Research News
MEDICAL SCHOOL OFFICE OF RESEARCH
August 2016

SAVE THE DATES!

EVENTS 
Tuesday, August 9
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
NCRC Building 16, B003E

Wednesday, August 10
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
376 NCRC Building 300

Monday, September 12
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
BSRB Seminar Rooms
Breakfast Provided

Wednesday, Sept. 14
5:30 PM - 8:00 PM
NCRC

Monday, September 26
8:30 AM - 10:00 AM
BSRB Seminar Rooms

Wednesday, October 5
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
BSRB Seminar Rooms
Lunch Provided

Monday, October 10
8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
BSRB Seminar Rooms
Breakfast Provided

Making the Most of Your Presentation
Monday, October 10
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
BSRB Seminar Rooms

Monday, October 10
3:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday, October 11
8:00 AM - 2:15 PM
Towsley Center

SAVE THE DATE!
Tuesday, October 25
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
BSRB Seminar Rooms,
1st Floor
Breakfast & Lunch Provided

RESEARCH NEWS 

QUICKLINKS
Fact Sheets
& Hot Topics
Find UMHS facts and figures for your next proposal!

Research Project
Route Map

Research Funding
& Grants Guide

MBECT Resources 

 

UMMS Office

of Research

 

U-M Medical School

 

Competition Space

 
IN THIS ISSUE 
 Funding
    • Policies
    • Training & Professional Development
    • Announcements
    • FundingOpps
    Select Research Funding &
    Award Opportunities
    Pilot Grants

    Bridging Support
    Award
    Deadline
    BMRC Bridging Support for Biomedical Research
    Monday, August 15

    Other Opportunities

    Featured Foundation Grants

    Visit the UMHS Corporate and Foundation Relations website for more foundation funding opportunities.

    For additional details about funding resources, please visit the
    U-M Library's     Research Funding & Grants Guide . 
    funding.mtrack
    MTRAC accepting proposals through September 26
    FFMI's MTRAC goes university and state-wide, now offering $4.05 million in funding
    The $4.05 million statewide MTRAC for Life Sciences Innovation Hub has been announced by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) after being approved by the Michigan Strategic Fund in July. The program is based at U-M with co-management by the U-M Medical School Fast Forward Medical Innovation (FFMI) and the U-M Office of Technology Transfer. 
     
    The new hub is an extension of FFMI's existing MTRAC program, which launched in 2013 with $2.4 million from MEDC to foster innovation and entrepreneurship as a dynamic catalyst for economic growth.

    Going forward, innovators from all schools at the U-M, other institutions of higher education, non-profit research centers, and hospital systems across Michigan are eligible to submit projects for funding consideration. The program offers early-stage funding opportunities through Mi-Kickstart, and Mi-TRAC is the funding program for mid-stage commercialization projects.

    "Our previous three-year experience and success with the current MTRAC program at the U-M Medical School informs us that this new Hub opportunity could be a game changer in biomedical innovation for the state of Michigan," noted Kevin Ward, M.D., Executive Director of FFMI and co-principal investigator for the new MTRAC Life Sciences Innovation Hub.

    The Request for Proposals for the program's Mi-TRAC awards has just been released, with a September 26 submission deadline. Mi-TRAC Awards are given once a year, and offer mid-stage funding in the range of $100K-$250K.  CLICK HERE to access the RFP in Competition Space.

    Interested innovators should contact Commercialization Program Director Bradley Martin for a pre-proposal consultation. or read the full announcement. 
    funding.michr
    Seeking Applicants for the MICHR Translational Science Award
    Pilot Funding Deadline: Monday, September 12
    Are you looking for funding for an innovative research project? Does your research address an area of clinical and translational science or a community-identified health priority? If so, you are encouraged to apply for the Translational Science Award pilot funding.

    The funding is offered by the Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research (MICHR). Applications are open to faculty from all 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 the University.

    Research project funding for:
    MICHR has restructured its pilot grant funding to encourage applications for projects at all stages of translation (T1-T4) that use one of the following approaches to research: investigator-initiated research, collaborative research, or community-based participatory research (CBPR).

    Application Deadline:
    Monday, September 12
    Apply through Competition Space

    For more information, visit the website or contact Kate Althouse. 
    policies.animal
    Changes to Hazard Administration SOP Coming Soon

    Are you prepared?
    A strong partnership between the University's Department of Occupational Safety and Environmental Health (OSEH) and the Animal Care & Use Program is playing a critical role in ongoing efforts to ensure that the U-M continues to improve upon the humane and responsible care of animals while also ensuring the health and safety of U-M program personnel.
    To that end, the "Animals Administered a Hazardous Substance Requiring Containment" Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has recently undergone several important updates. In order to allow adequate time for staff training and compliance, the new procedures will be implemented in two phases based on facility location:

    Phase Facilities Implementation Date
    I
    MSRB, BSRB, Brehm, and the Cancer Center 
    		August 15, 2016
    II
    LSI, Dental School, School of Public Health, and NCRC
    		September 15, 2016

    Staff in each facility are expected to comply with, and will be held accountable for, all new procedures 30 days after their implementation date (i.e., all facilities in Phase I must be compliant by Thursday, September 15, 2016 and all facilities in Phase II must be compliant by Saturday, October 15, 2016). Failure to adhere to the new procedures after these dates will result in non-compliance notifications.


    T    o ensure proper compliance, everyone who is, or will be, performing procedures that involve the handling of animals or animal equipment contaminated with hazardous agents must read this SOP in its entirety. In order to help facilitate the implementation of these new and revised policies and procedures, several reminder emails will be sent to all affected personnel as the compliance deadlines approach.
     
    Questions? Please contact the     ULAM Training Core or by phone at (734) 763-8039.
    training.clinicaltrials
    Fast Forward Clinical Trials Update
    Clinical Trial Support Units (formerly known as NODES) are open for business!

    The four pilot Clinical Trial Support Units (CTSUs): Acute, Critical Care, Surgical & Transplant; Children's; Heart, Vessel, Blood; and Oncology are officially open for business as of July 1, 2016!

    The four pilot CTSUs could cover 70 percent of the clinical trials occurring at UMHS. Three additional CTSUs: Ambulatory & Chronic Disease, Behavior Function & Pain, and Neurosciences & Sensory will round out the coverage of clinical trial research and will be launched in January 2017. 

    All new clinical trials within the Health System will receive pre- and post-award services from a respective Support Unit, allowing the study teams to focus on the science and less on the administrative tasks. Existing clinical trials that will continue beyond Jan 2018 will be required to join a Support Unit as well.

    Support Units will use a standard operations manual to harmonize elements across the clinical trial enterprise, while allowing for local flexibility to reflect the uniqueness of various types of trials.

    Question? Please contact [email protected].
    training.consciousness
    Center for Consciousness Science Hosts One-Day Symposium
    Altered States of Consciousness on Thursday, August 11

    Join the Center for Consciousness Science (CCS) on Thursday, August 11 for the Altered States of Consciousness symposium. Invited speakers will discuss diverse altered states of consciousness, including the psychedelic experience, ketamine anesthesia, emergence from unconsciousness, and near death experiences.

    Keynote speaker, Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris, Imperial College London, will be discussing his outstanding work on psychedelics. Additional speakers include George Mashour, UMMS CCS Director; Jimo Borjigin, University of Michigan; Alex Proekt, University of Pennsylvania; Ben Palanca, Washington University; Andrew McKinstry-Wu, University of Pennsylvania; and Dinesh Pal, University of Michigan.

    Altered States of Consciousness
    Thursday, August 11
    8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Amphitheatre, Rackham Building

    The symposium will be broken into two sessions. Session I, "Seeing the Light", will start at 9:00 AM and features keynote speaker, Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris, Dr. George Mashour, and Dr. Jimo Borjigin. Session II, "Sweet Oblivion", starts at 1:00 PM  and will feature Dr. Ben Palanca, Dr. Andrew McKinstry-Wu, Dr. Dinesh Pal, and Dr. Alex Proekt.

    Questions? Please contact Dawn Burger. 
    training.palooza
    Meet the Organizations Here to Serve You!
    Researchpalooza on Wednesday, August 31
    Mark your calendars for Researchpalooza! This year, there are more than 75 organizations displaying their wares and services to the University of Michigan biomedical research community on Wednesday, August 31.

    In addition to speaking directly with labs and offices from across the Medical School, attendees can enter to win an iPad, gift cards, or money for professional development travel, and don't forget to grab some ice cream!

    Researchpalooza
    Wednesday, August 31
    11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
    Circle Drive in front of Med Sci 1

    This year's theme is all about celebrating our everyday superheroes - YOU! Stop by Circle Drive near the Medical School and connect with the labs and offices here to serve you!

    For more information, visit the event webpage.
    training.JI
    U-M Collaborating with Peking University Health Science Center
    Register for the Sixth Annual Symposium of the JI for Translational and Clinical Research
    Top researchers and faculty from China's Peking University Health Science Center will be visiting the U-M campus this fall to meet with University of Michigan colleagues about shared projects with potentially big implications on both sides of the globe.

    Registration is now open for the Sixth Annual Symposium of the Joint Institute (JI) for Translational and Clinical Research, set to take place in Ann Arbor. This marks the third time that the University of Michigan Health System has hosted the event, which rotates between the U-M campus and JI partner Peking University Health Science Center (PUHSC) in Beijing.

    Annual Symposium of the Joint Institute
    for Translational and Clinical Research
    October 12 - October 14

    There are 25 ongoing joint-research projects funded by the JI focusing primarily on four major areas: cardiovascular, lung, liver, and kidney diseases. Examples include a study exploring potential genetic contributors to cardiovascular disease; how and to what extent air pollution impacts asthma sufferers differently; and a chronic kidney disease project that uses population-based databases in both China and the U.S. to compare risk factors between the two countries. Any U-M faculty or students engaged in Global Health work in China - or interested in launching new partnerships - are encouraged to attend the Symposium. 

    For more information, visit the event webpage. 
    announcements.venneti
    U-M Professor Receives Funding for Oncology Research
    Dr. Sriram Venneti awarded 2016 Clinical Scientist Development Award
    Dr. Sriram Venneti in the Department of Pathology, has been awarded the prestigious 2016 Clinical Scientist Development Award by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Assistant Professor Sriram Venneti, M.D., Ph.D. is one of 17 recipients of the 19th annual award. The awards are designed to allow junior faculty protected time for their clinical research as they establish their own research programs.

    Dr. Venneti was chosen from among 169 applicants and will receive $495,000 over three years for his oncology research: defining the epigenetic landscape of pediatric posterior fossa ependymomas.  Congratulations, Dr. Venneti!

    For more information, read the full announcement.
    Foundation
    Featured Foundation Grants
    for Biomedical Research 
    null
    UMHS Corporate and Foundation Relations would like to draw your attention to the following foundations who currently have open RFPs for biomedical research grants:

    Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)

    LLS research investment plays a critical role in advancing therapies for blood cancer patients, including targeted and immunotherapies. LLS funds investigators who are outstanding scientists at the forefront of leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma research at centers throughout the world. They award academic grants for studies that range from basic blood cancer research to research that uses the latest tools of genomics. Additionally, they are dedicated to funding blood cancer research to help improve the quality of life for patients and their families with projects studying long-term and late effects.

    Award
    Amount
    Deadline
    $1M
    Monday,
    August 29
    $550K Thursday,
    September 1
    $550K Thursday,
    September 1
    $201K Thursday,
    September 1
    $180K Thursday,
    September 1
    $5M
    Friday,
    September 23

    Cure SMA - Research Grants

    Basic research is one of the cornerstones of Cure SMA's research strategy. They believe that continued investigation into the causes and biology of SMA is necessary to grow and improve our drug pipeline. Cure SMA has announced that they are accepting grant applications for funding of research projects, under a competitive review by the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).

    Award
    Amount
    Deadline
    $150K Friday,
    September 2

    Scleroderma Foundation - Program Funding
    The Scleroderma Foundation Collaborative Research Grant (SCORE) seeks  applications for collaborative basic, translational, or clinical research projects involving two or more Scleroderma Foundation Centers at different institutions.  The goal is to support and enhance collaborations between two or more Scleroderma Centers to advance significant research on scleroderma.

    Award
    Amount
    Deadline
    $500K
    Friday,
    September 2

    Questions about these award opportunities should be directed to Joe Piffaretti in UMHS Corporate and Foundation Relations via email at [email protected] or phone at (734) 763-1318.

    If you are interested in receiving weekly funding announcements that include opportunities such as those listed above, please contact Joe Piffaretti to be added to the faculty/staff email circulation list.
    SharpFocus
    Optimus Time
    Sharpening Your Focus:
    Tips on Grant Proposal Preparation
    By Jill Jividen, Ph.D., Senior Manager
    for Research Development Support,
    U-M Medical School Office of Research

    (One in a  series  of tips published in UMMS Research News about writing proposals.)  

    One of the perennial challenges of writing proposals is finding time to write proposals. Researchers are inundated by competing obligations: meetings, labs, patients, teaching, publishing, mentoring, conferences, family, friends and so on. Because writing is an activity that can often be done flexibly, it's frequently one that is postponed or otherwise compromised.
    Sally Schmall, a U-M faculty member in the School of Social Work and founder of Academy Coaching, recently spoke to R01 Boot Camp mentees about strategies for protecting time for writing. Her tips include:
    • Use your calendar for more than meetings: Schedule time for handling email and other office tasks, for personal activities like going to the gym, and for writing. Block off travel time for getting to and from activities. Treat your calendar as your actual plan for your time-if it's on the schedule, stay committed to that activity.
    • Consider the need: Classify activities by degrees of urgency and importance. Avoid getting sidetracked by urgent things that are not that important.
    • Customize: Plan your schedule according to your personal rhythms, work style and goals (e.g., if you write better in the morning, preserve the early hours for crafting proposals).
    • Plan ahead: Allow adequate time for thinking through the demands of a new project.
    • Be proactive: Investing adequate time in advance planning improves discipline, balance and control, and minimizes the crises that infringe on scheduled activities. Spend time on important things before they become emergencies.
    • Reflect: Are you setting the right priorities? What activities are (or are not) a valuable use of your time?

    Our mission in the Office of Research is to foster an environment of innovation
    and efficiency that serves the U-M Medical School community and supports
    biomedical science from insight to impact.