Congratulations to the June 2015 CTSC Core Utilization Pilot Award Recipients

Alexander Rodriguez-Palacios, DVM, PhD

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

"Generation of a SAMP Mouse ES-cell-line for CRISPR/Cas Gene Editing and Treatment of Experimental Crohn's Disease"

Jennifer Yu, MD, PhD

Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine

"Creation of Conditional Mouse Model to Study Sema3C-mediated Gliomagenesis"

Co-Director of CRUS, Dr. Jackson T. Wright Jr., is PI for SPRINT Study

High blood pressure is a leading cause of death and disability in the US and worldwide. Over 60% of people over age 65 have high blood pressure, and the number of people with high blood pressure is increasing.

Dr. Jackson T. Wright, Jr.

Dr. Jackson T. Wright, Jr., co-director of the CTSC Clinical Research Unit Services, is the Principal Investigator of the SPRINT study clinical center network at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio.  SPRINT is a research study funded by the National Institutes of Health to answer the following question:

"Will lower blood pressure reduce the risk of heart and kidney diseases, stroke, or age-related declines in memory and thinking?"

To answer this question, over 9,000 participants have been enrolled into the study at nearly 100 clinics across the United States and in Puerto Rico. SPRINT participants are seen regularly by experts in blood pressure management for a period of 4 to 6 years. At the end of the trial, the results of SPRINT will tell us if a lower recommended blood pressure might help to decrease stroke, heart disease, progression of chronic kidney disease, and age-related losses of memory and thinking.

Today's guidelines for systolic blood pressure are all over the map, which can make treatment plans very tricky when considering other factors like family history or cholesterol levels.  The results of the SPRINT study may affect doctors' daily decisions and are expected sometime in 2017.

Read "Blood Pressure, the Mystery Number" in The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/23/health/blood-pressure-the-mystery-number.html?rref=collection%2Fundefined%2Fundefined&_r=0

Clinical Research Certification Test Booster Classes

Tuesday, August 4, 2015 & Tuesday, August 11, 2015

12:00 - 1:30 pm

Lakeside, Suite 1400

Planning to take either the SoCRA or ACRP Clinical Research Certification exam this fall?

The Center for Clinical Research and Technology is offering a condensed, two-session series to boost your independent study at NO COST to participants. The Test Booster classes are offered only to those who are registered to take the certification exam.

To register, email Carrie O'Neill at Carrie.oneill@uhhospitals.org and include your confirmation email indicating that you are registered for the exam.

There are no plans to offer a certification exam in Cleveland this Fall.

MSC: Innovations in Cell-Based Regenerative Therapies

August 17-19, 2015

Cleveland, OH

Adult Stem Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine conference (MSC 2015) will have platform and poster sessions emphasizing preclinical and clinical applications of adult-derived stem cells from a variety of human and animal tissues. MSC 2015 will offer a forum for the exchange and discussion of research, ideas, and cutting-edge breakthroughs in translational regenerative medicine.

OHRP Research Community Forum Innovations in Research: Collaborations & Transformations

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

8:00 am - 6:00 pm

Global Center for Health Innovation, Cleveland, OH

Registration Fee: $125

The Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) of the United States Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), along with University Hospitals Case Medical Center (UHCMC) and Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), will be hosting an all-day Research Community Forum at the Global Center for Health Innovation in Cleveland, Ohio.

This conference will feature a unique program focused on research innovation, with representatives from OHRP as well as experts from industry and academic institutions. The content of the program will benefit all members of the research enterprise.

Researchers, research coordinators, Institutional Review Board (IRB) members and staff, institutional officials, other public health service agencies, emerging bioscience companies entering human research and anyone with an interest in research involving human subjects should consider attending this informative and interesting one-day conference.

For additional information and registration click here.

Dialogue on Discovery 2015- Mind Over Matter

September 17, 2015

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine is pleased to present Dialogue on Discovery 2015 - Mind Over Matter: Secrets of the Brain. The event will be held at the Tinkham Veale University Center at Case Western Reserve University.

Dialogue on Discovery is an annual symposium celebrating the research successes of our academic and clinical partnerships. The summit convenes researchers, community leaders and friends to encourage multiple voices to participate in a dialogue on medical discoveries that advance the health of our families and friends, as well as the health of our region.

For more information and to register click here.

4th Annual Dan and Linda Rocker Silverberg Heal the Healer Health Symposium - Optimal You: Body, Mind Spirit

Friday, October 16, 2015

We are pleased to announce that the 4th Annual Dan and Linda Rocker Silverberg Heal the Healer Health Symposium has been scheduled for Friday, October 16, 2015. This daylong event will be held at the 700 Beta Conference Center in Mayfield Village, OH. National and local speakers will cover a variety of topics on integrative health. Attendees will also have the option to experience Reiki, chair massage, reflexology and acupuncture.

Continuing education credits provided for physicians, nurses, psychologists and social workers. Early bird discount ends September 1.

Click here to view the course brochure.

Click here to register online or register by phone at 216-983-1239.

William T. Grant Foundation

Letter of Inquiry Deadline: August 4, 2015

The William T. Grant Foundation's Distinguished Fellows Program creates bridges between the research, practice, and policy communities. The program is designed to increase the supply of, demand for, and use of high-quality research to improve the lives of youth.

During the Fellowship, researchers are immersed in a practice or policy setting, and policymakers and practitioners in a research organization. This immersion helps Fellows to experience firsthand the needs and challenges of their new settings. It is expected that these experiences will facilitate the production and use of relevant, high-quality research and create stronger connections across the research, policy, and practice communities.

Proposed Fellowships must fit the Foundation's focus areas. Specifically, this includes youth ages 5 to 25 in the United States. The program funds research that increases our understanding of:

• programs, policies, and practices that reduce inequality in youth outcomes; and
• the use of research in policy and practice.

Between one and four Fellows are selected annually. Each will receive up to $175,000 (including direct and indiect costs) for the total duration of the Fellowship. Fellowships may range from six months to two years. The structure of the Fellowship is deliberately flexible. Fellowship activity must amount to a minimum of half of a year at the Fellowship site(s) over the duration of the award. Thus, the minimum duration is six months of full-time work, but a quarter-time Fellowship may spread over the course of two years.

Letter of Inquiry deadline is August 4, 2015

For more information visit the William T. Grant Foundation webpage.

Burroughs Wellcome Fund - Career Awards for Medical Scientists

Preproposal Deadline: August 5, 2015 

The Career Awards for Medical Scientists (CAMS) is a highly competitive program that provides $700,000 awards over five years for physician-scientists, who are committed to an academic career, to bridge advanced postdoctoral/fellowship training and the early years of faculty service.

Proposals must be in the area of basic biomedical, disease-oriented, or translational research. Proposals in health services research or involving large-scale clinical trials are not eligible. The previously funded individuals (or researchers) are listed in the Grant Recipients section of this program.

The competition will employ a two-stage process. Preproposals will be reviewed and approximately 80-90 full proposal invitations will be sent by October 1, 2015.

All applicants will be required to complete a web-based questionnaire assessing their eligibility to apply for this award. If eligibility criteria are met, applicants will be automatically directed to the web-based pre-proposal form.

It is strongly recommended that potential applicants review the Request for Proposals prior to accessing the eligibility questionnaire.

Preproposal Deadline: August 5, 2015

Application Deadline: November 12, 2015

For more information visit the Burroughs Wellcome Fund webpage.

American Association for Cancer Research

Letter of Intent Deadline: August 10, 2015

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) has announced that the AACR NextGen Grants for Transformative Cancer Research are now open for application. These three-year grants of $450,000 represent a new AACR funding initiative to stimulate highly innovative research from young investigators. Eligible applicants must be AACR Active Members in good standing at the time of application and have held a full-time, tenure-track appointment as an assistant professor for no more than three years at the start of the grant term (July 1, 2016). Competitive Letters of Intent will be accepted through proposalCENTRAL.

Letter of Intent Deadline: August 10, 2015

Application Deadline: November 23, 2015

For more information visit the AACR webpage.

National Center for Accelerated Innovations

Letter of Intent Deadline: August 19, 2015

The National Center for Accelerated Innovations has released it's latest funding cycle RFA. This regional funding opportunity is a great chance to move your translational research project to the next level. Deadline: August 19, 2015

The NIH Center for Accelerated Innovation at Cleveland Clinic (NCAI-CC) Announces the Request for Applications (RFA) for August 2015 funding cycle.

Funding is available for promising emerging technologies directed towards diagnosis, treatment or management of cardiovascular, pulmonary, blood or sleep-related disorders. We are seeking projects such as therapeutics (e.g. drugs, biologics), preventatives, diagnostics, devices, tools, etc., in order to facilitate their translation to commercialized products that improve patient care and enhance health. The NCAI-CC will provide funding and project assistance to advance the development of high priority early-stage technologies within the mission areas of the NHLBI (cardiovascular, lung, blood and sleep disorders). Expert assistance will be provided in areas required for early technology development, including commercial opportunity assessment, intellectual property, clinical and regulatory, reimbursement, business, legal and project management. For more information on this opportunity click here.

The RFA is here, or you can visit NCAI-CC to download it. Or contact Anne DeChant at the Office of Translation and Innovation in the School of Medicine for assistance.

March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center Ohio Collaborative

Application Deadline: September 15, 2015

The March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center Ohio Collaborative announces the 2015 funding cycle for its Innovation Catalyst Grant Program. The Collaborative was established in 2013 to study the unknown causes of preterm birth. Ohio partners in the Collaborative include Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Ohio State University, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Mount Carmel Health System, Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals and MetroHealth System of Cleveland. Dartmouth College, University of Iowa, University of South Florida, Vanderbilt University and Washington University in St. Louis are also participating sites. The Collaborative is currently focusing on five thematic areas: Evolutionary Synthesis of Human Pregnancy, Genetics of Unique Human Populations, Molecular Developmental Biology of Pregnancy, Progesterone Signaling in Pregnancy Maintenance and Preterm Birth, and Sociobiology of Racial Disparities in Preterm Birth. The Collaborative aims to foster further discovery across these thematic areas by encouraging new interactions of transdisciplinary researchers called Innovation Catalysts. A primary objective of this program is to optimize the ability of these teams to pursue new science with excellence and immediacy.

Eligibility: Open to faculty-level investigators from Collaborative sites and from other Ohio academic and medical institutions. Emphasis on state- and region-wide transdisciplinary interactions is encouraged.

The attached application should be completed which includes the following:

1. Proposal, including a Specific Aims page and up to six pages outlining the Research Strategy. Preliminary data are not required but may be included if available.

2. NIH Biosketch for principal investigator and key personnel.

3. Budget. A project period of up to 2 years may be requested. The combined budget for a two year project may not exceed $100,000 with a maximum of $50,000 requested in any single year. Faculty salaries (limited by NIH cap, up to 15% support) may be included. Only direct costs are eligible.

Application deadline is September 15, 2015. Please submit completed application to Stephanie Swart at Stephanie.Swart@cchmc.org by email as a single pdf document. Proposals will be evaluated for novelty & innovation, transdisciplinary approach and alignment with Collaborative research goals. Applicants should anticipate a response by November 6, 2015. Funding will begin January 1, 2016.

Questions may be directed to Joanne Chappell, Director of Operations, at Joanne.Chappell@cchmc.org or to Dr. Louis Muglia, Coordinating Principal Investigator, at Louis.Muglia@cchmc.org.

Procter & Gamble Company (P&G)

Application Deadline: September 30, 2015

The Procter & Gamble Fund Higher Education Grant Program has been established to provide support for efforts of regionally accredited U.S. colleges and universities that will better prepare students for success in business. Grants will be provided for specific projects or programs, not for operating support. Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to:

• Improving curriculum to be at the cutting edge in relevance and effectiveness;
• Fostering and enabling leadership opportunities and learning;
• Creating a learning environment that encourages and enhances innovation and creativity;
• Strengthening diversity in thought, participation and ongoing interaction.

In fairness to all participating institutions, there is a limit of two applications per discipline (i.e., two applications from the School of Business, two applications from the School of Engineering, etc.). For example, the program will accept an application from a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and an application from a Professor of Chemical Engineering from the same College/University. If the program receives more than two applications from the same discipline, the program will ask the applicant's Dean to select the two that will be submitted for the competition.

Based on the scope of the project, grants ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 will be awarded. Awards are for one year only. The grant money must be used as described in the grant application and should not be use to cover overhead cost, stipends or fellowships. One college or university may apply for multiple grants supporting multiple programs but may not receive more than $50,000 in one year.

The application deadline is September 30, 2015

For more information visit the P&G webpage.

PCORI: Engagement Award: Knowledge, Training and Development, and Dissemination Awards

Letter of Intent Deadline: October 1, 2015

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) will award up to $15.5 million in FY 2015 as part of the Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Awards program. These awards support projects that encourage active integration of patients, caregivers, clinicians, and other healthcare stakeholders as integral members of the patient-centered outcomes research/clinical effectiveness research (PCOR/CER) enterprise.

A letter of intent is due October 1, 2015

For more information visit the PCORI webpage.

NSF Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI)

Key Deadlines: October 5, 2015, 5:00pm (CWRU internal letter of intent), January 13, 2016, 5:00pm EST (proposal due to sponsor).

The Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) serves to increase access to shared scientific and engineering instruments for research and research training in our Nation's institutions of higher education, and not-for-profit museums, science centers and scientific/engineering research organizations. This program especially seeks to improve the quality and expand the scope of research and research training in science and engineering, by supporting proposals for shared instrumentation that fosters the integration of research and education in research-intensive learning environments. Each MRI proposal may request support for the acquisition (Track 1) or development (Track 2) of a single research instrument for shared inter- and/or intra-organizational use; development efforts that leverage the strengths of private sector partners to build instrument development capacity at MRI submission-eligible organizations are encouraged.

To accomplish the program's goals, the MRI program assists with the acquisition or development of a shared research instrument that is, in general, too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NSF programs. The instrument is expected to be operational for regular research use by the end of the award period. For the purposes of the MRI program, a proposal must be for either acquisition (Track 1) or development (Track 2) of a single instrument or for equipment that, when combined, serves as an integrated research instrument (in contrast to requests for multiple instruments that enable research in a common or focused research domain, which MRI does not support). The MRI program does not support the acquisition or development of a suite of instruments to outfit research laboratories/facilities or that will be used to conduct independent research activities simultaneously.

Instrument acquisition or development proposals that request funds from NSF in the range $100,000-$4 million may be accepted from any MRI-eligible organization. Proposals that request funds from NSF less than $100,000 may also be accepted from any MRI-eligible organization for the disciplines of mathematics or social, behavioral and economic sciences and from non-Ph.D.-granting institutions of higher education for all NSF-supported disciplines.

Cost-sharing of precisely 30% of the total project cost is required for Ph.D.-granting institutions of higher education and for non-degree-granting organizations. Non-Ph.D.-granting institutions of higher education are exempt from cost-sharing and cannot include it. National Science Board policy is that voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.

For more information on this limited submission opportunity, visit the Office of Research Administration website.