September 2017

News

TIN Update: First Three Clinical Trials in the Pipeline

The CTSC Hub Liaison Team has been busy since June, facilitating 3 new clinical trials that have come to us via the national Trial Innovation Network. The national Trial Innovation Network - billed as our nation’s clinical trials ‘superhighway’ -  is a new NIH entity to facilitate multi-center clinical trials utilizing existing national CTSA sites.  Local site Co-Investigators were identified and invited by the national Trial Innovation Network Centers at CTSC-affiliated sites to participate. There are currently three trials in various stages of ‘onboarding’ at our CTSC-affiliate sites and we will provide updates when they are further along and executed.

Any full-time faculty member at Case Western Reserve University is eligible to submit a study proposal to the Trial Innovation Network through the  Trial Innovation Network Hub Liaison Team . To submit a proposal (funded or in developmental stage)  or for questions about the Trial Innovation Network, please contact Noreen Roman, Project Coordinator, at  nroman@metrohealth.org  or at 216-778-3130.

TriNetX: The Global Health Research Network for Healthcare Organizations, BioPharma, and CROs TriNetX is the global health research network enabling healthcare organizations, biopharma and contract research organizations (CROs) to collaborate, enhance trial design, accelerate recruitment and bring new therapies to market faster. Each member of the TriNetX community shares in the consolidated value of their global, federated health research network that connects clinical researchers in real-time to the patient populations which they are attempting to study.   Through TriNetX healthcare organizations can attract clinical trials, collaborate with peers, enhance local research.   Local Research Principal investigators at healthcare organizations can research their own patient populations. Collaborative Research Principal investigators at healthcare organizations can form collaborative networks with peer institutions and research the patient population of all collaborators. Industry Research Investigators can research all sites on the health research network.   Participate in multi-site research with other healthcare organizations, without having to expend precious resources to normalize your data to an external standard.   For additional information, please contact our hub’s TriNetX liaison, Jeno Mozes .

CTSC Leadership Named Distinguished University Professors

Congratulations to Drs. Mark Chance and Shirley Moore on receiving the Case Western Reserve University Distinguished University Professorship! Dr. Mark Chance is the School of Medicine Vice Dean for Research and Co-PI of the CTSC. Read more about his accomplishments for this prestigious award. Dr. Shirley Moore is the Edward J. and Louise Mellen Professor of Nursing and Associate Dean for Research in the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, director of the P30 Center of Excellence in Self-Management Research (SMART Center) and co-lead of our CTSC KL2 Scholar program. Read more about her work and extraordinary record supporting faculty and students.

News from the PRCHN

PRCHN Monthly Seminar Series Mark your calendars for these upcoming PRCHN seminars: September 13, 2017 at 12:00pm Ask-Advise-Connect and eReferral to Improve Tobacco Cessation Assistance by Linking Primary Care with the Quitline Sue Flocke, PhD, Associate Director, PRCHN, and Professor, Center for Community Health Integration, CWRU, and the eReferral Team October 11, 2017 at 12:00pm Community Ambassador Model for Promoting Access to Farmers' Markets FreshLink Team panel presentation Mark your calendars for the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 12:00-1:15 pm.    Check the PRCHN website for the full Seminar Series schedule

REACH and Cleveland State University Community Health Worker certification program offer free health screenings at farmers' markets and community events REACH encompasses a range of healthy eating and activity living initiatives.  REACH Health Ambassador Delores Collins has spearheaded a collaboration with the Cleveland State University Community Health Worker certification program to offer free health screenings at farmers' markets and community events. Ms. Collins, along with the REACH team and HIP-Cuyahoga have been in the community at shared use events, conducting health screenings, offering healthy food samples, and giving residents ideas on how to make small changes to improve their health. Find out what the REACH team has been doing this summer!

News from the National PRC Network The PRCHN is part of the CDC's nationwide network of 26 Prevention Research Centers. Just as the PRCHN is enhancing and nurturing its relationship with area Community Health Workers, our colleagues at the Arizona and NYU-CUNY Prevention Research Centers are researching the role of Community Health Workers in their communities. From University of Arizona Prevention Research Center Documenting Community Health Worker Roles in Primary Care: Contributions to Evidence-Based Integration Into Health Care Teams, 2015.  This article provides findings of the activities of Phase One of their current core research project. It was a qualitative study of Community Health Worker roles and activities in three federally qualified health centers.    From New York University School of Medicine and City University of New York School of Public Health Prevention Research Center  Evaluating community health workers' attributes, roles, and pathways of action in immigrant communities. The research team at NYU-CUNY examined Community Health Worker (CHW) attributes, roles, and pathways of action across four projects they completed; one being their core research project from last cycle. Findings can potentially guide improved selection and training of CHWs. The research team developed a 13-item scale assessing CHW attributes, roles, and pathways.

News from the Urban Health Intiative

Creating the Science of Digital Medicine, Together Many thanks to the CTSC for co-convening a most engaging talk on August 28, 2017, “Creating the Science of Digital Medicine, Together” by Dr. Ashish Atreja, Chief Innovation and Engagement Officer at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.  Ashish was the lead Informatician on the earliest years of the CTSC where he was the Associate Program Director for Cleveland Clinic’s Medical Informatics Fellowship. He showed some really intriguing ways that New York health systems are using technology to reach patients and to collect patient reported outcomes for care and research purposes including an “app” that enables providers to prescribe curated apps to patients. “Curated” is key here because of the general lack of an evidence base for Digital Medicine. For that, Ashish has created NODE Health , the Network of Digital Evidence in Hea lth that seeks to define standards of evidence for digital health technology, and to provide an infrastructure for multicenter collaborations around digital medicine pilots.

Please see the paper we just published in the inaugural issue of Digital Biomarkers for more on the topic . ( Link: The Broken Health Information Technology Innovation Pipeline: A Perspective from the NODE Health Consortium, Makhni S., Atreja A., Sheon A., Van Winkle B., Sharp J., Carpenter N. Digital Biomarkers 2017:1:64-72.) Dr. Ashish Atreja discusses NODE Health opportunities with CTSC faculty and investigators (right). Watch for dramatic enhancements in the next year to our Health Data Matters LiveStories platform. Our work with their platform played some role in  LiveStorie’s recent success in obtaining a $10 million venture capital investment. What would you like to see the platform do? Dr. Scott Frank, the Health Data Matters Co-Director and I welcome your thoughts. If you want to learn more, mark your calendars for October 13, 2017 when I’ll make a presentation to the  Center for Health Research & Policy weekly seminar at MetroHealth.   Registration is now open for the 3 rd Annual Cleveland Medical Hackathon, October 21-22, 2017 at the Global Center for Health Innovation. I will, once again, lead the Community Health and Wellness track that this year, has two thematic priorities: Precision Public Health and Engaging Underserved Populations with Electronic Health Tools. To learn more and get engaged, join the  Cleveland Public Health Innovation Meetup Group. It’s free!   Finally, readers of this newsletter know about my ongoing concerns about lack of digital skills and connectivity as a new, unrecognized social determinant of health. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported on August 25th that a class action lawyer  filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission  on behalf of three Cleveland Residents saying that AT&T “ is denying poor, black neighborhoods in Cleveland the same high-speed internet services that it provides to more well-off portions of the city and surrounding suburbs,” a practice they refer to as “digital redlining.” Through work with community partners, we hope that expanding access to high speed internet will enable more people to take advantage of electronic tools to manage their health. Stay tuned!   Amy R. Sheon, Ph.D., M.P.H. Executive Director, Urban Health Initiative Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine 216-368-0915 http://urbanhealth.case.edu  www.healthdatamatters.org @CLEhealthCUY

News from our Colleagues

CWRUMed 360

NCATS News

SMART IRB News

NIH Extramural Nexus Check out the NIH Extramural Nexus for important grant related news! Here are some important articles from this month: Data On Trends According to Career Stage Next Generation Researcher Policy Announcement – Coming Soon 4 Questions For Researchers and Institutions Involved In Human Subjects Research

Changing Policies Impact NIH-funded Studies Involving Human Subjects If you are conducting NIH-funded research that involves human subjects, or are considering applying to NIH for support of such research, we want to call your attention to important changes that may affect how you: select the right NIH funding opportunity announcement write the research strategy and human subjects sections of your application comply with appropriate policies and regulations 1. Familiarize yourself with the new PHS Human Subject and Clinical Trial Information form 2. Take a moment to answer these four questions about your current or proposed research: Does the study involve human participants? Are the participants prospectively assigned to an intervention? Is the study designed to evaluate the effect of the intervention on the participants? Is the effect that will be evaluated a health-related biomedical or behavioral outcome? If the answer to all four questions is yes, then your proposed research meets the NIH definition of a clinical trial. 3. F amiliarize yourself with NIH policy changes related to enhancing stewardship of clinical trials: the requirement to apply to an FOA that specifically allows for the submission of clinical trial applications for due dates beginning January 25, 2018. Good Clinical Practice training expectations for NIH staff, grantees, and contractors that went into effect January 2017. updated peer review criteria that will be included in FOAs for clinical trial applications and solicitations for due dates on/after January 25, 2018. new Human Subject Information form requirements for clinical trials that will be included in updated application forms (FORMS-E) for due dates on/after January 25, 2018, and contract solicitations published as of January 25, 2018. use of a single IRB for non-exempt, multi-site clinical trials for application due dates on/after January 25, 2018. expanded ClinicalTrials.gov registration and reporting to include all NIH supported clinical trials. The NIH has developed a new  Clinical Trial Requirements for NIH Grantees and Contractors web page  to bring together all the information you need to know.

Research Highlights

Recent KL2 Alum Investigates the Effect of Socioeconomic Status on Cardiovascular Risk "There is a growing body of research suggesting that non-clinical risk factors like socioeconomic status may also contribute to an individual’s cardiovascular risk,” says Jarrod Dalton, PhD, Assistant Staff in the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute Department of Quantitative Health Sciences. In the KL2 program, Dr. Dalton worked under the mentorship of Neal Dawson, MD and Eugene Blackstone, MD to build and validate clinical decision rules which served to recommend a treatment alternative for specific conditions according to patients individual comorbidity profiles using large population health databases. He also developed methodology for modeling abnormally low and/or high treatment outcomes, with applications in clinical and translational medicine, health economics, and personalized care.   Read the full article here.

Endometrial Cancer: Potential New Target for Resistant Tumors Found

There are few treatment options for women with advanced endometrial cancer, which often relapses after developing resistance to chemotherapy. Now, however, new research suggests that targeting a protein that is most abundant on cancer stem cells in endometrioid tumors may offer a way forward. In the  Journal of Experimental Medicine, study co-leader, Dr. Ofer Reizes, and a team from the Cleveland Clinic explain how they investigated the immune regulatory protein CD55 and the role that it plays in cancer  stem cells in endometrioid tumors. Read the article here

Research Points to Early Detection of Alzheimer's Disease

New research from Case Western Reserve University may offer a way to pinpoint Alzheimer's at its beginning stages. If it proves effective, this would allow patients to receive treatment earlier and live normal lives for a longer time. "Delaying the onset of full-blown Alzheimer's would be a win," said lead researcher Anant Madabhushi, professor of biomedical engineering at Case Western Reserve University. "The sooner we can intervene, the better chance to regress it, at least delay it."   Read the article here

Noteworthy Research

Editing human embryos with CRISPR is moving ahead – now’s the time to work out the ethics Case Western Reserve University develops therapeutic to repair and regenerate tissue

Researchers find beta blockers have positive effect in pulmonary arterial hypertension

Events

OHRP Research Community Forum September 6-7, 2017 Northern Kentucky Convention Center, Covington, KY The Cincinnati CTSA will be hosting a  two-day human subject protection forum consisting of an academic conference and an applied workshop relevant for institutional review board (IRB) members, IRB administrators, clinical investigators, research scientists and support staff, sponsors, contract research organizations, government regulators, and members of the research community. Representatives from the Office of Human Research Protection (OHRP) and other federal agencies as well as research experts will provide perspectives and resources for interpreting and applying human subject protections in an evolving regulatory landscape. Tracks include:          Social/behavioral research          Biomedical research          Innovative research          Regulatory landscape          Community engagement Click here for more information Register Here

Cell Therapy Retreat: Cultivating Innovation in Patient Care September 8, 2017, 1:00-4:30 PM CWRU School of Medicine, BRB 105 The National Center for Regenerative Medicine will host a Cell Therapy Retreat. This forum will promote scientific exchange and networking opportunities among cell therapy experts within the Cleveland area. Clinicians, researchers, trainees and students are welcome to attend. This is a free event. Pre-registration is required. Register Here

Hide and Seek for Research September 10, 2017 Cleveland Metroparks Join the School of Medicine for “Hike and Seek for Research,” a fundraising event and scavenger hunt in the Cleveland Metroparks Sept. 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will benefit the Research Institute for Children’s Health. At check in, guests will receive a Hike & Seek for Research bandana and “seek” list. Attendees can post “found” items—including local entertainment, sports and news celebrity hikers—on social media to win prizes. Guests can choose between five Cleveland Metroparks locations: Brecksville North Chagrin Ohio & Erie Canal Rocky River West Creek The Research Institute for Children’s Health seeks treatments and cures for devastating genetic-based diseases and disorders, affecting one in 30 children. Learn more about the center at  casemed.case.edu/pediatrics/kids. The cost to participate is a $20 donation for those ages 10 and up.   For directions and trails, visit  clevelandmetroparks.com. Register Here

Clinical Research Forum 2017 Industry Roundtable September 25, 2017 American College of Cardiology Conference Center 2400 N St NW, Washington, DC 20037 Hear from leaders in the field about the  21st Century Cures Act and the future of industry-funded research. Enjoy unparalleled, intimate access to top decision makers at this exclusive member event.  Free to CR Forum members as a member benefit!    Stellar Speaker Line-Up includes FDA, NIH, and Eli Lilly!    Learn more at  http://www.clinicalresearchforum.org/page/IndustryRoundtable Register Here

North Coast Conference on Precision Medicine September 28, 2017 Case Western Reserve University Tinkham Veale University Center This year’s symposium will feature a combined lecture series and hands-on workshop. The overall theme of this year’s symposium will focus on current topics related to collecting lifestyle/behavioral and exposure data, with an emphasis on diverse populations. The workshop will feature approaches used to extract these important health determinants from electronic health records. The event is $25 for faculty and staff outside of the CWRU Institute for Computational Biology. A list of speakers, the schedule and registration information are  available online. Register Here

12th Annual Cleveland Clinic Obesity Summit September 28-29, 2017 InterContinental Hotel - Cleveland, OH Mississppi Gulf Coast Community College - Biloxi, MS The Cleveland Clinic Obesity Summit attracts a diverse mix of health care practitioners interested in discussing innovative solutions to the causes of obesity, preventive strategies, and therapeutic management approaches. This Summit features diverse sessions designed to engage you with colleagues as well as patient interviews, live surgeries, interactive workshops, case-based lessons, and question and answer sessions. Take advantage of the opportunity to learn from shared experts broadcast between two locations – Cleveland, OH and Biloxi, MS.   Who Should Attend? Health care professionals (including physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, physician assistants, and dietitians), researchers, hospital and corporate administrators, and others who have an interest in obesity-related fields, including endocrinology, family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry and psychology, bariatric surgery, and wellness.    Sign up today at  www.ccfcme.org/ccfobesity17 ACCREDITATION: 13.5  AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM Questions? Call 216-448-8710 Register Here

National Health IT Week October 2-6, 2017 National Health IT Week is October 2nd - 6th, 2017. The goal is to promote the benefits healthcare information technology can bring to U.S. healthcare. CR Forum will use the opportunity to highlight the benefits health IT brings to clinical research.  The Clinical Research Forum's annual IT Roundtable brings together academic health center leaders and IT companies to share common experiences and address key issues such as the interface of clinical services and clinical research data, warehousing, data security, electronic medical records, and governance. The IT Roundtable is November 2-3, 2017, in Washington, D.C.  See more about the IT Roundtable

5 th  Biophysical Society Central Pennsylvania  Regional Networking Meeting October 6, 2017 Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA On October 6, 2017, the Penn State College of Medicine will host the 5 th  Biophysical Society Central Pennsylvania Regional Networking Meeting. Previous conferences have successfully brought together biophysics researchers, educators, and trainees in the Mid-Atlantic region. This event is designed to provide opportunities for those broadly interested in biophysics to share their research and develop collaborations. The opportunity for trainees to present their work at a regional conference is invaluable. There will be several slots for students and postdocs to give talks. There will also be two poster sessions and a keynote talk. Please register for this free conference ( deadline is September 29 th ) to allow adequate time for meeting planning.   KEYNOTE SPEAKER: David D. Thomas, Ph.D. Professor of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics PI, Minnesota Muscle Research Laboratory University of Minnesota HOSTED BY: Christopher M. Yengo, Ph.D. Professor of Cellular and Molecular Physiology Penn State College of Medicine Email:  cmy11@psu.edu MEALS:  Lunch and refreshments will be provided. POSTERS/PLATFORM TALKS:  All registrants are welcome to present a poster during the two poster sessions. Several platform speakers will be selected from the submitted abstracts. Undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdoctoral trainees are particularly encouraged to present their latest research findings. Register Here

2017 Graft vs. Host Disease National Symposium October 13, 2017 Grand Event Center, Columbus, OH This conference is intended to raise awareness about the signs and symptoms of GvHD, review cutting edge approaches to prevention and treatment, and highlight and promote research to further our understanding of its cause. The symposium has  two tracks: a scientifically rigorous one for physicians and practitioners, and a survivor track that will focus on challenges faced by BMT recipients and their families. The survivor track is intended to provide both education and the opportunity for individuals to interact with national leaders in the GvHD field. The afternoon "Meet the Expert" panel provides a unique opportunity for both physicians and survivors and their families to interact during the program. KEYNOTE SPEAKER: James Ferrara, MD Professor, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, The Mount Sinai Hospital Biomarkers in Graft versus Host Disease: Acute and Chronic ACCREDITATION: Physicians This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and the Meredith A. Cowden Foundation. Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of  5.75 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should only claim the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. Nurses  The Ohio Board of Nursing will accept at face value the number of contact hours awarded for an educational activity that has been approved for CE by a nationally accredited system of CE approval. Click here for more information Register Here

3rd Annual Cleveland Medical Hackathon October 21-22, 2017 Global Health Innovation Center - Cleveland, OH The Cleveland Medical Hackathon (#clemedhack) will bring together doctors, nurses, researchers, public health workers along with IT professionals over an intense 24-hour period at the Global Center for Health Innovation. Hackathon teams will identify challenges, propose solutions, and work on technological solutions that are poised to transform healthcare. Teams will then present their solutions for cash prizes and an opportunity to discuss their findings during the 15th Annual Medical Innovation Summit immediately following the Hackathon. Visit the Cleveland Medical Hackathon website.

2017 Medical Innovation Summit: Genomics & Precision Medicine October 23-25, 2017 Huntington Convention Center - Cleveland, OH Cleveland Clinic Innovations hosts the Medical Innovation Summit each fall as a way to bring together all stakeholders in healthcare to build the relationships and ignite the technologies that will advance patient care. The Summit is part of Cleveland Clinic’s commitment to drive healthcare innovation and quality. Now more than ever, Cleveland Clinic believes it is essential that innovation remain at the core in the delivery of medical care.  Now in its 15th year, the Summit is renowned for thought-provoking panels, lively 1-on-1 discussions with influential CEOs, and the discovery of the latest market-ready technologies poised to shake up the status quo. Regardless of your field, Genomics and Precision Medicine is on the brink of revolutionizing the way we care for patients and the way we conduct business. Join us as we highlight the technologies, discuss the opportunities, and navigate the future challenges of this exciting new market. Visit the Medical Innovation Summit website. Register Here

Meeting of the Minds 2017 Annual Summit October 23-25, 2017 Global Health Innovation Center - Cleveland, OH The Meeting of the Minds Summit is a forward-looking conference for sharing strategies with scalable solutions in urban neighborhoods.The summit will include speakers and sessions that aim to share innovative sustainability and technology solutions between people from around the globe. Visit the Meeting of the Minds website. Register Here

Funding Opportunities

New HHS, NIH Grant Programs Following in their long traditions of helping to support important scientific research, the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services have released information on new grant and award programs that we encourage members to take advantage of. To read more about these award opportunities, check out the  NIH's "Find Funding" website.

National Eczema Association Application Deadline: September 15, 2017 Since 2004, the  National Eczema Association has been funding research to improve the health and quality of lives of individuals with eczema. To that end, the foundation is accepting proposals for its NEA Research Grant Program. In 2017, NEA will award three grants in the amount of $30,000 each for research in the areas of quality of life, itch, psychosocial, economic burden, marital status, social life, time, and academic/occupational impacts. To be eligible, applicants must be considered tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. For more information, visit the  NEA website.

American Cancer Society IRG Pilot Awards LOI Deadline: September 21, 2017 Pilot funding for cancer-related research in basic, clinical, prevention & control, behavioral, health services and epidemiology. Up to $30,000 award. Applications accepted for general cancer-related projects and for special interest projects in adolescent-and-young-adult cancer research.   Eligibility IRG pilot project grants are intended to support independent, self-directed investigators early in their careers (usually assistant professor or equivalent). Applicants for the pilot project grants should be within 6 years of their first independent research or faculty appointment and eligible to apply for an independent national competitive research grant, but do not currently hold such a cancer-related grant.   Recipients of IRG pilot project grants must be, at the time of the application, citizens or noncitizen nationals of the United States or its possessions and territories, or must have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence at the time of application.   Visit  http://cancer.case.edu/members/funding/casecccfunding/  to view instructions, frequently asked questions, and application forms.  Contact  casecccpilots@case.edu  or Julie Glavic at  216.368.5780  with any questions.

American Skin Association - Calder Research Scholar Award in Vitiligo/Pigment Cell Disorders Application Deadline: October 1, 2017 The ASA invites the submission of applications for its Calder Research Scholar Award in Vitiligo/Pigment Cell Disorders in the amount of $60,000 to foster the career development of a young investigator working at the level of instructor through associate professor in the field of dermatology or cutaneous biology. The aim of the program is to provide bridge support for young investigators. Special consideration will be given to individuals without significant prior support. A second year of funding may be requested upon receipt and review of a final progress report and reapplication.  Preference will be given to those under the age of 45 as of June 30, 2018 with a rank of instructor up through associate professor (or the institutional equivalent). First preference will be given to those working in a department or division of dermatology, and second preference to those with a close working relationship to dermatology. The individual must have a strong career goal within the field of dermatology and be dedicated to the furtherance of knowledge concerning vitiligo/pigment cell disorders. The research must be focused on new discoveries in the basic or translational medical sciences that impact the understanding or treatment of vitiligo/pigment cell disorders. For more information visit the ASA website .

The Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) Phase II LOI Deadline: October 2, 2017 The NIH is now accepting applications for Phase II of the  Undiagnosed Diseases Network  (UDN). The UDN is a research study with three overarching goals to: 1) improve the level of diagnosis and care for patients with undiagnosed diseases 2) facilitate research into the etiology of undiagnosed diseases and 3) promote an integrated and collaborative community of laboratory and clinical investigators prepared to investigate these difficult to diagnose diseases. In Phase II of the program, the UDN will continue accepting participants with unsolved medical cases as well as study the components required for network sustainability once Common Fund support ends. Pending the availability of funds and sufficient numbers of meritorious applications, the program expects to fund a Coordinating Center, 8-10 Clinical Sites, and 3-6 Core Laboratories through 5 FOAs.   Information on all 5 of the UDN Phase II FOAs can be found on the Common Fund UDN website at  https://commonfund.nih.gov/Diseases/grants   a nd individual FOAs can also be found through the links below.   Clinical Sites for the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) Phase II (U01) (RFA-RM-17-019) Coordinating Center for the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) Phase II (U01) (RFA-RM-17-018)           Metabolomics Core for the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) Phase II (U01) (RFA-RM-17-015) Model Organisms Screening Center for the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) Phase II (U54) (RFA-RM-17-017) Sequencing Core(s) for the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) Phase II (U01) (RFA-RM-17-016)   Letters of intent are due October 2, 2017 and applications are due November 2, 2017.

NIH: Cellular and Molecular Biology of Complex Brain Disorders (R01) Application Deadline: October 5, 2017 This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages research grant applications directed toward the discovery of the impact of alterations associated with complex brain disorders on the fundamental cellular and molecular substrates of neuronal function.  For more information visit the  Grants.Gov website .

RFI: Bioethics Issues in Cancer Research and Care Comments Due: October 6, 2017 National Cancer Institute (NCI) is seeking input from community members, patients, cancer researchers, physicians and other health practitioners, bioethicists, advocates, and others to help identify bioethics areas clearly relevant to cancer that could benefit from further research. Input is also sought on approaches for enhancing bioethics and cancer collaborations, and timely issues for bioethics and cancer outreach.   The RFI can be found at  NOT-CA-17-079 .

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International - Beta Cell Replacement Innovative Grants Application Deadline: October 31, 2017 JDRF provides seed funding for highly innovative research with significant potential to accelerate the mission of JDRF. Proposals should address key outstanding questions and have the potential to lead to a change in the current paradigm or conventional wisdom and/or lead to a groundbreaking discovery. Preliminary data is not required in the proposal but the underlying premise, goal, or hypothesis must be plausible and testable and the proposal must be focused with a well-defined goal that is achievable within the timeframe of the award. The Innovative Grant is not intended to support proposals aiming to incrementally advance existing hypotheses, ongoing areas of research or proposals with the sole goal of generating novel reagents or resources. Specific Information regarding JDRF’s Beta Cell Replacement research priority area can be found here:   http://grantcenter.jdrf.org/information-for-applicants/research-priority-areas/#Beta-Replacement   Proposals may be submitted by domestic and foreign non-profit organizations, public and private, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, laboratories, units of state and local governments, and eligible agencies of the federal government. Innovative (but not pilot and research tool) proposals from for-profit organizations will also be considered. Applicants must hold an M.D., D.M.D., D.V.M., Ph.D., or equivalent and have a faculty position or equivalent at a college, university, medical school, or other research facility. There are no citizenship requirements for this program. To assure continued excellence and diversity among applicants and awardees, JDRF welcomes proposals from all qualified individuals and encourages proposals from persons with disabilities, women, and members of minority groups underrepresented in the sciences. Innovative grants provide one year of support for a maximum of USD 100,000 in direct costs and indirect costs of 10%, for a total of USD 110,000. These grants are not renewable.

2018 Culture of Health Prize Application Deadline: November 3, 2017 The  Robert Wood Johnson Foundation  has issued a Call for Applications for its 2018 Culture of Health Prize, an annual program that honors outstanding community efforts and partnerships that are helping people live healthier lives. Up to ten communities will be awarded a $25,000 cash prize and have their accomplishments celebrated and shared broadly, with the goal of raising awareness and inspiring locally driven change across the country. Community partners can decide together how to use the funds to benefit the community.  The RWJF Culture of Health Prize is a place-based prize that honors entire communities; applications representing the work of a single organization or initiative will not be considered.  For the sake of the program, a community is defined as a town, city, county, tribe or tribal community, or region. Each community, should it win, will be required to designate a local U.S. governmental or tax-exempt public charity operating in its community to accept the $25,000 prize on the community's behalf.  For more informaiton, visit the  RWJF webpage .

Special Funding Opportunities & Notices Multiple Deadlines NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research: Dynamic Neuroimmune Interactions in the Transition from Normal CNS Function to Disorders (R01) (RFA-AA-18-007) Alcoholic Hepatitis Clinical and Translational Network Late Phase Clinical Trials and Observational Studies (Collaborative U01) (RFA-AA-18-002) Consortium on Translational Research in Early Detection of Liver Cancer (Clinical and Research Centers (U01) (RFA-CA-17-025) Bench Testing Therapeutic/Indication Pairing Strategies (UG3/UH3) (PAR-17-465)   Clinical and Epidemiological Research on Chronic Disease in the Caribbean (R01) (PAR-17-470)

Department of Defense Multiple Deadlines The Department of Defense has announced the following new funding opportunities:  Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17) funding opportunities for the Department of Defense (DoD) Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP) and the Reconstructive Transplant Research Program (RTRP) being managed by the office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).  Breast Cancer Research Program  Breakthrough Award Levels 1 and 2 Breakthrough Award Levels 3 and 4 Breakthrough Fellowship Award Distinguished Investigator Award Era of Hope Scholar Award Innovator Award Reconstructive Transplant Research Program  Concept Award Investigator-Initiated Research Award Qualitative Research Award Technology Development Award For more information, visit the  CDMRP website .

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