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RESEARCH INKLINGS MUSC Research Newsletter
D. Bastia
C. Kern
C. Hanlon
S. Reddy
C. Reichel
S. Tomlinson
Research Equipment Enhancement Fund (REEF) Recipients The Office of the Associate Provost for Research is pleased to announce the inaugural round of the Research Equipment Enhancement Fund (REEF) recipients: v Deepak Bastia, PhD, Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology v Christine Kern, PhD, Associate Professor, Regenerative Medicine & Cell Biology v Colleen Hanlon, PhD, Associate Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences v Sakamuri Reddy, PhD, Professor, Pediatrics v Carmela Reichel, PhD, Assistant Professor, Neuroscience v Stephen Tomlinson, PhD, Professor, Microbiology & Immunology
The awards allow active investigators and/or departments to replace aging, obsolete or damaged research equipment, or to acquire new research equipment that represents the latest technology. The overall goal of the program is to assist MUSC faculty in purchasing instrumentation necessary to attain their research goals. The next application cycle for the REEF program will be held in Spring 2016 with a deadline for submissions of March 1, 2016. Click here for announcement. For more information about the REEF program, please contact Dr. Christopher Davies, Interim Assistant Provost for Research Infrastructure (843-876-2302 or e-mail davies@musc.edu).
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WINTER 2016
MUSC Science Café Joseph A. Helpern, PhD, Professor of Radiology & Neuroscience and the SmartState Endowed Chair in Brain Imaging at MUSC, led the discussion, titled “A Look Through the Eye of Magnetic Resonance Imaging" at Science Café on January 12, 2016. Most people are familiar with Magnetic Resonance Imaging but don’t realize the tool represents one of the greatest technological advances in modern medicine with its impact being comparable to the development of the x-ray. To be able to “look” inside the human body “non-invasively” has revolutionized our ability to diagnose disease with much less risk to the individual. Dr. Helpern took the audience on a random “walk with a water molecule through the brain” to show what happens when the brain pathways are blocked. The developing brain is a mindboggling complex construction job that continues into early adulthood and beyond. Luckily, MRI provides us with the ability to inspect the brains’ complex microarchitecture using water molecules as tiny messengers. The Science Cafés are part of South Carolina’s SmartState Program, which uses lottery funds to support Centers of Economic Excellence at three public research institutions, including MUSC. Helpern is one of SmartState’s endowed chairs. The Science Café is meant to bring innovative science to a lay audience and Dr. Helpern took fun shortcuts to explain things in simple terms to communicate to his audience. The event was held at the Southend Brewery & Smokehouse on East Bay Street in Charleston.
Darby Children's Research Institute & Pediatric Research Day CONTENTS
The Darby Children's Research Institute & Pediatric Research Day was created to strengthen children’s research at the Medical University of South Carolina. This one-day celebration will highlight many of the accomplishments in basic, translational and clinical research needed to help children lead lives that are as close to normal as possible. This year’s theme is “Translational Research in Pediatrics.” This year’s event is scheduled on March 3, 2016 in the Bioengineering Building Auditorium & Lobby. 2
Robert Porter’s Grantsmanship Workshops
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SCTR & FRD Technology Development Awards Chalsty Breast & Ovarian Cancer Research Retreat Delaware IDeAs 2016 Conference
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Clinical Trials Design Center
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Women’s Health Research Day
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NIH Scientific Rigor and Transparency
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EurekAlert
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RESEARCH INKLINGS
WINTER 2016
Robert Porter’s Grantsmanship Workshops: Strategies for Success in
Sponsored Research & Writing Successful Grants On December 10 & 11, 2015, the Office of Research Development and the Center for Advancement, Recruitment, and Retention of Women in Science (ARROWS) Program conducted two Grantsmanship Workshops, led by Robert Porter, PhD. Dr. Porter has presented grant-writing workshops at leading universities and medical schools internationally. Formerly Director of Research Development at the University of Tennessee, Dr. Porter has received the Distinguished Faculty Award by the Society of Research Administrators International. He has more than thirty years' experience as a tenured professor, private consultant and research administrator. During the half-day session “Strategies for Success in Sponsored Research,” the workshop featured three interactive modules: v Got a Match: Assuring your proposal is a good fit with a given grant program is a critical first step. v Can We Talk: Contacting Grant Program Officers. Experienced grant writers know that communicating with the sponsor agency prior to writing the proposal is a critical first step. v Proposal Evaluation: Grant Reviewer Exercise. In this session, participants will act as a mock review panel, reading and evaluating a sample grant proposal. A full day workshop covered the basic principles of good grant writing, starting with the phrasing of a compelling research theme to the actual construction of the proposal itself. It discussed the major differences between traditional "academic prose" and persuasive grant writing, In addition, Dr. Porter reviewed the common pitfalls that can lead to early rejection of good ideas, matched with practical strategies for better writing. Special attention was paid to the perspectives of grant reviewers and how to write in ways that will meet their expectations. This full day workshop included several writing exercises that will enable participants to get a running start on writing their own grant proposals.
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SCTR & FRD Technology Development Grant Award Recipients The South Carolina Clinical & Translational Research Institute (SCTR) and the MUSC Foundation for Research Development (FRD) are pleased to announce Nancy K. DeMore, MD and Jennifer D. Wu, PhD, as recipients of SCTR/FRD Technology Development Grant awards. v Nancy K. DeMore, MD, FACS, is Professor of Surgery and BMW SmartState Endowed Chair in Cancer Research at the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. DeMore’s project, “Development of Novel Monoclonal Antibody for Melanoma”, seeks to limit melanoma growth through a novel antibody and inhibitor. v Jennifer Wu, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at the Medical University of South Carolina. “Developing a Fusion Molecule to Advance Current Proprietary Cancer Immunotherapeutic Technology”aims to optimize current technology for cancer treatment and stimulate anti-tumor immune responses. These awards support short-term (six month) studies designed to improve the commercial value of the technologies by strengthening the intellectual property (IP) and moving technologies further down the development pathway, thus increasing the partnerships and licensing opportunities with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Through this mechanism, SCTR’s Therapeutics Translation Core (TTC), in conjunction with the MUSC FRD, provides funding of up to $25,000 to advance innovative, clinically relevant technologies into marketed products. To learn more about the SCTR Funding Opportunities, visit http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/sctr/funding_opportunities/.
Save the Date! February 12, 2016
Chalsty Breast & Ovarian Cancer Research Retreat 4
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WINTER 2016
Delaware IDeAs 2016 Conference The leadership of the NIH-funded Delaware CTR ACCEL, INBRE and COBRE programs invites you to an exciting new venue to connect with potential collaborators from Delaware and South Carolina medical research institutions: a first of its kind, the Delaware IDeAs 2016 meeting.
regarding benefits and challenges to CBPR from both perspectives as well as strategies for successfully engaging communities. Through discussion of real world scenarios, researchers will learn how to apply a CBPR approach to traditional research designs and methodologies. Researchers will work in small groups on current proposal concepts or other real world proposal concepts provided by the workshop leader. Researchers will also learn how to incorporate this research strategy into NIH and PCORI proposals using recent FOAs and sample proposal sections.
This unique event in February 2016 will bring together over 200 innovative leaders in industry and academic research from our Institutional Development Award-funded states, to generate new ideas and accelerate clinical and translational research opportunities.
The keynote speaker will be Kathleen Brady, MD, PhD, Director of the South Carolina Clinical and Translational Research Institute (SCTR) from the Medical University of South Carolina.
Investigators who have successful track records of writing proposals and many hours of study section service will lead the Grant Writing Workshop on February 24, 2016. The session will include introductory talks about the structure of the NIH and discussion of each of the components of an R01 proposal. Career development awards, mentorship and individual development plans and how to interpret and respond to the summary statement will also be discussed. The workshop is targeted to junior faculty and post-doctoral researchers.
Dr. Brady will present, “Lost in Translation: Trials, Tribulations and Successes in Translational Research,� followed by a presentation from the ACCEL 2014 Pilot Project and Big Data awardees. In addition, the meeting will feature a Core Resource Room featuring the services of many cores and will end with a dinner reception at Clayton Hall for all attendees.
A concurrent workshop focused on Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) will provide researchers with knowledge about community-engaged research.
The joint meeting is planned for February 24 25, 2016 at the Clayton Hall Conference Center in Newark, Delaware. Register to attend at this link: https://www.dectr.org/redcap/surveys/?s=YWMT7W79WJ
Researchers will learn the terminology and definitions of the continuum of communityengaged research as well as the rationale. A CBPR researcher and community members who have participated in research projects will facilitate discussion and activities
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Clinical Trials Design Center SCTR has developed a Clinical Trials Design Center led by Drs. Marc Chimowitz and Yuko Palesch, with the goal of helping investigators at MUSC design investigator-initiated multi-center clinical trials. Drs. Chimowitz and Palesch are internationally recognized clinical trial experts who have led clinical, statistical, and data management centers for large NIH-funded multi-center clinical trials. They will meet with MUSC investigators interested in submitting a multi-center grant application to NIH, other funding agencies, or industry to help with questions related to study design, statistics, data management, and interacting with government agencies involved in clinical trials. Additionally, SCTR staff in the Clinical Trials Design Center can advise investigators on regulatory and budget issues. To consult with Drs. Chimowitz or Palesch, or staff in the Clinical Trials Design Center, please request a Clinical Trials Design Center consult in SPARC Request at https://sparc.musc.edu or contact the SCTR Success Center at 792-8300 for assistance.
Women's Health Research Day The MUSC's Women's Health Research Center (WRC) is pleased to announce their fourth annual Women's Health Research Day. The event will be held in room 110 of the Bioengineering Building on Thursday, February 4, 2016 from 9:00 to 2:00 pm. The dynamic and diverse program will include: David Rubinow, MD, Assad Meymandi Distinguished Professor and Chair of Psychiatry; Professor of Medicine; Director, UNC Innovation and Health Care System Transformation; and Director, UNC Center for Women’s Mood Disorders at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. His presentation is titled, “Hormone-Sensitive Regulation of Affect in Women.” Carol Wagner, MD, FAAP, Professor of Pediatrics, Neonatology; Associate Director, Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship Program; Associate Director, Clinical and Translational Research Center at MUSC. Dr. Wagner will present “Health Effects of Vitamin D Deficiency vs. Sufficiency in Pregnant and Lactating Women.” If you would like to attend the symposium, please register by noon on Monday, February 1, 2016.
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NIH Requirements for Scientific Rigor and Transparency The NIH has informed the biomedical research community of updates to application instructions and review language intended to enhance the reproducibility of research findings through increased scientific rigor and transparency. These updates focus on four areas deemed important for enhancing rigor and transparency: 1. 2. 3. 4.
scientific premise forming the basis of the proposed research, rigorous experimental design for robust and unbiased results, consideration of relevant biological variables, and authentication of key biological and/or chemical resources.
The basic principles of rigor and transparency and the four areas of focus apply to the full spectrum of research, from basic to clinical. Investigators will need to consider how all four areas apply to their proposed research. Likewise, reviewers will assess whether these areas have been appropriately addressed by the applicant through revised language defining the peer review criteria. (See Chart)
Research Grants: Rigor and Transparency in Application and Review Key Area
Application Instructions
Scientific Premise
Research Strategy: Significance
Scientific Rigor
Research Strategy: Approach
Consideration of Relevant Biological Variables, such as sex Authentication of Key Biological and/or Chemical Resources
Research Strategy: Approach Other Research Plan Attachment
Review Language Scored Review Criterion: Significance Scored Review Criterion: Approach Scored Review Criterion: Approach Unscored Additional Review Consideration: Attachment
Rigor and transparency must be addressed in NIH & AHRQ research grant applications and individual career development award applications, as well as Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPRs), due on and beyond January 25, 2016. (Some exceptions apply, see NOT-OD-16-011) For institutional training grants, institutional career development awards, or individual fellowships, NIH and AHRQ plan to require formal instruction in scientific rigor and transparency; implementation will not be in 2016, but may be as early as FY 2017. Other links and resources related to Rigor and Transparency requirements: Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø
NOT-OD-16-011: Research grant applications NOT-OD-16-012: Individual career development award applications NOT-OD-16-031: Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPR) NOT-OD-16-034: Fellowships, institutional training grants, institutional career development awards Website: http://grants.nih.gov/reproducibility/index.htm FAQs: http://grants.nih.gov/reproducibility/faqs.htm NIH presentation: https://grants.nih.gov/reproducibility/module_1/presentation.html 7
EurekAlert: A new tool to help meet MUSC's strategic priority of building a national profile for faculty MUSC has made it a strategic priority to raise its national profile as an academic medical center and to profile our research discovery and innovation. There’s a new tool for communicating noteworthy research within your department to a national audience. EurekAlert! is an online science news service featuring health, medicine, science and technology news from leading research institutions and universities. More than 8,000 science journalists access it for story ideas. To learn more about EurekAlert!, watch the video at https://vimeo.com/10278972, or visit the site at http://eurekalert.org.
MUSC EurekAlert Team Tara Abbott, SCTR Helen Adams, MUSC News Center Dawn Brazell, MUSC News Center Tony Ciuffo, University Media Relations Wanda Hutto, Research Development Allison Leggett, Hollings Cancer Center Loretta Lynch-Reichert, Office of the Provost Kim McGhee, Progressnotes magazine Christine Murray, MUSC Brand Team Deborah Reynolds, College of Medicine
MUSC’s EurekAlert Team plans to post releases on the following and need your help keeping us abreast of such achievements in your area:
Heather Woolwine, University Media Relations
Ø Upcoming/recently published articles in your area in very high-impact journals. When possible, the team would like to know about the articles ahead of publication in order to time the releases for maximum impact. Ø Grant awards of national interest (ie, program project grants, center awards) Ø Nationally known experts willing to serve as experts for national media (with up-to-date bio)— final 100 will be chosen in line with strategic priorities Ø National awards to faculty Ø Patents Ø Launch of MUSC-led clinical trials Please send information and suggestions to research-comm@musc.edu or fill out the online form available at https://www.musc.edu/medcenter/progressNotes/idea_submission.htm. The EurekAlert Team will review all submissions and make decisions about which to post based on the strategic priorities of the institution, the potential of the material to garner national attention, and available writing resources. This new platform will elevate the reputation of MUSC and our health care researchers and scientists. For more information, please contact Kim McGhee at mcgheek@musc.edu or 843-792-7877.