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CCTS Digest 2.27.15 | www.uab.edu/ccts
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In This Issue
Fun Friday Science Fact
Did you hear about the LBD that almost broke the internet? Was it black and blue, or was it white and gold? Why are we even debating this? 

USA Today chimes in with a "scientific" interpretation of the argument over a striped dress seen in very different ways by different people. Click here to see more; and read an article by Time magazine, plus another by Wired.  Slate also weighs in and so now what started as a cocktail dress has spawned some scientific reflection (no pun intended) on color.
Enjoy your weekend and any leftover snow you were lucky enough to get.
Need Grant Help? Visit COCA SWAT

 

 

 

Help Center - How Can We Help You?

Through the CCTS Research Commons, we can connect you to a breadth of expertise in pre- and post-award administration, as well as research implementation. Whether it's proposal development or grant assembly, electronic submissions or sample applications you seek, we can help, t ogether with the Council of Center Administrators (COCA) SWAT Team.

The Council of Center Administrators brings together a breadth and depth of expertise in pre- and post-award administration as well as research implementation.  As the operational arm of UAB's University-wide Interdisciplinary Research Centers (UWIRCs), this group is well versed in:
  • Grant Submissions (NIH (ASSIST), NSF, PCOR, Foundation, Industry), with special emphasis on multi-investigator programs
  • PMCID submissions
  • Grants Writers & Content Editors
  • Project Management
  • Document Formatting
  • Collaborative Agreements
  • Grants / Contracts Accounting
Visit us today at: www.uab.edu/cocaswat

Are you a mentor? Do you want to learn how to be one?

Each April for the past couple of years, the 
  Office of Postdoctoral Education  together with the Vice Provost for Student and Faculty Success has facilitated a    UAB Mentoring Academy  for new and junior faculty from across campus. The purpose of this event is to provide these faculty with information about best mentoring practices as well as the nuts and bolts of hiring and training grad students and postdocs here at UAB.

This year, we are excited to announce that this event has evolved into a 'Mentoring Week' with the following activities planned:

Tuesday, April 21 , Dr. Kenneth Gibbs  from the NIH will serve as our keynote presenter and will speak on effective mentoring practices. This event will be held in the Edge of Chaos at noon and will be open to all trainees and faculty.

Wednesday, April 22,  Theater Delta , from Raleigh, NC, will perform an interactive mentoring skit and Q&A session. This event will be held in Bevill Biomedical Research Building (BBRB), Room 170 at 12pm and will also be open to all trainees and faculty.

Thursday, April 23 , the full-day Mentoring Academy will be begin at 9am in the DoubleTree Hotel and will include interactive discussions and networking opportunities for participants; it will end at approximately 4pm. This day will be open to only new and junior faculty from across campus who have either been nominated by you or signed up directly.

Space for the all-day 'Mentoring Academy' on April 23rd will be limited. If you are interested in having any of your new and junior faculty participate and/or have questions about this event, email Lisa Schwiebert at  lschwieb@uab.edu.

 

Mentor Training Group Forming for Spring

In addition to the annual UAB Mentoring Academy, the CCTS provides complementary opportunities for faculty to engage in further discussion and training related to mentoring skills. Offered in two, 3-hour sessions, the workshops on mentoring draw from the nationally recognized University of Wisconsin-Madison Research Mentoring program. These include case-based discussions that explore "Maintaining Effective Communication," "Aligning Expectations," and "Assessing Understanding."  The second workshop addresses issues of "Equity and Inclusion," "Fostering Independence," "Promoting Professional Development" and "Developing a Mentoring Philosophy."  A new group is forming for Spring 2015. Please  contact the CCTS to note your interest in joining. 

Seminars
Seminars, Symposia and Conferences

CCTS/CTO Research Seminar Series

Critical research implementation and management topics will be presented on the first and third Thursday at noon in PCAMS (1924 7th Avenue South). These topics will be of interest and relevance specifically to clinical research personnel including investigators, regulatory personnel, study coordinators and financial administrators. The goal of this new program is to fill in the gaps in information related to the implementation of clinical trials that have been identified by investigators and their research teams. Presented by Penny Jester, co-director UAB Clinical Trials Office. 

  

 

 

 

March Theme: Protocol Adherence

 

Topic: This program will provide an overview of the reporting SAEs and how to appropriately use Notes to File.  Tools and checklists will be provided. The Journal club will provide a review of relevant literature.  Courses are not sequential and can be attended separately.

 

Attendees: Investigators, Research nurse coordinators and managers, research nurses, and administrators.

 

Thursday, March 5

Noon-1pm

FDA's Risk-Based Monitoring, presented by Penny Jester, BSN, MPH, CCRC

 

Thursday, March 12

12:30-1:30pm

Journal Club: Review of the Literature about FDA's Risk-Based Monitoring

 

Thursday, March 19

Noon-1pm

Deviation Reporting

 

Partners: Please join us remotely via GoToMeeting:

___________________________________________________________________________ 
Seminars, Lectures & Workshops

Wednesday, March 4

UAB CCTS Forum

 4:45-6pm

PCAMS 1924 7th Avenue South

 

James Cimino, MD
Please join the UAB CCTS for our monthly forum, a chance to gather and discuss the latest innovations in new and ongoing research. This month we are proud to welcome Dr. James Cimino, MD, as inaugural director of the UAB Informatics Institute, and co-director of the CCTS. Click here to read more about it. Visit us in our CCTS headquarters, the Pittman building, for drinks, hors d'oeuvres and discussion. We look forward to seeing you then.

Not able to make it UAB for the event? Join us via GoToMeeting at:

Wednesday, March 4

Elsevier Expo at UAB Libraries

The UAB Libraries invite you to attend the Elsevier Expo. Two sessions with identical research fairs & presentations.

  • 9am-noon - Research Fair   Drop by to learn more about ScienceDirect, Scopus, Embase, Knovel, and Mendeley.
  • 9:30-10:30am - Featured Resource Demonstration - Room 164  Attend a demonstration to learn more about the Embase biomedical database.
  • 11am-noon - Content Expansion Presentation - Room 164   Attend a presentation to learn more about the expanded Elsevier content available through the UAB Libraries.

Afternoon Session @ Sterne Library - featuring Knovel demonstration

  • 2-5pm - Research Fair   Drop by to learn more about ScienceDirect, Scopus, Embase, Knovel, and Mendeley.
  • 2-3pm  - Featured Resource Demonstration - Room 174  Attend a demonstration to learn more about the Knovel engineering product.
  • 3-4pm - Content Expansion Presentation - Room 174  Attend a presentation to learn more about the expanded Elsevier content available through the UAB Libraries.
 

 

Thursday, March 5

Research Methods and Secondary Data Analysis Seminar Series

Meredith Kilgore, PhD, Professor and Chair, Health Organization and Policy

UAB School of Public Health

"Medicare Claims Data and Health Services Research"

11:45am-1:15pm

Medical Towers 634

 

 Please RSVP to dfizer@uabmc.edu by noon Tuesday, March 3

 

Thursday, March 12

Professional Skills Development Series

Refresher, Responsible Conduct of Research Training

Drs. Jeff Engler and Jennifer Greer, UAB Graduate School for Challenges of Ethical Authorship

11am-noon

UAB West Pavilion, Conference Room E

 

Participants will examine the challenges of authorship, academic style of writing, and ethical presentation of data in images and figures.  All trainees, fellows, participants, and scholars receiving support through any individual or institutional NIH training, career development award, research education grant, and dissertation research grant must receive personal instruction in responsible conduct of research. To meet the NIH requirement in RCR, trainees will need to take advantage of multiple training methods, not just one course.  Please register here.

    

 

Monday, March 16

UAB World Rare Disease Day Symposium

8am-3pm

Children's Harbor, 1600 6th Avenue South, #200

 

Registration is now available online for $15. Click here for more information.

For more information, contact Shaila P. Handattu (hande@uab.edu)

 

Tues-Wed, March 17-18

10th Annual UAB Health Disparities Research Symposium 2015   

"The Science of Health Disparities: From Social Causes to Personalized Medicine" 

 DoubleTree Hotel, 808 20th Street South

 

 

 

 Click Here to: View Abstract GuidelinesSubmit an AbstractRegister for the Event

 

Announcing the 2015 Alabama Drug Discovery Alliance  Seminar Series


 

Taking place  Tuesdays at noon at PCAMS, 1924 7th Avenue South

 

 

Presented by the Alabama Drug Discovery Alliance and the UAB CCTS:

March 3:  Introduction to Drug Discovery - Maaike Everts (UAB)

March 10: What Makes a Target Valid and Druggable? - Mark Suto (SR)

March 17: Assay Development in Drug Discovery - Indira Padmalayam (SR)

March 24: High Throughput Screening - Robert Bostwick (SR)

March 31: Toxicology in Support of Drug Development - Charles Hebert (SR)

April 7: Pharmacokinetics and ADME - Ed Acosta (UAB)

April 17: Medicinal Chemistry: From Hit to Lead - Corinne Augelli-Szafran (SR)

April 21: How to Submit an IND - Penny Jester and Maaike Everts (UAB)

April 28: Intellectual Property Aspects in Drug Discovery - Kathy Nugent (UAB)

 

To access slide decks from past presentations, visit: http://www.uab.edu/medicine/adda/

Light lunch provided.  For more information email: adda@uab.edu

Join us remotely via GoToMeeting at:
Alabama Drug Discovery Alliance Seminar Series
Training Opportunities

UAB CCTS Short-Term Research Training Program

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS
8 Week Summer Program in Comparative Effectiveness and Patient-Centered Outcomes Research

June 8-July 31, 2015 

Deadline for application:  5 pm, March 4, 2015

Notification will be by:  March 24, 2015
(Download a PDF of application guidelines)

 

This 8-week program provides mentored research training experiences in patient centered outcomes research (PCOR) and comparative effectiveness research (CER) for medical students or other clinically-oriented doctoral students that have completed their first year of training.


Why CER and PCOR?  With an increasing, ongoing national focus, there is a growing need for training in these areas especially in the earliest stages of clinical training.

Who may apply?  Many applicants have finished their first year of medical school.  Students in other clinical doctorate programs and those that have been admitted to a pre-professional, clinical program are eligible to apply if they are able to meet the requirements of the program.

What else?  Trainees must devote full-time effort (40 hours week) for the duration of the program (June and July).  A stipend is provided; on-campus housing is available. 

Purpose

In a time of accelerated scientific discovery, researchers are needed to translate research to the clinical setting. A national shortage of such investigators is well documented and specialized training is needed early in the career development process. Furthermore, with a continued national focus on comparative effectiveness research (CER) and patient centered outcomes research (PCOR), there is a growing need for training in these areas.

Clinically focused students in the earliest stages of training may have an interest but limited experience in research in PCOR, CER and related topics. The summer program at UAB provides an opportunity for a hands-on research experience leading to the generation of research products, all within a supportive, mentored research environment.

 

Questions?  Please contact the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS):  ccts@uab.edu  /  205.934.7442
 

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Starting next month, the UAB College of Arts and Sciences will offer training to junior faculty who are planning to apply for a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award. The NSF awards CAREER research grants to new faculty at universities who are at the rank of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) in any of the broad science and social science disciplines that are eligible for NSF grants.  

 

UAB's training will be led by former NSF CAREER awardee David Hilton (Department of Physics), with support from current awardees Ragib Hasan (Department of Computer and Information Sciences, Eugenia Kharlampieva (Department of Chemistry), and Karolina Mukhtar (Department of Biology). The three-session training program will walk applicants through the process of applying for and winning prestigious CAREER Awards from the NSF. All UAB faculty are invited to attend.

 

Sessions (content builds from session to session; attendance recommended at all 3):

Noon-1pm

 

* March 13 session -  Heritage Hall Room 102  

* April 10 and May 8 sessions -  Heritage Hall Room 500

            

Questions may be directed to Dr. David Hilton: dhilton@uab.edu

 

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The Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research and Education (COERE), and the Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Center (MHRC) invite letters of intent for K-Scholar career development awards in Patient Centered Outcomes Research (PCOR).  These awards are supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institutional Award (K12).

 

This opportunity will support 3 PCOR K-Scholars for a period of two years to build capacity for the conduct of PCOR to enhance patient-centered care.  
 

Candidates must be junior-level, full-time UAB faculty OR be able to provide assurance of a staff appointment on or before August 1, 2015. Non-UAB candidates are eligible to apply.  Additional eligibility criteria are included with the full Letter of Intent instruction packet, available upon request. 
 

Please see the attached flyer  for additional information about the program.
 

Important Dates:

March 2, 2015 - Last day for receipt of letters of intent

May 4, 2015 - Full applications due

 

CONTACT:  For questions regarding eligibility, program requirements and the selection process or to request a Letter of Intent instructional packet, please contact Ryan Outman at routman@uab.edu

 

 

 

Mathematical Sciences in Obesity Research: Short Course Enrolling Now

You are invited to participate in a five day short course on "The Mathematical Sciences in Obesity Research" at UAB, taking place Monday, June 22-Friday, June 26.

 

The mathematical sciences including engineering, statistics, computer science, physics, econometrics, psychometrics, epidemiology, and mathematics qua mathematics are increasingly being applied to advance our understanding of the causes, consequences, and alleviation of obesity.  These applications do not merely involve routine well-established approaches easily implemented in widely available commercial software. Rather, they increasingly involve computationally demanding tasks, use and in some cases development of novel analytic methods and software, new derivations, computer simulations, and unprecedented interdigitation of two or more existing techniques. Such advances at the interface of the mathematical sciences and obesity research require bilateral training and exposure for investigators in both disciplines. This course on the mathematical sciences in obesity research features some of the world's finest scientists working in this domain to fill this unmet need by providing nine topic driven modules designed to bridge the disciplines.

 

For full details of the course, including application materials, please refer to the attached draft agenda, and this website.

 

Limited travel scholarships are available to young investigators.

 

Please apply prior to Friday, May 1. Accepted applicants will be notified no later than Friday, May 8.

Women, members of underrepresented minority groups and individuals with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. We look forward to seeing you in Birmingham this summer!
 
Check out the CCTS  Funding Opportunities page on our website. 
 


 


 

Request for Applications for Alabama Drug Discovery Alliance Pre-Proposals:

deadline March 23 8:30am

The RFA for 2015 ADDA pre-proposals is live. We will use a 2-stage process to identify new ADDA projects:

 

1) A PI (or multiple PIs) submit(s) a  pre-proposal with a maximum of 2 pages that will be reviewed by a scientific panel with expertise in various aspects of target validation and drug discovery - the instructions for which are attached.

 

2) After review, an invitation with instructions for a full proposal (maximum of 9 pages) will be sent to select PIs. Full proposals will be reviewed by a minimum of three scientific experts and the UAB Institute for Innovation and Entrepeneurship; the ADDA Advisory Board will select the final proposals based on these reviews and the ADDA portfolio.

 

Who can apply?

All UAB faculty and Southern Research investigators are eligible to apply, irrespective of affiliation or rank.


Click to read the entire application.

 

Deadline
The deadline for the pre-proposals is on
Monday March 23, at 8:30am. Please read the RFA carefully to see what will and will not be considered to be eligible for funding.

 

For more information, email: adda@uab.edu.

 


 

    PCORI logo

 

NOW ACCEPTING LETTERS OF INTENT FOR LATEST FUNDING CYCLE, INCLUDING HEPATITIS C ANNOUNCEMENT  

 

PCORI issued six new PCORI Funding Announcements (PFAs) today. Five offer up to $88 million in support for a range of patient-centered comparative effectiveness research (CER) proposals under our national research priorities, with a pool of up to $12 million set aside for rare disease-focused studies. We also issued a new PFA targeting hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, offering up to $50 million for up to four studies of key research questions in HCV diagnosis and treatment. Required Letters of Intent (LOIs) are due by 5 p.m. ET Friday, March 6. Find out more on the Funding Opportunities page on the PCORI website.


 

Contact the CCTS Research Commons ( ccts@uab.edu; 4.7442) to learn more. Visit the site now for these and ongoing additions to the list!

BiostatisticsBIOSTATISTICS

Mondays
Epidemiology/Biostatistics Clinic in The Edge of Chaos

  

This clinic provides the UAB community access to epidemiology and biostatistics resources.  Available most Mondays, 10am-2pm in The Edge of Chaos (Lister Hill Library, 4th floor).  Check the Edge of Chaos calendar   for confirmation of meeting dates and times. 
 

 

UAB CCTS Biostatistics Clinic                                                    

 

Weekly on Wednesdays, 11:30am-1pm

PCAMS Building 1924 7th Avenue South

 

The Biostatistics Clinic is open to all faculty members, post-docs, fellows, residents, and students. Attendees are invited to bring statistical and methodological questions about on-going research projects, projects being planned, manuscripts in progress, responses to peer reviewers, and published articles. They are also invited to bring their laptops. Assistance will be provided by members of the CCTS BERD group. A light lunch is served.  

 

BERD Design Consultation Available Today

In support of Pilot & Feasibility Projects, the CCTS is offering design consultation through its Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Research Division (BERD).  A team of methodologists, including experts in Epidemiology (Gerald McGwin, Russell Griffin), Biostatistics (Robert Oster, David Redden, Leslie McClure, Paul Lin), and Statistical Genetics (Hemant Tiwari, Xiangqin Cui) are available to collaborate in the design of  the pilot proposals as well as in their review.  If other methodological expertise is required in the project design, the BERD will recruit the required expertise from among the network of UAB methodologists.

 

Please contact the BERD and request design consultation by emailing bstchair@uab.edu, calling 

(205) 934-4905 or connecting through Research Commons on the CCTS home page. 

 

UAB Center for Clinical and Translational Science |   ccts@uab.edu
 Pittman Center for Advanced Medical Sciences
1924 Seventh Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35294