In this edition:

Feature

Did You Know?

Georgia CTSA Leader Named to ADA Board of Directors

Guillermo Umpierrez, MD, CDE, will serve as President, Medicine & Science, of the American Diabetes Association in 2021 and as President in 2022. Umpierrez is Professor of Medicine, Emory University; Section Head, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Grady Health System; and Georgia CTSA Clinical Research Centers (GCRCs) Board Member and Site Director at Emory University Hospital Midtown.

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).

* Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (Admin Supp - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) – Due dates vary by awarding IC

(Reissue of PA-20-222) NIH and the CDC announce the availability of administrative supplements to enhance the diversity of the research workforce by recruiting and supporting students, post doctorates, and eligible investigators from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups that have been shown to be underrepresented in health-related research. This supplement opportunity is also available to PD(s)/PI(s) of research grants who are or become disabled and need additional support to accommodate their disability in order to continue to work on the research project. Administrative supplements must support work within the scope of the original project. This FOA is designed specifically for applicants proposing research that does not involve leading an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or an ancillary clinical trial. Applicants to this FOA are permitted to propose research experience in a clinical trial led by a mentor or co-mentor.

Emory OCR/OFR Funding Opportunities

For Emory schools or units, access RFPs posted by Office of Corporate Relations (OCR) and the Office of Foundation Relations (OFR) on the SharePoint site using the link below. Should you identify an opportunity of interest, please submit the Funding Opportunity Interest form linked on the page. We'll respond within 24 hours and confirm next steps. Some opportunities limit applications to one per agency. Please contact Gayathri Srinivasan ( gayathris@emory.edu ) for any questions.

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.

Emory SOM Bridge Funding – Due December 15

This funding opportunity will assist investigators who have temporarily lost significant federal research funding, and to facilitate carefully planned changes in research direction, the School of Medicine offers a Bridge Funding Program. Bridge funding up to $100,000 (including Department support/matching funds) will be available to investigators based on merit, potential for renewal of external funding, and availability of School of Medicine.

* American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Digital Extension Grants – Due December 15

Grants are designed to advance humanistic scholarship by enhancing established digital projects, extending their reach to new communities of users, and supporting teams of scholars at all career stages as they participate in digital research. Grants support projects that have advanced beyond the start-up phase of development. A portion of grant funds must go towards collaborations with new project partners who could benefit from access to the infrastructure at the project’s host site or from substantive participation in the development of the project.

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 .

* NOSI: Administrative Supplement for Research and Capacity Building Efforts Related to Bioethical Issues (Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional) – Due December 16

The NIH Office of Science Policy within the Office of the Director announces the availability of administrative supplements to support 1) research on bioethical issues to develop or support the development of an evidence base that may inform future policy directions, and/or 2) certain efforts to develop or augment bioethics research capacity. Applicants may propose to supplement parent awards focused on bioethics or to add a component related to bioethics to a parent award in which bioethics was not the focus.

Collaborative Program Grant for Multidisciplinary Teams (RM1 - Clinical Trial Optional) – Emory Internal Submission Due December 17

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is designed to support highly integrated research teams of three to six PDs/PIs to address ambitious and challenging research questions that are important for the mission of NIGMS and are beyond the scope of one or two investigators. Collaborative program teams are expected to accomplish goals that require considerable synergy and managed team interactions. Project goals should not be achievable with a collection of individual efforts or projects. Teams are encouraged to consider far-reaching objectives that will produce major advances in their fields. While applications may request research program budgets of up to $1.5 million direct costs per year, it is anticipated that most awards will be between $700,000-$900,000 direct costs. An additional $250,000 direct costs per year may be requested for optional developmental funds to support the addition of ESIs to the program in YRS 2-5. Applications may request up to five years of support.

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

* Understanding the Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Gastroparesis in Adults and Children (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) – Due December 18

This FOA invites investigators from several disciplines, including basic and translational research in areas of the neurosciences, immunology, microbiology and physiology, to contribute new insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms of Gastroparesis. The goal is to accelerate the discovery of additional diagnostic and therapeutic pathways for Gastroparesis by addition of basic and translational research studies to NIDDK’s Gastroparesis program.

Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation Macy Faculty Scholars Fund – Emory Internal Submission Due December 21

The Macy Faculty Scholars Program is designed to identify and nurture the careers of promising educational innovators in medicine and nursing. The program aims to develop the next generation of national leaders in medical and nursing education. The program will support the Macy Faculty Scholars in leading new educational innovations at their home institutions and will provide opportunities for further career development through national meetings and participation in other Macy activities. Macy Faculty Scholars Program will provide salary support for each scholar up to $100,000 (plus fringe) per year, which will protect at least 50% of the scholar’s time over two years. This is a restricted funding opportunity for Emory School of Medicine and School of Nursing only.

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.

* Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation Access to Care Grants – Due January 10

The Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation welcomes proposals for investigator-initiated projects that demonstrate the benefits of new healthcare delivery methods or prevention approaches. KTGF is most interested in improving access to mental health care for children through the use of novel models or approaches, including but not limited to digital technology (e.g., Internet, cellphone apps), expanding the number of professional and paraprofessional treatment personnel who are trained to deliver mental health services, and delivering care in non-psychiatric settings (e.g., primary care, schools, home, or other novel settings).

* Burroughs Wellcome Fund Postdoctoral Enrichment Program (PDEP) – Due January 14

The primary goal is to substantially enhance the postdoctoral training and experience of underrepresented minority junior scientists. This grant is meant to supplement the training of postdocs whose research activities are already supported. It is not a research grant. The program targets postdoctoral fellows with PhDs in the biomedical or medical sciences. Applicants with MD degrees who have secured a postdoctoral research appointment beyond clinical fellowship will be considered for this program.

* Georgia CTSA Pilot Grants RFP – LOI Due January 15

Georgia CTSA’s Pilot Grants program is soliciting proposals that either a.) generate preliminary data and refine research strategies for subsequent extramural grant applications OR b.) develop the best approaches and methodologies to address complex translational and clinical research problems. Awards involving one institution will be up to $40,000 in total direct costs. Awards involving two or more partner institutions will be up to $50,000 in total direct costs, with no more than $40,000 allotted to each institution. The total number of awards to be made is variable based on merit, funds requested, and Pilot Program budget; a maximum of $200,000 will be awarded in this round. Indirect costs will be added after the awards have been made. Full-time faculty from Emory, Georgia Tech, MSM, and UGA may submit proposals.

Emory SCORE Pilot Grants – Due January 25

The Emory Specialized Center of Research Excellence on Sex Differences (Emory SCORE) will fund a variable number of one-year, non-renewable awards ranging from $10K - $30K plus indirect costs, for projects that account for sex as a biological variable when examining key sex influences on health processes and outcomes. Additional awards that are in line with the overlapping missions of Emory SCORE - to strengthen science through accounting for sex - and its partner organizations may be funded in partnership with the Emory Center for AIDS Research (CFAR), the Emory Diabetes Center (EDC), and the Emory Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS). Applications outside these fields are also strongly encouraged.

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.

* Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF) Innovation in Regulatory Science Awards – Due February 12

Supports academic researchers developing new methodologies or innovative approaches in regulatory science that will ultimately inform the regulatory decisions FDA and others make. The foundation strongly encourages investigators to address regulatory science in areas of the FDA’s strategic priorities including product manufacturing & quality, and food safety & applied nutrition.

* Chan Zuckerberg Initiative: Visual Proteomics Imaging – Due February 17

Seeks to support 2.5-year challenge grants in the field of visual proteomics. The ability to view protein molecules in cells and monitor changes in their structure, quantity, distribution, and interactions is key to understanding what causes diseases and finding treatments and cures. This grant program will advance technology development for the field of visual proteomics and aim to obtain near-atomic resolution readouts inside the cell. Opportunity is explicitly aimed at technology development. It is not intended to support question-driven basic or translational research, clinical trials, or drug development.

Education

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.

Phlebotomy 101 Introduction to Venipuncture – January 28 & 29

Phlebotomy 101 is a two-day classroom and clinical, hands-on training to venipuncture offered through the Georgia CTSA Clinical Research Centers (GCRCs). The course is offered bi-monthly to research coordinators from Emory, MSM and UGA.

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).

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.

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.

Free Online Trainings for Clinical Research Professionals

Georgia CTSA and the University of Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute (SC CTSI) have created a new Online Course Catalog with free course and program offerings available to clinical research professionals. Participants earn a certificate or badge with contact hours (continuing education – CE) from an accredited provider upon completion of a course or a program (series of courses). Contact hours can be used to meet requirements for CRP certification renewal. The newest program, “Quality by Design in Clinical Trial”, is now available online.

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. 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 Representation: 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

HIP Symposium: The Use and Mis-Use of Diagnostic Tests for COVID – December 7

The 31st Healthcare Innovation Symposium will be held from 12:00 PM -2:00 PM via Zoom. The keynote speaker will be Michael Laposata, MD, PhD, Professor and Chairman, Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Panelists include Georgia CTSA Clinical Research Centers Director Colleen Kraft, MD, and Georgia CTSA Innovation Catalyst Director Wilbur Lam, MD,PhD. This event is free and open to all faculty, staff and students.

K-Club: Transitioning to Research Independence Part 3: NIH Review Process – December 14

Join K- Club via Zoom from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM to learn more about the NIH review process, review criteria & rigor and reproducibility.

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!

Team Science Skill Workshop: Developing Trust and Psychological Safety – January 15

Join Georgia CTSA via Zoom from 12:00 PM -1:30 PM with Associate Professor Jessica L. Wildman, PhD from Florida Institute of Technology. At the end of this session, participants will be able to define trust and psychological safety as they apply within work teams, identify examples of common behaviors that build trust, break trust, and restore trust in work teams. Also, develop strategies to build and maintain trust over time in work teams.

Qualitative Data Analysis Online Workshop - January 19-23

This online workshop integrates principles with skills for conducting rigorous qualitative data analysis. Synchronous sessions are conducted in real time over Zoom and held at 1pm-4pm EST each day and involve participation in skill building activities, interactive discussions and hands-on software sessions. The price of this QUAL-WORKS course is $750.

Mentored Qualitative Analysis Workshop - January 27

This online mentored session is conducted via Zoom with instructors from 1 PM- 4 PM. It enables you to bring your own project or data and receive expert individual mentoring on qualitative data analysis specific to your project. Prerequisite: participation in a previous QUAL-WORKS Qualitative Data Analysis workshop. The price of this course is $200.

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.

HIV & Aging: Mitochondria to the Metropolis - Population Determinants of Health – April 14 -16

This multidisciplinary conference will provide a venue for all attendees to build scientific partnership and contribute useful knowledge to the quality of care and life of persons aging with HIV. Abstracts due January 15.