CTSI Update

3rd Thursday Community Engagement Education Series - Final Session Session 4: IRBs and Community-Engaged Research Apr. 15, 2021, 12 - 1 p.m. Presented by Matt Ogrodnik, MS, CIP & Mary McCabe Human subjects research can pose challenges for community-academic partnerships, particularly given most community partner organizations do not have their own IRB of record. Do community partners need their own IRB? Should we use investigator agreements? Can partners access CITI training through BU? Are there more accessible alternatives to CITI available to community partners?

Read More Register Here Questions

New Funding & Scholarship Opportunities

NOT-EB-21-001 Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Small Business Initiatives for Innovative Diagnostic Technology for Improving Outcomes for Maternal Health National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) NOT-GM-21-018 Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Administrative Supplements for Research on Women’s Health in the IDeA States National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) PAR-21-185 Mentoring Networks to Enhance Diversity in NIDCD's Extramural Research Workforce (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) RFA-RM-21-021 Transformative Research to Address Health Disparities and Advance Health Equity (U01 Clinical Trial Allowed) RFA-RM-21-022 Transformative Research to Address Health Disparities and Advance Health Equity at Minority Serving Institutions (U01 Clinical Trial Allowed) RFA-RM-21-012 Pilot Projects Investigating Understudied G Protein-Coupled Receptors, Ion Channels, and Protein Kinases (R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Office of Strategic Coordination (Common Fund) More Funding Opportunities PAR-21-211 Pilot Effectiveness Trials for Post-Acute Interventions and Services to Optimize Longer-term Outcomes (R34 Clinical Trial Required) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) PAR-21-212 Limited Competition: Alzheimer’s Disease Sequencing Project Follow-Up Study 2.0 (ADSP FUS 2.0): The Diverse Population Initiative (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) National Institute on Aging (NIA) NOT-NS-21-041 Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Characterization of Genomics of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines for AD/ADRD Research National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program Application Closes: May 11, 2021 The NHSC SP is a competitive federal program that awards scholarships to students pursuing eligible primary care health professions training leading to: • A degree in medicine (allopathic or osteopathic); • A degree in dentistry; or • A postgraduate degree or postgraduate certificate from a school or program in nurse-midwifery education, physician assistant (PA) education, or nurse practitioner (NP) education specializing in adult medicine, family medicine, geriatrics, pediatrics, psychiatric-mental health, or women’s health. Check here how to apply for the scholarship

News Highlights

Could CRISPR Gene-Editing Technology Be an Answer to Chronic Pain? Gene editing has shown great promise as a non-heritable way to treat a wide range of conditions, including many genetic diseases and COVID-19. But could a version of the CRISPR gene-editing tool also help deliver pain relief without the risk of addiction associated with prescription opioid drugs? Read More

Minority Health and Health Disparities Strategic Plan 2021–2025   NIMHD has released a new NIH-Wide Minority Health and Health Disparities strategic plan. The plan charts the way forward to advance the science of minority health and health disparities research for the next 5 years. Read More

Susceptibility of Circulating SARS-CoV-2 Variants to Neutralization The emergence of two variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) — B.1.1.7 in the United Kingdom and B.1.351 in South Africa — has aroused concern that these variants may escape immunity resulting from either previous infection or vaccination. Read More

Measles Vaccine Used as Base for Experimental COVID Vaccine The measles vaccine is one of the safest and effective vaccines. Introduced in the 1960s, it has been shown to be safe in both children and adults, providing long-term protection against the measles virus. The vaccine uses a live but weakened strain of the measles virus. Read More

Where Is COVID Research Going Next? NIAID divisional director Mathew Fenton, BU Alum, and former professor talk about vaccine safety and what's next for research funding and the pandemic. Read More

Upcoming Course & Events

Apr. 12, 2021, 3 - 4:30 p.m. NHGRI will host the third seminar in a series focused on the “Bold Predictions for Human Genomics by 2030” that are described in NHGRI’s “Strategic Vision for Improving Human Health at the Forefront of Genomics.” For each session, two speakers will use a specific bold prediction as an aspirational theme to discuss their own research and speculate about the next decade of genomic advancements. A moderated question and answer session will follow the speakers. More Details Here Check recorded seminars and upcoming sessions here.

Diagnostics and Disease Management Tools for Use in Underserved Populations: An NHLBI Research & Implementation Workshop Apr. 14 - 15, 2021 The NHLBI is hosting a virtual research workshop to discuss barriers to—and opportunities for—improving heart, lung blood, and sleep (HLBS) health in underserved communities. Participants will discuss how to tailor health monitoring devices and tools that diagnose patients to underserved, low-resource, and remote communities. More Details Here

NIH Grants 101 and the Early Career Reviewer (ECR) Program Apr. 14, 2021, 2 p.m. Looking to jump-start your biomedical research career? Are you early in your career and want a window into NIH & how grants are reviewed? Register Here

The Postdoc Academy: Succeeding as a Postdoc Apr. 26 - Jun. 7, 2021 Are you a postdoc looking for flexible professional development? Are you looking for a place to connect with and regularly interact with other postdocs? This course is built for you! More Details Here

Apr. 26 - 30, 2021 During the 2021 HHS Small Business Program Conference: Diverse Perspectives SEEDing Impactful Innovations, we look forward to helping you navigate the world of small business funding and entrepreneurship. More Details Here

e-C3i Program Jun. 21 - Sep. 2, 2021 Application Closes: May 25, 2021 The C3i Program is designed to provide medical device innovators with specialized business frameworks and essential tools for the successful translation of biomedical technologies from the lab (concept) to the market (clinic). Through this program, the NIH fosters the development and commercialization of early-stage biomedical technologies by engaging investigators who are interested in better understanding the value of their innovation in addressing an unmet market need. The curriculum and customized mentoring provided by the C3i Program are intended to guide investigators as they assess the commercial viability and potential business opportunity for their innovation. More Details Here

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Boston University – Clinical and Translational Science Institute  Accelerating Discoveries Towards Better Health  bu.edu/ctsi | ncats.nih.gov