In this edition:

Feature

Southeast Clinical and Translational Science Conference – March 4-5

Keynote Presentations by Dr. Sandro Galea, Boston University and Dr. Cato Laurencin, University of Connecticut

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. Register today!

Special Thanks

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).

CDC Funding Announcement for 2021 Special Interest Projects – LOI Due January 25

The Emory Prevention Research Center (EPRC) received notification that CDC has released a funding announcement for 2021 Special Interest Projects. Please use the link to read the NOFO. Special Interest Projects topic areas: projects address physical activity and nutrition, alcohol use, arthritis-appropriate evidence-based interventions, sun safety, cancer screening surveillance, genetic counseling for cancer, epilepsy, lupus, mental health, and hypertension management. An Investigator Interest meeting is January 15 at 11AM. RSVP to lbundy@emory.edu .

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.

Need Funding for Your Biomed Idea? – Meet with Biolocity by February 19

Biolocity provides a combination of funding, project management, and consulting resources to early-stage technologies that address an unmet clinical need and have compelling commercial potential. This includes innovations within any clinical discipline with the ability to impact patient health. Each funding cycle, over $1.5 million in funding and commercialization support is available for distribution. Technology development support is provided through project management, strategy and business planning, marketing, regulatory, and reimbursement consulting. There is no funding limit per project, however budgets are based on commercialization milestones identified as the most critical next step for development during the application process.

Imlay Innovation Fund RFP – Due February 19

The Imlay Innovation Fund is intended solely to support collaborative activities and pediatric innovation and discovery efforts between Georgia Tech and Children’s, focusing on practical steps that will lead to clinical impact as well as potential commercial opportunities. Two types of projects are eligible for funding: Quick Wins and Innovation Investment. Proposals should focus on solving a problem that will impact care delivery and/or has the potential to positively impact child health.

Limited Competition: Small Grant Program for the NCATS Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program (R03 Clinical Trial Optional) – LOI Due February 26

The purpose of this FOA is to enhance the capability of NCATS CTSA Program KL2 scholars and recipients of diversity and re-entry supplements supported by the CTSA Program to conduct research as they complete the transition to fully independent academic translational scientists. These R03 grants will support different clinical and translational science research projects, including pilot and feasibility studies; secondary data analysis of existing data; small, self-contained research projects; development of research methodology; and development of new research technology.

Cures Within Reach: Clinical Repurposing Research to Impact Veterans – Due February 26

This RFP is seeking repurposed treatments to address unmet and high priority medical needs of veterans, including mental health, PTSD and brain injuries, with up to $50,000 in funding for a repurposing clinical trial. We are interested in generic or proprietary drugs, devices, nutraceuticals or diagnostics that could be repurposed to create "new" treatments.

* SYNERGY II Nexus Call for Proposals – Due February 28

Emory’s Provost’s Office, the Woodruff Health Sciences Center, SOM, and College of Arts and Sciences announce the 2021 cycle of “Synergy II Nexus” Awards. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the ability of many scholars to engage fully in their research. This year’s funding RFA is focused specifically on collaborative, multiple investigator initiated projects (1) that involve 2 principal (lead) independent scholars with at least one from a WHSC unit and one from ECAS, GBS, Law, Candler or Oxford, and (2) at least one of the two principal leads is at an early career stage (Assistant Professor, regardless of track).

* Emory SOM I3 (Imagine, Innovate and Impact) Nexus Awards – LOI Due March 8

The Emory SOM Imagine, Innovate and Impact (I3) Nexus Awards are soliciting proposals to develop new interdisciplinary research projects that have the potential to impact health or generate biomedical knowledge. The I3 Nexus Research Awards will provide seed money to fundamental biological and translational investigators for obtaining sufficient data to ultimately develop external collaborative funding applications, and to investigators who may not otherwise engage in multi- and interdisciplinary research. These awards require interdisciplinary team collaboration, with at least one collaborator outside of the home department/division (within the Emory SOM) who brings a different discipline, expertise, or methodology to the project.

* Basket Clinical Trials of Drugs Targeting Shared Molecular Etiologies in Multiple Rare Diseases (U44 Clinical Trial Required) – LOI Due March 13

The purpose of this FOA is to support basket clinical trials of drugs targeting shared molecular etiologies in more than one rare disease. To facilitate clinical trial start up, and leverage existing datasets, preference will be given to applications focusing on diseases that are under study by the Rare Disease Clinical Research Network (RDCRN), and that involve collaborations with RDCRN clinical investigators.

* Multi-disciplinary Machine-assisted, Genomic Analysis and Clinical Approaches to Shortening the Rare Diseases Diagnostic Odyssey (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional) – LOI Due March 19

This FOA invites researchers to submit applications for multi-disciplinary diagnostic strategies for rare diseases that combine machine-assistance, genomic analysis, and clinical consultation. Of particular importance, these strategies must be able to be adopted and performed at the primary or secondary care levels by front-line healthcare providers and be readily integrated into their clinical care workflow.

* Georgia CTSA Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Research Design Grants – Due March 31

Georgia CTSA’s Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Research Design (BERD) program is soliciting proposals to support novel methodological research in biostatistics, epidemiology, or health services research and related areas to advance clinical and translational research (CTR). Review criteria include quantitative methodological research to fill gaps in CTR, innovation, feasibility, and plans for dissemination and translation of results. Awardees are encouraged to disseminate any software developed in their research to relevant publicly available software repositories. Full-time faculty from Emory, Georgia Tech, Morehouse School of Medicine, and UGA may submit proposals. New investigators are encouraged to apply; meritorious applications from new investigators will be prioritized for funding. Two awards up to $20,000 will be awarded.

New Chemistries for Un-drugged Targets through A Specialized Platform for Innovative Research Exploration (ASPIRE) Collaborative Research Program (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) – Due July 8

This FOA aims to promote partnerships between NCATS intramural investigators (e.g., those conducting research within the labs and clinics of NCATS) and extramural investigators (e.g., those conducting research in labs and clinics outside of the NIH). Specifically, The FOA will provide support for extramural investigators to take advantage of the unique research opportunities available at the NCATS ASPIRE Laboratory within the NCATS Division of Pre-clinical Innovation, and develop innovative ASPIRE modules that will facilitate identification of novel chemical entities targeted towards currently undrugged biological space.

Virtual Approaches Towards New Chemistries for Un-drugged Targets through A Specialized Platform for Innovative Research Exploration (ASPIRE) Collaborative Research Program (U18 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) – Due July 8

This FOA will support intramural - extramural collaborations to develop virtual modules that will enhance the platform’s capabilities. The anticipated outcome includes identification, design, synthesis, and validation of new chemical entities as starting points for drug development of novel targets, and the expansion of chemical space available for drug screening.

Education

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.

Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation Diversity in Clinical Trials Career Development Program

The BMSF DCTCDP is a 2-year program designed to support the career development of early-stage investigator (as defined by NIH) physicians underrepresented in medicine, or physicians who have a demonstrated commitment to increasing diversity in clinical research, to become independent clinical trial investigators who are engaged in advancing health equity through their research and mentoring. The DCTCDP provides an award for salary support to protect time for all program-related activities. The application is a two-step process, beginning with a Letter of Intent (LOI). The application portal is open now and will close on July 2.

Duke's Population Health Summer Institute

The virtual Summer Institute offers ten workshops taught by Duke faculty. You’ll strengthen your foundational knowledge in population health sciences and learn new research methods to help see questions from new perspectives. This year we’re offering two topical introductory courses in Population Health Sciences and Patient-Reported Outcomes that touch on research methods. The remaining eight offer a variety of research methods in a more specific context. Receive special student pricing, 25% off when you sign up for at least four workshops, and early bird pricing until January 31.

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.

Changes to eRA Commons

A new eRA Commons landing page launched on January 12. Users will be required to use two-factor authentication through login.gov to access eRA Commons, ASSIST, Internet Assisted Review, and Commons Mobile by September 15, 2021.

Georgia CTSA Ethical Dilemma of the Week

Data Representation: Mum's the Word (PDF)

Innovation & Translation

Bench2Market Talks: Intellectual Property Strategy – TODAY

Join us at 11:30 AM to learn the fundamentals any scientist or engineer needs to know about intellectual property. Speaker, James Rains, Director of Practice at Georgia Tech, helps attendees demystify the world of patents by explaining the meaning of patentability, freedom to operate, prior art, and discussing patent strategies.

Revolutionizing Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease

The impact of a transformational gift from the McCamish Foundation is starting to take shape at the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering. Garrett Stanley will be the founding director of the new McCamish Parkinson’s Disease Innovation Program to create impact-amplifying partnerships across disparate disciplines, and to advance innovative ideas that will form the basis of future treatment and cure of Parkinson’s and other neurological disorders. Initial plans include “Blue Sky” grants for multi-investigator, early stage research; robust research translation to commercialization; and the cultivation of a collaborative network with Emory, Georgia Tech, and UGA to position Georgia as a leader in Parkinson’s research.

Community

Georgia CTSA Community Engagement Forum – April 1–2 (Abstracts Due: February 15)

We invite you to take advantage of this opportunity to share your research and/or program or policy experiences related to academic and community partnerships. The Georgia CTSA Community Engagement program is an inter-institutional collaboration focused on accelerating the translation of science and research discoveries to application at the community level towards advancing population health. Professionals, students, and community members who would like to share research, policy work, or programs that address health or healthcare in Georgia are encouraged to submit an abstract by February 15.

COVID – 19 Households and How Children Are Affected Study

Help us learn more about how COVID-19 spreads in households and how children are affected. During a one-hour study visit at the Emory Children's Center, every member of your household will give a saliva sample with an easy-to-use swab and complete short household and individual surveys. Each family will receive a $50 e-gift card for participation.

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.

Events

N3C Open House – January 19 – 25

N3C is hosting an Open House to engage CTSA members, newcomers, and the wider translational research community. The event will be kicked off with a 1-hour symposium, followed by a week of open Clinical Domain Team meetings to welcome new collaborators and help them launch their research questions.

ARC Webinar – January 26

Join ARC (Aflac Research Conference) via Zoom from 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM to learn more about “Red Blood Cell Survival and Clearance in Chronically Transfused Children with SCD” with Associate Professor Marianne Yee, MD, MSc and “Immune Tolerance Induction: A New Way to Eradicate Inhibitors in Hemophilia A” with Associate Professor Robert F. Sidonio Jr., MD, MSc.

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.

No Time to Wait: Surviving the Antimicrobial Resistance Pandemic – January 28

Join us via Zoom at 8:00 AM with Professor Dame Sally Davies, UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance and Master of Trinity College Cambridge to learn more about “No Time to Wait: Surviving the Antimicrobial Resistance Pandemic.”

CEP Research Symposium – January 29

Join us via Zoom from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM! The goal of the symposium is for researchers, stakeholders, staff, members, care partners and community members to share and discuss research aimed at empowering people living with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We will take stock, move forward, encourage collaboration, and synergize the center's progress.

Implementation Science, Health Equity, and Diabetes Prevention: Lessons from the Caribbean – February 3

Join us via Zoom at 4:00 PM with Emory SOM Assistant Professor Saria Hassan, MD to learn more about “Implementation Science, Health Equity, and Diabetes Prevention: Lessons from the Caribbean.”

CORPH Seminar – February 5

Join CORPH (Clinical Outcomes Research & Public Health) via Zoom from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM to learn more about “Elevating the Impact of Pediatric Research Through Effective Statistical Collaboration” with Research Assistant Professor Shasha Bai, PhD.

Emory SOM FAALI Lecture Series: Pandemic Disruption of the Healthcare Business – February 11

Join us via Zoom from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM to learn more about Pandemic Disruption of the Healthcare Business with Dr. Bryce Gartland.

Emory SOM FAALI Lecture Series: Time Management and Improving Efficiency – February 16

Join us via Zoom from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM to learn more about Time Management and Improving Efficiency with Professor Andi Shane MD, MPH, MSc, and Professor Marianne Celano, PhD, ABPP.

Team Science Skill Series: Leading Teams – February 19

Join Assistant Professor Julie Dinh, PhD from Baruch College for an interactive workshop via Zoom from 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM. At the end of this session, participants will be able to define leadership and its structures within work teams, identify common behaviors that develop and inhibit effective leadership within teams, and develop strategies to maintain leadership in current work environments, including within virtual settings.

Southeast Regional Clinical and Translational Science 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.

7th Annual Health Services Research Day – May 5 (Abstracts Due: March 8)

Health Services Research Day is going virtual! Join us for this symposium and networking opportunity where researchers across Georgia will learn about ongoing quality, effectiveness, and value-based research activities. Oral and poster presentations will be selected from submitted abstracts.

Southeastern Pediatric Research Conference – June 11 (Abstracts Due: March 1)