2010 Seed Grant Deadline Is Today

Applications for the 2010 Seed Grant Program must be received by 4:30 p.m. today in the BSOM Office of Research Affairs (room 002 Mathematics and Microbiology Building). Submit the original and twelve (12) single-sided, unbound copies of the complete proposal package. Download a map to BSOM Research Affairs (PDF).

If you have questions about the BSOM Seed Grant Program, contact Mark Willis, research coordinator (mark.willis@wright.edu; 775-3814). If you have questions about using the application form, contact Amber McCurdy, administrative specialist (amber.mccurdy@wright.edu; 775-4533).

OMV-SfN’s Winter Meeting Scheduled Jan. 29

The 2010 Winter Meeting of the Ohio Miami Valley Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience (OMV-SfN) will be held Friday, January 29, from 10 a.m. – 12 noon at the University of Cincinnati’s Metabolic Diseases Institute/Genome Research Institute (2180 E. Galbraith Rd., Cincinnati 45237) in the Building A lecture room.

The meeting will begin with four 20-minute research presentations, one from each of OMV-SfN’s four participating institutions. The business meeting will follow and James Eliassen, Ph.D., will be inducted as 2010 chapter president. Scientific presentations include:

• Gale Kleven, Ph.D. (Wright State University)
  MR Spectroscopy and Behavioral Epigenesis
• Jennifer J. Quinn, Ph.D. (Miami University)
  Neurobiological mechanisms of long-term memory consolidation and stabilization
• Yvonne Ulrich-Lai, Ph.D. (University of Cincinnati)
  Stress-relieving properties of palatable foods
• TBD (University of Dayton)

Download 2010 Winter Meeting Agenda (MS Word), which includes travel directions to the meeting site. For more information, contact Jim Eliassen (513/558-5863; james.eliassen@uc.edu).

BRAC Brings Promise of New Aerospace Medicine Jobs

As many as 250 new jobs in aerospace medicine are anticipated with the announcement this week that Peerless Technologies Corp. has been awarded a contract to support the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine when it moves to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

The contract signals the first installment of private sector jobs coming to Dayton as a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC). Peerless Technologies is one of six contractors that will share $93 million awarded by the 711th Human Performance Wing, which is forming now at Wright-Patterson.

Subcontractors working with Peerless Technologies to supply personnel and expertise include the Wright State Research Institute and the Boonshoft School of Medicine’s Division of Aerospace Medicine. The BSOM aerospace medicine residency is the oldest civilian training program of its kind in the U.S.. Since its inception in 1978, the program has trained more than 100 aerospace physicians, including NASA physician-astronaut Michael Barratt, M.D. (above), who spent six months on the International Space Station last year. Read more about Dr.Barratt’s work in Vital Signs (PDF).

The Air Force aerospace medicine school, along with the USAF Sensors Directorate, are moving to Wright-Patterson from Brooks City-Base in San Antonio, Texas. The move should be complete by Sept. 15, 2011 and may bring as many as 1,100 military and civilian jobs to the Dayton region. According to the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) BRAC Office:

History shows that many of the scientists and engineers from the closing and realigned locations will not make the transition to Ohio, presenting a challenge for AFRL but a great opportunity for future scientists, engineers, and staff positions. In the future, AFRL will be recruiting at all levels, from college undergraduates to senior personnel, with the goal of creating a new and diverse workforce of the future for AFRL and the US Air Force. Read more.

According to Kurt Harendza, vice president of Peerless Technologies’ Innovation and Research Business Group, the new jobs will range from lab technicians and information technology support personnel to medical specialists such as cardiologists, neurologists and psychiatrists. Harendza told theDayton Business Journal:

The specialists will deal with all the special medical issues associated with putting healthy humans into unhealthy environments, which is the whole gist of the aerospace medicine profession. Read more.

Jan. 27 Lecture Explores Translational Research in Neuroscience

The Medical Student Research Club invites all BSOM faculty and students to the fourth lecture in its series, “Translational Research: From Bench to Bedside,” on Wednesday, January 27, from 12:00-1:00 p.m. in Room 101 White Hall (Gandhi Auditorium) on the WSU main campus.

The faculty speakers will be Timothy Cope, Ph.D. (above left), professor and chair, and Mark Rich, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor, in the WSU Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Physiology. Read more about their research collaborations in Vital Signs (PDF).

Lunch will be provided on Jan. 27. Please RSVP to Adam Deardorff (deardorff.2@wright.edu) if you plan to attend.

Consultation Deadline Extended To Jan. 22 For 2010 Genomics Seed Grants

The Office of Research Affairs requests applications for the 2010 Genomics Seed Grant Program, which invests in innovative new research projects by eligible faculty who plan to utilize core facilities at Wright State University’s Center for Genomics Research (CGR). The grants support projects with a strong potential for external funding. Projects are funded for one (1) year with support for a maximum of 30 gene array samples. Funding reimburses CGR for materials and services and is NOT awarded directly to the principal investigator. The principal investigator must have adequate funding to support all other components of the research project.

Before developing the Genomics Seed Grant proposal, investigators must schedule a meeting to discuss experimental design with CGR Director Michael Markey, Ph.D. (michael.markey@wright.edu; 775-4536). The consultation deadline has been extended to Friday, January 22, 2010.

See the Genomics Seed Grant program guidelines. See more details about other 2010 BSOM Seed Grant Programs at Research Enterprise:

Ohio Biotech Suppliers Expo Scheduled March 16

BioOhio will host a Suppliers & Service Providers Expo on March 16, 2010, at the Aladdin Shrine Center, 3850 Stelzer Road, in Columbus. Check out the latest offerings from Ohio-based bioscience suppliers and service providers. Whether you’re seeking partners or vendors to help get your own products and services to market, the event is a value-packed day. Attendance is free. Register online; see list of confirmed exhibitors; download an exhibitor application (PDF).

BioOhio is a non-profit membership organization designed to build and accelerate bioscience industry, research, and education in Ohio.

Jan. 12 Faculty Workshop Covers Ethical Standards in the Responsible Conduct of Research

Dr. Jack Bantle, WSU vice president for research and graduate studies, invites Wright State University faculty to a lunchtime workshop on “Ethical Standards in the Conduct of Research” on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010, from 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. in E156 Student Union on the WSU main campus.

Wright State University supports efforts to provide education in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR).  One component of RCR education is to clearly define “research misconduct” and clarify the process for handling allegations of misconduct in research.  This guidance has been incorporated into Wright Way Policy #2101, “Administrative Procedures for Allegations of Research Misconduct.”

It is the policy of Wright State University that the highest ethical standards in the conduct of research be maintained. These standards apply to all members of the university community (faculty, staff, and students) who may be involved in research, scholarship, or creative activities whether supported by internal or external funds.

Pizza and refreshments will be provided to workshop participants. Please RSVP to Jan Power (rsp@wright.edu; 775-2425). The deadline for registration is Friday, Jan. 8, 2010.

Request for Applications: 2010 BSOM Seed Grant Programs

The Office of Research Affairs announces four internal seed grant programs in FY 2010 for faculty investigators at the Boonshoft School of Medicine. The application deadline for all grant programs is February 1, 2010, for project funding periods beginning July 1, 2010.

If you plan to resubmit a proposal from FY 2009, please note: program descriptions, evaluation criteria, and application forms have been revised for all seed grant programs.

Emerging Science Seed Grants fund new research projects with a strong potential for extramural support. Submission of an external grant proposal is a required outcome. Funding: up to $15,000. See program guidelines; download the application form (MS Word).

Genomics Seed Grants support new research projects that utilize core facilities at WSU’s Center for Genomics Research (CGR). Submission of an external grant proposal is a required outcome. Funding: support for a maximum of 30 gene array samples. (Funding reimburses CGR for materials and services and is NOT awarded directly to the principal investigator.) The principal investigator must have adequate funding to support all other components of the research project. See program guidelines; download the application form (MS Word).

Early Stage Investigator Grants support faculty early in their careers as investigators who want to develop new biomedical or clinical research projects leading to extramural support. Submission of an Emerging Science Seed Grant proposal is a required outcome. Funding: up to $5,000, equivalent departmental matching support required. See program guidelines; download the application form (MS Word).

Medical Education Research Grants support rigorous scientific research in medical education that may not necessarily lead to future extramural support. Engaging the educational research community is a required outcome. Funding: up to $5,000, departmental matching support expected. See program guidelines; download the application form (MS Word).

Beginning in FY 2010, seed grant proposals will be evaluated using criteria based on the NIH Enhanced Review Criteria implemented in 2009. Modifications have been made to fit the scale of the BSOM’s internal seed grant programs. Reviewers will evaluate proposals using a 9-point scoring system similar to that used by NIH.

The BSOM Research Committee will review and score the proposals. Recommendations will be made for the top ranked proposals and submitted to the BSOM Associate Dean for Research Affairs for final decision.

If you have questions about the seed grant programs, contact Mark Willis, research coordinator (mark.willis@wright.edu; 775-3814).. If you have questions about using the application forms, contact Amber McCurdy, administrative specialist (amber.mccurdy@wright.edu; 775-4533).

Ohio Third Frontier Requests FY 2010 Proposals

The Ohio Department of Development issued FY 2010 requests for proposals for the Third Frontier Biomedical Program and the Medical Imaging Program.  The RFPs, application, and budget forms are available on the Internet at www.thirdfrontier.com.

Key program dates and events include:

• Jan. 5, 2010: A Bidder’s Conference for prospective respondents to the RFPs, at which Department of Development staff will present information and answer questions. The meeting will be held at 2:00 p.m. at TechColumbus, 1275 Kinnear Road, Columbus, Ohio. Attendance at the Bidder’s Conference is encouraged, but is not mandatory.
• Jan. 25, 2010: Letters of Intent to file a full proposal are due by 2:00 p.m.
• Feb. 22, 2010: The Department of Development will respond to written questions through this date.
• March 1, 2010: Full proposals are due to the Department of Development by no later than 2:00 p.m.
• May 2010 (approximately): Review and awards.

WSU Research News for December 2009

The latest edition of Research News, published by Wright State University’s Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP), is now available online (PDF). Content includes:

• Recap of 2008-2009 External Funding
• Notes from the AVP
• Information about the upcoming Research Celebration
• Sponsor Alerts
• List of all external funding from May 2009 through August 2009