What NIH Grantees Need to Know About

ClinicalTrials.gov and FDAAA

http://grants.nih.gov/ClinicalTrials_fdaaa/index.htm

Visit the new MedlinePlus Health Topic page on body weight.

Do you know whether or not your current weight is healthy? “Underweight”, “normal”, “overweight”, and “obese” are all labels for ranges of weight…(read more.)

Funding Opportunities 2011 NIH Director’s Award Programs:
Transformative Research Projects, Pioneer, and New Innovator Awards

                                                                                
NIH Director’s Transformative Research Projects Award Program
Announcing funding for Transformative Research Projects (T-R01) Award Program:  
 

• Exceptionally innovative, high risk, original and/or unconventional research
• Clinical, basic, and/or behavioral/social science research projects
• Up to $25 million total costs per year for a single project
• One-third of total funding budget geared to projects with more than $1 Million in direct costs.

The deadline for submitting Transformative Research Project applications is October 27, 2010 with Letters of Intent due by September 27, 2010.  See the instructions in the RFA <http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-10-010.html> (RFA-RM-10-010). Additional information, including Frequently Asked Questions about the Transformative Research Projects Program is available at: http://commonfund.nih.gov/T-R01 . Send questions to T_R01@mail.nih.gov.
 

NIH Director’s Pioneer and New Innovator Awards Program
NIH welcomes proposals for 2011 NIH Director’s Pioneer Awards and New Innovator Awards for innovative approaches to major challenges in biomedical or behavioral research.  
 

• Pioneer Awards:   
  • Up to $2.5 million in direct costs over 5 years
  • Open to scientists at any career stage.
• New Innovator Awards:  
  • Up to $1.5 million in direct costs over 5 years
  • For early stage investigators (ESI), defined as those who have not received an NIH R01 or similar grant and are within 10 years of completing their terminal research degree or medical residency.  

NIH expects to make at least 7 Pioneer Awards and at least 33 New Innovator Awards in summer 2011.  To continue its strong record of diversity in these programs, NIH especially encourages women and members of groups that are underrepresented in NIH research to apply.
 
The deadline for submitting Pioneer Award applications is September 13, 2010. See the instructions in the RFA <http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-10-008.html> (RFA-RM-10-008) and http://commonfund.nih.gov/pioneer for more information. Send questions to pioneer@nih.gov.
 
The deadline for submitting New Innovator Award applications is September 20, 2010. See the instructions in the RFA <http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-10-009.html> (RFA-RM-10-009) and http://commonfund.nih.gov/newinnovator for more information. Send questions to newinnovator@nih.gov.
 
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The NIH Common Fund (formerly the NIH Roadmap) encourages collaboration and supports a series of exceptionally high impact, trans-NIH programs. These programs are supported by the Common Fund, and managed by the NIH Office of the Director in partnership with the various NIH Institutes, Centers and Offices. Additional information about the NIH Common Fund can be found at http://commonfund.nih.gov.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) –“The Nation’s Medical Research Agency” – includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

Google is beginning to roll out the ability for users to make free phone calls from within Gmail.  Using your computer speakers and microphone you can make free calls to US and Canada.  International calls may vary based on the country and whether you are calling a land or mobile line.

Read more about Google’s phone plans.

It’s time to head back to school with the Middle Atlantic Region! Join MAR staff and network members for online classes from September through November-all you need is an Internet-connected computer and a telephone. Classes are FREE. We have nine classes scheduled so far, with more to come. One class is new.

To sign up for a class, e-mail us at rml(at)med.nyu.edu with the title and date of the class(es) you wish to attend. Please include your name, e-mail address, and mailing address.

1. DOCLINE for Beginners
Thurs. Sep 9, 10am – 11am
If you are new to DOCLINE, this one-hour class will provide an overview of DOCLINE essentials, including
making and filling requests, searching for other DOCLINE institutions, and updating your institution’s
DOCLINE record.  The class is intended for beginning DOCLINE users, but anyone who wants a refresher
in DOCLINE basics is welcome to attend.

2. Project Management
Tues. Sep 21, 11am -12:30pm
Project Management is a term that can be used loosely, or as a rigorous process.  Marty Magee, Education and Nebraska Liaison for NNLM’s MidContinental Region will cover the basics in this presentation to include Time, Money and Resources (People), as the primary components, and some other considerations for managing projects.

3. Logic Models
Thurs. Sep 23, 10am – 11am
Are you curious about logic models and their application? Logic models are an often used tool in grant proposals, strategic planning, and program planning and evaluation. Attend this one hour introductory session to learn about their purpose and how to create a logic model.

4. Resources for Disaster Response and Preparedness
Mon. Sep. 27, 2pm – 3pm
This course is designed to help librarians identify the key resources they and their users can turn to in the event of an emergency or disaster.  Instructor Emily Molanphy will focus on Web sites (FEMA, CDC, etc.), databases (TOXNET, HazLit, QUAKELINE, etc.), blogs and Listservs, as well as resources for mobile devices. Attendees will learn sources for useful information in an emergency, the formats that are easiest to use, and ways to keep up-to-date.  Disaster preparedness is a major undertaking–and knowing where to look for information in the event of an emergency is an important step towards readying your institution.
Emily Molanphy is Web Services Librarian at the NYU Health Sciences Libraries, where she also serves on the Disaster Preparedness Team.

5. DOCLINE Serial Holdings: Searching, Updating and Reporting
Thurs. Sept. 30 10am-11am
This course will focus on the Serial Holdings feature of DOCLINE. Attendees will learn how to add new titles and formats to their library’s record, search DOCLINE for other library’s holdings, and utilize the Serial Holdings reporting functions to make the most of this unique component of DOCLINE.

6. The New MedlinePlus *NEW*
Tues. Oct. 12, 10am-11am
This update class will review new and noteworthy features in MedlinePlus, including the new interface.

7. Licensing Electronic Resources
Tues. Oct. 19, 10am-11am
Licensing electronic resources has been identified as one of the biggest challenges for members of our region-and with good reason.  Electronic collections are an incredible asset to users, but securing an effective license and managing multiple licenses from multiple vendors is a huge responsibility.  This one-hour session is designed to present the basics for effective licensing which will increase access to and resource sharing from electronic collections.  Presenter Paul Wrynn will explain what to look for in an electronic license (especially ILL rights, remote access, etc.); tips on managing multiple licenses; strategies for communicating with vendors; and best practices for consortia licenses.
Paul Wrynn retired in 2008 from NYU’s Health Sciences Libraries as Collection Development Librarian.  Wrynn has over 30 years of experience in libraries, including significant experience managing electronic licenses.

8. DOCLINE Routing Tables and Reports
Thurs. Oct. 28, 10am-11am
DOCLINE Routing Tables and Reports: This course will teach attendees the basics of DOCLINE routing and reports. Topics covered will include DOCLINE routing table best practices, constructing and updating a routing table, and becoming familiar with DOCLINE reports.

9. Free Productivity Tools
Tues. Nov. 16, 2pm-3:30pm
Library’s budgets are always pinched for one thing or another. Did you know that there are a multitude of free software packages out there that do just about everything that commercial software packages can do? In this 90-minute class we’ll take a look at some of these software packages, their usefulness, their limitations and things to think about if you decide to go the free software route.

The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) is currently developing a new site called PubMed Health, which is intended to focus on consumer-level, evidence-based health information.  Though PubMed Health is still under development, NCBI has released some of its initial content, provided by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), to be searchable through search engines such as Google.  NCBI is currently reviewing some development decisions for the PubMed Health site to determine how these particular pages are being used.  Once the site is ready for production release, PubMed Health will have its own search function as well as links to other NLM online products.  An NLM Technical Bulletin article about PubMed Health will be published once the site is ready to be launched.

PubMed Health does not replace MedlinePlus, NLM’s premier health Web site for patients and their families and friends.  MedlinePlus continues to be expanded, including a full site redesign launched this July as well as a new mobile interface, MedlinePlus Mobile that was released in January 2010.  MedlinePlus provides reliable up-to-date health information about diseases, conditions, and wellness issues in language the public can understand.

The National Network of Libraries of Medicine Middle Atlantic Region is pleased to announce that it will be hosting NCBI Discovery Workshops this fall. This free two-day series of workshops on NCBI tools will be held at the NYU Health Sciences Library on October 18 and 19, 2010.

Program Overview

The Discovery Workshops consist of four 2.5-hour hands-on sessions emphasizing a different set of NCBI resources. Each session uses specific examples to highlight important features of the resources and tools under study and to demonstrate how to accomplish common tasks.

The four sessions of the Discovery Workshop will focus on the following areas:

1. Sequences, Genomes and Maps

2. Proteins, Domains and Structures

3. NCBI BLAST Services

4. Human Variation and Disease Genes

Participants may attend all or any combination of these sessions. Each session is entirely hands-on and is presented in one computer classroom where the instructor will present a specific example using the live NCBI web site followed by a period of individual practice on related problems. Detailed handouts for each session will provide step-by-step instructions and additional information about each example. Each session will also provide opportunities for participants to provide comments and suggestions on NCBI services and also to attend individual consultations with NCBI staff.

Discovery Workshop Schedule

Day 1     Monday October 18, 2010

9:00-11:30 — Sequences, Genomes and Maps

1:00-3:30 — Proteins, Domains and Structures

3:45-5:00 — Individual Consultations *

Day 2     Tuesday October 19, 2010

9:00-11:30 — NCBI BLAST Services

1:00-3:30 — Human Variation and Disease Genes

3:45-5:00 — Individual Consultations*

*Anyone registered for any of the sessions is welcome to attend the individual consultations

Instructor: Peter Cooper.  Peter Cooper is a biologist with the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) who provides general user support, designs and presents workshops and webinars on the use of NCBI databases and tools, edits the NCBI News, and is involved in ongoing efforts to improve the usability of the NCBI website.

How to Attend

To register for one or more of these workshops, send an email to rml@med.nyu.edu. Include the date and time of each of the workshops that you wish to attend. Your email must also include your name, title, institutional affiliation, email address and mailing address.

The deadline for registration is Monday October 4, 2010. SPACE IS VERY LIMITED.

The National Library of Medicine released a new FAQ for MedlinePlus.gov – Where can I find my favorite link from the old homepage on the new homepage?  You can click on a link on the old homepage to see where it’s moved to on the new homepage.  If you haven’t visited the new MedlinePlus yet, check it out.  And send your questions and comments to the MedlinePlus team via the Contact Us link that appears on every page.

DOCLINE 4.5 is slated for release tomorrow, 8/11/2010.  The changes in this new release are covered in the release notes from NLM.

Please feel free to contact MAR Network Services Coordinator Neil Romanosky with any questions about DOCLINE 4.5.

Librarians/Information Professionals needed to help develop PubMed search strategies for the Healthy People 2020 Information Access Project

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) is committed to improving access to relevant information for the public health community.  A major focal point for initiatives in this area has been the Partners in Information Access for the Public Health Workforce initiative (also known as “Partners”; found at http://phpartners.org/), which is a collaboration to provide the public health workforce with timely, convenient access to information resources to help them improve the health of the American public.

In 2002, NLM expanded the Partners initiative by developing the Healthy People 2010 Information Access Project (http://phpartners.org/hp), designed to help public health workers  involved with local projects related to implementation and tracking of project related to specific HP 2010 objective easily find relevant information in NLM’s PubMed database and related online resources. The Healthy People 2010 Information Access Project (HP2010 IAP) service has become the most heavily used section of the Partners Web site. The HP2010 IAP provides evidence-based strategies via pre-formulated PubMed search strategies for selected HP 2010 focus area objectives

Healthy People 2020, which will be released by the Secretary of the Health and Human Services in December 2010, will contain new and previously identified subject areas, as well as new or modified objectives (performance measures). NLM, through the Partners is looking to once again provide pre-formulated PubMed searches for all subject areas of Healthy People 2020. Below is a list of HP2020 Subject Areas that currently based on the HP 2020 websites as of July 1, 2010:

1.            Adolescent Health

2.            Arthritis, Osteoporosis, and Chronic Back Conditions

3.            Blood Disorders and Blood Safety

4.            Cancer

5.            Chronic Kidney Disease

6.            Dementias, including Alzheimer’s Disease

7.            Diabetes

8.            Disability and Health

9.            Early and Middle Childhood

10.          Educational and Community-Based Programs

11.          Family Planning

12.          Food Safety

13.          Genomics

14.          Global Health

15.          Healthcare-Associated Infections

16.          Hearing and Other Sensory or Communication Disorders (Ear, Nose, and Throat—Voice, Speech, and Language)

17.          Heart Disease and Stroke

18.          HIV

19.          Immunization and Infectious Diseases

20.          Injury and Violence Prevention

21.          Maternal, Infant, and Child Health

22.          Medical Product Safety

23.          Mental Health and Mental Disorders

24.          Older Adults

25.          Oral Health

NLM funding is available to provide $3000 per subject area for a maximum of three (3) subject areas per individual/interested party.   If you are interested in assisting NLM by developing PubMed search strategies for any of the above focus areas,  please contact Lisa Sedlar at 301.435.2243 or E-mail: sedlarl@mail.nlm.nih.gov . 

Proposals  should be submitted  by COB on August 16^th, 2010. Proposals will be evaluated as they are received.  Preference will be given to those interested in working on two or three subject areas.

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• A concrete understanding of PubMed and possess the ability to demonstrate a proficiency using PubMed
• Subject expertise in the Health People 2020 subject area

• Performed Healthy People 2010 Information Access Project PubMed searches

Necessary steps:

• Submit a proposal
• Submit a resume or CV
• Register in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database

https://www.bpn.gov/ccr/

Registration in the CCR is mandatory in order to be awarded a purchase order for this work.

If you have any questions, contact Lisa Sedlar, sedlarl@mail.nlm.nih.gov

Posted on behalf of Angela B. Ruffin, PhD, Head, NN/LM National Network Office