Research News-February 13, 2007

Essential Policy and Procedure Updates

New OSP Proposal Submission Website

Due to the growing number of electronic proposal submissions and the need for faculty to transmit extremely large proposal files to the Office of Sponsored Programs, a website is now up and running to facilitate this transmission. The website is: http://www.stonybrook.edu/proposalsosp
(please note that the web address is case sensitive and should be accessed using all lower case letters)

The process is simple. Submitters access this website, provide pertinent information (so that OSP can identify the proposal and have contact information), attach their full proposal files where indicated and hit the “submit” button. Office of Sponsored Programs staff can access the proposal information and all attachments quickly and easily. 

***Reminder: full proposals and all required completed campus forms should be submitted five business days before the sponsor deadline. Questions regarding the use of this website can be addressed to your Sponsored Programs Coordinator or Contracts Administrator.

NIH/AHRQ Transition to Electronic Applications Update

NIH/AHRQ Confirms Plans to Transition the G7, G8, G11, G13, G20, S11, S21 and S22 to Electronic Applications and Announces Delay in Transition of K, F, T and Complex Grant Programs Confirming May 25 Transition Plans.

The research community is reminded that the following grant programs will transition to electronic submission using the SF424 (R&R) form through Grants.gov for applications intended for the May 25, 2007 submission date and beyond:

• Resource Program (G7, G8, G11, G13, G20)
• Minority Biomedical Research Support Thematic Project Grant (S11)
• Research and Institutional Resources Health Disparities Endowment Grants – Capacity Building (S21)
• Research and Student Resources Health Disparities Endowment Grants – Educational Programs (S22)

ALL applications in response to announcements for these grant programs must be submitted electronically (i.e., paper-based PHS 398 applications will not be accepted). Applications previously submitted in paper that are being resubmitted as amended applications must now use electronic submission via Grants.gov using the SF424 (R&R) forms. 

Announcing Delay for Subsequent Transitions

The change to electronic applications for grant programs currently targeted to transition after May 2007, including Career Development (K), Fellowship (F), Training & Development (T&D) and complex mechanisms will be delayed. NIH, AHRQ and Grants.gov are working together to establish new transition dates for these grant programs. A notice announcing the adjusted dates and timeline will be issued as soon as possible.

The following resources continue to be available for assistance in the electronic submission of grant applications to NIH through Grants.gov:
General Information:
http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm
http://www.ahrq.gov/path/egrants.htm

Grants.gov: IBM Workplace Forms (PureEdge) Viewer for Macintosh

IBM has provided Special Edition Mac Viewers for PPC and Intel that are now available for download. You may wish to use this software if you do not have access to a Windows machine, Windows emulation software, or the Citrix server. Please note that limitations of this early release software may include: occasional crashes and subsequent loss of any unsaved data, inability to run on Mac OS version prior to 10.4.6. No current support is provided for screen readers for visually impaired users. The viewer is installed at the root level of the user account home directory. (e.g. /Users/jsmith/). Do not move the application folder to any other location as it will not work. Please consider these limitations and warnings and also read the release notes carefully before using this software.

A number of faculty have used the new software and have been pleased with the results. Please note that installation and configuration instructions are included in the "Release Notes."
Click here to download the Release Notes.
Click here to download the License.
Click here to download the Intel-based software.
Click here to download the PPC-based software.

The Clinical Trial Contract Process

The Office of Sponsored Programs has created a flowchart which describes the Clinical Trial Contract Process in detail. The flowchart can be found on the OSP website at:
http://www.stonybrook.edu/research/spo/ClinicalTrialsFlowchart.html.
The Office of Sponsored Programs hopes that you will find this helpful in navigating your way through this process. If you have any questions, please contact Leigh Gentilcore, Clinical Trials Administrator, via email at lgentilcore@notes.cc.sunysb.edu or via phone at 632-4949.

Fringe Benefit Update

An updated fringe benefit memo with current rates has been posted to the OVPR web site. It can be found at: http://www.stonybrook.edu/research/spo/fbrate.pdf
Please contact Sponsored Programs to budget salaries for multi-year grant applications.

NIH Response to Flat FY 2007 Budget

Fiscal Operations Plan Notice

Faced with a markedly increased number of applications and applicants for grant support at a time of flat budgets with no inflationary adjustments, NIH is taking immediate proactive steps in FY2007 to manage its portfolio of investments in biomedical research. NIH is committed to buttressing core areas of vulnerability, such as the ability of new investigators to compete for support in these difficult financial times, and protecting investment in well established investigators with little or no other significant support. In addition, NIH is adjusting the number of competing Research Project Grants (RPG) that will be awarded, with the goal of stabilizing to the extent possible the yearly variation in number of awards that are made.

The full notice can be found online at:
http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-030.html

Collaborative IRB Training Initiative Site Up and Running

The recently distributed 2006 Update to CORIHS-Approved Investigators informed us that the SBU site for our Collaborative IRB Training Initiative (CITI) web-based program was undergoing reconfiguration to meet the growing educational needs of our investigators, and to take full advantage of new module sets that are available from the CITI organization.

The reconfiguration is now complete although further "tweaking" is expected.  Some examples of the change:

Social behavioral scientists will now have SBS-specific modules to train on, regardless of past training levels, if you have completed prior training through SBU.  These new modules will address concerns of a "biomedical" bias in past training.

Biomedical scientists will now have their training divided along 2 tracks, depending on the type of research you do. If you conduct biomedical research that is not under the jurisdiction of the FDA, your educational series will remain unchanged. However, if you conduct FDA-regulated research, you will now be required to take a modules series on Good Clinical Practice. Although the GCP series is required at a specific 'higher' training level, it is recommended that you take it at some time during your current certification period. E-mail our staff once you complete the GCP training, to 'reset the clock' so that you will be certified to conduct clinical research for an additional three years from the date of that series completion.  

As web-based training certainly has its limitations, ORC conducts workshops that will count as "refresher courses" for your certification. These workshops require the attendance of at least 25 investigators.  Please contact the Office of Research Compliance at 632-9036 if you would like to arrange such a workshop. Also, the ORC staff is always available to meet with you to discuss your specific questions and needs relating to your clinical research endeavors. The ORC phone # is 632-9036, and the office is located on the Main Campus, Melville Library 5th floor, Suite W5520.

Presentation: How to do Clinical Research at Stony Brook

At the January 23, 2007 SOM Faculty Senate meeting, the Office of the Vice President for Research participated in a presentation on "How to do Clinical Research at Stony Brook University". The presenters included Dr. Gail Habicht, Vice President for Research, Mr. Ivar Strand, Assistant Vice President for Research, Ms. Judy Matuk, Director, Office of Research Compliance, and Ms. Leigh Gentilcore, Clinical Trials Administrator. A link to the powerpoint presentation can be found here.

Funding Opportunities

NCRR Shared Instrument Grant (SIG) Program

The NCRR Shared Instrument Grant (SIG) program solicits applications from groups of NIH-supported investigators to purchase or upgrade commercially available instruments that cost at least $100,000. The maximum award is $500,000. Types of instruments supported include confocal and electron microscopes, biomedical imagers, mass spectrometers, DNA sequencers, biosensors, cell sorters, X-ray diffraction systems, and NMR spectrometers, among others. This funding opportunity will use the NIH S10 mechanism. The NCRR intends to commit approximately $43 million in FY2008 to fund approximately 125 new awards.

Applications are due March 21. The complete announcement can be found at:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-07-105.html

Applications for the 2008 Empire Clinical Research Investigators Program (ECRIP) Now Being Accepted

The program is open to MDs, PhDs and allied health care professionals interested in patient-oriented clinical research, epidemiological and behavioral studies, outcomes research and health services research. Upon successful completion of the formal didactic training program, participants will receive an Advanced Certificate in Clinical Research. Credits earned in the didactic training portion of the program may also be applied towards a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree with a concentration in Evaluative Sciences. The deadline for submission of a research proposal to the GCRC Advisory Committee, detailing the area of interest, data, methodology, expected outcomes and sponsor/mentor information is March 9, 2007. The ECRIP Fellowship begins July 1, 2008. Details concerning this program can be found on the New York State Department of Health's GME website at:
http://www.nyhealth.gov/nysdoh/gme/main
--Contributed by: Marjorie Lundgren, Program Coordinator 6-9004 or mlundgren@notes.cc.sunysb.edu

Packard Foundation Fellowships in Science and Engineering

The David and Lucille Packard Foundation has invited President Kenny to nominate two young faculty members in the natural sciences or engineering disciplines for the Foundation’s Fellowship Program. Candidates must be in the first three years of their faculty careers (appointments which began no earlier than May 31, 2004 and no later than May 31, 2007).

To assist the President in the nomination process, the Office of the Vice President for Research invites candidates to submit a copy of the materials listed below to Mr. Peter Saal, OVPR Research Resources Center, W-5510 Melville Library, by 12 Noon, February 20, 2007. Nomination materials should consist of:

(a) current curriculum vitae of the candidate;
(b) research Statement (see attached guidelines);
(c) letter of nomination from the Department Chair (see below);
(d) names and addresses of three individuals outside the
         University who are familiar with the nominee’s work.
        
Chair's letters are a critical component of the evaluation process. We would further ask Chair's to include copies of letters of recommendation furnished on behalf of the candidate while they were under consideration for appointment to the faculty. Information on the three external references should also be included in the nominee’s dossier.

HHMI Undergraduate Summer Research Fellows

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute Undergraduate Research Fellow program provides fellowship support to students engaged in research in the biological sciences at Stony Brook. Women and students from underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. Awards are available to undergraduate students who will be enrolled in biological research for a ten-week period with a faculty member in the summer of 2007. It is the student's responsibility to contact a faculty member. Fellows will receive a $2500 fellowship and room and board for ten weeks (May 29-Aug. 3).
Students interested in being considered should file an application with Biochemistry by March 1.
For more information and an application please visit the LIGASE site.

SUNY Conversations in the Disciplines Program

Provost and Vice Chancellor Risa Palm (SUNY Central) has issued the annual call for proposals for the 2007-2008 cycle of the Conversations in the Disciplines program.

The Conversations program "funds intercampus conferences which bring together State University faculty and visiting scholars to examine new trends, review promising findings, and better acquaint themselves with professional developments in their fields and on other campuses. By such interchange, both the professional and personal growth of individuals and the programs of instruction and research at participating campuses are enhanced."

All applications must be received at SUNY Central by April 6, 2007. The Original plus 11 paper copies should be submitted through your Office of Sponsored Programs Coordinator.

Further information and application forms may be found at:
http://www.suny.edu/provost/facultyawards.cfm

Questions may be directed to Dr. A. Jennifer Clarke at 518-443-5865 or by e-mail at: a.jennifer.clarke@suny.edu

Upcoming Funding Opportunities

For a complete list of upcoming deadlines, please go to -
http://www.stonybrook.edu/research/fndopp/deadlcal.html

News and Events

Events

March 10-11: "33rd Annual Northeast Bioengineering Conference"

The conference, "Engineering Innovations in Life Sciences & Healthcare," will be organized and hosted on campus by the Department of Biomedical Engineering. For more information, a schedule of activities and to register please go to the conference website at:
http://bme.sunysb.edu/NEBMES2007/

Summer Sessions 2007 – Enrollment Begins April 18

Session I: Tuesday, May 29 – Monday, July 9
Session II: Tuesday, July 10 – Friday, August 17
Visit www.stonybrook.edu/summer for important information regarding deadline dates and course listings.

News

Sea Grant to Study Hurricane Forecasting and Emergency Preparedness

Last Friday Congressman Timothy Bishop announced $2.4 million in federal grants to the New York Sea Grant program at Stony Brook. The funds will enable researchers to improve hurricane forecasting and study the potential impact of future storms on Long Island by supporting the 'Storm Surge' program which uses a computer model to map storm surge levels along the south shore. A major portion of the program will be based at Stony Brook's new Southampton campus. Funding for the New York Sea Grant program is provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Possible Breakthrough in the Treatment of Pain

Research on the nature of pain that has been ongoing at Stony Brook for more than a decade has been bolstered by the new discovery of three children of related families who are unable to sense pain at all. The children share a mutated gene that encodes a channel permitting the passage of sodium through cellular membranes--providing an exciting 'new' target for painkilling drugs. Simon Halegoua, Neurobiology, had worked with Gail Mandel and Paul Brehm, both Professors of Neurobiology at Stony Brook at the time, since the early nineties to explain how electrical signaling was regulated in the peripheral nervous system. With each researcher working on different parts of one problem they decided to unite their laboratories in the basement of the Life Sciences building to better facilitate collaboration--a model that was later replicated by the Centers for Molecular Medicine to enhance its interdisciplinary mission. The three predicted that the novel sodium channel was involved in the transmission of pain and suggested that a drug aimed to block this channel would control pain. But without concrete proof the research languished--until now. The new discovery of three children from Pakistan who don't feel pain and who share the same mutated gene both affirms their past research and opens the door for exciting new work. Professors Brehm and Mandel are currently at the Vollum Institute in Portland, Oregon.

Intel Finalists

Two high school students who worked with Stony Brook University faculty and in Stony Brook laboratories were among 40 students nationwide selected as finalists in the Intel Science Talent Search, the prestigious nationwide research competition. Daniel Katz, from Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns, worked with Professor Miriam Rafailovich, Materials Science and Engineering, on a project titled, "Platinum Nanoparticles: From Hydrogen Storage to Cancer Treatment." Rebecca Kaufman from Croton-Harmon High School, Croton-on Hudson, worked with Professor Mary Kritzer, Neurobiology and Behavior, on a project titled, "Androgen Modulation of Cognitive Functions Relevant to Schizophrenia in Rats." A list of all SBU mentored finalists and the 21 semi-finalists who worked with faculty at Stony Brook may be found here:
http://www.stonybrook.edu/simons/intel.htm

For More Information

Gail S. Habicht is Vice President for Research. She can be reached at (631) 632-7932. An abundance of specific information for the research community is available on our Website, where past issues of this bulletin can also be found.

Office of the Vice President for Research -
http://www.stonybrook.edu/research/

Research News and Monday Memo archive - http://www.stonybrook.edu/research/monmemo/mmarchive.html

All Past issue of Research News and Monday Memo are keyword searchable.

And if you are challenged by the embarrassment of riches in the over 2,000 individual Web pages that comprise the Website, you may find the alphabetical site index helpful. The index can be accessed at - http://www.stonybrook.edu/research/sitemap.html.

If you have information you would like to contribute to Research News please email it to the editor, Adnan Rangwala, at marc.dempsey@stonybrook.edu