Biomedical
News
April 2003, Vol. 21 • No. 4
Table
of Content
Dean's
Awards
Basic
Science Research Award
Internal
Deadline: May 15, 2003
The Medical School Dean’s Office is soliciting nominations
for the Basic Science Research Award. This award is to recognize
a scientist or group of scientists identified as having made
outstanding contributions to the Medical School in basic biomedical
science research. This award carries a $5,000 discretionary
academic support prize, which will be given to the faculty member
or group.
Nominations submitted to the Biomedical Research Council will
be reviewed and a list of potential awardees given to the Dean
of the Medical School, who will make the final selection. Nominees
must be faculty in the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor,
or Assistant or Associate Research Scientist of the University
of Michigan Medical School.
Nominations must include the following: a letter of support
from the department chair or unit director; two or more letters
of support from UM faculty; a three page maximum summation of
the nominee’s research work; one or more manuscripts reflecting
the substance of research achievement; and a current CV.
Send complete nomination to Steven A. Goldstein, Ph.D., Associate
Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, 4107 Medical Science
I/Box 0624.
Clinical
Research Award
Internal
Deadline: May 15, 2003
The Medical School Dean’s Office is soliciting nominations
for the Clinical Research Award. This award is to recognize
a faculty member or group of faculty members who are identified
as having made outstanding contributions to the Medical School
in clinical research. This award is open to all ranks of clinical
research faculty in the Medical School. This award carries a
$5,000 discretionary academic support prize, which will be given
to the faculty member or group.
Nominations submitted to the Advisory Council on Clinical Research
will be reviewed and a list of potential awardees given to the
Dean of the Medical School, who will make the final selection.
Nominations must include the following: a letter of support
from the Department Chair; two or more letters of support from
UM faculty; a three page maximum summation of the nominee’s
research work; one or more manuscripts reflecting the substance
of research achievement; and a current CV.
Send complete nomination packets to Steven A. Goldstein, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, 4107 Medical
Science I/Box 0624.
Merajver
and Markovitz Receive Burroughs Wellcome Fund Awards
The Office of Research and Graduate Studies is pleased to congratulate
David Markovitz, M.D. and Sofia Merajver, M.D., Ph.D. Each have
been awarded the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Clinical Scientist
Award in Translational Research. Dr. Markovitz, Professor, Internal
Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases will receive funding
for his research titled "New Approaches to Inhibiting HIV
Replication." Dr. Merajver’s, Associate Professor,
Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology research
focuses on "Genetic Determinants of Aggressive Breast Cancer
Phenotypes: Translation to the Clinic."
The Burroughs Wellcome Fund Clinical Scientist Awards in Translational
Research are designed to help advance the productivity of independent
physician-scientists at the mid-career level who will enhance
translational research in academic health centers through their
own studies and through mentoring of the next generation of
physician scientists trainees. Only 6 awards were made for this
prestigious national program, and we are the only institution
with two awards this year.
Feng
Shao Receives Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award
Congratulations to Feng Shao, a Ph.D. candidate in Biological
Chemistry for his receipt of this special award. Mr. Shao is mentored
by Jack Dixon, Ph.D.
The Weintraub Award is sponsored by the Basic Sciences Division
of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The award honors
the late Harold M. Weintraub, Ph.D., a founding member of Fred
Hutchinson's Basic Sciences Division, who in 1995 died from brain
cancer at age 49. The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center,
home of two Nobel Prize laureates, is an independent, nonprofit
research institution dedicated to the development and advancement
of biomedical technology to eliminate cancer and other potentially
fatal diseases. Only 6 students received this award internationally.
New!
Clinical Research Grand Round Series
Monday, April 14
12–1
PM
MCHC Auditorium
The Center for the Advancement of Clinical Research (CACR) is
launching a new Clinical Grand Round Series, highlighting topics
of general interest to the clinical research community. CACR is
co-sponsoring this series along with the General Clinical Research
Center (GCRC) and the K-30 Training Program in Clinical Research.
The first speaker in the series will be Eugene Orringer, M.D.,
Executive Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs at the University
of North Carolina Medical School. Dr. Orringer has been instrumental
in the clinical research infrastructure, programs, and training
at UNC. He will present "New Career Opportunities for Clinician/Scientists:
Mentored Research & Professional Development".
CACR is arranging for CME/CEU credits for this session. For more
information email CACR: umcacr@umich.edu
or check the CACR website.
CACR
Study Coordinator Training Workshop
The Education and Certification Core (ECC) from the Center for
the Advancement of Clinical Research (CACR) has a monthly program
for NEW study coordinators (less than six months on-the-job experience)
with 3 primary education modules:
° The ABC's of Good Clinical Practices Requirements
° The Roles and Networks of Study Coordinators
° The "How to's" of Clinical Research Study Files
This interactive workshop also provides basic GCP aides and tools:
° GCP regulations booklets for Investigators and Coordinators
° FAQs Guide for Study Coordinators
° Investigator Study File Notebook Prototype and Templates
of Common Forms
The next program will be held on Tuesday, April 15, from 8:30-12:30
in LRC 2903. Register by April 9. There is a $50 per person fee
to cover materials. UMMS CMEs (4.0 Category I credit hrs) and
UMHS Nursing CEUs (4.2 contact hrs) are available.
Contacts: Erich Jensen at 647-4438 or ejensen@umich.edu
with module context questions or Monica Healy at 647-3815 or mhealy@umich.edu
with registration questions.
Forms (and future class dates) may also be obtained from the CACR
website.
Conflicts
of Interest in Research: Management Strategies
This is the second in a series of short articles about issues
related to management of potential conflicts of interest in research-related
activities. To see the previous article, view the March
2003 Biomedical Newsletter.
The translation of research results into patents and licenses
to commercial companies benefits the public and increases the
value of investment in basic science research activity at universities.
This academic-industrial partnership is promoted by the federal
government through the 1980 Bayh-Dole Act,1
which transferred ownership of intellectual property developed
with federal research dollars to universities with the mandate
to license them to companies. The Medical School also believes
there is value in an active faculty engaged in consulting activities
or service on boards of commercial enterprises, such as pharmaceutical
companies. However, the increased opportunities afforded University
researchers through these outside activities come with obligations
to protect the interests of the University. The policies of the
University, described in the Regental By-Laws, the Faculty Handbook,
Standard Practice Guide as well as in other sources, all remind
the faculty of his/her primary obligation to the University.
The Medical School Conflict of Interest Board (MedCOI) recognizes
the need to manage rather than prohibit potential conflicts of
interest when it is expected to serve the interests of the University
of Michigan and the Medical School. When potential conflicts of
interest are presented to the MedCOI (see the March 2003 Biomedical
Newsletter for a description of the ways conflicts are presented
to the Board), a management plan may be developed for the conflicted
individual(s) in order to provide a framework allowing the proposed
activity to occur. MedCOI management plans are constructed around
core principles: (1) protection of the integrity of the research,
(2) protection of the obligations to trainees, (3) protection
of obligations to participants in clinical research and (4) protection
of the resources of the University. Each of these is described
in more detail below.
Protection of the integrity of research: Objectivity,
reliability and management of research directions
Any research project undertaken in which an investigator has a
conflict of interest (i.e., the potential for financial gain through
licenses or consulting income, or financial interest in the sponsor
in excess of $10,000) presents a risk for bias in the research
results. Open, timely and complete dissemination of research results
through publications and presentations, with full disclosure of
the potential conflicts, helps to preserve the integrity of the
research.
The MedCOI is cautious about permitting conflicted individuals
to accept sponsored research projects from a company in which
they have an interest. For consulting activity, there has to be
clear and distinct separation between the scientific area of the
consulting agreement and the scientific area of the research project.
If this distinction cannot be made, the researcher may be asked,
for example, to withdraw from consulting for the company while
conducting the study. Other management strategies may be to identify
another individual to serve as the principal investigator of the
study or the appointment of a non-conflicted individual or committee
to oversee the kirection of the research project.
Protection of the obligations to trainees,
staff and other faculty who participate in the research
The researcher who serves as a mentor to graduate students or
postdoctoral fellows has a special obligation to ensure that the
progress to degree or completion of research training continues
without interference from any external obligations due to conflicts
of interest. If trainees are supported or participate in research
funded by a sponsor that presents a conflict for the mentor, the
mentor is especially reminded that limitations on the publication
or presentation of research results is strongly discouraged and
detracts from the primary educational responsibility of the mentor
and University.
If the mentor proposes a reduction in faculty appointment or leave
of absence to participate more actively in a company related to
technology transfer agreements, the Board will carefully examine
the potential impact of this change in appointment on trainees.
If researchers propose hiring trainees into a company related
to a technology transfer agreement, the dual roles of university
mentor and industrial employer can lead to confusion of responsibilities.
The Board is extremely cautious in permitting overlap of responsibilities
in this manner. If there are compelling reasons to engage in the
conflicted activity, significant oversight needs to be in place
to ensure the primary educational responsibility to the individual.
The Board requires that the outside interest in the research be
disclosed to all trainees, staff and faculty who participate in
the research. It is recommended that documentation of the disclosures
be retained by the individual under management.
Protection of obligations to participants in
clinical research
There are situations in which the safety of the research participants
necessitates involvement of the conflicted researcher in a clinical
research project. The MedCOI is particularly sensitive to transparency
of the research process to protect individuals who consent to
engage in clinical research at the University.
The MedCOI typically requires disclosure of potential conflicts
to research participants and may exclude the conflicted individual
from consenting subjects to the study. Conflict management plans
in clinical research are disclosed to the Institutional Review
Board for their consideration when approving clinical protocols.
The IRB may not reduce the management proposed by the MedCOI without
its approval. However, the IRB may impose more stringent management
in order to maximize the safety of the research participants.
Protection of the resources of the University
The researchers primary obligation is to the University in overseeing
the fiscal management of research projects conducted under their
supervision. When the researcher has responsibilities to outside
entities, such as service on the Board of Directors or equity
interest in a company from a technology transfer agreement, the
separation of roles may become blurred. The most typical management
strategy involves identification of another individual at the
University to oversee and approve financial transactions for any
contracts with the outside entity. The MedCOI may also impose
restrictions on the personal contract of the researcher with the
outside entity. Examples include recusal from any discussions
or decisions related to University business or amendment of a
consulting contract to eliminate any overlap with University responsibilities.
Reporting to Departments and
Regular Progress Reports
° Management plans approved by the MedCOI must be signed by
the Department Chair. This ensures disclosure to the unit of the
potential conflict issues.
° Management plans are also copied to individuals or groups
who may have responsibility for overseeing parts of the plan,
including IRBMED, Contracts Administration and UCUCA.
° Management plans are not static documents and therefore,
the Board requires regular progress reports to review changes
in activities relative to the conflict. Progress reports provide
an opportunity to request additional documentation, such as reprints
of research publications.
COI
on the web For questions or comments, contact Connie Bridges,
cbridges@umich.edu or
763-4086.
___________________
1 Bayh-Dole University and Small Business
Patent Procedures Act of Dec. 12, 1980, Pub. L. No. 96-517, 94
stat. 3015-3028 (codified as amended at 35 U.S.C. § §
200-211, 301-3007 (1994)).
UM
Ford Nuclear Reactor to be Decommissioned
The University is the process of decommissioning the Ford Nuclear
Reactor (FNR). The reactor may continue to operate until July
when it will be deactivated and will no longer be available for
research use.
Researchers who are in the process of writing up proposals, which
require the reactor facilities, should include the costs of alternate
reactor facilities in their research budget. Researchers with
currently funded projects requiring use of the FNR should begin
exploring alternative sources. The Office of the Vice President
for Research (OVPR) will offer assistance in locating alternative
sources and will provide funds for the unbudgeted cost of those
services to researchers, through the end of currently funded grants.
For questions concerning the decommissioning, or about support
for alternative reactor facilities, contact the OVPR at 763-1290.
External
Funding Opportunities
Tylenol Scholarships
for Students in Health
Deadline: April 30, 2003
The
2003 Tylenol Scholarship will be awarding grants totaling $250,000,
(ten $10,000 scholarships and one hundred fifty $1,000 scholarships)
to outstanding students pursuing undergraduate or graduate studies
in a variety of health-related fields.
Applicants must be in an undergraduate or graduate course of study
in the fall of 2003 at an accredited two or four-year college,
university, or vocational-technical school. This includes those
students currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate course
of study who have one or more years of school remaining.
Winners will be selected on the basis of leadership in community
and school activities, grade-point average, and intended focus
on healthcare-related areas of study. Scholarship America, a national
nonprofit educational support and student aid service organization,
administers the fund and is responsible for screening and evaluating
the applications and selecting the scholarship recipients. Complete
guidelines and application forms are available at the Tylenol
Scholarship website.
Association
for the Cure of Cancer of the Prostate (CaP CURE)
Deadline:
April 30, 2003
The organization currently is soliciting proposals for a round
of accelerated prostate cancer research projects, although it
will continue to fund outstanding and novel basic science devoted
to finding a cure for prostate cancer. CaP CURE will favor research
applications focused on translational and clinical programs that
will benefit patients ith advanced prostate cancer in the near
term. Prior work in the area of cancer is not a prerequisite.
Applications from individuals with or without institutional affiliations
will be considered. Applications from for-profit organizations
are not eligible for consideration. See the CaP CURE website for
complete guidelines and to download the application.
Sontag
Foundation Distinguished Scientist Awards
Deadline: May 30, 2003
Each
award will provide up to $500,000 in brain cancer research funding.
Applicants must hold a doctoral degree and be within the first
three years of their initial full-time faculty appointment as
assistant professor or an equivalent position. More than one candidate
may apply from an institution.
Funding limits are as follows: $150,000 in the initial year, $175,000
each of the two remaining years. Institutional overhead (indirect
costs/f & a) will be capped at 15% and will be calculated
as part of the Award total. Proposed research should be the applicant's
primary focus and should have the potential to generate new knowledge
regarding the causes or cure of brain tumors or lead to improved
rates of survival and/or improved functional recovery for ndividuals
with brain tumors.
Department
of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP)
Deadline: various
The
fiscal year 2003 Defense Appropriations Act provides $150 million
to the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program. Awards
will be made for up to $5 million for 5 years. Consideration for
this award involves a nomination process, no self-nominations
will be accepted.
The FY03 BCRP has nine different funding mechanisms and those
with pre-proposals and full proposals are due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern
Standard Time on the dates indicated. Detailed descriptions of
each of these mechanisms, evaluation criteria, and submission
requirements are available on the website. All applicants will
be equired to submit an electronic version of their proposal as
a PDF. For a reference table summarizing the nine BCRP funding
mechanisms showing experience required, key elements, dollars
available, and deadlines visit http://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/pdf/03bcrpreftable.pdf.
Local
Initiative Funding Partners Program (LIFP)
Deadline: July 15, 2003
The LIFP program, a partnership between the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation (RWJF) and local grantmakers, supports innovative,
community-based projects designed to improve health and healthcare
for under served and at-risk populations. Through the program,
local grantmakers such as community foundations, family foundations,
and corporate grantmakers are invited to propose a partnership
to be co-funded by RWJF.
Grants may be made to community nonprofit organizations or institutions.
Projects funded through the program must be nominated by a local
funder. The program will provide grants of $100,000 to $500,000
per project (funds that must be matched by local grantmakers).
The total amount will be paid out over a three- to four-year period.
In 2004, up to $8 million will be awarded through the program.
For more information on the program, eligibility requirements,
and the application process, see the RWJF website.
Seminars
Center
for Organogenesis Seminar Series
April 3, 2003
3:30 PM
5915 Buhl Bldg.
Gisela F. Wilson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Molecular, Cellular
and Developmental Biology will speak on: "Drosophila ethera
go go potassium channel mutants: Do they do more than dance?"
Contact: Rebecca Pintar, 936-2499 or rpintar@umich.edu.
Department
of Human Genetics
Third Annual James V. Neel Lectureship
May
14, 2003
3:00-4:00 PM
James V. Neel Lecture Hall, Room 2901
"Jim Neel’s Heritage: Human Mutation Rates" presented
by James F. Crow, Ph.D., D.Sci., Professor Emeritus, University
of Wisconsin.
A reception will immediately follow the Lectureship in room 4917
Buhl (Human Genetics Conference Room) from 4-5 PM.
Contact: Karen Grahl, 764-5491 or kgrahl@umich.edu.
The
James Neubacher Award Call for Nominations
Deadline: May 31, 2003
Each October,
during Investing in Ability Week, the James Neubacher Award is
presented to a University of Michigan faculty or staff member,
student, or alumna/alumnus for significant achievements in:
* promoting acceptance and awareness of people with disabilities,
* advocating for the civil rights of people with disabilities,
or
* removing barriers to full participation in programs and services
by people with disabilities.
Established by the University of Michigan's Council for Disability
Concerns in October 1990, the Award is a memorial to Jim Neubacher,
an alumnus of the University. Jim was also a columnist for The
Detroit Free Press and an advocate for equal rights and opportunities
for people with disabilities. The Award includes a stipend provided
by the Office of the President. See the website for complete details.
Research
Responsibility Program, final "Wrap-Up" Program
Tuesday, April 1, 2003
5-7 PM
Ford Auditorium, UH
The Research Responsibility Program (RRP) presents their final
"Wrap-Up" session. The RRP caps off the 2002-2003 season
with a panel discussion with previous RRP presenters, touching
on various themes covered earlier this year. Fawwaz Ulaby, Vice
President for Research, will introduce the program. Nick Steneck,
Professor of History, and Judy Nowack, Associate Vice President
for Research, will serve as panel moderators. Refreshments will
be served.
The RRP, sponsored by the U-M Office of the Vice President for
Research, is a series of information and discussion sessions on
responsibility in the conduct and administration of research.
To view the entire RRP schedule, see website.
Sessions are free and open to all faculty, students, and staff.
For more information about the RRP please call the OVPR at 647-9085
or send email to research.responsibility@umich.edu.
