In this edition:

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

Funding Opportunities

• NEW MGH Physician and/or Scientist Development Award 2024
• Smith Family Foundation Odyssey Award
• Interim Support Funding 24-1
• The Center for Suicide Research and Prevention 
• The Tommy Fuss Scholars Program in Precision Psychiatry
• The MGH Claflin Distinguished Scholar Awards
• Limited Submission Funding
• Foundation Funding Opportunities

Announcements:

• NEW Insight Innovation Module
• NEW Mass General Brigham MESH Core 2024
• NEW Business Excellence (BEx) request for Research Change Champions
• NEW IACUC Policy Updates
• My Green Lab Certification
• NORC Initiative – Inspire Program 
• Claflin Consultation Initiative 2024
• The Global Non-Communicable Disease Research Training
• Mass General Brigham MESH Core 2024, Submit an Abstract
• Discounted Stata Licenses

Events:

• Fava Well-Being Lecture Series
• CRN Collaborative Journal Club
• 2023 Anne Klibanski Visiting Lecture Series 12
• Research Tech Talk
• Munn Nursing Research Grand Rounds
• Responsible Conduct of Omics Research
• Speed Mentoring Hour
• NEW Engage and Retain Research Subjects, and Publish Results Faster
• Parenting Series Panel: “Looking Ahead to College"
• 2023 Anne Klibanski Visiting Lecture Series 13
• Two Meditation Sessions available every week

NEW MGH Physician and/or Scientist Development Award 2024

The MGH Physician and/or Scientist Development Award (PSDA) is designed for MD and/or PhD investigators at MGH who are considered underrepresented in academic medicine (UiM). This Award is intended to provide transitional funding for support in the development of physicians and scientists underrepresented in academic medicine, and thereby increase opportunities for UiM researchers to advance to senior positions in academic medicine at MGH. This award is a key faculty initiative of the CDI. 

How much is the award?

$180,000 plus 20% indirect costs will be awarded to be spent over a three or four-year period, with a maximum of $60,000 plus indirect costs per year for 3-year awards and a maximum of $45,000 plus indirect costs per year for 4-year awards. 

When is the deadline?

Wednesday, February 7, 2024– 5:00 PM 

Consultation service

Please complete this online survey form to help us provide you with the best consultation possible: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2024CFDAConsultation

Interested in learning more about the PSDA?

A panel discussion featuring past PSDA and CTDA award recipients and will cover eligibility, requirements, resources to improve your application, advice from recent PSDA and CTDA recipients and how the award can advance your career. Wednesday, December 6, 2023, 12p – 1pm. Please click here to register. The Zoom link will be emailed to you.

Smith Family Foundation Odyssey Award

The Smith Family Foundation Odyssey Award was created in 2017 to fuel creativity and innovation in junior investigators in the basic sciences. The Award supports the pursuit of high impact ideas to generate breakthroughs and drive new directions in biomedical research. The awards will fund high-risk, high-reward pilot projects.

Eligible applicants must be junior investigators who received their first independent faculty appointment on or between November 1, 2015 and November 1, 2020.

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. 

Amount: The award is $400,000 over two years ($200,000 per year).

Deadline: Tuesday, December 19, 2023 at 12:00 Noon

Interim Support Funding 24-1

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 and P01). 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.

When is the deadline?

Friday, December 1, 2023 - 5:00 PM

The Center for Suicide Research and Prevention (CSRP)

CSRP Pilot Grant Program

The Center for Suicide Research and Prevention (CSRP) is launching its Pilot Grant Program to support burgeoning research in the space of suicide prediction and prevention.  

Award amount

Selected projects will receive $50,000 (inclusive of indirect costs) to advance their research for one (1) year. Funds can be used flexibly to support salary or research costs.

Deadline

Applications will be accepted until Thursday, February 15, 2024 @5:00 PM EST

CSRP Scholars Program

The Center for Suicide Research and Prevention (CSRP) is launching its Scholars Program to support innovative early-career and advanced investigators with an interest in suicide prevention research.

Award amount

The Scholars Program provides a stipend up to $50,000 (inclusive of indirect costs). 

Deadline

Thursday, February 15, 2024 @5:00 PM EST.

The Tommy Fuss Scholars Program in Precision Psychiatry

The Center for Precision Psychiatry (CPP) is committed to fostering the careers of early career investigators in the emerging area of precision psychiatry. Integrating research, clinical implementation, education and training, the Center is committed to driving innovation to implementation and making discoveries that can be translated to clinical care.

The Tommy Fuss Scholars Program in Precision Psychiatry will support innovative research efforts by early career investigators. Scholars will work with CPP faculty on projects aligned with the CPP mission and goals including therapeutics, big data analytics, precision treatment matching, mobile health technologies, genomics, neuroscience, and clinical trials.

Applications Due: January 15th, 2024, 5:00pm EST

Please direct any questions to mghctrprecisionpsych@mgh.harvard.edu

The MGH Claflin Distinguished Scholar Awards

for Junior Faculty Women Investigators 

What are the Claflin Awards?

Although women scientists are recruited to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) programs, their advancement to senior faculty positions is still far less frequent than that of their male counterparts. In 1993, The Women in Academic Medicine Committee, originally chaired by Mrs. Jane D. Claflin, Honorary Trustee, was established to facilitate the academic careers of women in science at MGH.  

How much is each award?

These are two year awards for $60,000 per year in direct costs, plus 20% for indirect costs.

When is the deadline?

Tuesday, January 30, 2024 - 5:00 PM

We encourage you to attend the Claflin Distinguished Scholar Awards Informational Panel Discussion on Tuesday, November 7 from 10:00 – 11:00am. More information can be found in the call for applications.

We also encourage all to apply for the Claflin Consultation Initiative by Friday, December 1, 2023.

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.

Advancing Research Careers (ARC) Institutionally-Focused Research Education Award to Promote Diversity (UE5 – Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

MGH LOI Deadline: 11/29/23

Learn more

NCI Pathway to Independence Award for Early-Stage Postdoctoral Researchers (K99/R00 – Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

MGH LOI Deadline: 12/12/23

Learn more

NCI Pathway to Independence Award for Early-Stage Postdoctoral Researchers (K99/R00 – Independent Clinical Trial Required)

MGH LOI Deadline: 12/12/23

Learn more

NCI Pathway to Independence Award for Early-Stage Postdoctoral Researchers (K99/R00 – Independent Clinical Trial Required)

MGH LOI Deadline: 12/12/23

Learn more

The National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (UG1 Clinical Trial Required)

MGH LOI Deadline: 1/10/24

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 full details for all awards on our website.

1. Crazy 8 Initiative, Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer (ALSF). $5 million (10% IDC). LOI Deadline: January 8 (extended from January 4)
2. Basic Research Postdoctoral Fellowships, American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA). $100,000 (No IDC). LOI Deadline: December 13
3. Discovery Grant, American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA). $50,000 (No IDC). LOI Deadline: December 13
4. Research Collaboration Grants, American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA). $200,000 (No IDC). LOI Deadline: December 13
5. Bridge to Success Award for Early Career Investigators, American Sleep Medicine Foundation (ASMF)/American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). $100,000 (8% IDC). Application Deadline: January 8
6. Bridge to Success Award for Mid-Career/Senior Investigators, American Sleep Medicine Foundation (ASMF)/American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). $100,000 (8% IDC). Application Deadline: January 8
7. Focused Projects Grant for Junior Investigators (multiple opps), American Sleep Medicine Foundation (ASMF)/American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). $50,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: January 8
8. Physician Scientist Training Award (PSTA), American Sleep Medicine Foundation (ASMF)/American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). $100,000 (8% IDC). Application Deadline: January 8
9. Lawrence and Isabel Barnett Drug Development Program, ALS Association. $500,000 (10% IDC). LOI Deadline: December 18
10. Emerging Leader Award, Bay Area Lyme Foundation. $150,000 (5% IDC). Application Deadline: March 1
11. NEW! Kidney Health Equity Community Engagement Award, National Kidney Foundation (NKF). $75,000 (15% IDC). Application Deadline: February 12
12. Young Investigator Research Grant Program (multiple opps), National Kidney Foundation (NKF). $35,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: February 12
13. Discovery Grants, National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF). $75,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: February 1
14. Early Career Research Grants, National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF). $50,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: February 1
15. More than Skin Deep: Mental Health Grant, National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF). $100,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: February 1
16. Psoriatic Disease Research Fellowships, National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF). $50,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: February 1
17. Translational Research Grants, National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF). $200,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: February 1
18. (Child Welfare) Research Grants (multiple opps), William T. Grant Foundation. $1 million (15% IDC). LOI Deadline: January 10

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 Insight Innovation Module

The Innovation and Insight teams are excited to announce our upcoming release on December 1st. This is a major step forward in creating more transparency between the Innovation office and the Inventors and Departments.   The release brings all of Innovation data on the Insight platform with new security added to access it. It will also introduce several new transactions that accommodate streamlined processes with more automation.

Three key updates to highlight:

1. Inventors and their administrative staff will have access to all inventions, intellectual property and agreements like licenses, options and more. 
2. Inventors will now be asked to provide and confirm their contribution to inventions electronically via Insight.
3. The Innovation Department/Center Admins assigned at the department level will now be asked to provide the fund numbers where money can be distributed when a license is executed, and money is received. 

Department Keygivers: Please be sure to assign the appropriate Innovation Department/Center Admins in Insight > Manage Profiles & Security > Research Contacts to ensure that distributions are not delayed. 

Over the next several months we will be meeting with departments and centers to review the system and its capabilities.  In the meantime, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Insight Help Desk.  

NEW Mass General Brigham MESH Core 2024

Join us at Mass General Brigham MESH Core 2024! Submit your abstract for poster or oral presentation at this unique healthcare innovation course, happening on May 20th and 21st in Boston.

MESH Core, presented by MGB Innovation, is a two-day intensive, in-person, hands-on healthcare innovation course designed for beginners and seasoned innovators alike. Open to both internal and external attendees, the course is suitable for physicians, researchers, allied health professionals, students, executives, investors, and the public. A combination of lectures, hands-on cases, networking, roundtables, and scientific sessions.

The abstract submission deadline is December 15th, 2023, and top-voted abstracts have a chance to win a cash award. Accepted abstracts will be notified in early 2024.

NEW Business Excellence (BEx) request for Research Change Champions & 10/26 Townhall recording 

We are looking for additional Business Excellence Research Change Champions. Change Champions will learn about the new ways of working, provide feedback on resources, share information with their teams, and guide employees to the appropriate support channels. If you, or someone you know, would be a good nominee for the Change Champion role, please submit the nomination to mgbbusexcel@partners.org.

If you missed the Business Excellence presentation at MGB Research Town Hall (10/26), you may view the slides and recording on the Research Vitals page.

NEW! IACUC Policy Updates

The following revised policies were approved by the MGH IACUC and are available for review on the MGH IACUC website.

Effective November 15, 2023:

• Amendment Review Process, Version 2.0
• Policy on Principal Investigator Eligibility, Version 2.0
• Policy on Controlled Food and Fluid Intake in Laboratory Animals, Version 1.1

Please review these policies to ensure that you are following current requirements and be sure to update any relevant documents and practices you may have in your laboratory. 

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

My Green Lab Certification

MGB is looking for 20 labs interested in receiving My Green Lab Certification

Research is one of the most energy and waste-intensive parts of the healthcare enterprise, with labs using up to 10 times more energy than typical office space, and producing large amounts of plastic, chemical, and biohazard waste. As part of its effort to meet the Healthcare Sustainability Pledge, Mass General Brigham (MGB) will provide funding for 20 research labs across the system to enroll in the “My Green Lab” Certification Program in laboratory sustainability. 

Funding for participating labs will pay for the cost of enrolling in the My Green Lab certification process. In addition, MGB will gather additional research data via short questionnaires and lab-specific energy and waste monitoring. The questionnaire will assess how participation in the program affects environmental attitudes and workplace satisfaction. Energy and waste monitoring will help MGB measure the overall direct impact of the program and calculate potential savings.



Applicants must have a primary full-time faculty appointment and their own research lab at a Mass General Brigham institution.  

NORC Initiative – Inspire Program 

The INSPIRE Program is an inter-NORC initiative whose overarching goal is to promote the careers of early career scientists (i.e. INSPIRE Scholars) by facilitating speaking opportunities and career development mentorship at NORCs outside of the Scholar’s institution. INSPIRE Scholars will be paired one to one with mentors (i.e. INSPIRE Champions) who will provide guidance and support for research presentations, facilitate national speaking opportunities, and provide career development mentorship.

INSPIRE Scholars will also be provided opportunities to receive peer to peer mentorship with other INSPIRE Scholars with events/ meetings hosted by the INSPIRE Program. Further, the program will also provide funding to Scholars to cover costs associated with in-person national presentations facilitated by the INSPIRE Champions.

Application Deadline: December 18, 2023 at 5pm EST

Claflin Consultation Initiative 2024



If you are applying for a Claflin Distinguished Scholars Award, and would like help preparing your application, ECOR and the Office for Women’s Careers (OWC) encourages you to take advantage of the pre-award Claflin Consultation Initiative (CCI) for applicants. By submitting a survey for the CCI, you will be matched with a Claflin alumna who best fits your area of research. The CCI is designed to help eligible faculty prepare their best application for the 2024 Claflin Distinguished Scholar Awards. 

The last date to enroll in the CCI is Friday, December 1, 2023 at 5pm

The Global Non-Communicable Disease Research Training

This post-doctoral fellowship, led by Dr. Jessica Haberer, is now accepting applications! We encourage you to apply for this fellowship if you are interested in research training related to a wide range of global NCDs, primarily involving cardiovascular, cardiometabolic, lung, and blood (non-cancer) diseases, as well as interactions between infectious diseases and such conditions. Types of research include clinical epidemiology, clinical trials, environmental exposures, diagnostics, genomics, health services research, and implementation science.

The application deadline is December 15, 2023.

For any questions, reach out to Lindsey Garrison (legarrison@mgh.harvard.edu). 

Mass General Brigham MESH Core 2024, Submit an Abstract



MESH Core, presented by MGB Innovation, is a two-day intensive, in-person, hands-on healthcare innovation course designed for beginners and seasoned innovators alike. Open to both internal and external attendees, the course is suitable for physicians, researchers, allied health professionals, students, executives, investors, and the public. A combination of lectures, hands-on cases, networking, roundtables, and scientific sessions.

The abstract submission deadline is December 15th, 2023, and top-voted abstracts have a chance to win a cash award. Accepted abstracts will be notified in early 2024. Register (for internal MGB registrants) and attend to present your work and engage with a diverse audience. For submission guidelines and more details, click here.

Discounted Stata Licenses

The Research Computing Core offers Stata licenses to the Research Community at a discounted rate via rcservices.partners.org. Stata is a statistical software package that provides tools for analysis, data management and graphics. Interested in learning new tips or looking to learn about new functionality with Stata 18? Check out the Stata Webinars, which are offered free of charge via the vendor's website.

See these events and more on the calendar of events

Fava Well-Being Lecture Series

“Removing the Mask - One Surgeon’s Lived Experience of Health, Stigma, and Support”

Thursday, November 30, 2023, 8:00 – 9:00 am

In this session, Dr. Cunningham will discuss the current world-wide mental health crisis among health care professionals. Through her owned lived experience, she will discuss the current state, barriers to care, and a multifaceted approach to enacting change in mental health awareness, reducing stigma and increasing resources for those who are struggling in our community.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to: 

• Summarize the current state of mental health in our community.
• Discuss the impact of cultural norms and stigma on seeking treatment.
• Outline personal, institutional, and societal strategies to enact change.

CRN Collaborative Journal Club

Tuesday, December 4, 2023, 12:00 - 1:00

Transitioning to the clinical research nurse role – a qualitative descriptive study. 

It is essential for professional growth to collaborate and discuss one’s role as a clinical research nurse. This journal club will allow the clinical research nurse to receive the most recent up to date EBP and EBR that they may otherwise not have had an opportunity to discuss.

Learning Objective(s):

At the end of this activity, the CRN will be able to explain how one learned EBP/EBR discussed will influence or be incorporated into practice

2023 Anne Klibanski Visiting Lecture Series 12

Tuesday, December 5, 2023, 5:00 - 6:00

"Breast Imaging in the Developing World"

The Anne Klibanski Visiting Lecture Series was created to support and advance the careers of women. These lectures offer the opportunity for women faculty from outside institutions that have hosted Anne Klibanski Scholars to present on their expertise, either alone or in tandem with an Anne Klibanski Scholar.

Presenter: Bagyam Raghavan, MD, Radiologist, Apollo Cancer Center, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Research Tech Talk

Thursday, December 7, 2023, 12:00 - 2:00 PM

Tim White, Vice President, Infrastructure Technology Services (ITS), will give a comprehensive update on ITS: current projects and the road ahead

Herb Harrison, Director – ITS Enterprise Technology Platforms, MGB and team will present an overview of MGB Digital's Disaster Recovery Services Program

Munn Nursing Research Grand Rounds

Thursday, December 7, 2023, 1:30 PM-2:30 PM

Nutrition and Diet Quality among Vulnerable Populations during Pregnancy

Nursing Research Grand Rounds highlights nursing science on a quarterly basis. Presentations aim to provide nurses at all practice levels with current examples of clinically-relevant, nurse-lead research to support best practices and improve patient outcomes. This program will discuss how adverse pregnancy outcomes, specifically cardiometabolic conditions, are disproportionally experienced among people of color.

Contact Hours: 1.0 ANCC contact hour

Responsible Conduct of Omics Research

Thursday, December 7, 2023, 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM

This conference is sponsored by the MGRI Division of Clinical Research. The goal of this conference is to cover various topics relevant to human genetic research in the modern era, including Ethical Dimensions of Genetic Research, Return of Results, the MGB Biobank, the Importance of Identifiability, Data Sharing and Security, and Research Integrity. The target audience includes junior and senior research faculty, postdocs, graduate and medical students, as well as cross-training established investigators who are just getting started on complex trait genetics. This conference offers Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) credit for students, trainees, and investigators with career development awards who have NIH or NSF support.

Speed Mentoring Hour

Wednesday, December 13, 2023, 12:00 – 1:00 pm

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 December 13, 12 – 1 pm, with Patricia D’Amore, PhD, MBA, Vice Chair, Basic and Translational Research, Department of Ophthalmology; and Joshua Goldstein, MD, PhD, Vice Chair for Faculty Affairs, Emergency Medicine.

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.

Parenting Series Panel: “Looking Ahead to College"

Wednesday, December 14, 2023, 12:00 – 1:00 pm

“College”—this one word can set a parent’s heart racing. How does a parent navigate the tempestuous winds of personal expectations for one’s child, social pressures, the vast panoply of available advice, financial considerations, and a child’s wishes, needs, and academic profile? The rite of passage from high school to college brings with it a strong current of emotion, not least of which is knowing one’s child will be leaving home. We have brought together this panel of parents to share their experiences in the aim of creating a community of support and understanding, a safe space to discuss concerns, confusions, and questions.

Panel Speakers:

Anne Levy, PhD, Senior Program Manager, Center for Faculty Development

Andy Nierenberg, MD, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, HMS

Bo Rueda, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, HMS

Sue Slaugenhaupt, PhD, Professor, Department of Neurology, HMS

NEW Engage and Retain Research Subjects, and Publish Results Faster

Wednesday, December 14, 2023, 12:00 – 1:00 pm

The presentation will show how to engage and retain clinical research subjects using a web-based portal with incentives, secure messaging, and personalized information. It will also demonstrate a more efficient way to analyze data and generate manuscripts for publication.

The presentation is designed for clinical researchers, statisticians, and study coordinators who are involved in clinical trials, observational studies, surveys, or patient registries. By attending, they will gain insights into the features of Studytrax, a data capture system, and explore case examples to better understand its functionality.

2023 Anne Klibanski Visiting Lecture Series 13

Tuesday, December 19, 2023, 12:00 - 1:00 pm

"Pediatric Heart Health: 4 High Impact Topics for General Pediatricians and Pediatric Cardiologists"

The Anne Klibanski Visiting Lecture Series was created to support and advance the careers of women. These lectures offer the opportunity for women faculty from outside institutions that have hosted Anne Klibanski Scholars to present on their expertise, either alone or in tandem with an Anne Klibanski Scholar.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Discuss the role of preventive cardiology in general and subspecialty pediatrics care.
• Discuss the role and impact of targeting modifiable childhood cardiovascular disease risk factors.  
• Discuss recent advances in fetal cardiology. 
• Discuss recent advances in pediatric cardiology.

Target Audience: This activity is intended for faculty and faculty trainees.

Course Director: Darshan H. Mehta, MD, MPH, Office for Well-Being; Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Presenters:

Hanano Watanabe, MD, MS, Assistant Professor and General Pediatric Cardiologist, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York

Two Meditation Sessions available every week

SESSION 1: Meditation Mondays with Dr. Darshan Mehta 

Every Monday, 8:00 – 8:30 am, Zoom next session, Monday, November 13!

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 Monday morning. 

Register and add to calendar

SESSION 2: Midweek Meditation with Guest Leader 

Every Wednesday, 8:00 – 8:30 am, Zoom next session, Wednesday, November 15!

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

Join guest leader, Jennifer Cataldo, E-RYT 500 Hour Yoga, Meditation and Reiki Master/Teacher, for next Wednesday’s guided meditation session on November 15^th!

Register and add to calendar

See these events and more on the calendar of events

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