In this edition:

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

Funding Opportunities

• NEW! ADA Pathways to Stop Diabetes
• NEW! BIRCWH: Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health Training Grant
• The Smith Family Awards for Excellence in Biomedical Research
• NIH Director's Early Independence Awards

Announcements:

• NEW! Sumner Tunnel Closures This Summer
• NEW! Call for Abstracts for the 2023 Women in Medicine and Science Symposium
• Call for Summer Research Training Program Abstract Reviewers & Final Presentation Panelists
• MathWorks Training
• ChemDraw Software
• Mathworks Training
• Research Tech Talk

Events:

• MGB World Medical Innovation Forum
• 2023 Virtual Tumor Course: Registration Now Open
• MGB World Medical Innovation Forum
• The Chester Pierce Research Society: Digital Innovation and Quality Improvement in Research Settings
• Meditation Sessions available every week

ADA Pathways to Stop Diabetes 2023

Letters of intent are now being accepted by the Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) for the 2023 American Diabetes Association Pathways to Stop Diabetes Award.

What are they?

The Pathway to Stop Diabetes Program intends to attract brilliant scientists at the peak of their creativity to diabetes research, and to accelerate their research progress by providing the necessary resources and support for conducting transformative science. 

This call for nominations is prioritizing exceptional investigators that aim to advance existing knowledge and discovery gained from the basic sciences to its eventual translation into patient and population benefit. The ideal applicant will propose innovative translational research that will be an important step towards the eventual goal of improving the lives of people at risk of diabetes or living with the disease - and the pathway to this impact is clear. 

Nominations are welcomed from all areas of diabetes translational research and span prevention, management and cure of all diabetes types (type 1, type 2 and gestational), diabetes-related disease states (obesity, prediabetes, and other insulin resistant states) and complications. The program intends to attract a broad range of expertise to the field of diabetes from various fields of science and technology, including medicine, biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, and physics.

MGH is eligible to nominate one candidate. This award will be up to $1,625,000 with a project period of up to 7 years. MGH Letters of Intent will be reviewed and assessed by a panel of senior MGH faculty members.  

When is the deadline?  

MGH Letter of Intent Deadline: Friday, June 16, 2023 – 5:00pm

Full application to sponsor: August 1, 2023 (5:00pm ET)

How do I learn more and apply?

Please click here to submit a letter of intent through our online grant management portal 

BIRCWH: Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health Training Grant

What are they?

The Harvard-wide BIRCWH training grant is titled, "Hormones and Genes in Women’s Health: From Bench to Bedside." We are pleased to invite applications for MD or PhD/ScD scholars to develop an academic career in women’s health and sex differences in medicine.

Specifically, this NIH-sponsored training grant will support scholars involved in investigating the impact of hormones and/or genes in understanding sex differences in vulnerabilities to clinical disorders and those disorders specific to women.

Potential Scholars investigating socioenvironmental factors modulating the impact of hormones and genes in understanding these sex-specific vulnerabilities will also be considered.

Scholars will be sponsored (up to $100,000/year in salary support plus associated fringe benefits, with additional funds for research expenses) for 2-3 years of mentored research with Harvard faculty in basic, translational, or clinical aspects of research in women’s health, which can be combined, if applicable, with clinical work in the Scholar’s specialty.

Successful applicants will have prior relevant research training in research methodology, potential to obtain independent research funding, evidence of publications in peer-reviewed journals, and a faculty appointment at the level of Instructor or Assistant Professor. Applications from women and minorities are highly encouraged and desired. Applications will be accepted until June 15, 2023. 

For further information and details on eligibility criteria and content and the application form, visit our website at: BIRCWH Call for Applications

Submit application materials to Mara Hampson at mhampson1@bwh.harvard.edu.  

The Smith Family Awards for

Excellence in Biomedical Research

What are they?

The mission of the Awards Program is to launch the careers of newly independent biomedical researchers with the ultimate goal of achieving medical breakthroughs. The three‐year Award supports newly independent faculty engaged in basic or translational biomedical research. Investigators in the physical sciences (physics, chemistry and engineering) whose projects focus on biomedical science are also encouraged to apply. While basic research projects involving human subjects, data, and samples are eligible, clinical trials research is beyond the scope of this program.

“In recognition of the importance of research collaboration by the scientific community, collaboration is an additional, but not required, positive ancillary factor. These projects may involve researchers within and/or outside MGH.”

This opportunity is open to full-time faculty at MGH who received or will receive their Assistant Professor appointment on or between 10/1/20 and 4/1/24. The award is $400,000 over three years, inclusive of 5% institutional overhead. 

The foundation now has a two-stage application process, and there are no limits on the number of applications from an institution. An internal selection process is no longer required. All eligible faculty at MGH should apply directly to the sponsor.

Please contact Foundation Relations in the Office of Development at devcfr@mgh.harvard.edu if you wish to submit a proposal in response to this opportunity. They will be able to advise you on the application process.

Initial proposal deadline: Tuesday, June 20, 2023 at 12:00 Noon (Those applicants who make it to the second stage will be invited to submit a full proposal in early October).

NIH Director’s Early Independence Awards

What are they?

The NIH Director’s Early Independence Award Program supports exceptional investigators who wish to pursue independent research directly after completion of their terminal doctoral/research degree or clinical residency, thereby forgoing the traditional post-doctoral training period and accelerating their entry into an independent research career.

The Early Independence Award is intended for these select junior investigators who have already established a record of scientific innovation and research productivity and have demonstrated unusual scientific vision and maturity; typical post-doctoral training would unnecessarily delay their entry into independent research.

MGH is eligible to nominate two candidates for the NIH Director’s Early Independence Award.

When is the deadline?  

MGH internal pre-proposal: Tuesday, June 20, 2023 – 5:00 PM

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.

1. G. Harold & Leila Y. Mathers Foundation Grants

The G. Harold & Leila Y. Mathers Foundation seeks to advance knowledge in the life sciences by supporting scientific research that will benefit humanity. The Foundation primarily supports basic science, ideally with broad translational applications. It tends not to fund overly disease-focused research. Immunology, microbiome, genomics, structural biology, cellular physiology, and neuroscience are some noteworthy examples of current research support. 

Foundation Guidelines:

• Grants are typically up to $750,000, inclusive of 10% indirect costs.
• Grant duration must be 3 years.
• The budget should be reasonable (based on the aims of the project, the number of researchers involved, type of animal models used, etc.).
• Grant funds may be used only to support the actual investigation (no capital equipment).
• Requests for funding previously federally supported research, and/or applications pending federal approval will not be accorded priority consideration.
• The Foundation does not support clinical trials or drug discovery.
• The Foundation will not support projects which it considers pre-clinical drug development.
• COVID-19 related research projects (aims or sub-aims) and medical imaging technology related projects will not be considered for support.
• LOIs or Formal Proposals that have been declined should not be resubmitted at a later date for consideration. 

MGH LOI Deadline: 6/21/23

Sponsor LOI Deadline: 7/28/23

Sponsor Application Deadline: 9/29/23

Learn more

2. Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (R25 – Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The NIH Research Education Program (R25) supports research education activities in the mission areas of the NIH. The overarching goal of this R25 program is to support educational activities that encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, to pursue further studies or careers in research. 

To accomplish the stated over-arching goal, this FOA will support creative educational activities with a primary focus on:

• Courses for Skills Development
• Research Experiences

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) provides support to eligible, domestic institutions to develop and implement Postbaccalaureate Research Education Programs in Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases (DEM).

These post-baccalaureate research programs will incorporate extensive research experiences and well-designed courses for skills development to prepare recent college graduates from diverse backgrounds, including those from underrepresented groups, to transition into and complete rigorous, research-focused biomedical doctoral degree programs (e.g., Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D.).

The long-term goal of post-baccalaureate participants admitted to the program should be pursuing a career focused on DEM-related research. Eligible applicants for the R25 must be research-intensive doctoral degree-granting institutions with a research base in DEM science of at least $3 million in direct costs of peer-reviewed research projects, and research opportunities for students admitted to the program must be in DEM science.

MGH LOI Deadline: 9/05/23

NIH LOI Deadline: 9/25/23

NIH Application Deadline: 10/25/23

Learn more

3.  EPSCoR Collaborations for Optimizing Research Ecosystems Research Infrastructure Improvement Program (National Science Foundation)

The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) fulfills the mandate of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to promote scientific progress nationwide.

Through this program, NSF facilitates the establishment of partnerships among academic institutions, government, industry, and non-profit sectors that are designed to promote sustainable improvements in the research infrastructure, Research and Development (R&D) capacity, and R&D competitiveness of EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions (i.e., states, territories, and commonwealths).

The E-CORE RII program supports jurisdictions in building capacity in one or more targeted research infrastructure cores that underlie the jurisdiction's research ecosystem.

Based on the evidence-based and self-identified need of the jurisdiction, capacity building supported by E-CORE RII may include (but is not limited to) development, enhancement, and/or sustainability of: jurisdiction-wide research administration; research facilities; higher education pathways; STEM education (K-16) pathways; broadening participation; workforce development; national and global partnerships; community engagement and outreach; economic development and use-inspired research; and/or early career research trainee pathways. E-CORE RII projects must be designed to support the sustainability of the infrastructure core(s) beyond the award period.

In E-CORE RII's support of one or more research infrastructure cores in an EPSCoR-eligible jurisdiction, the program will also support the development and growth of new jurisdictional networks, and the leveraging of existing jurisdictional networks, that can drive demonstrable and sustainable impact to advance the jurisdiction-wide research ecosystem.

Through the fostering of STEM research ecosystems and research capacity pathways across institution types and sectors in a jurisdiction, E-CORE RII aims to support jurisdiction-wide research infrastructure cores based on jurisdictional variability.

A jurisdiction's science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research ecosystem encompasses all new and ongoing interactions among its research environment, researchers, stakeholders, and STEM research activities to improve knowledge, or contribute to end-use or societal impacts in the jurisdiction.

MGH LOI Deadline: 10/09/23

Sponsor Application Deadline: 12/06/23

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.



CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES:

See full details for all awards on our website.

1. Community Sleep Health and Public Awareness Grant (multiple funding levels), American Sleep Medicine Foundation (ASMF). $50,000. Application Deadline: Continuous
2. NEW! Diversity Supplement Grant, American Sleep Medicine Foundation (ASMF) $50,000. Application Deadline: Continuous
3. Blepharospasm/Meige Research Grants, Benign Essential Blepharospasm Research Foundation, Inc. (BEBRF). $50,000. Application Deadline: August 31
4. DSF Research Grant Programs (multiple opps), Dravet Syndrome Foundation (DSF). $500,000. Application Deadline: September 8
5. Research Grants, Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation (PKD Foundation). $240,000. Pre-Application Deadline: August 14
6. Pilot Award, Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI). $300,000. Proposal Deadline: September 14
7. NEW! Pancreatic Cancer Seed Grant, Sky Foundation, Inc. $50,000. Application Deadline: August 1
8. Sulzberger Institute Grants (multiple funding levels), Sulzberger Institute for Dermatologic Education/American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). $60,000. LOI Deadline: September 4

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! Traffic alert:

Sumner Tunnel closed July 5 to Aug. 31

The Sumner Tunnel, which runs from East Boston to Downtown, will be closed for repairs July 5 to Aug. 31. Patients and employees are encouraged to take public transportation. If you choose to drive in, please adjust your commute times accordingly. More information.

NEW! Call for Abstracts 2023 Women in Science Symposium

The Women in Medicine and Science Symposium will highlight the achievements of women faculty and trainees at Brigham and Women’s and Mass General Hospitals.

The Symposium will celebrate the accomplishments of women faculty and trainees across different disciplines - including basic science, clinical and translational research, clinical innovation, and education - with the goal of strengthening the BWH, MGH and MGB community. Visit the website to learn more

Please contact womens.careers@partners.org with any questions. 

Call for Summer Research Training Program

Abstract Reviewers & Final Presentation Panelists

The MGH Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) is preparing for the 2023 Summer Research Trainee Program (SRTP) and seeking clinical, fundamental, and population health faculty researchers to serve as SRTP student Abstract Reviewers or Final Presentation Panelist. If you would like to get involved and support our SRTP students this year, please consider being a SRTP student abstract reviewer or final presentation panelist. Please click here to see details and to provide your availability.

Abstract Reviewers:

Review 3 – 4 abstracts and discuss feedback with students via Zoom

Zoom meeting options (1 hour/15 min per student):

July 12: Anytime between 8 am to 1 pm or 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm

July 13: Anytime between 8 am to 1 pm or 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm

Provide your availability

Final Presentation Panelists:

Listen and score student presentations, and provide written feedback

Student final presentations schedule:

July 11 (1 student) – 5 pm to 6 pm

July 26 (13 students) - 11:30 am to 5:30 pm

July 27 (13 students) - 7:30 am to 1:30 pm

August 3 (3 students) - 1 pm to 2 pm, 4 pm to 5 pm, or 5 pm to 6 pm

Provide your availability

Mass General Women in Leadership Group

Seeking Membership Applications

The Mass General Women in Leadership Committee is now welcoming applications for new member-at-large positions for a two-year term beginning October 1, 2023.

Committee membership is open to all MGH female-identified administrative, clinical leaders and research staff. We ask members to regularly attend monthly meetings, participate in WIL events and serve on at least one subcommittee. Reaffirming MGH’s dedication to creating an inclusive community, we hope that people of diverse backgrounds and career paths will apply to maintain and foster a supportive professional network.

To apply, please complete the application form linked here by Friday, June 30. The first eight questions on page one request contact and demographic information. The four questions on page two are listed below for your reference. Applications can be submitted by selecting “done” on page three. Please note that all submissions will go through a de-identification process.

1. Please describe your particular interest in becoming a member of the WIL Committee and what you hope to gain from the experience.
2. Please describe ways in which you have demonstrated inclusive leadership in your role at MGH, regardless of your formal position.
3. Please describe how you can contribute to the advancement of the MGH female-identified professional network and your proposed level of involvement.
4. Is there anything else you would like the WIL selection committee to know? 

To learn more about WIL, please visit our website at https://apollo.massgeneral.org/wil-committee/. We will also host a Virtual Open House on Tuesday, June 13 from 10:30am-12:30pm via Zoom. You can register here. We have no formal agenda and invite you to drop in when you can to ask questions and learn more about WIL. If you have any questions, please email us at MGHWIL@mgb.org. 

ChemDraw Software

ChemDraw licenses are offered at a discounted rate through the ERIS Research Computing Core. ChemDraw is a powerful, yet easy-to use, tool for producing chemical and biological drawings. You can create your own drawings or use those provided in the library of available templates.

This is a subscription service with an annual fee, which must be renewed each May 25th, to continue access. Once ordering you will receive an email with installation instructions (new users) or an activation code (renewals). Request through the ERIS Research Computing Core Service Catalog.

MathWorks Training

Online training is available, offered by MathWorks.

Research Tech Talk

Thursday, June 29. 2023

12:00 pm to 2:00 pm

• Sara Silacci, Director, MGB Hospital Integrated Research Organization and Chief Strategy Officer, MGH Center for Innovation in Digital HealthCare will present, "Hospital Integrated Research Strategy for Leveraging Innovation and Digital Healthcare Technologies".
• Samson Schoerning and Paul Raines, IT Systems Managers of the MGH Martinos Center, will offer a full update on the Center's infrastructure, current projects and initiatives.

2023 Virtual Tumor Course

Tuesday, Oct. 24 to Friday Oct. 27, 2023

38TH CRITICAL ISSUES IN TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT, ANGIOGENESIS, METASTASIS AND IMMUNOLOGY

The 38th Annual Critical Issues in Tumor Microenvironment: Angiogenesis, Metastasis and Immunology course will continue to offer the best in critical analysis of what is currently known about the tumor microenvironment, angiogenesis, metastasis, immunology. This will include chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies, tumor metabolism, and the role of microbiome.

The internationally recognized faculty speakers will present their latest findings from the clinic and the lab and highlight key gaps in the knowledge of cancer and outline future directions for research at the bench, in the clinic, and in drug development.

The course will continue its four-day online webinar-based live lecture format. Learning formats will include didactic lectures, Q&A and group case discussions.

The faculty will encourage an open discussion and will provide critical comments on challenges and future opportunities in research in cancer and in establishment of novel therapy approaches and biomarkers to guide treatment. The aim of this course is to analyze and synthesize the most up-to-date findings.

Faculty will present valuable information in a systematic and comprehensive framework, along with a critical review of the latest techniques. This course is dedicated to helping to improve clinical translation of this knowledge and competence, leading to improved cancer treatment.

MGB World Medical Innovation Forum

June 12-14, 2023

Boston's Top Healthcare Innovation Gathering

Join leading healthcare and financial experts at the World Medical Innovation Forum as they assess the impact of the latest innovations in three of today’s fastest breakthrough areas.

Network with industry disruptors and executives, including top Harvard clinicians and scientists from Mass General Brigham, the premier academic research organization and medical system in the U.S., and financial experts from Bank of America, manager of one of the largest healthcare portfolios in the industry.

Two Meditation Sessions available every week



SESSION 1: Meditation Mondays with Dr. Darshan Mehta 

Every Monday, 8:00 – 8:30 am, Zoom à next session, Monday, June 5!

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 à next session, Wednesday, June 7!

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

Join guest leader, Sara Lazar, PhD.

Register and add to calendar