The Biosciences Initiative is hosting a workshop to discuss details regarding the second round of request for applications for cutting-edge, transdisciplinary biosciences research projects. The workshop for Central Campus will take place on Wednesday, March 6, and the workshop for North Campus will take place on Tuesday, March 12.

The Biosciences Initiative Coordinating Committee will be participating in the workshop to answer any questions potential applicants may have. All are welcome, and refreshments will be provided. 

The Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation will grant up to $200,000 ($100,000 per year, for two years, with 10% IDC’s) for the Cancer Research Awards. The Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation (SWCRF) is dedicated to conducting basic and translational cancer research with the intent of developing effective targeted treatments to prevent and treat cancer.

SWCRF seeks to identify and fund investigators interested in the areas of aging and cancer, or aspects of aberrant gene expression, differentiation, or epigenetic therapies that relate to cancer. This internal U-M competition will select only one nomination. The application deadline is Thursday, March 14.

Have you and your research benefited from the support of a mentor? Does your mentor have a track record of successfully mentoring students, fellows, or early career faculty at the University of Michigan? Consider nominating your mentor for the 2019 Distinguished Clinical & Translational Research Award. The award is part of MICHR's continuing efforts to foster a culture of learning, especially in the area of clinical and health research. 

This award recognizes the value of mentoring at U-M in helping early career investigators to reach across disciplinary boundaries in pursuit of science. Nominees may come from any discipline in any school, department, or program at U-M and do not need to have any affiliation with MICHR. The nomination deadline has been extended to Monday, March 18.

Meaningful international collaborations and partnerships aren’t built overnight. They begin with face-to-face interactions, including firsthand observation of partner facilities and resources. The cost of travel can present a barrier to international collaboration, particularly in the critical early stages of a partnership.

Global REACH Partnership Development Grants provide travel funds to faculty (up to $10,000) to help them develop new collaborative relationships with colleagues at international institutions. The application deadline is Friday, April 12.

Do you need to obtain preliminary data that will strengthen an extramural grant application and help you establish your long-term research goals? To support faculty along their career trajectories, MICHR is offering two funding mechanisms – Pathway to First Grant and Pathway to Independence. These awards are intended to support investigators who need to collect additional data to competitively pursue their first extramural grants (such as NIH K or R21) or larger independent grants (such as NIH R01 or similar). 

Applications for these awards are open to faculty from all campuses, schools, and colleges at the University of Michigan, as well as partners affiliated with community and patient coalitions and groups, nonprofit organizations, government, and other agencies outside U-M.  The application deadline is Monday, April 15.

The purpose of the MNORC Pilot/Feasibility Grant Program is to promote research on the biological and behavioral determinants of obesity, and to develop interventions to reduce obesity and its disease sequelae using basic, clinical, or population approaches. The Program’s aim is to enable both new and established University of Michigan investigators to generate sufficient preliminary information for a successful application for major research funding from NIH or other national granting agencies.

Grant proposals may be in areas of basic biomedical research or in clinical, epidemiological, or translational research (e.g. interventions in clinical or population-based setting). Animal or human models may be considered. Grant proposals involving cross-disciplinary expertise, faculty from different U-M schools, and core laboratories of the MNORC are especially encouraged. The application deadline is Friday, May 3.

From novel lung cancer therapeutics to a new device for blood clot removal in stroke patients, 12 new biomedical ideas that emerged from research across Michigan have received funding that could help them make the leap from lab to patient care.

It’s part of the Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization for Life Sciences (MTRAC) Innovation Hub, a $4 million commercialization-focused program co-funded by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

Those selected for funding range from an imaging system that provides instantaneous histology during colonoscopies to a device to help transport patients between beds to a cell therapy device for treating premature ovarian failure in young cancer patients. Award amounts range from $150,000 to $250,000 per project, supporting mid-stage product development activities that are critical steps on the path to market. View all of the project award winners here.

The Innovation section of grant proposals is often the shortest section, but sometimes the most difficult to write. For one, it’s not always clear what “innovation” means, and if a proposed project is too cutting-edge, reviewers may be skeptical of feasibility. 

While your Specific Aims page will describe your project’s impact, think of impact in two parts. The impact your work will have on addressing an NIH-relevant problem is its Significance. But the impact your work will have on your scientific field (e.g., is unique, explores new scientific avenues, or will create new knowledge) is its Innovation. Read the full Sharpening Your Focus article for NIH guidance for Innovation and tips for tackling this section of your proposal.

UMOR Research Compliance and Ethics has a new webpage outlining ClinicalTrials.gov requirements for U-M investigator-initiated clinical trials.

The webpage offers useful information on what clinical trials need to register, who must register clinical trials, and how to register and report results on ClinicalTrials.gov. The webpage also includes contact information for U-M offices that offer ClinicalTrials.gov support and resources.

The University of Michigan’s Biosciences Initiative and Medical School Office of Research have partnered to create a powerful, searchable database with information on research cores across campus: Michigan Research Cores.

The university is full of rich core resources, but they are often challenging to find. The new Michigan Research Cores web portal enables researchers to easily find and identify the location and capabilities of 70 research cores across campus.

Cores are centralized facilities or labs that offer services, equipment, resources, and expertise on a recharge basis to scientific researchers. The directory continues to incorporate even more cores as the website expands in functionality and content. Visit the website to search for a core, to learn how U-M researchers are using core facilities, or to register your core.

What if we could create a better care system by harnessing inherent motivation and collective intelligence of patients, clinicians, and researchers? In every part of our lives, networks are having a profound effect.

How could networked organizations accelerate progress towards Learning Health Systems? On March 19, Peter Margolis, M.D., will describe how several large-scale learning health system networks are eliminating the artificial barriers between clinical care, improvement, and research while engaging all stakeholders as part of a single health system. The result is faster learning and better outcomes for large populations of patients.

Rogel Cancer Center is excited to announce the return of One Day Closer on April 20, 2019, for students of all ages, survivors, University of Michigan employees, and their families. The event aims to inspire our young future scientists and support their career paths in cancer research, care, and prevention.

Attendees will witness firsthand all that goes into translational research, from a cancer diagnosis and biopsy, through study and procedures in the lab, to a new drug treatment development and application.

To better navigate the complexities of the U-M biomedical research enterprise, visit the Research Project Lifecycle . This interactive tool provides an overview of the resources available to you, not only within the Medical School Office of Research but also across the University. The "stops" along this lifecycle are highlighted above, and more information is available online .