Research News
MEDICAL SCHOOL OFFICE OF RESEARCH
July 2014
EVENTS 
Tuesday, July 22
8:00 AM - 3:30 PM
4th Floor, Assembly Hall
Rackham Building
915 E. Washington Street

Although this is a FREE event, registration is required as space is limited. Register here.

This event is hosted by the Neurological Emergencies Treatment Trials (NETT) Network.


Non-Disclosure Agreements 

Wednesday, July 30

5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

South Atrium,

NCRC Building 10

 

Details and RSVP for this event are located here.

 

 

Finding Funding Opportunities

Using PIVOT

Wednesday, August 6

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Taubman

Learning Center,

2802 Med Sci II Building

 

This event is sponsored by the Taubman Health Sciences Libraries.

  

 

Bridging the
Valley of Death:
Funding to Help
You Cross
 

Wednesday, August 20

5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

South Atrium,

NCRC Building 10

 

Additional details, including RSVP information, available here.

 

 

Researchpalooza

Wednesday, August 27

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Circle Drive in front of Med Sci I Building

 

 

Your Research Project Route Map Workshop
for Faculty

Monday, September 8

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

BSRB Seminar Rooms

 

Free lunch will be included. Seats for this event are limited. Please RSVP to reserve your spot today.

 

This event is sponsored by U-M Medical School Faculty Development.

 

 

Developing Successful Scientific Papers for Publication for Faculty

Tuesday, September 23

Two sessions:

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM or

12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

BSRB Seminar Rooms

 

 

MICHR

Symposium 2014: "Coloring Outside

the Lines"

Wednesday, October 1

7:00 AM - 4:00 PM

NCRC Building 18

 

This event is free and open to the public, but space is limited. Please register to ensure your spot.

 

 

Joint Institute for Translational and Clinical Research Annual Symposium

Wednesday, October 1 -

Friday, October 3

Various locations across U-M Ann Arbor campus

 

 

Write Winning Grant Proposals from the Reviewer's Perspective for Faculty

Monday, November 10

7:30 AM - 12:00 PM

BSRB Seminar Rooms

 

Additional details, including registration information, available here

 

This workshop is

co-sponsored by U-M Medical School Faculty Development and the UMMS Office of Research.

 

 

AAMC Medical Education Research Certificate (MERC) Program for Faculty

Six weekly workshops beginning Wednesday, November 12.

 

 

SAVE THE DATE! 

 

Protein Folding Diseases Symposium

Friday, September 19

8:30 AM - 6:30 PM

Kahn Auditorium and 

BSRB Seminar Rooms 

 

 

Health System Headlines Research Seminars & Events 

FUNDING + AWARD OPPORTUNITIES 

Internal Submissions

 

BMRC Bridging Support Program for Biomedical Research

Deadline: 

Friday, August 15

 

Continuing

Medical Education Innovation Grant Program

Deadline:

Monday, September 8

 

Subsidy funds are available on a rolling basis from the Nathan Shock Center for the Biology of Aging for subsidized use of U-M Research Resource Cores for problems in aging research.

 

Details here.

 

 

Limited Submissions

 

Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Awards

for Medical Scientists

Deadline:

Monday, August 4

 

 

Pilot Programs

 

Clinical Translational Resource Allocation Committee

(CTRAC) Grant

Deadline:

Monday, July 28

 

Research in

Clinical Simulation

Deadline:

Saturday, August 2

 

Michigan Diabetes Research Center Pilot/Feasibility Study Grant Program

Deadline:

Monday, August 4

 

Pilot and Exploratory Projects in

Palliative Care

Deadline:

Friday, August 15

 

GI SPORE Development Research Program

Deadline:

Friday, September 5

 

MTRAC Kickstart Award

Deadline:

Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis until available funding has been distributed. 

 

Radiology/Nuclear Medicine Seed Grants for Advancing

Clinical Use of Pet Radiopharmaceuticals

Deadline:

Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

 

 

UMMS

Competition Space

A new online platform for finding, and applying for, internal funding opportunities through the UMMS and limited submission grant opportunities from foundations.

 

Additional Resources

RESEARCH NEWS 

QUICKLINKS
Fact Sheets &
Hot Topics

Find UMHS facts and figures for your next proposal!

MBECT Resources 

 

UMMS Office of Research

 

U-M Medical School 

 

IN THIS ISSUE 
 
Leadership 
  •  Funding
  • Policies
  • Training and Professional Development
  • Announcements
  • MTRACFunding
    U-M MTRAC Accepting Proposals
    until Monday, September 8
    Second Year for Fast Forward Early-Stage
    Funding Program

    The U-M Medical School has issued a Request for Proposals for the U-M Michigan Translation and Commercialization for Life Sciences Program (U-M MTRAC).

     

    Sponsored by the Medical School in partnership with the Office of the Vice

    President for Research, the Office of Technology Transfer, and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, MTRAC supports funding for proof-of-concept and other early-stage development studies, regulatory guidance, and consultation and mentoring from industry and investment experts outside the University.

     

    This year MTRAC will be using UMMS Competition Space to manage the proposal submission process, and each proposal must have a Medical School Principal Investigator with efforted appointment at the Medical School. Proposals will be evaluated on the basis of scientific merit, potential health care impact and significance, the potential for commercialization, and likelihood of obtaining further support. Last year, 11 different proposals were awarded in the four targeted markets: devices, diagnostics, therapeutics, and healthcare IT.

     

    Instructions for proposal submission can be found at the U-M MTRAC website.

     

    Proposals must contain a comprehensive research plan with deliverable milestones and are due Monday, September 8.

     

    Questions? 

    Contact Bradley Martin, Commercialization Program Director at

    (734) 936-8577 or [email protected]. 

    BootCamp
    Achieve Impact Together with Your UMMS Colleagues
    R01 Boot Camp 2.0 Application Deadline:
    Friday, August 15

    The U-M Medical School Office of Research is pleased to announce the launch of the UMMS Mentored Research Academy: R01 Boot Camp 2.0 programThis is the second year of the successful mentoring program to support and increase the success rate of Medical School faculty members applying for their first NIH Research Project Grant (R01) or equivalent grant.

     

    Launched in 2013, the pilot R01 Boot Camp program was developed as part of the Medical School's long-term Strategic Research Initiative. Current yield (17 months out) of the 40 R01 Boot Camp pilot program mentees includes 10 funded R01s or R01s scored in the fundable range (i.e., 9th percentile or less); this is in addition to other large awarded grants ($>500K) from the American Cancer Society and the National Science Foundation. 

     

    R01 Boot Camp is a 12-month, multifaceted program comprised of small group proposal development & review; large group events, including Stephen Russell's widely acclaimed all-day workshop, "Write Winning Grant Proposals;" individual counsel on mentee research plans from internal subject matter experts; and final proposal review from an external subject matter expert.

     

    Mentees will:

    • Receive specialized training to enhance their ability
      to prepare a more impactful and competitive R01
    • Develop a strategic research path to build a national reputation and become a leader in their field
    • Connect with interdisciplinary peers and experts
      to jumpstart their research funding 

    Mentees must meet the following eligibility requirements:

    • Must be Medical School faculty who have not received
      a R01 award as a Principal Investigator (PI) or co-PI
    • Must be ready to submit an R01, or equivalent,
      application within one year 

    If you are interested in becoming a mentee, you are encouraged to self-nominate by completing the Mentee Application on UMMS Competition Space.

     

    Coaches (Mentors) will:
    • Share the knowledge they have gained
      to help guide new researchers
    • Work in an interdisciplinary/translational group of colleagues
    • Receive a $5,000 salary supplement,
      plus a hosting budget to support group meetings 

    Coaches must meet the following eligibility requirements:

    • History of funding as a PI on NIH R01 grant applications
    • Have a rank of associate or full professor with a primary appointment at the Medical School
      (except for IHPI coaches)
    • Demonstrated interest in mentoring

    If you are interested in becoming a coach, you are encouraged to self-nominate by completing the Coach Application on UMMS Competition Space.

     

    The deadline for applying to the R01 Boot Camp 2.0 program for both mentees and coaches is Friday, August 15.

     

    Questions about the R01 Boot Camp program should be directed to

    [email protected] or Christine Black, Assistant Director for Research Development Support, at [email protected].

    i2i
    i2i: Early Stage
    Technology Development

    In partnership with the U-M Center for Entrepreneurship and U-M Tech Transfer, Fast Forward Medical Innovation (FFMI) is hosting a FREE four-week class series this fall called "i2i: Early Stage Technology Development."

     

    Part of FFMI's ongoing mission to foster the biomedical innovation ecosystem here at the University, class participants will have the opportunity to work with seasoned entrepreneurial professionals in determining the value of their technology, engaging in a customer discovery process, and mapping out the essential elements to a successful license agreement or business start-up.

     

    Class participants will not only gain a deeper understanding of their

    technology's potential market and impact on patients, they'll also take a deep dive into the principles of entrepreneurship, including the elements of a successful business plan or license agreement. And the class series also offers the added benefit of helping participants develop more polished presentation and networking skills.

     

    Fast Forward Medical Innovation, part of the Medical School's Strategic Research Initiative, nurtures biomedical commercialization and entrepreneurship at the University of Michigan Medical School and beyond.

     

    CLICK HERE for more details about i2i: Early Stage Technology Development and to register for the class series.

     

    Questions?

    Contact Jon Servoss, Commercialization Education Coordinator via email or phone at (734) 764-2692.

    HBI
    Host Microbiome Initiative Launches Microbiome Explorer Program

    The U-M Medical School Host Microbiome Initiative (HMI) is

    excited to announce the roll-out of the Microbiome Explorer Program.

     

    The HMI was established to make advanced microbial research capacity available to the medical school community at large.

    The progress of the HMI has resulted in the expansion and solidification of infrastructure needed for cutting-edge research related to the interactions between microbes and the mammalian host.

     

    As the HMI moves forward, it is important to not only support

    investigators who are currently working in this area, but to lower the activation energy required for individual researchers who wish to explore how a microbial component could augment their current research programs. Toward this end, the Microbiome Explorer Program (MEP) has been created as a "kickstarter"-type program to assist investigators in exploring the role of the microbiome in their current research area of interest.

     

    The MEP will provide experimental design assistance and technical/analytic support for preliminary investigations.

    The necessary expenses for microbiome services (including study design, nucleic acid isolation, data generation and data interpretation) will be borne by the HMI through a set allocation to the MEP.

     

    This is not a "pilot project" program, as no funds will be available to conduct the experiments themselves or collect new specimens.

    It is envisioned that the MEP will allow investigators to add microbiome aspects to their ongoing research projects. It is hoped that this partnership will lead to publications and, ultimately,

    external funding that leverages the resources made available at the Medical School through the Host Microbiome Initiative.

     

    Using a venture capital model, investigators will be partnered with HMI experts who are involved in the initiative. Vincent Young, M.D., who directs the HMI along with Harry Mobley, Ph.D., will work with investigators to design potential projects that utilize HMI resources and apply them to their own ongoing research programs.

     

    Potential projects will be approved by the HMI Local

    Executive Committee members:

    • Victor DiRita, Ph.D.
    • Kathryn Eaton, DVM, Ph.D.
    • John Lipuma, M.D.
    • Juanita Merchant, M.D., Ph.D.
    • Gabriel Nu�ez, M.D.
    • Mary O'Riordan, Ph.D.
    • Patrick Schloss, Ph.D.
    • Thomas Schmidt, Ph.D.
    • Daniel Teitelbaum, M.D. 

    The HMI is dedicated to serving as a springboard for innovative microbiome projects and supporting research that builds a comprehensive microbial systems understanding of microbiome/host interaction.

     

    Investigators who are interested in participating in the Microbiome Explorer Program should contact HMI

    Program Manager Mike Dority at [email protected].

    CCC
    Can 3 milliliters of Phenol Cause an Evacuation of the Cancer Center?

    On Tuesday, June 17 a researcher in the U-M Cancer Center mistakenly autoclaved a bag of sample tubes containing a small amount of TRIzol (60% phenol). The heated chemical was released from the autoclave and was detected throughout the 7th floor west research wing.

     

    Personnel in the area reported strong odors and symptoms of exposure. Five individuals elected to receive a medical evaluation at Occupational Health Services.

     

    The resulting emergency response involved the Ann Arbor Fire Department, the Washtenaw County Hazardous Materials team,

    U-M Occupational Safety & Environmental Health (OSEH), U-M Police, and many others. It was the Ann Arbor Fire Department, concerned with chemical migration through the ventilation system, that ultimately called for an evacuation of the entire building out of an abundance of caution.

     

    Fortunately, U-M research buildings are designed to contain and prevent the migration of chemical releases. The research wing does not return any air to the rest of the building and no chemical was detected outside the 7th floor west wing. The high rate of air changes and negative lab pressurization are designed to help clear any chemicals from the building. 

     

    This incident gives us an opportunity to review an important lesson with autoclaves; the intense heat will quickly volatilize and disburse any chemicals. Never put chemicals in the autoclave, especially corrosives, oxidizers, solvents, and radioactive materials.

     

    Calculations show that just 3 milliliters (ml) of phenol, when volatilized, could create an air concentration of 5 parts per million (ppm) in the 7th floor west wing. This is the regulatory occupational limit of phenol in air. The odor threshold of phenol is approximately 0.04 ppm. Air monitoring during the incident indicated that the true airborne concentration was somewhere above the odor threshold and below the detection limit of the instrument (about 1 ppm).

     

    So, yes, 3 ml of phenol can cause the evacuation of the Cancer Center. Even a small amount of chemical can have a big impact on health and operations. And remember, even labs that aren't in or attached to buildings that also house patient care facilities need to be mindful of the potential impact of incidents that could lead to a floor or building evacuation.

     

    Not sure what protocols to follow if an event like this were to happen in your lab? Stay up to date on the health and safety training required for your job by visiting OSEH's Safety Training Needs Assessment Tool.

     

    If you have additional questions, please contact OSEH via email at [email protected].

     

    Go Blue, Be Safe!

    FlowCyto
    Flow Cytometry Core at NCRC Increases Capacity

    To meet increased customer demand, the Flow Cytometry Core at the North Campus Research Complex (NCRC) added a third sorter to the lab on Monday, July 14.

     

    The sorter (previously located in the Cancer Center) has six lasers (405/488/532/561/594/633) and is equipped with the new Astrios EQ microparticle detection optics. Due to the expansion of services and offerings, the Flow Core will now occupy an additional room at NCRC. The Cyan and FC500 analyzers have been moved to Building 14, Room 180 in NCRC.

     

    To schedule services with this sorter or any other

    instrumentation at the Flow Cytometry Core visit:

    MiCores at umich.corefacilities.org.  

     

    The Flow Cytometry Core is proud to continually look for ways to better meet the needs of its customers. Please contact Flow Cytometry Core Manager David Adams if you have any questions.

    IRBMED
    IRBMED News & Updates
    HSIP: Gift Cards
    The Human Subjects Incentive Program (HSIP) has recently selected a new vendor, Vantiv, for issuing gift cards. 

    As part of this change, the program will now be distributing Visa gift cards. IRBMED is not requiring that study teams submit amendments at this time to change this information in consent documents; rather, this change should be made with the next amendment submitted.

    For more information, please see the HSIP website.
    Regulatory Flexibility: Exemption 2A

    Utilizing the flexibility within the human subject protection regulations, and in accordance with our Federalwide Assurance (FWA) with the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP), IRBMED has expanded the definition of Exemption 2 to include minimal risk research with adults that involves a non-invasive intervention followed by data collection via survey, interview (including focus groups), test, observation, and/or recording of physiological measurements. This expanded category is called Exemption 2A.

     

    Non-invasive interventions include, but are not limited to:

    • Reading a story or vignette
    • Playing an economic game
    • Using a computer program or website
    • Watching a video
    • Using a robot arm or mechanical object,
      if it remains outside of the body
    • Being exposed to stimuli such as color, light or sound (within safe limits)

    To qualify for this expanded definition of Exemption 2, the study must pose no more than minimal risk to subjects and may not include any of the following:

    • Federal funding or federal training grants
      (direct or prime sponsorship)
    • FDA regulated components
    • Sponsor or other contractual restrictions
    • Clinical interventions
      (including clinical behavioral interventions)
    • Minors as subjects
    • Prisoners as subjects
    • Receipt of an NIH issued Certificate of Confidentiality
      to protect identifiable research data

    Initial or Scheduled Continuing Review applications meeting the criteria cited above will be reviewed by the IRB to determine that subject protections are equivalent to those required by federal regulations. If equivalent protections are in place, and there are no additional extenuating circumstances, IRBMED may issue the new Exemption 2A. 

     

    All other regulatory requirements pertaining to exemptions remain unchanged.

    MICHRGrant
    MICHR Pilot Grant Program Requests Proposals for Clinical & Translational Research
    Application Deadline:
    5:00 PM on Friday, September 5

    The Michigan Institute for

    Clinical & Health Research (MICHR)'s Pilot Grant Program aims to facilitate and support innovative research across the translational spectrum, encouraging interdisciplinary collaborations that promote the development of transformative solutions for improving patient outcomes.

     

    The following mechanisms are offered as part of our most recent request for proposals:

    • T1 Bench to Bedside Translation ($75,000 maximum)
    • T1 Endowment for Basic Sciences Partnership
      Accelerating Translation ($50,000 maximum)
    • T2 Translational Science ($50,000 maximum)
    • T3 Research Into Practice ($50,000 maximum)
    • T3 Community University Research (CURES) Partnership ($25,000 maximum)
    • T3 Implementing Research-Based Practices to Improve Quality of Care ($20,000 maximum)

    All faculty (12-month and 9-month appointments) with lecturer or instructor appointments or higher from all schools and colleges at the University of Michigan are eligible to apply as Principal Investigators, including all basic, clinical, and social scientists.

     

    For further information, including application expectations and eligibility requirements, please visit MICHR's Pilot Grant Program page.

     

    Proposals are submitted electronically through UMMS Competition Space. Please click here to access the application.

     

    Submissions are DUE by 5:00 PM on Friday, September 5. 

     

    For questions, please contact Diana Ha, the MICHR Pilot Program Manager via email or phone at (734) 998-7626.

    CURES
    Learn More About Community University Research (CURES) Partnership Award 
    Webinar to take place Monday, July 28

    Are you involved in a community-university partnership that is collaborating to conduct health research?

     

    The Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research (MICHR)'s Pilot Grant Program offers the Community University Research (CURES) Partnership Award to provide funding support for pilot or feasibility studies that address community-identified health priorities and translation of findings to interventions, strategies, and policies that improve health.

     

    Academic and community partners who want to learn more about this opportunity and the application process are invited to participate in an informational webinar on Monday, July 28 from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM.

     

    Register for the webinar here by Friday, July 25.

     

    If you have specific questions related to CURES or this session, please contact Adam Paberzs via email or phone at

    (734) 763-8880. 

    ORCID
    Register for Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID)
    New Registry Offers Free, Fast Digital Identifiers
    to Help Distinguish Researchers

    Of over six million plus authors in a major journal citations and abstracts database, more than two-thirds of them share a last name and single initial with another author. For example, searching in PubMed for "lee j [author]" retrieves over 55,056 records. Therefore, a researcher's name alone is insufficient to reliably identify the author of, or contributor to, an article published in a journal or a dataset uploaded to a repository. 

     

    The goal of the Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) Initiative is to solve researcher name ambiguity. It provides a persistent digital identifier that distinguishes an author from every other contributor.  

     

    ORCID is a registry of unique identifiers for researchers and scholars that is free, open, non-proprietary, transparent, mobile, and community-based. The ORCID system is being integrated into the workflow of granting agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Wellcome Trust; and into the manuscript submission process by publishers such as Nature Publishing and Elsevier, as well as into institutional repositories such as the University of Michigan's own Deep Blue.

     

    Registration for ORCID is completely free and fast for all researchers and scholars.

     

    For more information on ORCID, including how to register, send an email to Merle Rosenzweig, Informationist in the Taubman Health Sciences Libraries, at [email protected]. 

    FastForward
    Fast Forward Program Open to
    All Faculty
      

    The U-M Medical School Research Board of Directors recently voted to approve another year of funding for the Protein Folding Diseases Initiative and the Host Microbiome Initiative, two cornerstones of our Strategic Research Initiative.

     

    The Board has endorsed broad participation by any and all facultyThose faculty who wish to participate, please contact the champions directly:

     

    Host Microbiome Initiative:

    Harry Mobley, Ph.D. - [email protected]

    Vincent Young, M.D. - [email protected]

    Mike Dority (Program Manager) - [email protected]

     

    Protein Folding Diseases Initiative:

    Andrew Lieberman, M.D., Ph.D. - [email protected]

    Henry Paulson, M.D., Ph.D. - [email protected]

     

    The Strategic Research Initiative is making great strides in medical breakthroughs that have the potential to positively impact patient health, and a large part of that momentum comes via fostering a community of scholarly collaboration. We're confident this change will further the opportunities for faculty to work together in "fast forwarding" their research here at the Medical School. 

    CVC
    U-M Frankel Cardiovascular Center Names New Director
    Thomas Wakefield, M.D., appointed Frankel CVC Director

    Thomas Wakefield, M.D., has been appointed a director of the University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center (CVC), as James C. Stanley, M.D., resumes his role as professor of vascular surgery and associate chair of the U-M Department of Surgery. 

      

    Dr. Wakefield, head of vascular surgery at the U-M, began his four-year appointment on Tuesday, July 1. He joins Directors Kim A. Eagle, M.D., David J. Pinsky, M.D., and Richard L. Prager, M.D., and Chief Administrative Officer Linda R. Larin, M.B.A., on the

    CVC leadership team.

     

    Thomas Wakefield, M.D.

    "The Frankel Cardiovascular Center combines advanced patient care, ground-breaking research, outstanding educational opportunities, and a culture of collaboration and respect," Wakefield says.

     

    Dr. Wakefield has spent his 36-year career at the U-M, and is a graduate of the Medical College of Ohio (University of Toledo Medical Center). From 2002-2012, Wakefield was the S. Martin Lindenauer Collegiate Professor of Vascular Surgery. In 2012, he was installed as the James C. Stanley Professor of Vascular Surgery, a professorship created to honor the legendary career of his predecessor.

     

    A surgeon-scientist, Dr. Wakefield works with teams at the

    Conrad Jobst Vascular Research Laboratory to develop new approaches to prevent and treat deadly blood clots. He has led vascular surgery at the University of Michigan since 2004 and is past president of the American Venous Forum and the Michigan Vascular Society.

     

    "I am excited about the opportunity to help lead the Cardiovascular Center into the next generation of health care," he says.

    UROP
    Could You Use Help on Your Research or Data Collection?
    Undergraduate Research Assistants are Ready
    to Work with YOU!

    The Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) has admitted 1,500 students, and the largest cohort is interested in assisting you with your biomedical, public health, engineering, and interdisciplinary research projects.

     

    What are the benefits of working with UROP students?

    • You interview and select students
    • Students participate for course credit and work
      with you 6-12 hours a week
    • Students who have work-study are paid by UROP
    • UROP Peer Advisors and Senior Staff offer support
      and guidance
       
    • Skill-building workshops designed for UROP students include: Keeping a Laboratory Notebook, Overview of Biomedical Literature Resources, Endnote
    "One of the most satisfying things I have experienced as a UROP Sponsor is witnessing my students grow into independent scientists over the years," said UROP Sponsor and American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellow Jeannie Hernandez, Ph.D. "I trust in their abilities to such a degree that I ask them to train others, and they do it flawlessly. They have become my right-hand woman and man, and have helped accelerate many aspects of my research."
     

    Sample UROP Research Projects include:

    • Development of Web-based Learning Modules
      for a Preoperative Curriculum
    • Evaluation of an Interactive Informed Consent
      for Pediatric Clinical Trials
    • Influence of Neurotrophins on Stem Cell Differentiation
    • Multiracial Perspectives:
      Discrimination & Mental Health Outcomes
    • Sensitive Detection of Circulating Tumor Cells by Nanomaterial
    • Transgenic Mouse Model of Thyroid Disease

    Who is eligible to be a UROP sponsor?

    • Junior and senior faculty
    • Postdoctoral fellows
    • Other senior researchers

    How do I apply to become a UROP sponsor?

    • Project applications will be accepted through September; those submitted by Friday, August 15 will have the largest pool of applicants.
    • Complete the online application 

    Questions?

    Contact Katy Downs, 

    UROP Assistant Director, at (734) 615-9000 or [email protected] 

    MInform
    M-Inform -- Have You Disclosed?
    Deadline to Complete Annual M-Inform Update: Thursday, July 31

    The University's annual M-Inform Outside Interest Disclosure period is going on now - July 1 to July 31.

     

    U-M faculty, house officers, fellows,

    and management staff are required to

    disclose all paid and unpaid outside interests, activities, and relationships

    that relate to their U-M role or rely on

    the same expertise their U-M role relies upon.

     

    Here are some helpful tips for completing your Annual Outside Interest Disclosure by the Thursday, July 31 deadline: 

    1. Go to https://minform.it.umich.edu 
      to complete your disclosure 
    2. Use the "decision tree" located here to assist with disclosure reporting decisions
    3. Individuals required to annually disclose received
      a reminder email, which contained a direct link to
      complete their disclosure 
    4. Remember: employees must disclose job-related outside interests as well as those of their family members
      (spouse, domestic partner, children)
    5. Those with no outside interests, activities, or relationships must still complete the conflict of interest training and
      attest to having nothing to disclose

    For general questions pertaining to the annual M-Inform Update,

    send an email to [email protected].

     

    For technical assistance (e.g., "where do I click?"), call the ITS Help Desk at (734) 764-4357.

    Histology
    Do You Require Histology Preparation as Part of Your Research?
    We Want to Hear From You!
    To better meet the needs of our Principal Investigators, we are currently assessing the needs of researchers in basic science, research, and translational laboratories across campus in their histology preparations and veterinary pathologist slide interpretations and reporting.

     

    Please consider taking a few minutes to provide this valuable input.

     

    ACCESS THE SURVEY

     

    The time you spend completing this brief survey will help us bring you the services you need for future success.

     

    This survey is part of an individual project for the Center for the Education of Women (CEW) by Carrie Schray, Manager of the Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine (ULAM's) histology fee for service laboratory, and in conjunction with the U-M Medical School Office of Research.

     

    We appreciate your taking the time to provide us with valuable feedback.

    Kresge
    New U-M Hearing Research Institute Director Named
    Gabriel Corfas, Ph.D., to head Kresge Hearing Research Institute
    Gabriel Corfas, Ph.D.

    For more than 50 years, scientists at the Kresge Hearing Research Institute (KHRI) at the University of Michigan

    Medical School have worked to obtain new knowledge about the basic biology of the human ear and the conditions that affect it. Now, a new director will bring the institute into a new era.

     

    The university's Board of Regents recently approved the appointment of Gabriel Corfas, Ph.D., a Harvard Medical School professor in Neurology and Otolaryngology and leading researcher in the interface between the brain and the ear.

     

    Dr. Corfas, who previously served as director of basic research in Otolaryngology at Children's Hospital in Boston, joined U-M on Tuesday, July 1 as both a professor in the Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery and director of KHRI.

     

    A native of Argentina and a graduate of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, Dr. Corfas trained at the Washington University School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School before joining the Harvard faculty in 1992. His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms involved in the development, function and maintenance of the nervous system and in using this knowledge to understand nervous system disorders and develop new therapies to treat them. 

     

    "It is with great enthusiasm that we announce the recruitment of Gabriel Corfas to our faculty and Kresge, which will immediately elevate Michigan's standing in hearing research world-wide," says Carol Bradford, M.D., FACS, chair of Otolaryngology. "The new director's vision is to build the internationally-renowned institute into a groundbreaking center of regenerative medicine in which scientists and physicians collaborate to uncover and solve the problems posed by hearing impairment."

     

    Visit the KHRI website for more information, including details about the Institute's weekly scientific seminars and training programs for up-and-coming scientists. 

    SharpFocus
    Write a Testable Hypothesis
    Sharpening Your Focus:
    Tips on Grant Proposal Preparation
    By Chris Black, M.L.S., Assistant Director for Research Development Support, 
    U-M Medical School Office of Research

     

    (One in a series of tips published in UMMS Research News about writing proposals.)  

     

    A good research hypothesis is a testable, focused, clear, declarative statement of relationships between variables based on previous observations; the proof of a hypothesis should advance the knowledge in a field in a meaningful way.

     

    There are times when hypotheses are not required, e.g., model development, research in early stages, equipment or educational proposals.

     

    "Conceptually, your hypothesis is your destination that all research roads must lead to," according to the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

     

    Some applications have one overall hypothesis and the Specific Aims are designed to test it. Others have one or more hypothesis for each aim (e.g., working hypotheses). Use whatever approach works best for you. Either way, the hypothesis(es) are the focus of your research strategy.

     

    Here are examples of effective hypotheses from NIH

    funded proposals: 

    • Bariatric surgery in pre-diabetic type 2 diabetic rats delays the onset of type 2 diabetes by influencing the production, secretion, and signaling of gastrointestinal hormones and
      a fat cell hormone, adiponectin; and by altering bile acid metabolism and intestinal microflora.
    • The capacity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to inhibit infection-induced apoptosis of macrophages is a major pathway of the bacteria to avoid the host's innate and adaptive immune response.
    • Chondrocytes are comprised in function by aging-associated changes in signaling mechanisms and the inflammatory milieu of osteoarthritis.
    • CD8*CD28"CD56+ T cells induce unresponsiveness of
      CD4 T cells by tolerizing APC in the synovial lesions
      of RA, leading to long-term inhibition of rheumatoid arthritis.
    • Retinal neovascularization is facilitated by the expression
      of specific growth factors, extracellular proteinases, and
      their inhibitors [NAMED].
    Here are examples of hypotheses that are poorly focused:
    • Understanding the strategies of Escherichia coli to
      subvert host cells will allow for improved ways of
      preventing and treating E. coli-related diseases.
    • Rheumatoid arthritis patients with active disease
      show many alterations in their immune profile.
    • A wide range of molecules can inhibit HIV infection.
    Article Reference:
    NIAID's "Design a Project" website.    
    Office of Research
    Our mission in the Office of Research is to foster an environment of innovation and efficiency that serves the U-M Medical School community and supports biomedical science from insight to impact.