SPONSORED PROJECTS

Research Newsletter 2006

March 10, 2006

This newsletter is written for faculty, postdoctoral researchers, students, and staff who are interested in current research news, as well as conferences and funding opportunities. It is written / compiled by Rosemary Alexander (rosemary.alexander@case.edu), Diane Weitzen (diane.weitzen@case.edu), and Tracy Wilson-Holden (tracy.wilson-holden@case.edu). Editor: Rosemary Alexander

To receive email notifications that new editions of the newsletter have been posted, as well as other occasional important email announcements, subscribe to the Office of Sponsored Projects Administration (OSPA) e-list, ORANews, by emailing Rosemary Alexander.

News Archive: Previous newsletter issues

Sponsored Projects News

Case News

From across the campus and affiliated programs, Case researchers have responded dramatically to the 2006 call for submissions for Research ShowCase. To date, 548 presentations have been accepted. The call for submissions closed February 1, 2006.

"We are very pleased to see the variety and quality of proposals for this year," states Eric Cottington, PhD, Associate Vice President of Research. "The response demonstrates the ongoing value of Research ShowCASE to all researchers and scholars of our great learning community."

ShowCase 2006 promises to be great event. Save April 5th and 6th, 2006, on your calendars. The innovative program includes presentations, interactive demonstrations, panel discussions, and workshops. Visit the program schedule at: http://showcase.case.edu.

Expected attendance at this year’s event is 1700-2000. Poster presentations, live demonstrations, and forums will take place on April 5th and 6th, 2006. Forum topics include:

Fat Food Nation – Diabetes and Cholesterol in the USA with guest speaker Morgan Spurlock, Director of "Super Size Me"

Innovation and Creativity, with guest speaker Kary Mullis, Nobel Prize Winning Inventor of PCR

Integrity in Research – A Slippery Slope with guest speaker Drummond Rennie, Journal of the American Medical Association

Misunderstanding Science with guest speaker Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize Winning Author of "The Monkey Wars"

Studying Kids with guest speaker Gigi McMillan, Founder of We Can, a support network for families of children with brain tumors,

Running on Empty – Energy in the 21st Century with guest speaker Marchant Wentworth, Energy Policy Representative for Union of Concerned Scientists

Bio-terrorism – How Prepared are We? with Amos N. Guiora, former member of the Israel Defense Forces

What’s it Like to be a CEO? with moderator Richard Osborne, Case Professor for the Practice of Management Policy, Weatherhead School of Management

The range of topics incorporates nearly every department at Case and its collaborating institutions, including University Hospitals of Cleveland, MetroHealth System, the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

"We’re excited about the program this year and we will debut several innovative activities and technologies," explains Linda Clark, Research ShowCASE Program Director. "Video simulations and three dimensional digital artwork will all be part of the mix at ShowCASE 2006."

Research ShowCASE is a unique opportunity for the extended Case community and for Northeast Ohio. The event allows business representatives, potential investors, civic leaders, entrepreneurs and researchers to fully appreciate the vitality of the research enterprise at Case. Research ShowCASE staff look forward to a great event that will jumpstart collaboration, drive new opportunities forward and highlight the quality and diversity of research performed at Case.

Pre-register today and view a complete schedule of events as well as a listing of presenters at the Research ShowCASE 2006 website:
http://showcase.case.edu.

Department of Orthopaedics DNA Sequencing & Real-Time PCR Service
In addition to the Department of Orthopaedics' well-established DNA Sequencing Service, quantitative real-time PCR analysis is available to investigators in the School of Medicine. They have recently purchased an Applied Biosystems 7500 Sequence Detection System. This versatile instrument, with the technical expertise of the core facilities staff, makes real-time PCR feasible, convenient, and cost-effective.  The service is located in the BRB (Rm 301). Contact diane.kocka@case.edu for a brochure, or call her at 368-6168 for more information.

OSPA Funding Notices
Be sure to visit the Office of Sponsored Projects Administration Funding Page from time to time. It is updated frequently throughout the month. It is growing in capability, and we will continue to improve it. Recently it was reorganized and is a bit easier to read. You may view this page at:
http://ora.ra.cwru.edu/OSPA/News/Funding_news.cfm.

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Federal News

2007 Budget Proposes Gains in Defense, Space, and Physical Sciences R&D, Cuts in Other Programs
The following article is posted online at the website of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, February 8, 2006

On February 6, President Bush released his proposed budget for fiscal year (FY) 2007. The new budget proposes substantial increases for key physical sciences and engineering programs as part of an "American Competitiveness Initiative" that was first previewed in the President's State of the Union address as a response to a growing wave of concern about the state of U.S. innovation. The three favored agencies of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) laboratories in Commerce would receive substantial budget increases after years of flat or declining funding. DOE would also benefit from the President's "American Energy Initiative" with large increases in its energy R&D portfolio. Full text

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NIH

Federal-wide Multiple Principle Investigator Policy
NIH has published an NIH Guide notice concerning their implementation of the federal-wide multiple principle investigator policy.

"In 2006 the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will begin to implement a Federal-wide policy to allow formally more than one Principal Investigator (PI) on individual research awards. This presents a new and important opportunity for investigators seeking support for projects or activities that clearly require a “team science” approaches and which do not fit the single-PI model. The multiple-PI model is intended to supplement, and not to replace, the traditional single PI model. The overarching goal is to encourage collaboration among equals when that is the most appropriate way to address a scientific problem." Full announcement

NIH Salary Cap Increase
In case you missed the ORANews announcement in February, please note that the NIH recently announced that the salary cap has increased to $183,500 for new awards beginning January 1, 2006.  Click here to read the full announcement. Please see the link below for the full announcement:

A summary of the salary cap over the years can be found at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/salcap_summary.htm

The Grants Accounting Office has already made adjustments to affected projects, i.e., budget start dates on or after 1/1/06. Please contact your department administrator, business manager, research office or Paul Frey in the Grants Accounting Office, if you have any questions or concerns.

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NSF

NSF Grant General Conditions, March 2006
The new NSF Grant General Conditions was published March 15, 2006. Click here to download the guide.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Payments to Consultants under NSF Awards
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has posted an FAQ regarding payments to consultants under NSF awards under standard grants and continuing grants. The FY 2006 Appropriation Act does not limit payments to consultants under NSF awards, but payments should be comparable to the normal or customary fees charged and received by a consultant for comparable services on even non-government contracts and grants. Read the complete announcements for details at www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=consultfaqs. See also: Significant Changes in Grant General Conditions, March 2006

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Miscellany

Eppendorf Science Prize for Neurobiology
"The Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobiology acknowledges the increasing importance of this research in advancing our understanding of how the brain and nervous system function – a quest that seems destined for dramatic expansion in the coming decades. This international prize, established in 2002, is intended to encourage and support the work of promising young neurobiologists who have received their PhD or MD within the past 10 years. The prize is awarded annually to one young scientist for the most outstanding neurobiological research conducted by him/her during the past three years, as described in a 1,000-word entrance essay. The grand prizewinner of the Eppendorf and Science Prize for Neurobiology is selected along with up to three finalists by an independent board of scientists that is chaired by the editor-in-chief of Science. The winner is awarded $25,000. This is a personal gift. The grand prizewinner’s essay is published in Science and on Science Online. Furthermore, the winner receives a free, five-year subscription to Science and Science Online and approximately $1,000 in free Eppendorf products." The deadline for entry is June 15, 2006. More details

The Important Quiz -- & More -- on Polymaths from the mini-Annals of Improbable Research ("mini-AIR")
Issue number 2006-03 March 2006
Is it more pretentious to call yourself:

(A) a polymath; or
(B) a renaissance person?

The authors of the March mini-AIR ask your help in answering this important question. Cast your vote.
They do note:
"Voting is limited to certified polymaths and renaissance persons.
To be counted, your vote must be accompanied by your Polymath Certification Number or your Renaissance Person Registration Numerals.

Qualified voters only, please send your vote to:

THE IMPORTANT QUIZ
c/o marca@chem2.harvard.edu

Any votes submitted by non-qualified voters will be ignored, haughtily."

More on Polymath (from mini-AIR):
Regarding Polymaths - Where?
Where do polymaths go? To the Graduate School of Polymathematics at Nagoya University. Or they did until the school dropped the name (it is now the lessened "Graduate School of Polymathematics"). For one of the few remaining artifacts, see the March 1997 issue of the Nagoya Mathematical Journal, which explains:

Nagoya Mathematical Journal is, in principle, the official organ of the Graduate School of Polymathematics, Nagoya University. That issue is online at http://tinyurl.com/gtfos. It features Y.G. Yu's treatise "On the interacting Free Fock space and the deformed Wigner law."

Polymaths -- Who (Part 1)?
"Polymaths come in two varieties: self-described and other.

One self-described polymath is John Skoyles, Ph.D. The jacket of "Up From Dragons," a book he co-authored, says: John Koyles, Ph.D., a polymath who has been compared to Stephen Hawking, was judged to be mentally retarded as a child.

Please help us compile a list of self-described polymaths. Send pertinent info (including the citation of where the polymath describes him- or herself) to

REGISTRY OF SELF-DESCRIBED POLYMATHS
c/o marca@chem2.harvard.edu "

Polymaths -- Who (Part 2)?
"Here is a taste of the long list of published articles that accuse particular individuals of being polymaths:

• Sir Cyril Burt, Polymath and psychopath
  John Minsheu, Polymath and Poseur
  Erasmus Wilson-philanthropic polymath: an enigmatic personality
  John Carrington, Evangelical Polymath
  Ioannes Wower of Hamburg, Philologist and Polymath. A Preliminary Sketch of His Life and Works
  Henry Graves Bull (1818-1885): a provincial polymath
  Polymath of the Baroque: Agostino Steffani and His Music
  Frederick Henry Gerrish, MD (1845-1920): Portland's prescient polymath
  George Smith of Wigton: Gentleman's Magazine Contributor, Unheralded Scientific Polymath, and Shaper of the Aesthetic of the Romantic Sublime
  The Unna boot. A therapeutic modality by a dermatologic polymath
  

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Compliance News

IRB Shopping Will Not Be Regulated
After a lengthy review process, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined there is no need to legislatively regulate “IRB shopping”.  IRB Shopping is the process of researchers submitting a previously-rejected protocol to a different IRB without informing them of the prior decision.  The FDA reviewed comments from several sources, including the Office of Human Research Protections, and concluded that the practice is not a significant problem.  The Case and University Hospitals of Cleveland IRB applications already address the question by asking if protocols have been reviewed by another board.

New Cancer Center IRB Convenes
The new Case Cancer IRB is officially open for business.  The Cancer IRB is now regularly reviewing protocols and reviewed the first protocols on January 19.  In addition, Mariesa Malinowski, Administrative Director of the Case Cancer IRB, gave a lecture on February 3 to outline the policies and procedures for submitting protocols.  This IRB will have responsibility for reviewing new protocols for all cancer-related research at Case, University Hospitals of Cleveland and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

For questions about this new process, please contact Mariesa at 368-3771 (mariesa.malinowski@case.edu) or check out the Office of Cancer Institutional Review Board website.

Navigating the IRB - Tip for February
If research will be funded by any type of grant, the IRB requires that a copy of the full grant application be included with the IRB application.  Without it, the protocol will not be reviewed.  This applies even if the grant is pending.

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Research Seminar Series

The Office of Sponsored Projects Administration (OSPA) and the Office of Research Compliance (ORC) offer frequent seminars throughout the year. To view the Research Seminars schedule in full, click here. Below are the upcoming seminars. Many of the seminars require online registration. The announcement will specify. If you have never registered online for the Research Seminars, you must first click here to establish an account for this and future registrations. If you need assistance with the registration process, contact Maureen Dore-Arshenovitz at mxd4@case.edu. Registrations are not confirmed until one week before the event.

March Seminars
April Seminars
May Seminars

Data Management: Policies and Practices
Friday, March 10, 2006
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Biomedical Research Building 105 - Frohring Auditorium
CREC Credits: N/A   
Dr. Eric Cottington, Associate Vice President for Research, will address issues related to the management of research data. Several case studies will be used to address the following questions: What is research data? Why is research data management important? How should research data be managed? Who owns the research data? How is data management affected by collaborative research and peer review issues? What resources are available to assist with research data management?
Registration is online only. Click here to register.

Contracts
March 29, 2006
11:30 am - 1:00 pm (brown bag)
Wolstein Research Building 1413
CREC Credits: N/A
Tricia Mehosky, Grants and Contracts Specialist from the Office of Sponsored Projects Administration will present this seminar which will provide an overview and an update on contract concerns and issues of interest. What can you as the PI or administrator do to facilitate the contract review process both before and after the contracts are issued by the funding institution? What issues are likely to arise? Why are they important? The information is geared toward faculty, staff, and student researchers, as well as department and management center administrators. Please feel free to bring a brown-bag lunch.
Registration is online only. Click here to register.

Writing Informed Consent Documents
Friday, March 31, 2006
9:00 am - 10:30 am
Nord Hall 310
CREC Credits: 4
Isabel Sanchez, Case Western Reserve University’s IRB Director, will discuss the essential components of the informed consent process for behavioral and social science human subjects research. Attendees will receive guidance on how to avoid common mistakes and omissions. Copies of model consent forms will be provided for future reference.
Registration is online only. Click here to register.

Research ShowCASE - Opening Day April 5, 2006 3 pm - 6 pm Veale Convocation Center, CREC Credits: N/A

Fat Food Nation: Morgan Spurlock, director of Supersize Me, will speak. A panel of experts will discuss the social and medical issues and related research associated with the obesity crisis in the United States.

Energy in the 21st Century: Marchant Wentworth, legislative representative for Clean Energy, will speak. A panel of experts will discuss the new developments in alternative energy sources and their economic, legal and environmental impacts.

These lectures are the beginning of a two day event, Research ShowCASE, in which hundreds of scientists and scholars will come together for two days of collaboration, creativity, and innovation. Research ShowCASE Program & ShowCASE flyer summarizing symposia
You can pre-register at http://showcase.case.edu.

Research ShowCASE - Day 2 April 6, 2006 8 am - 3 pm Veale Convocation Center CREC Credits for "Children" discussion below

• Bio-terrorism
• Images of Children
• Innovation and Creativity
• Integrity in Research
• Misunderstanding Science
• Studying Kids - Children as Subjects in Research ( CREC Credits: 4)
• What's It Like to Be a CEO?

Please note, the above occur on day two of a two day event, Research ShowCASE, in which hundreds of scientists and scholars will come together for two days of collaboration, creativity, and innovation. Specific details on each item may be accessed via Research ShowCASE Program. See also the ShowCASE flyer summarizing symposia.
You can pre-register at http://showcase.case.edu.

Studying Kids - Children as Human Subjects April 6, 2006 8:30 am - 9:45 pm Veale Convocation Center, Multi-Purpose Room CREC credits: 4

Research ShowCASE Program

Mission Possible: Setting Up a Research Database
April 26, 2006
11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Wolstein Research Building, Auditorium 1413
CREC credits: 4
This seminar will explore how to submit an IRB application to create a research database from research and/or non-research sources. For example, a clinical department investigator may have collected data on a certain disease state that could be re-analyzed for a separate study. Can this occur without her fellow department member having to get consent or authorization from previous subjects? How do we adequately protect confidentiality and facilitate meaningful research at the same time? Christian LaMantia, Case Office of Research Compliance, will provide a framework to design an application that can be applied to both non-biomedical (i.e. student performance data) and biomedical research proposals. The discussion will cover DHHS, FDA, HIPPA and FERPA regulations. 4 CREC credits will be awarded to attendees. Please bring your brown-bag lunch. Sodas and snacks will be provided. Registration is online; click here to register.

Grants.gov and NIH Electronic Submission Process
May 5, 2006
9:00 am - 10:30 am
Wolstein Research Building 1413
CREC credits: N/A
Eric Cottington, Case's AVP for Research, will present information concerning grants.gov – the federal gateway for submitting applications electronically – and the NIH electronic submission process for faculty and department administrators involved in grants administration. NIH has recently announced a timeline and phased process for utilizing grants.gov such that all proposals will be submitted electronically to NIH by May 2007. Specific information about this process and the requisite tools will be presented. Registration is online; click here to register.

Data Management Policies and Practices
May 10, 2006
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
MetroHealth Campus - Scott Auditorium
CREC credits: n/a
Dr. Eric Cottington, Associate Vice President for Research, will address issues related to the management of research data. Several case studies will be used to address the following questions: What is research data? Why is research data management important? How should research data be managed? Who owns the research data? How is data management affected by collaborative research and peer review issues? What resources are available to assist with research data management?
Registration is online; click here to register.

Authoring and Mentorship
May 12, 2006
11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Biomedical Research Building 105
CREC credits: n/a
Authorship is the primary mechanism for determining the allocation of credit for the generation of new knowledge. Therefore, it is important that all involved in the research enterprise understand current principles and policies related to responsible authorship. Mentorship is also critical to the professional development of those pursuing a research career. Dr. Eric Cottington, Associate Vice President for Research, will illustrate current principles, policies and practices regarding authorship and mentorship through case studies from various disciplines. Registration is online; click here to register.

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Molecular Biology Services

The Molecular Biotechnology Core laboratory provides research support services and consultation to investigators in the areas of Biomolecular Interaction Analysis using Biacore 3000, N-terminal sequencing by Edman degradation, peptide design and synthesis, and peptide purification.

The Biacore system uses Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) technology to monitor the biomolecular interactions in real time. The Biacore 3000 is used to measure equilibrium and kinetic parameters in protein-nucleic acid interactions, protein-protein interactions and in competition assays. The Biacore technology can also be used to characterize mutant proteins, in epitope mapping and ranking the antibodies based on their affinities. The Core provides the basic training to use the system and help investigators to perform their Biacore experiments. An initial determination of the feasibility of a project takes only a day. 

The core laboratory offers N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis by Edman degradation chemistry using Procise 492 Protein sequencer from Applied Biosystems. Protein samples (5-10 pmoles) can be submitted as PVDF blots or samples dissolved in 10-20 ul of a suitable solvent, such as MilliQ water, 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid, 5% acetic acid, or aqueous acetonitrile.

The Core uses state-of-the art chemistries and automated instrumentation for small (50 umole) to medium (250 umole) scales of peptide synthesis by Fmoc solid-phase chemistry. The process of peptide synthesis requires several discrete steps such as; design of the peptides, chemical synthesis, modifications, cleavage of peptide from the resin, purification and quality evaluation.  Every peptide synthesized is rigorously evaluated routinely by mass spectrometry, HPLC analysis and by N-terminal sequencing if necessary with the ultimate goal of providing the correct intended peptide sequence to the investigators. The Core routinely synthesizes peptides with the following modifications: peptides containing unusual or modified amino acids (e.g., phospho-Tyr, phospho-Ser/Thr, D-amino acids or other analogs), biotinylation at N- or C- terminals, fatty acid conjugation (butyric, amino hexanoic acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid), fluorochrome conjugation (fluorescein, rhodamine, phycoerythrin) N-acetylation, peptides amides, and peptide cyclization via s-s bonds.  The Core provides thorough documentation of HPLC analysis and Mass spectral analysis of every peptide.

Contact:
Satya P. Yadav, Ph.D., Director
Molecular Biotechnology Core Laboratory
Bldg. NN1-13
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
9500 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44195
Tel: (216) 445-7095
Fax: (216) 636-0556
Email: YADAVS@ccf.org

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Research Equipment Resources

Equipment to Borrow or Lend?
Do you need some equipment but do not have the funds to purchase it? Do you have equipment you are not using and would be willing to lend to other researchers at CWRU? This spot in the newsletter will be devoted to those needs. Send notices of equipment you are willing to lend or need to borrow to Rosemary Alexander at rosemary.alexander@case.edu.

Equipment Broken or Working Poorly?
The Scientific Instrument Repair Center (SIRC), directed by William M. Frank, services a wide variety of research equipment from small bench top equipment to X-ray generators for any laboratory on campus at reduced cost. The SIRC also offers advice when purchasing new equipment and extended warranties. The Center is located on the CWRU campus in the School of Medicine in TB07. Contact Mr. Frank at 368-3225 or william.frank@case.edu for details about fees and services or go to http://mediswww.cwru.edu/sirc/.

If you need to borrow equipment while yours is being serviced, you are welcome to post a notice in this space. Email Rosemary Alexander with your notice.


Need Specialized Equipment Built?
The Design and Fabrication Center (DFC), located on campus in the School of Medicine in EG-1, is a fully equipped machine shop, and will custom build new equipment or modify existing equipment to meet your needs at reduced cost. The DFC can provide technical and engineering support service for any mechanical, electrical, and computerized application, for significantly less money. The DFC provides services not only to any CWRU lab, but also to University Hospitals, Cleveland Clinic, and CWRU-affiliated biomedical companies. Contact Mr. Torontali at 368-3461 or steven.torontali@case.edu. The DFC website, currently under construction, will be available at http://mediswww.cwru.edu/DFC/.

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Funding Opportunities

OSPA Funding News
The Office of Sponsored Projects Administration (OSPA) maintains a funding page at the this link (http://ora.ra.cwru.edu/OSPA/News/Funding_news.cfm). This list of funding announcements is not meant to be comprehensive. It changes at least monthly, sometimes daily. Announcements will be displayed on the website until the letter of intent due date or the application due date and will not be archived, so be sure to save any announcements to which you wish to refer in a future month. The list may include internal funding opportunities as they arise, as well as some less publicized and/or cross-discipline funding announcements sent to us by various routes. OSPA assumes that the reader is also making use of Community of Science (see below), to which the university subscribes, as well as the other resources listed in the links which follow these announcements. If you know of funding announcements that you think should be posted on this page, please contact Rosemary Alexander at rosemary.alexander@case.edu.

Community of Science (COS)
Case is a subscriber to Community of Science (COS), which makes it possible for you as faculty or research staff to make use of this excellent service. If you have not already set up your own profile in Community of Science and need help in doing so, please do not hesitate to call OSPA for guidance (368-4510). You may also contact the Case campus COS liaisons, Monica Bradley (368-4432 or monica.bradley@case.edu) or Narinder Dhaliwal (368-2001 or narinder.dhaliwal@case.edu) for help.

School of Medicine Funding Alerts
While many of you may already receive hard copies of the School of Medicine Funding Alert, the School of Medicine's quarterly newsletter listing funding opportunities and grant-writing tips, you may not be aware that the Funding Alert is also available, in its entirety, online in PDF format. A comprehensive list of RFP's available for the current period, may be viewed at http://mediswww.cwru.edu/researchoffice/index.html. At this URL, click on "Funding Opportunities". Then choose the current School of Medicine Funding Alert. Contact Narinder Dhaliwal in the School of Medicine at 368-2001 or narinder.dhaliwal@case.edu if you have questions.

Links to Sponsors
For an ever-growing list of links to many sources of funding announcements, both public and private, to aid your searches, click on the OSPA Links page.

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Conferences & Symposiums

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Re. Printing this newsletter:

If you wish to save this newsletter as a pdf file, you may do so on PCs via Adobe Acrobat (the full version), which is downloadable for free to faculty, staff, and students from the Case Software Center. In Adobe Acrobat, choose "Open Web Page" from the "File" menu, then insert the URL and click "Download". Adobe Acrobat may display an error message re. one gif file which may not load correctly. Just ignore this, it does not affect the appearance of the newsletter. Mac users using the Safari browser, may choose to print to pdf. Internet Explorer also will print to pdf, but truncates the right portion of the page in doing so.

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To unsubscribe:
If you do not wish to receive this newsletter, please contact Rosemary Alexander at rosemary.alexander@case.edu. If you are aware of individuals who are not currently on our mailing list and would like to receive the newsletter, please have them email Rosemary Alexander.