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: December 6
Game Changer Grant, ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation. $600,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: February 6
New Investigator Grant, ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation. $400,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: February 6
CFF/NIH-Unfunded Grant Award, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF). $250,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: December 2
Bits to Bytes, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. $750,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: December 6
First Look Awards for Translational Research in Sex and Gender Difference, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. $50,000 (15% IDC). Application Deadline: December 6
Novel Therapeutics Delivery, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. $750,000 (No IDC). $750,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: December 6
Research Infrastructure Program, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. $5 million (No IDC). Application Deadline: December 6
Women’s Health Collaboration Program, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. $750,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: December 6
Women’s Health Innovation Grants, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. $300,000 (15% IDC). Application Deadline: December 6

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.

Leadership Development Program for Researchers

Application due Friday, October 11

This course aims to prepare investigators for challenges inherent in establishing and maintaining a successful research program. This 9-month long program features both didactic and interactive sessions. Early-career faculty and trainees who complete this career-development course will sharpen their career focus and gain knowledge regarding the strategies that promote success in leading an impactful research program.

Learn More

HMS Core for Mentorship Excellence (CFME)

HMS has just launched the HMS Core for Mentorship Excellence (CFME). The Core builds upon two decades of research conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s “Center for the Improvement in the Mentored Experience in Research” (CIMER). Led by Bruce Birren, Lindsay Frazier and Marjorie Oettinger, the core will offer workshops based on the CIMER curriculum and will cover the core mentoring competencies that will be required by for NIH training grants as of January 2025. CIMER Research Mentor Workshops use an evidence-based, case-based, interactive approach that engages mentors in collective problem solving and connects them with resources to optimize their mentoring practices.

Learn More

2024 MGRI Image Awards

Have a cool science photo and want to show off your research? Participate in the 2024 MGRI Image Awards! The Mass General Research Institute (MGRI) Image Awards was created in 2018 to showcase the breadth of research occurring across Mass General.

Every day, our clinicians and investigators push the boundaries of science and medicine to develop solutions to the world’s most pressing health challenges. What better way to provide a window into their world?

The submission period closes on October 31!

Learn More

See these events and more on the calendar of events

NEW REDCap CDIS/ CDP (Clinical Data Pull) Functionality

September 27, 2024, 10:00 am - 11:00 am, Virtual

REDCap can communicate with any EHR (electronic health record system) that has implemented 'SMART on FHIR' web services that allow for interoperability and limited data extraction from the EHR. In this way, REDCap can be embedded inside and launched within EPIC. This allows REDCap users to add patients to their projects easily and/or to access patient data inside a REDCap project. This functionality can also allow REDCap to extract limited clinical data from EPIC and import clinical data into a REDCap project using a feature called 'Clinical Data Pull' (CDP).

Regiter

Mass General Brigham Research Town Hall

Wednesday, October 2, 2024, 11:30 - 1 pm, virtual

Following a year of intensive development and significant feedback from the research community, Paul Anderson, MD, PhD - MGB Chief Academic Officer - and Allison Moriarty - SVP, Research Planning & Operations, and Innovation, will present the 10-year MGB Research Strategic Plan. They'll review overall priorities and the implementation work that will begin immediately. You can learn more about the development process here. The meeting will be recorded for those unable to attend.

Zoom link

NEW Obtaining Philanthropy Funding for Your Research

October 3, 2024, 10:00 am - 11:00 am, Virtual

Speakers: Dr. Lee Cohen, MD, and Dr. Britain W. Nicholson, MD, Senior Vice President for Development

Did you know philanthropic support from patients, families, and organizations is used to support clinical research at MGH? Do you need funding to support your research? If you are planning a study or are conducting one but need more funding, consider joining us for this session on philanthropy. Dr. Lee Cohen and Dr. Britain W. Nicholson will discuss strategies for fundraising, such as:

Who to ask for philanthropic support?
When to ask for support?
How to ask?
How much to ask for?
Importance of cultivation and stewardship when fundraising.

NEW IMG Residency Annual Panel Session 2024

Thursday, October 3, 2024, 4:00 – 5:00 pm, Simches 3.110

Sponsored by the Mass General Postdoc Association and the MGH Center for Diversity and Inclusion. Join us for a discussion led by Yirong Zhou, MD, PhD as we delve into strategies to enhance residency applications from International Medical Graduates

Fun Fridays- Writing Flash Essays

Friday, October 4, 2024, 12:00 – 1:00 pm, Zoom

Fun Fridays offer a refreshing mid-day break from work to indulge in physical, mental, or creative activity. Flash is traditionally defined as stories that are 1,000 words or less. The flash form calls for immediacy; there is no space for lengthy preambles and meandering.

Instructor: Olga Katsovskiy, MHA, is a Program Manager in the Endocrine Unit at MGH. In addition, she is a writer, editor for literary magazines, and an Instructor at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education. She enjoys obscure books, foreign language films, and good coffee.

NEW MGH October Research Council

Monday, October 7, 2024, 12 - 1 pm, Simches Research Center

Following a year of intensive development and significant feedback from the research community, Paul Anderson, MD, PhD - MGB Chief Academic Officer will present the MGB Research Strategic Plan. You can learn more about the development process here. Have feedback or questions? Submit anonymous questions below!

The Chester Pierce Research Society

Tuesday, October 8, 2024, 12 - 1 pm, virtual

Empowering Voices: Strategies for Involving Individuals with Disabilities in Research

Presenters:

Zary Amirhosseini, M.Ed

Willyanne DeCormier Plosky, DrPH

Martha Jones, MA, CIP

Jeanhee A. Chung, MD

NEW Clinical Research Day 2024

Thursday, October 10, 2024, 8:00 am - 12:00 pm, Hybrid

This year’s Clinical Research Day theme is “Gene and Cell Therapy: Current Challenges for Implementation.” This is a hybrid event via our Clinical Research Day Portal and live in O’Keeffe Auditorium + Potts Conference Room, Gray 856.

Keynote Speaker, 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM, MGH O'Keefe Auditorium + Zoom

Roger Joseph Hajjar, MD, Director of Mass General Brigham Gene and Cell Therapy Institute

Panel Discussion, 9:15 AM - 10:00 AM, Potts Conference Room, Gray 856 + Zoom

Speakers:

Roger Joseph Hajjar, MD

Marcela Maus, MD, PhD

Lindsey Robert Baden, MD

Angela Shen, MD

Poster Session, 10:20 AM - 12:00 PM , Virtually on Zoom

2024 Warren Alpert Foundation Prize Symposium

Thursday, October 10, 2024, 2 - 5:30 pm

CAR-T Cells and the Transformation of Blood Cancer Treatments

The Warren Alpert Foundation and Harvard Medical School invite you to this annual scientific symposium, which will recognize four scientists whose discoveries led to the creation of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, a type of treatment that modifies patients' immune cells and optimizes their ability to eliminate cancer cells.

Northeast Symposium on Biomedical Optics

Tuesday, October 15, 2024, MIT Building E25, Cambridge, MA

NESBO is a symposium organized by and for postdocs and graduate students. The symposium features invited research talks in the general area of biomedical imaging and sensing. It offers a unique opportunity to network, build professional skills, and gain insights into diverse research areas and facilities in biomedical optics across the northeast region. This year's sessions will spotlight cutting-edge research in biomedical optics from invited institutions.

NESBO also features:

Poster competition (with prizes!): Showcase your research!
Panel discussion: Learn about career paths in academia vs. industry.
Networking event: Socialize with fellow scientists at a nearby venue (food and drinks provided!).

All graduate students and postdocs are welcome to register (for free!) whether you're already in the field of biomedical optics or just looking to learn more.

MGRI & Chen Research Symposium

Wednesday, 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.

3-Session Workshop on Creating Decision Worksheets

Tuesday, October 22, 2024, 5:00 - 6:00 pm, Virtual

The event is a 3-session workshop that offers a hands-on learning experience that will equip participants with the skills to develop decision worksheets for any clinical decision. Past attendees include nurses, dieticians, speech language pathologists, and physicians who have created worksheets on treatment for melanoma, treatment for Type 2 diabetes, treatments for osteoporosis, and choosing among feeding tube strategies. By participating in this workshop, we hope participants will learn how to use decision worksheets to communicate risk and efficiently elicit patients’ goals.

If people want to sign up they should email me at KESCOLERO@mgh.harvard.edu.

2024 Virtual Tumor Course

October 28, 2024 – 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.

MGH New Faculty Orientation

Tuesday, October 29, 2024, 12:00 – 2:00 pm, O’Keeffe

An opportunity for new (and established) faculty to learn about the various offices and networks that support our clinical and research faculty. While this is designed for those who are new to the MGH faculty, all faculty members are welcome to attend.

This in-person, two‐hour session is designed to provide an overview of the MGH environment and faculty resources focusing on:

MGH and MGPO
Center for Faculty Development
Key Executive Committees
Important resources such as EAP and Harvard Catalyst

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.

Leadership Skills Retreat

Thursday, November 7, 2024, 12:00 – 5:00 pm, MGH Main Campus

A half-day in-person retreat geared toward mid-career faculty at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) looking to build their leadership skillset. Topics include: “Giving an Engaging Presentation,” “Leading Effective Teams,” and “How to Develop a National Reputation.”

Facilitators:

David S. Friedman, MD, PhD, MPH, Director, Glaucoma Service, MA Eye and Ear; and Co-Director, Glaucoma Center of Excellence, HMS Department of Ophthalmology

Laurie S. Pascal, MBA, MPH, Senior Lecturer, Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; and President, Pascal Coaching and Consulting LLC

Sareh Parangi, MD, Chair of Surgery, Newton-Wellesley Hospital; and Director, MGH Thyroid Cancer Research Laboratory

Miriam A. Bredella, MD, MBA, Bernard and Irene Schwartz Professor of Radiology & Vice Chair for Strategy, Department of Radiology, Associate Dean for Translational Science, Director Clinical and Translational Science Institute NYU Langone Health and Grossman School of Medicine

Speed Mentoring Hour

Friday, November 8, 2024, 12:00 – 1:00 pm, Zoom

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 November 8, 12 – 1 pm, with Steven Greenberg, MD, PhD, Vice-Chair, Faculty Development and Promotions, MGH Department of Neurology; and Jason Harris, MD, Associate Chief for Academic Faculty Affairs and Development, Department of Pediatrics.

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.

Gene and Cell Therapy Research Symposium

November 12-13, 2024, MGH Assembly Row

The 2nd annual Gene and Cell Therapy Research Symposium will take place November 12-13, 2024, bringing together Mass General Brigham researchers and clinicians dedicated to advancing gene and cell therapy. There will be opportunities for networking and collaboration among attendees and engaging discussions led by MGH researchers: