In this edition:

(Scroll down for more info and click on the links for additional details)

Funding Opportunities

• NEW HMS Foundation Funds
• NEW MGH Screening Technologies in Primary Care Innovation Fund
• Diabetes Research Connection
• The Dorothy A. Jones Endowed Research Fund
• NIH Instrumentation Grant Programs 2024
• Breast Cancer Alliance 
• 2024 Charles A. King Trust Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Award
• Fund for Medical Discovery Research Fellowship Awards 
• Mass General Neuroscience Transformative Scholar Awards
• Mass General Brigham Precision & Genomic Medicine T32
• Limited Submission Funding
• Foundation Funding Opportunities

Announcements:

• NEW Joint MIT/MGB AI Cures Conference
• NEW MGB Commercialization and Inclusive Leadership Program 
• MGH Research Compliance Survey
• Connors-BRI Symposium
• MGB Healthcare Innovation Bootcamp Course: MESH Core 2024
• MGB Research Strategic Planning Process 2024: Invitation to Contribute 
• Discounted Stata Licenses

Events:

• 2024 Anne Klibanski Visiting Lecture Series 03
• Faculty Transition Webinar
• NEW Navigating and Managing Personal and Professional Transitions
• Research Tech Talk
• NEW Leadership Skills Retreat
• K Grant Writing Workshop
• Two Meditation Sessions available every week

NEW HMS Foundation Funds

Each year several foundations invite HMS faculty and postdocs to apply for their fellowships and grants, which serve as critical funding at the early stages of a research career. Interested investigators must first apply for the HMS nomination through the HMS Foundation Funds office, and a committee will select the final candidates to submit applications to the sponsors. 

Please direct all inquiries regarding the application process at HMS to Clare Lamont, Program Coordinator, Office for Academic and Clinical Affairs, 617-432-7463, clare_lamont@hms.harvard.edu. If you have questions regarding the MGH application process, please email MGH ECOR, ecor@mgh.harvard.edu. 

NEW MGH Screening Technologies in Primary Care Innovation Fund

There is great promise for the development of new technologies to detect disease or disease risk factors at an earlier stage in the primary care setting. However, innovative screening technologies are frequently difficult to get off the ground due to challenges conducting research in the primary care setting and difficulties translating and commercializing technologies that need to be implemented in a cost-effective manner and on a large scale.

Award: One pilot grant will be funded for one year at $50,000 (direct costs) + 20% (indirect).

Due date for proposals: April 30, 2024

Diabetes Research Connection

DRC is funding more research than ever and encourages any early-career scientists to apply. We have immediate funds available for type 1 diabetes (T1D) cure and care research grants ranging from $25,000 up to $75,000. 

DRC will accept grant applications during the following window:

RFA 2024-1: January 22nd to February 25th, 2024.

The Dorothy A. Jones Endowed Research Fund

The Dorothy A. Jones Endowed Nursing Research Fund (sponsored by Frances and Stephen Foster) is a grant award designed to support nurse researchers (Ph.D. prepared) who are advancing a program of research exploring the nurse-patient relationship, a holistic approach to nursing assessment and clinical reasoning to uncover the patient and/or family's response to illness and life pattern that guides actions to promote health and well-becoming.

• PROPOSAL DUE:  March 31, 2024
• RECIPIENT NOTIFIED: May 1, 2024
• Grant awarded on Nursing Research Day 2024

To set up an appointment to learn more about The Dorothy A. Jones Endowed Nursing Research Fund please email: Dottie Jones, Ed.D, ANP, FAAN

NIH Instrumentation Grant Programs 2024

The NIH ORIP's Shared Instrumentation Grant (S10) program, also known as a SIG, supports the purchase of research equipment in the $50,000 to $600,000 price range. Examples of instrumentation supported by SIG funding include nuclear magnetic resonance systems, electron and light microscopes, mass spectrometers, protein and DNA sequencers, biosensors, X-ray diffractometers and cell sorters. For research equipment exceeding the $600,000 price range, investigators may apply for the High-End Instrumentation (HEI) Grant Program.

The MGH Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) has again committed funding to provide institutional support this year for Shared Instrumentation Grant (S10) and High-End Instrumentation (HEI) Grant  proposals. ECOR has made this commitment because it recognizes that institutional support greatly increases the likelihood that an application will be funded. 

When is the deadline?

ECOR Pre-application Deadline:  Tuesday, March 12, 2024, 5pm

NIH Application Deadline: Monday, June 3, 2024

Breast Cancer Alliance 

Young Investigator Grants



The mission of the Breast Cancer Alliance (BCA) is to improve survival rates and quality of life for those impacted by breast cancer through better prevention, early detection, treatment and cure. This grant is intended to help advance the careers of young researchers who do not yet have their own major grant support but who design and conduct their own independent research projects.

MGH is eligible to nominate two candidates.

How much is the award?

The grant provides salary support and project costs for a total of $125,000 (distributed over the two-year period.) Indirect costs, which are included in the $125,000 award, must be limited to 8% of total direct costs.

When is the deadline?  

MGH letter of intent deadline: Monday, February 12, 2024 at 5:00pm

BCA letter of intent deadline: March 31, 2023

Exceptional Project Grants

The Breast Cancer Alliance invites clinical doctors and research scientists at any stage of their careers whose primary focus is breast cancer to apply for an Exceptional Project Grant. This award recognizes creative, unique and innovative research.

MGH is allowed to submit a maximum of 2 LOIs to the sponsor.

How much is the award?

The award is $100,000 for one year. Administrative costs, which are included in the $100,000 award, must be limited to 8% of grant funds. ECOR policy states that for MGH investigators selected through a competitive process as the institutional nominee in which the grant will bring in less than 20% indirect cost (IDC), ECOR will cover the IDC gap up to a maximum of $50,000 per year.

When is the deadline?  

MGH internal preliminary application deadline: Tuesday, February 13, 2024 at 5:00pm BCA letter of intent deadline: March 31, 2024

2024 Charles A. King Trust Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Award



What are they?

The purpose of the fellowship award is to support research that focuses on the causes of human disease with the mission of improving its treatment. The program provides funding to postdoctoral fellows and clinician scientists in the mid to late stages of their research training in basic and preclinical science, and clinical, health services, population health, and implementation research to help them achieve their goals of becoming independent investigators in biomedical research.

This opportunity is open to senior postdoctoral researchers and mentored clinician-scientists (MD, DO or equivalent) who work in the state of Massachusetts. 

How much is the award?

Two-year grants ranging from $194,100 to $215,000 total, inclusive of stipend, fringe, and a $25,000 annual flexible expense allowance will be awarded October 1, 2024.

When is the deadline?  

Wednesday, February 28th, 2024 at 12:00 PM ET

Fund for Medical Discovery Research Fellowship Awards 



What are they?

The FMD Awards are intended to support the salary of junior investigators (MD and PhD Research fellows, Clinical Research Fellows, Instructors), during a one-year period at MGH, who are in the training phase of their research. We recognize that research at MGH integrates the full translational spectrum of discovery from "bench to bedside to community and population.” To ensure that all areas of research conducted at MGH are included and eligible for FMD fellowship awards, ECOR is offering 3 types of training awards: fundamental research fellowships, clinical research fellowships, and population health care sciences fellowships.



How much is each award?

The award will include a stipend of $67,781 plus applicable fringe benefits and 20% indirect costs.

When is the deadline?

Friday, March 1, 2024 - 5:00 PM

Mass General Neuroscience Transformative Scholar Awards



Thanks to generous philanthropic donations, Mass General Neuroscience (MGN) will provide up to seven (7) Neuroscience Awards to encourage and support young investigators in conducting laboratory and/or clinical research in Neuroscience and Brain Health, Tinnitus, Neurodegeneration, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (new this year). Interdisciplinary research across 2 or more of the 4 departments representing Neurosciences is encouraged but not required.

Each award will consist of a commitment of $150,000 total costs ($75K annually total costs for two years, inclusive of 20% indirect costs) intended to support salary and/or research expenses of the junior investigator during a two-year period at Mass General.

Application Deadline Extended: Friday, February 16, 2024

Mass General Brigham Precision & Genomic Medicine T32



The MGB Training Program in Precision & Genomic Medicine, co-led by Jordan W. Smoller, MD, ScD, and Heidi Rehm, PhD, brings together three outstanding components to build a world-class training program in precision and genomic medicine:

1. An internationally-recognized faculty with expertise in precision and genomic medicine across a broad range of disciplines.
2. Outstanding institutional resources bridging clinical, genomic, and data sciences.
3. Deep engagement with cutting edge, collaborative initiatives at the regional, national, and international levels to provide rich training experiences.

Funding is for 2-years and awards cover salary, travel to professional meetings, and other training-related expenses. Trainees will perform research in their respective Mentor’s lab but will participate in all T32 training related requirements (meetings, journal club, etc.) throughout the Mass General Brigham Healthcare System.

Application materials are due February 23, 2024 at 5:00 PM, and the fellowship term begins July 2024. Please direct any inquiries to Program Manager, Marina Wilson (mwilson49@mgh.harvard.edu). 

Limited Submission Funding Opportunities

We ask that all MGH Investigators interested in applying for any limited submission award submit a Letter of Intent (see detailed instructions below) to the MGH Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) by the deadline indicated for each award to be considered to receive an institutional nomination. 

CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES:

See full details for all awards on our website.

Assessment of Climate at Institutions (Act) Award (RC2 – Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

MGH LOI Deadline: 4/01/24

Learn more

Foundation Funding Opportunities

Please contact Corporate & Foundation Relations in the Office of Development at devcfr@mgh.harvard.edu if you wish to submit a proposal in response to any of these opportunities. Note that proposals are still routed through the standard InfoEd/Research Management process.

For all open foundation funding announcements, see the MGB Innovation External Funding Database



CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES:

See this week’s full foundation funding announcements (including eligibility, RM deadlines, and IDC) on our website.

1. Research Grant-New to the Field (AARG-NTF), Alzheimer's Association (ALZ). $200,000 (10% IDC). LOI Deadline: February 28
2. Research Grant to Promote Diversity (AARG-D), Alzheimer's Association (ALZ). $200,000 (10% IDC). LOI Deadline: February 28
3. Research Grant to Promote Diversity-New to the Field (AARG-D-NTF), Alzheimer's Association (ALZ). $200,000 (10% IDC). LOI Deadline: February 28
4.  AACR-Ocular Melanoma Foundation Career Development Award, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). $150,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: March 21
5. NEW! AACR-Ocular Melanoma Foundation Joanne Barlia Research Fellowship, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). $130,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: March 21
6.  Early Investigator Research Scholarships, American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST). $50,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: March 1
7. Daland Fellowships in Clinical Investigation, American Philosophical Society (APS). $80,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: March 15
8. Special Initiatives Pilot Funding, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) Foundation. $50,000 (15% IDC). Proposal Deadline: February 26
9. Huntington’s Disease Transformative Research Award Program, Hereditary Disease Foundation. $1 million (15% IDC). LOI Deadline: March 15
10. CardioRenal-Metabolism Young Investigator Grant Program, Ionis Pharmaceuticals. $100,000 (Unspecified IDC). Application Deadline: April 1
11. Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) Young Investigator Grant Program, Ionis Pharmaceuticals. $100,000 (Unspecified IDC). Application Deadline: April 1
12. Neurology Young Investigator Grant Program in Alexander Disease, Ionis Pharmaceuticals. $100,000 (Unspecified IDC). Application Deadline: April 1
13. Early Career Investigator Award, Metastatic Breast Cancer Research, Support and Awareness (METAvivor). $200,000 (5% IDC). LOI Deadline: March 12
14. Translational Research Award, Metastatic Breast Cancer Research, Support and Awareness (METAvivor). $300,000 (5% IDC). LOI Deadline: March 11
15. Prosociality, Empathy, Altruism, Compassion, and Ethics (PEACE) Research Grants, Mind & Life Institute. $100,000 (No IDC). LOI Deadline: February 29
16. Research Fellowships, Mito Foundation. ≈$130,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: March 15
17. Translational Research Grants, Mito Foundation. ≈$130,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: March 15
18. Multi-Institutional Pilot Award, SPR Research and Education Foundation/Society for Pediatric Radiology (SPR). $100,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: March 8
19. Pilot Award, SPR Research and Education Foundation/Society for Pediatric Radiology (SPR). $50,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: March 8
20. Healthcare Professional Patient Safety Education Grants, The Doctors Company Foundation (TDCF). $240,000 (Unspecified IDC). LOI Deadline: March 18
21.  Research Grants (multiple career stages), United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (UMDF). $100,000 (No IDC). Application Deadline: February 26

Do you want to learn more about identifying external funding opportunities? Please click here to request a research consultation with Amy Robb or see ECOR’s website for information on the Pivot database.

NEW Joint MIT/MGB AI Cures Conference



Mass General Brigham (MGB) will be again co-hosting the AI Cures Conference with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Monday, April 1st, 2024.  

Poster Submissions Deadline - March 8, 2024

We encourage researchers with potential collaborators at MIT to register and submit an abstract for the poster session (deadline March 8).  

NEW MGB Commercialization and Inclusive Leadership Program 



The MGB Commercialization and Inclusive Leadership Program (CILP) is a one-day in-person customized program offered by the MGB Innovator Community Expansion Initiative (ICEI) in collaboration with Babson College. The program is strategically tailored to: 

• Promote Inclusive Innovation and build a community of innovators
• Break down barriers and provide resources and tools to participating in innovation
• Empower participants to see themselves as innovators and champions of innovation
• Build a strong innovator culture and community

Contact icei@partners.org with any questions.  

MGH Research Compliance Survey



MGH Research Compliance is working on a safety incident reporting process improvement project, and we’d like to hear the research community’s feedback on the MGH Safety Reporting System. Please share your thoughts through this quick survey: https://redcap.link/khj81c0j

Connors-BRI Symposium Call for Abstracts

Incorporating Sex and Gender into Research



Keynote Address:

What can we learn by considering sex as a biological variable? Lessons from neuroscience.

Rebecca Shansky, PhD Associate Professor of Psychology, Northeastern University

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

Due February 14 at 11:59pm

Mass General Brigham's Healthcare Innovation Bootcamp Course: MESH Core 2024 – May 20-21

MESH Core is a two-day intensive, in-person, hands-on healthcare innovation course in the mecca of biomedical innovation – Boston. Building on decades of cutting-edge innovation on the fringes - often in the dark and limited to a select few - this official curriculum of fundamental knowledge and lessons learned from healthcare trailblazers from Harvard, Mass General Brigham, and industry will arm new innovators with key knowledge on their lifelong journey of pushing the limits of what is possible.

Suitable for physicians, researchers, allied health professionals, students, MBAs, executives, and the public. A combination of lectures, hands-on cases, networking, roundtables, and scientific sessions.

Date: May 20-21, 2024.

Location: MGB HQ. Assembly Row, Somerville, MA.

MGB Research Strategic Planning Process 2024: Invitation to Contribute 

One of the current MGB system goals is to create a 10-year strategic plan for the MGB research enterprise. 

We are embarking upon this strategic planning exercise in FY24 to ensure sustainable growth, address operational and organizational challenges, and maintain our reputation as a world leader in biomedical research. You can learn more here.

Input from our MGB research community is critical to the development of the strategic plan. For those who are interested in contributing, please complete this short survey. The information you provide in the survey will be shared with the Working Group for each of the strategic focus areas that you select within the form. The Working Group is charged with determining how to gather input from those who have expressed interest in contributing. In the meantime, if you have immediate ideas or feedback to share, there is an opportunity to do so within the survey. 

Discounted Stata Licenses

The Research Computing Core offers Stata licenses to the Research Community at a discounted rate via rcservices.partners.org. Stata is a statistical software package that provides tools for analysis, data management and graphics. Interested in learning new tips or looking to learn about new functionality with Stata 18? Check out the Stata Webinars, which are offered free of charge via the vendor's website.

See these events and more on the calendar of events

2024 Anne Klibanski Visiting Lecture Series 03

Wednesday, February 14th, 12pm ET

 

Breast Imaging in the Developing World

Presenter:

Bagyam Raghavan, MD, Senior Consultant Radiologist and Department Co-coordinator, Apollo Cancer Center, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Epidemiology of Breast cancer in India -how it differs from the west.
• Screening in lower- and middle-income countries.
• Challenges to screening in India.
• What strategies can work.

Faculty Transition Webinar

Friday, February 16th, 12pm ET

Facilitators:

Stephanie Eisenstat, MD - As a physician educator, certified coach and practicing clinician now for almost 30 years, Dr. Stephanie Eisenstat has helped individuals and groups enhance their effectiveness and impact. 

Russell Eisenstat, PhD - Dr. Russ Eisenstat has spent the last four decades coaching and supporting leaders and organizations around the world in unlocking their full potential.

 

Mid to late career for highly motivated individuals can be a time of stress and transition, but also a chance to reflect, re-energize, and reimagine work and life. Recent research in the fields of life span development and positive psychology highlights that the old paradigm and mindset of gradual decline into the retirement years is no longer accurate or helpful.

NEW What’s Next? It’s Your Time! Navigating and Managing Personal and Professional Transitions

Tuesdays, February 20–March 26, 2024, 12:30 – 1:30 pm,

A 5-week course for mid- and late-career faculty who may want to refocus their career priorities and rearrange their work without fully retiring. This online program is evidence-based, interactive, engaging, educational, upbeat, and interactive. It is supported by the latest research and information from thought leaders and will set the stage for exploration, discovery, and planning.

Facilitator: Elise Tofias Phillips, MEd, is the Founder + CEO of Navigate, Health and Wellness Coaching and Consulting. She has developed an innovative, interactive, and engaging behavior change approach through her consulting and coaching.

Research Tech Talk

Thursday, February 29th, 12:00 - 1:00 pm



Ivan Childress, Director, MGB Digital Information Security and Team will update us on Identity Management at MGB

NEW Leadership Skills Retreat

Thursday, March 28, 12:00 - 4:00 pm

Joseph B. Martin Conference Center 



This workshop is appropriate for clinical and basic science researchers from all fields.

Featuring special guest appearance by: Robin Huebner, PhD, NIH Program Officer

Hosted by Ingrid Bassett MD, MPH; Kenneth Freedberg MD, MSc; Jodi Kurtz MS, CRA; Athe Tsibris MD

Are you writing a K? Get practical advice

Wednesday, March 6, 2024, 8:20 am – 2:00 pm



A half-day in-person retreat geared toward mid-career faculty at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) looking to build their leadership skillset. 

Topics include:

• Shift from Mentoring to Sponsorship with Joshua Goldstein MD, PhD, Director, Center for Faculty Development
• How to Give a Talk with Andrew A. Nierenberg, MD, Director, Dauten Family Center for Bipolar Treatment Innovation Office
• Building Diversity and Avoiding Unconscious Bias with Anna Brown, JD, Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer for Mass General Brigham
• Building and Managing Teams with Sabrina Paganoni, MD, PhD, Co-Director of the Neurological Research Institute at MGH and physician scientist at the Healey & AMG Center for ALS

Two Meditation Sessions available every week

SESSION 1: Meditation Mondays with Dr. Darshan Mehta 

Every Monday, 8:00 – 8:30 am, Zoom,next session, Monday, February 12!

Co-sponsored by the Center for Faculty Development’s Office for Well-Being and the MGPO Frigoletto Committee

Join Darshan Mehta, MD, MPH, Director, Office for Well-Being, for a guided meditation session on Monday morning. 

Register and add to calendar

SESSION 2: Midweek Meditation with Guest Leader 

Every Wednesday, 8:00 – 8:30 am, Zoom, next session, Wednesday, February 14!

Sponsored by the Center for Faculty Development’s Office for Well-Being

Join guest leader, Jennifer Kurz, MD, Mass General Brigham, for next Wednesday’s guided meditation session.

Register and add to calendar

See these events and more on the calendar of events

Research Institute website

Bench Press Blog

MGH Research Intranet