Ohio Third Frontier FY 2009 Funding Opportunities

The Dayton Development Coalition and its Dayton Region partners will host an update by the Ohio Department of Development on FY 2009 Third Frontier funding opportunities on Friday, June 27, from 1:00–2:30 p.m. at the National Composite Center, 2000 Composite Drive in Kettering, Ohio. With RFP's soon to be released, this is a timely opportunity to learn about current funding priorities, eligibility requirements, and success criteria. Who should attend? Representatives of business, academia, and economic development intermediaries – public and private. The meeting is open to all interested parties. Please RSVP to Kary Iddings at rsvp@daytonregion.com or call 937/229-9073. [Posted 061708]

Funding Opportunity to Increase Diversity in Health-Related Research

The NIH/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute solicits Research Education (R25) applications from institutions/organizations to promote diversity in undergraduate and health professional student populations by providing short-term research education support to stimulate career development in cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic, and sleep disorders research. The overall goal of the program is to provide research opportunities for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, racial and ethnic minorities, and others who are underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral research (e.g., individuals with disabilities), that will significantly contribute to a diverse research workforce in the future. The estimated funds (total costs) available for the first year of support for the entire program are expected to be $850,000. Up to eight new awards are anticipated, depending on the number of student participants requested and the availability of funds. The application receipt date is August 15, 2008. See RFA-HL-08-016 for more information. See more NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the weekly index for June 13, 2008. [Posted 061508]

Emergency Medicine Sponsors Summer Research Internships

The Department of Emergency Medicine’s Simulation Center and HELP Center are sponsoring medical student summer internships beginning in June 2008. Two internships will be research-related and oriented toward one of the major areas of activity within the HELP Center.  These include Population Risk Assessment, the Modular Emergency Medical System Project, and the Calamityville Campus Project including the Tactical Laboratory and Virtual Calamityville. Another internship will focus on educational research and experience related to the Simulation Center. The internships can be structured as: 1) 2 weeks of elective credits plus 6 weeks of work ($3,000 stipend); or 2) 8 weeks work ($4,000 stipend). See the program description (MS Word file) for more details about the internships and application process. For more information, contact Glenn C. Hamilton, M.D. (937-395-8839; glenn.hamilton@wright.edu). [Posted 051408]

Wright State Hosts Neuroscience Day on May 16

The Ohio Miami Valley Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience (OMV-SfN) holds its 2008 Neuroscience Day at Wright State University on Friday, May 16. Barry Connors Ph.D., professor and chair of neuroscience at Brown University, will be the keynote speaker. The title of his talk is “Eclectic Electric Synapses in the Brain.” Dr. Connors says of his research, "I study the largest part of the brain, the neocortex, which thinks, remembers and processes sensory information for us. The neocortex is made up of a vast network of interconnected neurons. The challenge is to understand why there are so many neurons, what's the function of each, how they're interconnected, and why they're interconnected in the way they are. In the lab, we search for this information by measuring electrical impulses from the neurons of rodent brains, which are striking in their similarity to ours. I'm very interested in the possibility that our research may have relevance to human problems, including epilepsy and psychiatric diseases such as depression and schizophrenia. What drives me is a desire to understand how the brain works - and in some cases why it doesn't work."

Neuroscience Day is free of charge for 2008 OMV-SfN members. Please join now. See more program details.

Susan Schaller Speaks on Deaf Culture April 23

Author Susan Schaller will speak about Deaf Culture and the value of language on Wednesday, April 23, at 7:00 p.m. in the WSU Student Union Atrium. She is author of A Man Without Words and the forthcoming book, Lives Without Words.

Schaller founded and directed a non-profit organization that produced the educational program and award-winning video, Vital-Signs and Deaf World Television. Through her writing and public speaking, she promotes equal access to language for Deaf people, and introduces hearing people to an astounding culture based on vision. Schaller's observations of people living outside of a shared language have inspired her and help answer "What does it mean to be human?"

Her talk at Wright State will address deaf and language rights; how and why people grow up without language in our society; "Ianguageless" people and the importance of signing.

The talk is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by WSU’s Office of Disability Services and the College of Education and Human Services. For more information, contact ODS (937-775-5608; disability_services@wright.edu). [Posted 041608]

Research Club Holds Dinner Meeting April 22

The next meeting of the Medical Student Research Club will be held Tuesday, April 22, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. in the Gandhi Auditorium, 101 White Hall. The club has scheduled a dinner meeting to encourage participation by third- and fourth-year students. Featured speakers include two department chairs:  Glenn Hamilton, M.D. (Emergency Medicine) and Larry Lawhorne, M.D. (Geriatrics). The Research Club is seeking students from each class who want to get involved in the club’s leadership for the 2008-2009 academic year. Contact Jessica Hoying for more information. [Posted 041608]

AAMC Publishes Report on IT Engagement in Research

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research (ECAR) have published a study analyzing the practices and perspectives of information technology (IT) organizations that support the academic research enterprise in medical schools. “As the potential of biotechnology, proteomics, informatics, computational genomics, and other IT-intensive disciplines continue to offer breakthroughs in medicine,” the report says, “research in these fields requires greater and higher-level technology resources for infrastructure as well as IT support and services.”

The report was based on the results of a web-based survey sent to 125 medical schools and colleges in the United States, as well as qualitative interviews with leaders at 10 institutions. Respondents to the survey were predominantly chief information officers or other top administrators from 50 medical institutions, yielding a response rate of 39.7 percent.

The report's key message is one of “organizational dissonance.” Respondents report accelerating demand for centrally supported high-performance computing, networking, and data management but slow growth in funding for the requisite IT infrastructure and services. Download the ECAR report roadmap (PDF). See ECAR Connect for details about obtaining the full report (available to AAMC members). [Posted 041608]

Request for Proposals - 2008 CGR Seed Grant Program

The Center for Genomics Research at Wright State University is sponsoring a seed grant program open to all fully-affiliated faculty of the Boonshoft School of Medicine and the College of Science and Mathematics. The primary goal of this program is to obtain data useful for securing external funding. Applications must be received by May 19. Please see the Request for Proposals for details. [Posted 041108]

Dana Foundation Requests Brain and Immune Imaging Proposals

The Dana Foundation requests proposals for projects using brain and immune imaging innovations to improve human health. The program focuses on providing support to faculty researchers early in their careers, at the assistant professor level, or early in their associate professor careers. The Program is designed to enable investigators to obtain pilot data more quickly than is possible through other funding processes. The program consists of two tracks. Track A is for conventional imaging (anatomical imaging of white or gray matter and measures of physiological functioning). Track B is for cellular and molecular imaging of biochemical actions of specific brain cells, or their interactions with immune cells in the nervous system. Institutions are eligible to submit only one proposal per track. Funding is up to $200,000 per award payable over three years. The next application deadline is Tuesday, May 20, 2008. See the Request for Proposals for more details. [Posted 040808]

NIH Public Access Policy

Effective April 7, 2008, all articles arising from NIH funds must be submitted to PubMed Central upon acceptance for publication. Detailed information on this requirement is available at the NIH Public Access web site. If publication occurs in certain journals (as identified on the above-referenced web site), no additional action on the part of the author is required. For other journals, the NIH-funded author must:

1. Inform the journal that the article is subject to the Public Access Policy when submitting it for publication.

2. Make sure that any copyright transfer or other publication agreement allows the article to be submitted to NIH in accordance with the Policy.

3. Submit the article to NIH, upon acceptance for publication. See the submission process for more information.

In addition, when citing their NIH-funded articles in NIH applications, proposals or progress reports, authors must include the PubMed Central reference number for each article.

With respect to item 2 above, prospective authors can overcome the inadvertent omission of this step by completing a form that will be distributed with the NIH proposal by Wright State’s Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP). This form constitutes a non-exclusive license given by the author to the university, and this will supersede any subsequent agreement that might be made with a publisher and will allow the author to comply with the PubMed Central Policy. Completion of the form is entirely optional—it is intended to be a protection if investigators choose to avail themselves of it. (Note they still must submit articles to NIH following the NIH submission process. ) Please contact William Sellers in RSP (937-775-2709; william.sellers@wright.edu) if you have questions. [Posted 040108]

Strategic Plan for Higher Education in Ohio

Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Eric Fingerhut delivered a 10-year strategic plan for higher education in Ohio to Governor Strickland and the State Legislature on March 31. The goals of the plan include improving the educational attainment of Ohio residents, retaining those graduates in Ohio and attracting new residents to Ohio with college degrees.

The University System of Ohio (USO) has been created to coordinate the activities and partnerships of higher education in Ohio, while still allowing each campus to function independently. The USO emphasizes the role of higher education in growing the prosperity and quality of life in Ohio.

New and existing businesses want to locate in regions with sufficient numbers of talented individuals to help them sustain and grow. In today’s global knowledge-based economy, the richness of the labor pool is being measured by educational attainment. As a system, we must produce, keep and attract more talent to Ohio. States who have demonstrated a ready supply of capable employees and entrepreneurs will grow at a rate faster than those lacking them.

“As you review the USO plan, we also invite you to compare that plan with the draft of the revised Wright State University Strategic Plan,” says WSU President David Hopkins. “Our plan specifically addresses program quality, access and affordability, our research enterprise and how we transform the lives of our students and the communities we serve. In addition, we focus purposefully and intentionally on cultivating the valuable resources necessary for us to sustain and grow our institution.”

Comments about either the USO plan and the draft of the WSU Strategic Plan can be sent to Dr. Hopkins at david.hopkins-sp@wright.edu.

ACS Pilot Research Grant Deadline Is April 16

The American Cancer Society Ohio Division has issued a request for applications for its 2008 Pilot Research Grant Program. The program goal is to encourage investigators to enter the field of cancer research and to enable them to accumulate data that will lead to continued funding by national agencies. The grants are designed for junior faculty on track to become researchers and established faculty on new research tracks. Maximum funding is $30,000 for a grant period from September 1, 2008 through August 31, 2009. The application deadline is Wednesday, April 16, 2008. See the ACS Ohio Division web page to download an application. [Posted 030408]

Faculty Writing Workshops Scheduled May 6-7

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP) will present two workshops in May for WSU faculty who want to learn more about writing grant proposals and scholarly publications. Held in E156 A&B Student Union, both events will be conducted by Dr. Robert Lucas from the Institute of Scholarly Productivity. He is a nationally known research administrator, teacher, and writer, whose humorous and informative style makes him one of the most popular speakers in his field.

Grant Proposal Writing Workshop (Tuesday, May 6, 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.): Dr. Lucas will share insights about the proposal process, including identifying fundable ideas; locating likely sponsors; drafting concept papers and foundation inquiry letters; developing strong and convincing proposals; and dealing positively with reviewers comments. Space is limited to 25 slots. Download an application form (PDF).

Scholarly Writing Workshop (Wednesday, May 7, 8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.): Dr. Lucas will discuss techniques for managing the writing process such as confronting myths about writing; overcoming major obstacles to writing; fitting writing into available time; and varying writing patterns to sustain momentum. Space is limited to 15 slots. Download an application form (PDF).

The registration fee will be waived for WSU faculty. The deadline for submitting a completed application form to RSP (201 J University Hall; email rsp@wriqht.edu) is Friday March 21. All applicants must have a Faculty Research Interest Profile on file in RSP to be eligible to attend. To submit a profile, please use RSP’s online form. [Posted 022608]

Students Speak About Research Experiences on Feb. 5

The next meeting of the Medical Student Research Club is Tuesday, Feb. 5, at 12 noon in 120 White Hall. Three medical students will discuss their recent research experiences. Susan Braunlin did research in Peru; Nicole Zanin did research here in Dayton over the summer; and Katie Bullinger is in the M.D./Ph.D. program at Wright State. Jessica Hoying will give a presentation on the application process for student-initiated electives (SIE’s) for summer. In addition, Kate Cauley, Ph.D., director of the Center for Healthy Communities, will discuss research opportunities in the Department of Community Health. For more information about the Research Club, contact Jessica Hoying. [Posted 020108]

Looking for Medical Student Research Experiences?

The Office of Research Affairs can assist Wright State medical students who are seeking research experiences during their medical education. Typically, research experiences take the form of summer electives between Years 1 and 2 and Year 4 electives. Some students arrange to work with faculty mentors year-round or at varying time intervals. Please use our online form below to provide information about the types of research experiences that interest you. The information will be used to introduce you to appropriate SOM department chairs and other faculty research mentors. After letters of introduction are sent to faculty and copied to students, it is up to you to follow-up by making an appointment with the faculty to discuss possible research experiences.

The deadline for submitting information is Friday, January 4, 2008. Priority in processing the information will be given to Year I students who are seeking summer electives. If you have questions about the process or problems using the online form, please contact Mark Willis in the Office of Research Affairs (937-775-3814). [Posted 120307]

Last updated 6/17/08 (mw). For more information, contact Research Affairs.