Volume 14, Number 9: March 5, 2008
CAMPUS NEWS
Funding for Collaborations between Carolina, Duke, NCSU and RTI Researchers
The RTI-University Collaboration Fund has been created by Duke University, North Carolina State University (NCSU), Research Triangle Institute (RTI), and UNC-Chapel Hill to provide small grants for activities that will promote greater dialog among researchers at the four participating institutions. The broader aim is to enhance collaborative scientific work.
Small grants (less than $20,000) will be available for activities that bring together researchers from at least three of the four institutions (one of which must be RTI). These collaborations should ultimately lead to joint proposal development for external funding. Some possible areas of common research interest include energy, global health, biomarker research, and global climate change. Examples of the type of activities that may be funded are:
- Discussion groups around a specific area of common interest
- Seminar series
- Small conferences on specific topics
- Prominent external speakers
- Other activities that promote communication and joint proposal development
At UNC-Chapel Hill, questions and suggestions should be directed to Tony Waldrop (962-1319). Contacts at the other participating institutions are Jim Siedow (Duke), John Gilligan (NCSU), and Wayne Holden, Bert Maggart, or Satinder Sethi (RTI).
Requests for funds can be sent to Satinder Sethi with a clear explanation of the proposed activity and its likely impact, along with a budget and justification for the amount being requested. Funding decisions will be a made by a committee comprised of representatives from each institution, which will meet approximately every six to eight weeks.
OSR Releases Modular Budget Advice and Templates for NIH Grant Applications
The Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) has issued a memo containing advice and updated budget templates in response to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) move to modular research grants.
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Webcast on New NIH Public Access Policy
Date: Friday, March 7
Time: 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.
Place: Health Sciences Library, Room 527
The Health Sciences Library will host a webcast and discussion in to explore legal aspects of author rights management within the context of the Public Access Policy recently adopted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Webcast presenters will include Tony Waldrop, Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development at UNC-Chapel Hill, Kevin L. Smith, Scholarly Communications Officer at Duke, and Jim Siedow, Vice Provost for Research, also of Duke.
The webcast is sponsored by the Association of Research Libraries and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges. For more information, see the NIH Public Access Policy page and the Health Science Library's Open Access and Scholarly Communications page.
ECSU Conference on Establishing Partnerships through Research
Date: Thursday and Friday, March 27 to 28
Place: K. E. White Graduate Center, Elizabeth City State University, Elizabeth City, NC
Elizabeth City State University is sponsoring a two-day conference called "Establishing Partnerships through Research." This conference is an excellent opportunity to network with various agency representatives and with potential research partners. Researchers who are planning collaborative research and outreach partnerships with minority institutions may find the conference especially useful.
Session topics will include:
- Agency funding updates
- Grant writing essentials and best practices
- Tips from the experts on increasing funding
- Opportunities for faith-based grants
- Federal regulations and policies
- How to strengthen partnerships and collaborations for research
The guest speaker will be Diane Auer Jones, Assistant Secretary of the Office of Postsecondary Education, which administers the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, TRIO and GEAR UP programs. Other agencies represented at the conference will include the National Science Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Transportation, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Coast Guard, Small Business Administration, American Cancer Society, United Negro College Fund, North Carolina Cancer Coalition, and others.
The registration fee is $200. For details and to register, click here.
University Cancer Research Fund Awardees Announced
The University Cancer Research Fund (UCRF) has announced the recipients of the first round of funding under the competitive grants program. Eighteen Innovation Awards and eight Clinical Innovation Awards were granted in all. UCRF reports that there were 112 applications for Innovation Awards and 11 for Clinical Innovation Awards.
UCRF expects to announce a new round of Innovation Awards soon with a late May or June 2008 due date.
Beyond the Sunbelt: Southern Economic Development in a Global Context
Date: April 13 to 14
Place: FedEx Global Education Center
Carolina will hold its annual interdisciplinary conference on the globalization of the southern United States. This year's conference will bring together scholars, policy makers, and economic development practitioners from across the region and beyond. The conference will examine how global forces are shaping regional economic development strategies and to consider the best paths forward. The event is a collaboration between the Center for Global Initiatives, the Center for the Study of the American South, the Office of Economic and Business Development, and Quintiles Transnational Corporation.
Topics to be covered include:
- Trade with India and China
- Labor migration and demographic shifts
- Uneven effects of globalization across regions and sectors
- Environmental concerns and opportunities
- Technology and regional economic development
- Education and retraining
There will also be a special focus on private and public partnerships with institutions of higher education to capitalize on opportunities and solve problems created by the profound changes in the economic landscape of the southern United States.
For details and to register, click here.
Tar Heel Certificate Program in Research Administration
The next offering of the classroom version of the Tar Heel Certificate Program in Research Administration will be in May/June. For more information or to register, click here.
The materials and competency tests to obtain Level 1 Certification online will be available in March.
Writing the Academic Book: Editors' Perspective
Date: Wednesday, March 26
Time: 12:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Place: Pleasants Family Assembly Room, Wilson Library
The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and Carolina Postdoctoral Program for Faculty Diversity are sponsoring a panel discussion, "Writing the Academic Book: Editors' Perspective."
Topics of discussions include: how to match your ideas with the right publisher, finding an editor, and what your proposals should include. The panel will include editors from UNC Press, Duke Press, and Greenwood Press.
This event is intended for postdoctoral scholars and junior faculty and registration is required. Contact the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at 962-9982 if you have questions regarding this event.
Click here for more information or to register.
2008 Women’s Health Research Conference
Date: Tuesday and Wednesday, April 1 to 2
Place: William and Ida Friday Conference Center
The Center for Women's Health Research will hold its annual Women's Health Research Conference. The meeting opens with a nutrition and women's health forum featuring Ann Kulze, an author and motivational speaker, whose topic will be "Eat Right for Life: The New Science of Healthy Living."
Other sessions will include:
- Panel of medical and nutrition experts with question-and-answer period
- Presentations from NIH training grant researchers
- Peer-reviewed and judged podium and poster presentations
The conference is free and open to the public, but registration is required. For information and to register, click here.