Research Notes

Welcome to Research Notes, the redesigned newsletter from the Office of the Vice President for Research. If you have comments or future items to suggest, please write Research-Notes@brown.edu.

Office of Research Development

Apply for OVPR Seed Funds
There is still time to submit an LOI for Seed funds - by 5 p.m. on 9/23/19. Full proposals (via UFunds) are due by 5 p.m. on 10/15/19. See here for complete guidelines and instructions.

Apply for OVPR Salomon Research Awards 
The Richard B. Salomon Faculty Research Awards support excellence in scholarly work, funding projects up to $15,000. Proposals (via UFunds) are due by 5 p.m. on 11/12/19. See here for complete guidelines and instructions.

Research Development and Grant Writing Newsletter
This newsletter offers strategies on how to compete successfully for research funding and highlights new funding opportunities. Read the September issue (and any you missed over the summer) here.

Office of Research Integrity

International Collaboration and Compliance
See VP for Research Jill Pipher’s memo outlining our responsibilities regarding disclosure and reporting requirements related to foreign engagements with Brown research.

The HRPP has new appendices, forms, and processes to meet the needs of the research community:

• Human Subjects Determination Form - Use this self-determination form when an external sponsor, journal, or other entity requires documentation that your project does not meet the federal definition of human subjects research.
• Administrative Acceptance Form - Use this form to inform HRPP of administrative changes to your Expedited or Full Board studies that do not affect the research design, procedures, populations, aims, or risk.

• Appendix G: Use of Protected Health Information (PHI) in Research - Include this appendix with your Application when your proposed research involves the access, use or disclosure of PHI.

• HIPAA Authorization - Use this template when seeking a participant’s authorization to use their PHI for your research.

• Today@Brown - Use of this recruitment method has been expanded to include Exempt research. Now, use of Today@Brown is open to all Brown research faculty supported by sponsored funding conducting any type of human subjects research.

Meeting Dates & Submission Deadlines

Office of Sponsored Projects

Brown University’s SAM.gov registration is renewed through 8/2020
All subawardees receiving federal funds must have an active SAM.gov registration.  As this process can take 6-8 weeks, please notify your Pre-Award contact early if you are proposing a subaward to an organization that you suspect has never received federal funding in the past.  Read more   

OSP Authors
The August 2019 NCURA (National Council of University Research Administrators) Magazine featured an article, “Are We There Yet? Your Guide to Sponsored Travel” written by Grant/Contract Accountants Kyle McDonnell & Linda Sypek. Read more  

Office of Industry Engagement and Commercial Venturing 

Brown-Hyundai Research Collaboration
Brown’s relationship with Hyundai Motor Group, which includes four funded pilot research projects, is becoming a model for University-Industry partnerships that deepen understandings between scientists and industry.  Read more

Brown Biomedical Idea to Impact Makes First Round of Awards
The Brown Biomedical Idea to Impact fund announced five awards (up to $100,000 each) for biomedical innovations originating at Brown this past July. A new cycle will start this fall. Read more  

Research Administration Information Systems

Join the RAIS Team
RAIS is seeking a Senior Research Services Business Analyst to join our team for the InfoEd Grants project. Please visit Jobs@Brown, log in, and search REQ162046.

Subscribe to the RAIS Newsletter (eRAF)
This newsletter offers the opportunity to receive updates focusing on electronic research administration systems, updates from external agencies on research administration, Workday Grants & Effort, and sponsored reporting. Subscribe here.

OVPR Staffing Updates

Meet the New Additions to our Team:

• OVPR: Michael Santoemmo is our new Event & Meeting Coordinator. 
• ORI: Megan Clark is our new IACUC Manager who can assist with all ARPP matters. Vanessa Sherman is our new IRB Specialist, part of the HRPP Team. Jennifer Welch is our new Research Agreement Manager, whose responsibilities include reviewing, negotiating, and managing data use agreements.
• RAIS: Annie Yoo is now a Research Services Business Analyst.  
• OSP: Daniel St. John is our new Grant & Contract Administrator, part of the Pre-Award team. 

All OVPR staff contact information can be found here. 

Conferences & Training

Funding & Awards

Limited - NSF RII Track-4: EPSCoR Research Fellows
This funding opportunity is for non-tenured investigators to further develop their individual research potential through extended collaborative visits to the nation’s premier private, governmental, or academic research centers. See more limited submission opportunities here. 

Federal & Agency Updates

Federal Agency Guidance on Notification and Reporting of Discrimination and Harassment
The specific Federal Agency Guidance can be found here.

NIH

Reminders of NIH Policies on Other Support and Related to Financial Conflicts of Interest and Foreign Components 
NIH reminds applicants and recipients that Other Support should include all resources made available to a researcher in support of and/or related to all of their research endeavors. Read the full notice here.

Changes to NIH Requirements on Proposed Human Fetal Tissue Research
NIH informs the research community of upcoming HHS requirements and review considerations regarding research supported by NIH and involves proposed use of human fetal tissue obtained from elective abortions. Read the full notice here.

Posts from the Open Mike Blog                                                                                          Catch-up on the NIH's Deputy Director for Extramural Research, Dr. Michael Lauer's, summer blog posts, especially the new requirements around Linking ORCID Identifiers to eRA Profiles and Achieving Gender Equity at Conferences.