July 2002, Vol. 20 No. 7

Office of Research and Graduate Studies—Who We Are & What We Do Klingenstein Fellowship Awards in the Neurosciences Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute Secondhand Tobacco Smoke Research
Dr. Williams President-Elect of APS The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans -
New! Website for Research and Graduate Studies Charlotte Geyer Foundation Funding for Cancer Research -
Cellular and Molecular Therapies Pilot Grants Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Funds -
Michigan Society of Fellows Postdoctoral Fellowships Cure Autism Now Foundation Funding -
Call for Nominations: Landon-ACCR Prizes New Investigators Program Supporting Scientific Collaborations with Poland and Slovakia -

OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND GRADUATE STUDIES—WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO
The Medical School's Office of Research and Graduate Studies (ORGS) is responsible for the facilitation, development, and oversight of all biomedical research activities and education (graduate and postgraduate) within the Medical School. Research-related activities include the development and implementation of strategic planning, policies, and procedures regarding research investigation; allocation of space and resources to facilitate investigations; oversight of the shared Biomedical Research Core Facilities, the Medical School’s Institutional Review Boards, the Center for Advancement of Clinical Research, and the School’s Office of Technology Transfer and Corporate Research. Functions related to biomedical graduate education include the oversight of the Medical School’s Program in Biomedical Science (PIBS). PIBS coordinates recruitment and admissions for 13 degree granting Ph.D. programs and provides incoming graduate students with a first-year experience.

Leadership for ORGS is provided by Associate Dean Steven A. Goldstein (stevegld@umich.edu). The office staff includes Connie Bridges, Director of Administration (cbridges@umich.edu); Camille Mrozowski, Staff Assistant for Committees and Events (cmrozow@umich.edu); and Denise Swayze, Office Assistant for Publications, Awards and Grants (dswayze@umich.edu).

Some of the specific activities and projects currently managed by Research and Graduate Studies:

  • Major committee support: Advisory Council on Clinical Research, Biomedical Research Council, Medical School Conflict of Interest Board, Clinical Research Infrastructure Task Force, and Research Advisory Board
  • Management of special award and grant opportunities, such as the Damon Runyon Scholars Award, Pew Scholars Award and the Wilson Foundation Research Grants Program.
  • IRBMED reorganization and overall compliance management structure for Medical School
  • Allocation and management of research space; Space Master Planning
  • Planning for the new Biomedical Sciences Research Building
  • Implementation of new policies: Outside employment disclosures, Cost-sharing, Indirect Cost Waivers
  • Publication of the Biomedical Research News

Call us! If you have any questions or comments, we are available to provide assistance. The main office number is 764-3611. You can also email us as noted above.

DR. WILLIAMS PRESIDENT-ELECT OF APS
The Office of Research and Graduate Studies is pleased to recognize that John A. Williams, M.D., Ph.D., chair, Department of Physiology and professor, Physiology and Internal Medicine, has been selected as the American Physiology Society (APS) President-Elect for 2002-2003. Dr. Williams will serve as the Society's next President for 2003-2004. Congratulations Dr. Williams!

NEW! WEBSITE FOR RESEARCH AND GRADUATE STUDIES
http://www.med.umich.edu/medschool/orgs/index.htm
Bookmark this site! Find the information you need about biomedical research at the Medical School. Along with important links to research resources, this page will include a rotating series of stories highlighting the accomplishments of our researchers. Please take a look and send your comments or suggestions to Connie Bridges, cbridges@umich.edu.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Cellular and Molecular Therapies Pilot Grants available
Deadline: September 1, 2002

The Center for Gene Therapy has announced the Cellular Therapy Development Competitive Grant Program. The complete Request for Applications (RFA) is available at the Center for Gene Therapy website at http://www.med.umich.edu/cgt. For more information, contact Ben Robinson at 763-9693.

Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies
Michigan Society of Fellows Postdoctoral Fellowships

The Michigan Society of Fellows announces three-year Postdoctoral Fellowships in the Humanities and Arts, Sciences, and Professions. Candidates selected for fellowships must have received the Ph.D. degree or comparable artistic or professional degree between June 1, 2000, and September 1, 2003. Fellows are appointed as Assistant Professors or Research Scientists in appropriate departments and as Postdoctoral Scholars in the Michigan Society of Fellows. The terms will start September 1, 2003. The annual stipend will be $43,260. For application materials and complete details see http://www.rackham.umich.edu/Faculty/society.html.

Call for Nominations: Landon-AACR Prizes
Deadline: August 16, 2002

The Kirk A. & Dorothy P. Landon Foundation and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) announce the 2003 Landon-AACR Prizes. These awards recognize outstanding scientists who have made seminal basic and translational cancer research discoveries that have accelerated progress against cancer and have implications for future discoveries and contributions to cancer research. The goal of both the Foundation and the AACR is to bring public attention to landmark achievements in the continuing effort to prevent and cure cancer and to promote and reward continued, productive cancer research.

The Kirk A. Landon-AACR Prize for Basic Cancer Research recognizes significant, fundamental contributions to laboratory research. The Dorothy P. Landon-AACR Prize for Translational Cancer Research recognizes extraordinary achievement in translational cancer research (the interface between basic research and its application to the clinic in the areas of diagnosis, treatment, or the prevention of cancer). The recipient of each Prize will receive an unrestricted cash award of $200,00 and give a scientific presentation at AACR Annual Meeting The Awards are open to all cancer researchers who are affiliated with any research institution. Candidates may not nominate themselves. Nominators are asked to maintain the confidentiality of the nomination process. Candidates must currently maintain an active research program and have a record of recent publications. Visit http://www.aacr.org/1619.asp for complete details on the Prizes. Nomination forms are available at: http://services.aacr.org/landon.asp.

Klingenstein Fellowship Awards in the Neurosciences
Deadline: December 6, 2002

The Esther A. & Joseph Klingenstein Fund, Inc. Fellowship Award Program in the Neurosciences is to set up to support young investigators engaged in basic or clinical research that may lead to a better understanding of epilepsy. Several areas within the neurosciences are of interest to the Fund: Cellular and molecular neuroscience (studies of the mechanisms of neuronal excitability and development, and of the genetic basis of seizure disorders), Neural systems (studies of the integrative function of the nervous system), and Clinical research (to improve the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and our understanding of the causes of epilepsy). To qualify, investigators must hold the Ph.D. and/or M.D. degrees, and have completed all research training, including postdoctoral training. The award is $150,000 payable over a three-year period. Contact Denise Swayze, dswayze@umich.edu or 763-4086 for a faxed copy of the application materials.

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
Deadline: November 30, 2002

The purpose of the Soros Fellowships for New Americans is to provide opportunities for continuing generations of able and accomplished New Americans to achieve leadership in their chosen fields. The Fellowships support thirty individuals a year for up to two years of graduate study in any subject. Students already in graduate study are eligible, but not past their second year. The Fellowship provides $20,000 maintenance and half tuition wherever the Fellow attends. Candidates must be either holders of Green Cards, naturalized citizens, or children of two naturalized citizen parents. The applicant must not be older than thirty years of age as of November 30, 2002. For complete details and application materials, visit http://www.pdsoros.org.

Charlotte Geyer Foundation Funding for Cancer Research
Deadline: June 1, October 1, and February 1, annually

The Charlotte Geyer Foundation supports research into the cause, prevention, and treatment of cancer. The foundation offers interim funding to researchers whose proposals have been reviewed by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and were ranked within ten percentage points of the NCI payline. The foundation will review recent proposals, either the original proposal, a revised proposal, or a portion of the original proposal deemed to have special merit, that were submitted to NCI; received a peer review ranking in the ten percentiles above the NCI payline; and did not receive funding. The foundation reviews proposals three- times a year and awards rants of up to $100,000. See the foundation's website for complete application guidelines and procedures at http://www.charlottegeyer.org/.

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Funds for Type 1 Diabetes Research
Deadline: August 15, 2002

The mission of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International is to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes and its complications through the support of research. The JDRF will provide up to $100 million to support relevant research in fiscal year 2002. Relevant areas of research are those aimed at the restoration and maintenance of normal blood glucose in people with Type 1 diabetes, particularly research focused on the use of cell-based therapies; the prevention and treatment of complications related to diabetes; and the prevention of the disease. The deadline for receipt of complete applications for the upcoming review cycle is September 1, 2002; first two pages by August 15, 2002. For the following review cycle, complete applications are due by February 1, 2003; first two pages by January 15, 2003. See the JDRF website for specific priority research areas and complete application information at http://www.jdf.org/research/appreqst.php.

Cure Autism Now Foundation
Deadline: August 1, 2002 Letters of Intent

The Cure Autism Now foundation seeks to fund proposals that will advance the state of knowledge in critical areas of autism, from basic research to clinical applications. The foundation is currently accepting grant applications through the following programs: Young Investigator Awards and Pilot Research Awards. All proposals must have direct and immediate relevance to autism and related disorders. For the Young Investigator Awards, applicants must be no more than four years out of a M.D. or Ph.D. program and work under the supervision of an established investigator. Funding is available at a maximum of $80,000 for two-year awards in postdoctoral fellowship support. For Pilot Research Awards, the foundation seeks to support established investigators from within as well as outside of the field of autism. Research proposals targeting promising hypotheses, using innovative approaches and technologies are a priority. These awards are available to investigators at any stage in their career. Funding is available at a maximum of 120,000 for two-year awards. See the Foundation website for complete details at http://www.cureautismnow.org/

Autism Biomaterials award offers biomaterials from the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE) free of charge to applicants whose projects are reviewed favorably and who demonstrate financial need. Cure Autism Now will provide the Autism Biomaterials Award as a stand-alone grant to enable, expand, or replicate existing research projects, or as a supplementary grant to a Cure Autism Now-funded research project. (Deadline: Rolling) See AGRE's website at http://www.agre.org for application guidelines and information about the resource.

Treatment-Related Study Awards provides funding for research proposals focused on all aspects of treatment, from basic research models, to clinical trails, to biomarker identification. Funding amount and duration is determined per individual proposal. Letters of intent are required prior to invitation of full proposals. (Deadline: Rolling) See the Cure Autism Now website for complete program guidelines at http://www.cureautismnow.org/.

National Research Council New Investigators Twinning Program
Supporting Scientific Collaborations with Poland and Slovakia
Deadline: October 15, 2002

The NRC is accepting proposals for two-year collaborative research projects that link individual U.S. scientists with their counterparts in Poland or Slovakia. The goal of the Twinning Program is to foster the development of new international research partnerships whose participants will subsequently apply to the National Science Foundation (NSF) for longer-term support. All proposals must include at least one U.S. researcher who has received the Ph.D. after October 15, 1992, either as the principal investigator or as co-investigator with another more senior U.S. scientist. NRC also welcomes the inclusion of graduate students as participants in the proposed projects. The National Science Foundation (NSF) provides funding for the Twinning Program. Only proposals in fields of basic science and engineering normally supported by NSF will be considered. Grants will generally be in the $14,000-16,000 range. For complete information and application instructions, visit: http://www7.nationalacademies.org/dsc/DSC_activities.html.

Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute Secondhand Tobacco Smoke Research
Deadline: July 15, 2002

The Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute (FAMRI) sponsors scientific and medical research for the early detection, treatment, prevention, and cure of diseases and medical conditions associated with exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke. FAMRI seeks to support research in five main areas relating to exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke: respiratory disease (with emphasis on chronic bronchitis and chronic sinusitis), cancer, cardiovascular diseases, epidemiology and public health, and reproductive diseases. FAMRI's primary interest is to support areas of investigation related to translational and clinical research. Complete guidelines and proposal forms for all three awards are available through the FAMRI website at http://www.famri.org/:

  • The Clinical Innovator Awards Program: designed to stimulate novel medical and clinical scientific research studies on the topic of secondhand smoke. Researchers with an advanced degree M.D., Ph.D., or M.D./Ph.D. or the equivalent are eligible to apply. The award will provide 100,000 per year for two years with a possibility for renewal for a third year.
  • Young Clinical Scientist Award: intended to prepare and support new clinical investigators with a M.D. or Ph.D. as they begin their careers as independent researchers in the field of smoking-related disorders. Awards are offered to two groups of scientists: research fellows and junior faculty members. Awards for fellowships are typically two years, but can be renewed and carried into a tenure-track faculty position for an additional three years. Fellows receive annual awards of up to $75,000; up to $50,000 can be used for salary and stipend support, and the remainder may be used for fringe benefits, research support, and travel. Awards for junior faculty are three years and renewable for up to a total of five years. Faculty awardees will receive $100,000 per year for direct costs.
  • Centers of Excellence Award: designed to link physicians and scientists from various disciplines into multidisciplinary programs in patient care and research. Through this award, FAMRI aims to enhance the base of knowledge relating to the exposure of secondhand tobacco smoke; to serve as a new source for more effective approaches to detection, diagnosis, therapy, and cures for diseases associated with exposure secondhand tobacco smoke; and to serve as principal deliverers of medical advances to those suffering from exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke, especially members of the flight attendant profession. An applicant may request a project period of five or fewer years and a budget for direct costs up to $1.5 million per year.