Research News-February 13, 2007

Essential Policy and Procedure Updates

Oracle Business System Upgrade and Shutdown Period

The Research Foundation is in the process of upgrading the current version of the Oracle Business System from 11.0.3 to the new 11i version. This is necessary since Oracle no longer supports the version used by the RF. The new version is scheduled to be implemented on May 1, 2007 and will be preceded by a system shutdown period lasting from close of business on April 20 until go-live on May 1. The shutdown period is necessary to accomplish the following tasks:

1. Move all the existing data into the new database.
2. Migrate the Oracle Applications from the current 11.0.3 version into the 11i production version. This includes nine Oracle Applications plus the Principal Investigator Award Interface (PIAI), Web Financial Reports (WFR) and the reporting tool Discoverer.
3. Migrate customizations to Oracle Applications into upgraded production version 11i.

To facilitate this transition, RF Central urges that campus departments plan ahead for their needs during the shutdown period of April 20 - May 1. For detailed information concerning your procurement transactions please refer to:
http://www.stonybrook.edu/procurement/news/

HR/Payroll transaction submission information can be found at:
http://naples.cc.sunysb.edu/Admin/HRS.nsf/pages/HRS_Focus_RFOracle

Salary Offset (IFR) transactions should be submitted to the Office of Grants Management by April 6 to insure inclusion in the April month end activity.

If your externally sponsored award is scheduled to terminate between April 20 – 30 all unencumbered transactions should be received with sufficient lead time to allow for processing prior to the shutdown.

The Office of Grants Management will be available to assist with your needs throughout the shutdown period. Please contact us at 2-9038 for assistance.

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.

FY 2007 NIH Ruth L. Kirchstein National Research Service Awards (NRSAs) Stipend Levels

NIH recently released the stipend levels for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSAs). The stipend levels for FY 2007 will remain the same as in FY 2006. The announcement also summarizes the new policy and benefit levels for "Training Related Expenses" for trainees and the "Institutional Allowance" for individual fellows.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-052.htm

NIH Announces Non-Competing Award Funding Levels

NIH recently announced that, "To implement the FY2007 fiscal guidance, non-competing research awards will be awarded at 97.1% of the FY 2007 committed level. Future year commitments also will be adjusted accordingly." Institutes and centers "will maintain the flexibility to supplement such non-competing awards on a case by-case basis according to scientific and programmatic imperatives..." Non-competing awards previously issued in FY 2007 at reduced levels will be revised to restore funds to the level indicated above. NIH said that the policy does not apply to Career Awards, SBIR/STTRs, and Ruth L. Kirschstein-National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Fellowships and Institutional Training Grants. The whole notice can be found at:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-049.html

New Clinical Research Guide from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has produced a new Clinical Research Guide to assist both novice and experienced investigators. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/crg/index.php

The Clinical Trial Contract Process

The Office of Sponsored Programs has created a flowchart that 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.

From the Office of Clinical Trials

In order to maintain compliance with federal guidelines, the Office of Clinical Trials has created a research subjects’ database. For all industry initiated, industry sponsored clinical trials, Study Coordinators are required to enter the names of all participating subjects.

If you have any questions regarding this issue, a letter from Dr. Richard Fine is posted on the Office of Clinical Trials website. The link is:
https://www.osa.sunysb.edu/octs/newsInvestigator.jsp
--Contributed by Sharon Nachman

Collaborative IRB Training Initiative Site Up and Running

The recently distributed 2006 Update to CORIHS-Approved Investigators indicated that the SBU site for the Collaborative IRB Training Initiative (CITI) web-based program is 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 and 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 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 number is 632-9036, and the office is located on the Main Campus, Melville Library 5th floor, Suite W5530.

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 Gail Habicht, Vice President for Research, Ivar Strand, Assistant Vice President for Research, Judy Matuk, Director, Office of Research Compliance, and Leigh Gentilcore, Clinical Trials Administrator. A link to the powerpoint presentation can be found here.

New Human Resource Services (HRS) Office in HSC

HRS has added an office in the Health Sciences Center to provide HR services, information and advice. It will have two "long" days to help provide better service: Wednesday and Thursday: 7:00am – 6:00pm. Monday, Tuesday, Friday: 8:30am – 5:00 pm. The office is located at: HSC, Level 4, SOM, Rm 170A (Dean's Suite).

New Procurement Newsletter

The March 2007 edition of the Procurement Office newsletter and the 06/07 Lapsing Funds Calendar are now available online at:
http://www.stonybrook.edu/procurement/news/

Funding Opportunities

Stony Brook University Seed Grants for Survey Research (SGSR)

We announce the introduction of a new program of Seed Grants for Survey Research (SGSR). This program is designed to help faculty better position themselves to apply for and receive extramural funding for research designed to collect original survey research data. Recipients of SGSR awards are expected to use the data collected as part of the seed grant program actively to submit proposals to extramural sponsors. Tenured or Tenure-Track faculty members are eligible to enter the SGSR competition. Four awards of up to $10,000 each will be allocated in 2007. Up to $2,000 of this budget can go towards an RA or other research-related expenses; the remainder is devoted to the cost of data collection by the Stony Brook University Center for Survey Research. A review panel of faculty drawn from the Center for Survey Research plus the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Schools of Health Technology and Management, Medicine, Nursing, Social Welfare, and the Marine Sciences Research Center will evaluate all proposals. The application deadline is April 15, 2007; awards will be announced in mid-May, 2007 for a June 1, 2007 activation date. More information about the SGSR program can be found at:
http://www.sunysb.edu/~surveys/

2007 NIH Director's New Innovator Award Program (DP2)

NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., has announced a special program to fund new investigators who propose highly innovative research projects that could have an exceptional impact on biomedical or behavioral science. The NIH Director's New Innovator Award offers grants of up to $1.5 million in direct costs over five years."New investigators are the future of science, and innovative ideas are its lifeblood. This flagship program underscores NIH's commitment to supporting these two critical elements of the research enterprise. The New Innovator Award, funded through the NIH Roadmap Common Fund, complements longstanding activities in both areas at the NIH level and at its institutes and centers," said Zerhouni.

The application period opens on April 25 and closes on May 22, 2007. NIH expects to make at least 14 awards in September, 2007. New investigators who have not yet obtained an NIH R01 or similar grant are eligible to apply. Applicants must hold an independent research position at an institution in the United States and must have received a doctoral degree or completed a medical internship and residency in 1997 or later.

"We want proposals in a broad range of scientific areas relevant to the NIH mission and from a diverse pool of applicants," Zerhouni said. "We're shortening the application and emphasizing the significance of the research, what makes the approach exceptionally innovative, how the applicant will address challenges and risks, and the applicant's qualifications for the grant. We aren't requiring applicants to present preliminary data, although we'll allow it if they choose to do so," he added.
Application instructions are at:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-07-009.html
More information on the NIH Director's New Innovator Award is at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/new_investigators/innovator_award/

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

April 17 and 18: "The Impact of Export Controls on Sponsored Research"

The Office of Sponsored Programs, in cooperation with Binghamton University and the Research Foundation Central Office, is pleased to announce the offering of a seminar on the impact of export controls on sponsored research. This seminar is specifically geared toward faculty and staff involved in research at Stony Brook University and will involve case studies and a question and answer period. In order to properly serve both sides of the campus, 2 sessions have been scheduled:

April 17th in Student Activity Center Room 304 from 2:00 to 4:00
April 18th in Health Science Center Level 2 Room 085 from 9:30 to 11:30

For some background material on the issue of export controls, please go to the following link:

http://www.stonybrook.edu/research/spo/export.html

For those interested in attending please contact Kathryn Belmonte in the Office of Sponsored Programs at 2-4402 to register. Should anyone have specific questions about the seminar please contact Ivar Strand, Assistant VP at 2-4402 or via notes at istrand@notes.cc.sunysb.edu

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

Using Lipids to Solve an Environmental Problem

One of the latest patents issued to Stony Brook University uses lipids to inhibit the oxidation of mine waste. The patent was issued to Martin Schoonen and Michael Borda of the Department of Geosciences and colleagues at Temple University.

Mine waste containing metal sulfides, such as pyrite or fool’s gold, reacts with water and air to form highly acidic waters laden with heavy metals. The acidification of streams as a result of oxidation of mine waste is common in areas with active or abandoned coal or metal mining. For example, ten percent of the streams in the Northern Appalachian region are affected. Costs for abatement of this environmental problem, referred to as Acid Mine Drainage (AMD), exceed 1 million dollars per day in the US alone. In most cases abatement involves passive neutralization of the acid produced by the waste. The novelty of the new method using lipids is that it inhibits the oxidation reaction and, therefore, limits the amount of acid produced. Lipids, more precisely two-tailed lipids similar to lipids that make up cellular membranes, tend to self-assemble a hydrophobic layer on metal sulfides. It is the formation of this hydrophobic layer that prevents water--a critical reactant—from reaching the mineral surface. The lipids can be dissolved in a water-based solution and sprayed onto the waste.

The patent, issued in December of 2006, has attracted interest from one of the premier environmental consulting and engineering companies in the world and is expected to be field-tested later this year.

ICB&DD Receives $3.1M NIH Grant to Develop Therapies for Drug-Resistant TB

The Institute for Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery (ICB&DD) has received a five year $3.14 million grant to study compounds that could be used to help treat drug resistant tuberculosis. The award was received by Peter Tong, Chemistry, Director of the Institute's Tuberculosis Related Research Program, from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/National Institutes of Health.

"This is a milestone achievement for the ICB&DD, whose mission is to promote multidisciplinary research at Stony Brook that builds on existing strengths on campus," said ICB&DD Director Iwao Ojima. Tonge and his collaborators have developed a series of closely related compounds that inhibit a TB enzyme drug target and the grant will allow them to optimize the enzyme inhibitors and prepare them for actual clinical studies. Drug resistant TB has become increasingly common even in well developed countries.

$825K Grant from the National MS Society

Joel Levine, Neurobiology and Behavior, has received a five year $825,000 grant to investigate the process of remyelination in the central nervous system (CNS) when it is affected by Multiple Sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disorder that leads to chronic loss of myelin, the sheath of proteins and phospholipids that form a protective sheath around CNS nerves. Levine will be collaborating with Holly Colognato and Styliana-Anna Tsirka, Pharmacological Sciences, Mirjana Maletic-Savatic, Neurology, and William Van Nostrand, Medicine. They will be working to find out what factors contribute to the remyelinating that occurs in nerve cells in the early stages of MS and what causes it to eventually cease in long term, chronic MS. MS affects about 2.5 million people world-wide and 400,000 in the United States.

Microsoft Computational Challenges in Synthetic Biology Award

David Green, Applied Mathematics and Statistics, and Steve Skiena, Computer Science, have received an award from Microsoft designed to "stimulate foundational research in synthetic biology and DNA nanotechnology by identifying and addressing the unique computational challenges of these areas." Their project, "Design and Synthesis of Minimal and Persistent Protein Complexes", will develop ways of overcoming bacterial interference in certain gene manipulations and develop algorithms that will optimize the creation of 'short' genes which are less likely to be eliminated by bacterial systems. To quote from the project proposal, "Our approach integrates protein design, coding sequence optimization, and validation in an experimental context to address a major problem in the long term viability of synthetic biological networks."

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