In this edition:

Feature

Did You Know?

Interested in Biomedicine, Informatics or Medical Innovation?

Accelerate your biomedical career with a master's degree from a Georgia CTSA related academic institution. Georgia Tech offers a Master of Biomedical and Innovation and Development (MBID) program. The course of study combines biomedical engineering, hands-on product design, development, and commercialization. Working in partnerships you will be challenged to create new solutions for unmet clinical needs. Morehouse School of Medicine, Master of Science in Biotechnology (MSBT) degree provides a foundation in the scientific and business components needed to advance biotechnologies. The goal of the MSBT program is to develop comprehensive knowledge in bioscience, core technologies, and analytical methods used to support biotechnology enterprises. Emory offers a Master of Science (MS) in Computer Science and Biomedical Informatics or the Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR). UGA offers a series of focused Master of Science degrees. The Master of Science for Regulatory Sciences Program covers regulatory requirements for Pharmaceutical, Biologic, Medical Device, Animal Health, International Regulations, and Combination Products. Refer to institutional websites for details.

Funding (* New Opportunities)

NIH Funding Opportunities Specific to COVID-19

This page contains a listing of active and expired funding opportunities specific to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

NOSI: Repurposing Existing Therapeutics to Address the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) – Through March 16, 2021

National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) is issuing this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) to highlight the urgent need for research on the 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and the disease it causes, i.e., “coronavirus disease 2019” (COVID-19). NCATS is particularly interested in projects that repurpose existing drugs or biologics (existing therapeutics) that have already begun or completed a Phase I clinical trial.

MP3 Initiative Seed Grants – LOI Due December 1

The goal of the MP3 Initiative is to facilitate and grow basic and applied infectious disease research across scales at Emory, from molecules and pathogens within hosts to populations and pandemics. The main way in which the initiative will accomplish this is to provide sizable seed grants to interdisciplinary teams of researchers, to provide proof-of-concept and preliminary results for subsequent applications for research grants, program grants, center grants and training grants. An explicit requirement of funding through this program is the subsequent submission of extramural grants. Seed grants are only awarded to teams of researchers from different schools at Emory. Partnerships with CDC and Carter Center are strongly encouraged.

Burroughs Wellcome Fund Next Gen Pregnancy Initiative – Due December 1

This initiative is designed to stimulate both creative individual scientists and multi-investigator teams to approach healthy and adverse pregnancy outcomes using creative basic and translation science methods. Proposals should address the biomedical causes and molecular mechanisms underlying adverse pregnancies and their outcomes.

Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation Physician-Scientist Training Award – Due December 1

The Foundation established a program designed to recruit outstanding physicians into cancer research careers. They provide them with this opportunity for a protected research training experience under the mentorship of a highly qualified and gifted mentor, after they have completed all of their clinical training. Physician-scientist applicants (MDs and DOs only) must have completed their residencies and clinical training, be U.S. Specialty Board eligible prior to the award start date, and be able to devote at least 80% of their time and effort to Damon Runyon-supported research.

Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) – Due December 11

The ASAP initiative is accepting applications to support multidisciplinary research teams to join the newly established ASAP Collaborative Research Network. ASAP seeks to fund research projects that address key knowledge gaps in the basic mechanisms that contribute to Parkinson’s development and progression. Applications that focus primarily on Circuitry and Brain-body Interactions, inclusive of genetic and neuro-immune contributors to disease, will be considered.

A Call for Student-Initiated Project Grants in Healthcare Innovation - LOI Due December 15

Emory-Georgia Tech Healthcare Innovation Program (HIP), in partnership with Emory Synergy Award Program and Georgia CTSA, is pleased to announce Student-Initiated Project Grants in Healthcare Innovation. Grants will fund multi-disciplinary teams proposing innovative research and education projects that address issues of healthcare quality, costs, and access. Awards are up to $5,000 for one year. LOI Due December 15.

WHSC COVID-19 Center for Urgent Research Engagement (COVID-19 CURE) and Awards Program – Rolling Acceptance until December 15

The Woodruff Health Sciences Center (WHSC) announces the launch of the WHSC COVID-19 CENTER for URGENT RESEARCH ENGAGEMENT (COVID-19 CURE) and Awards Program, made possible by generous philanthropic support from the O. Wayne Rollins Foundation and the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. The CURE Center was created to facilitate high-impact science and discovery towards improved COVID-19 treatment and prevention research. The funds can be used to support new COVID-19 focused researchers, equipment/instrumentation, technical support, pilots and enhancing facilities for this work. In addition, COVID-19 CURE will act as a hub, facilitating and helping to prioritize Emory COVID-19 research activities. http://georgiactsa.org/documents/news/COVID-19-CURE.pdf .

* RWJF Data Access Award – Due December 17

Health Data for Action (HD4A) aims to reduce the barriers often faced in accessing rich data by serving as a conduit between data owners and interested researchers. The purpose of the 2020 HD4A CFP is primarily to award data access at no cost from one of eight anticipated data providers to successful applicants. Most selected projects will not receive a financial award for personnel or other project-related costs. However, limited funding up to $100,000 per project is available for a small number of projects from principal investigators who have not previously received external research funding

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation 2021 Physician Scientist Fellowship – Due January 5

The Physician Scientist Fellowship (PSF) award aims to support research during the final years of subspecialty fellowship and aid in the transition into an academic faculty appointment. The specific goals of the PSF program are to: support physician scientists in subspecialty fellowship to conduct an outstanding clinical research project; ensure research time protection to enable development of research skills; and facilitate strong mentorship relations. Award consists of $100,000 direct costs plus $10,000 (10 percent) indirect costs each year for two years.

Drug Development Collaboratory (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Required) – Due February 9

The purpose of this FOA is to support intramural-extramural collaborations on late-stage translational science projects between NCATS Therapeutic Development Branch (TDB) and extramural researchers, for therapeutic development of small molecules, biologics, or gene therapies.

Education

Harvard Catalyst BridgeResearch Webinar – December 1

Harvard Catalyst, Harvard University’s Clinical and Translational Science Center, invites you to join Postgraduate Education team for BridgeResearch: A Virtual Informational Event Series from 4:30 PM -5:15 PM. Connect with faculty, staff, and past participants while learning about our programming and engaging with other clinical researchers. Harvard Catalyst offers numerous online courses, longitudinal programs, and interactive webinars at a discounted rate for CTSA members. Space is limited, so register for BridgeResearch today! Registration closes on November 25.

Winship K12 Clinical Oncology Career Development Training Program – LOI Due January 4

Selected scholars will have full-time appointments and will receive 75% protected time for research, formal mentored training in clinical cancer research, up to $100,000 per year (up to two years) to support salary and benefits, and up to $30,000 per year (up to two years) for other research/training related expenses. Potential applicants must first submit the K12 LOI. To support excellence and diversity among applicants and awardees, proposals are encouraged from groups identified as nationally underrepresented in the sciences including women, members of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Georgia CTSA TL1 (T32-like) Training Grant Clinical & Translational Research Training - Predoc Due February 15, Postdoc Due March 15

The TL1 program is focused on providing innovative didactic and mentored research training to individuals interested in careers that encompass clinical and/or translational research. The TL1 program supports predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees (medical and PhD students, resident and fellow physicians, PhD postdocs, and PharmD residents). Register for the free TL1 Application Workshop on December 9.

Georgia CTSA KL2-Mentored Clinical and Translational Research Scholars Program – Due March 1

The goal of the KL2 Scholars program is to support and enhance career development for junior faculty (MD, PhD, MD/PhD, or PharmD) committed to a career in clinical and/or translational research. The Georgia CTSA is committed to assisting junior faculty at partner institutions to become independent, established, and ethical clinical and/or translational research investigators. Register for the free 2-session KL2 Application Workshop on December 3 AND December 10.

Emory BIRCWH Program – Due March 1

The Emory BIRCWH program, short for Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health, is a highly selective career development program for junior faculty interested in women's health research and/or sex/gender science. The ultimate goal of the BIRCWH program is to train junior faculty, through a mentored research and career development experience, to become independent investigators who use novel, interdisciplinary approaches to advance the science of women’s health and sex/gender research. Communicable disease research is one area of focus for the Emory BIRCWH program. Register for the free 2-session BIRCWH Application Workshop on December 3 AND December 10.

Research Resources

N3C - COVID-19 Analytics Platform Now Open

Researchers studying COVID-19 now are able to access an innovative new analytics platform that contains clinical data from the electronic health records of people who were tested for the novel coronavirus or who have had related symptoms. Part of the NCATS National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) Data Enclave, the centralized and secure data platform features powerful analytics capabilities for online discovery, visualization and collaboration.

All of Us Researcher Workbench Database

The All of Us Research Program at Emory University is excited to announce the launch of the Researcher Workbench Database – a cloud-based platform enabling researchers to execute rapid, hypothesis-driven research on one of the largest and most diverse biomedical datasets of its kind. The Researcher Workbench Database enables traditional and nontraditional researchers to learn from a community of hundreds of thousands of participants. The program’s large, diverse, and broadly accessible data resource can help accelerate health research and medical breakthroughs, enabling individualized prevention, treatment, and care. To request access to the Researcher Workbench, researchers may visit the login page to create an account and use their Emory University email account to register.

Georgia CTSA Ethical Dilemma of the Week

Data Interpretation and Management: An Instance of Data Manipulation (PDF)

Innovation & Translation

Bench2Market Talks: Preparing High Quality Invention Disclosures – December 9

Join our December 9th webinar at 1:00 PM to learn how to prepare an invention disclosure that clearly communicates the patentability and commercialization potential of your innovation. Researchers and principal investigators will learn how to think broadly about their innovations to develop a high-quality invention disclosure. Led by Nicole Morris, Director of TI:GER and Professor in Practice at Emory School of Law.

Community

Participants Needed for COVID-19 Vaccine and Therapeutic Trials

Adults 18 and older, from all races and ethnicities, are needed to participate in COVID-19 trials. Please spread the word to help recruit minorities, especially for vaccine trials. Register at www.coronaviruspreventionnetwork.org. Or contact Hope Clinic (Decatur) vaccine@emory.edu, 404-712-1371; Emory Children’s Center (main campus) ecc.vaccine@emory.edu, 404-727-4044; or Ponce CRS (Downtown/Grady) atl.ponce.crs@emory.edu, 770-286-3327.

Events

Team Science Skill Workshop: Effective Communication – TODAY

Join Georgia CTSA via Zoom from 12:00 PM -1:30 PM with Assistant Professor Shannon Marlow, PhD from University of Texas at San Antonio for an effective communication workshop! At the end of this session, participants will be able to describe what effective team communication is and what it is not; understand barriers that may prevent team members from constructively communicating with each other; and engage in behaviors that foster productive, effective communication among team members.

AiR Webinar – November 17

Join AiR (Advances in Research) via Zoom from 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM to learn more about “Development of MERTK Inhibitors for Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia” with Assistant Professor Deborah DeRyckere, PhD, and “The Role of Nup214 in CALM-AF10 Leukemogenesis” with Senior Associate Amanda Harrington, MD.

Morehouse School of Medicine 6th Annual Core Day and Virtual Open House – November 18

The RCMI/U54 Program will be hosting Core Day & Open House – a Virtual Experience at 10:00 AM via Zoom. This will be an opportunity to learn more about the Research Core Facility and what resources it has available to the MSM research community. There will be short video overviews of current U54 projects as well as virtual vendor presentations and equipment demos. We will be presenting an Emerging Technology Seminar featuring Dr. Nayed Ismail, Lab Director of MSM CLIA Lab, who will be discussing COVID Diagnostics.

Remembering the Pain of Childhood: Development, Impact and Modification of Children's Memories for Pain – November 18

Join speaker Melanie Noel, PhD, Rpsych (University of Calgary) via Zoom at 8:00 AM to learn more. Webinar is part of the Jay E. Berkelhamer, MD, Pediatric Research Grand Rounds.

Rigor and Reproducibility at eLife – November 20

Join us via Zoom from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM. Dr. Ron Calabrese, Senior Editor, for eLife will detail novel tools the journal is using to increase the Rigor and Reproducibility of work published in the journal.

COVID FORCE Seminar Series – November 20

Join us via Zoom from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM to hear about how COVID-19 tests are chosen, how they are used and how clarity can be drawn from confusion.

Strategies for Preparing a Competitive Research Grant Submission – December 2

Join us via Zoom from 1:00 – 5:00 PM to learn grant writing tips to improve the impact of your proposal, hear about how reviewers critique your science, and more. This workshop is hosted in collaboration with the Georgia CTSA and is part of the Research Survival Skills 2020 – 2021.

Annual Workshop on Sex as a Biological Variable - December 2

Join us from 8:00 AM -12:45 PM via Zoom! In 2015, the NIH released a mandate requiring consideration of sex in all human subject and vertebrate animal research studies that utilize study subjects and/or materials (blood, tissues, cell lines) from them in order to strengthen research leading to the development, design, and testing of preventive and therapeutic interventions for both men and women. This workshop will help you learn how to do that.

Blue Sky Group: COVID-19 and Cardiovascular Complications – January 13

Join researchers and clinicians from across the Georgia CTSA for a session on COVID-19 and Cardiovascular Complications via Zoom from 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM. Share your experience, learn from others, enjoy opportunities for interdisciplinary networking and find potential collaborators!

Southeast Regional Clinical and Translational Conference - March 4 - 5

Hosted by the Georgia CTSA, mark your calendar and plan to virtually join us in 2021 as we bring together researchers from across the region to present the best new clinical and translational research and build collaborative partnerships. We’re excited to announce that Sandro Galea, MD, MPH, DrPH, Boston University, and Cato T. Laurencin, MD, PhD, University of Connecticut, will be our Keynote Speakers.