Volume 14, Number 10: April 2, 2008
CAMPUS NEWS
Research Administration Award Winner
The W. Scott Blackwood Excellence in Research Administration Award recognizes a University employee for meritorious and distinguished accomplishments in research administration at UNC-Chapel Hill. Five finalists for the fourth annual award were honored at a luncheon hosted by Tony Waldrop, Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development. Mark Kramer, Assistant Director for Research Administration at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, was the recipient of the Research Administrator of the Year Award. Kramer received a plaque and a cash award.
Kramer was nominated by Drs. Shelton Earp and Michael O'Malley. In their nomination letter they praised Kramer for his excellence, dedication, commitment and service to UNC at Chapel Hill. "For the past 18 years, he has worked tirelessly for the Cancer Center and UNC. He has always looked for new ways to improve our systems. He has never shrugged off or refused the challenges of grant submissions-large or small."
Earp and O'Malley said that Kramer's "experience, knowledge, and skill at pulling together the disparate threads of these large, complex grants put him in a class by himself."
Other award finalists honored at the luncheon were: Jack O'Daly of the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, Evie McKee of the Department of Biostatistics, Liz Crowley of the Office of Animal Care and Use and Mary Beth Lister of the General Clinical Research Center.
Past Research Administrator of the Year Award recipients are: Tim Quigg, Sherrie Settle and Ellen Ludington.
Free Access to Census and Other Research Data
The Triangle Census Research Data Center (TCRDC), housed at Duke University, has developed a new partnership with the University of North Carolina. This partnership provides a waiver of all user fees to access the TCRDC for any faculty, research staff or student at UNC with an approved Census research project.
The TCRDC provides access to Census Bureau unpublished microdata via a secure computer lab. Confidential data from other government agencies may also be accessed via the TCRDC, including data from the National Center for Health Statistics and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
The TCRDC provides the following services to the research community:
- Support for Census proposal development and approvals
- Assistance in obtaining Special Sworn Status (required by law for all researchers using confidential Census data)
- Computer accounts on Census servers accessible in the secure lab
- Assistance with Census clearance requests for research outputs
TCRDC will begin accepting proposals for Census approval immediately. Click here for proposal submission guidelines and contact information.
IAH Grant Proposal Workshop for Faculty
Date: Thursday, May 8
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Place: Hyde Hall, University Room
The Institute for the Arts and Humanities (IAH) will host an all-day grants workshop for faculty in May. Faculty mentors will lead small-group workshops so that all participants can received feedback on proposal drafts.
To register for the workshop, email Carrie Matthews.
More Information about the NIH Public Access Policy
The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development has released a memo (pdf) with more information about the NIH Public Access Policy for Carolina researchers.
Tony Waldrop, Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development, also took part in a webcast organized by the Association of Research Libraries and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges on compliance and implications of the new policy. The archived webcast is now available online.
Identifying Funding Sources: Workshop for Research Administrators in Health Affairs
Date: Tuesday, May 6
Time: 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Place: 307 Health Sciences Library (computer lab)
The GrantSource Library and the Office of Research of the School of Public Health invite research administrators in health affairs to this hands-on workshop on how to help your faculty find funding for research and departmental programs. The workshop will focus on COS features that enable research support staff to more easily share funding information with researchers electronically via e-newsletters, websites, and other means. Susan Gramling, GrantSource Librarian, will provide time-saving tips for conducting a funding search and an overview of resources and services available through the GrantSource Library. Each participant will have access to a computer for searching.
Seating is limited to 15 participants, and advance registration is requested. Your registration will be confirmed by email. For more information, contact the GrantSource Library (962-3463).
New JIT Information Procedures
The Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) announced that, effective April 1, 2008, all new requests for Just-in-Time (JIT) information will be processed by OSR Proposal Management or by the Sponsored Programs Office (SPO) in the School of Medicine. Requests for JIT that are currently assigned to an Award Manager will be finalized by that manager.
When an application to a federal sponsor (and some non-federal sponsors) is under consideration for possible funding, the sponsor will request JIT information for:
- current Other Support for all Key Personnel
- certification of IRB or IACUC approval and evidence of compliance with required education in the protection of human research participants
- other information that is necessary to execute an award.
If you have any questions concerning this administrative change in JIT submissions please feel free to contact Jim Peterson, Kelly Musty, or Hamilton Brown in OSR or Carolyn Marlow in SPO.
OTD Seminar Series: Conflict of Interest and Compliance
Date: Thursday, April 17
Time: 5:15 to 6:15 p.m., with a networking session to follow
Place: 211 Chapman Hall
Juliann Tenney, Research Compliance and Privacy Officer and Director of the Research Compliance Program from the Office of University Counsel and Sherrie Settle, Conflict of Interest Officer and Assistant Director, will present "Stay Out of Hot Water! Managing Tech Transfer Related Conflicts of Interest."
Please contact Jennifer Cole with any questions.
IAH Has a New Website and Newsletter
The Institute for the Arts and Humanities (IAH) has debuted a new website and released the first issue of a newsletter for the arts and humanities community at UNC-Chapel Hill.
New Patents and License Agreements
The Office of Technology Development reports that UNC-Chapel Hill received one U.S. patent and executed one license agreement in March.
A non-exclusive, fully paid, tangible property license to passage one human bronchial epithelial cells, developed by Dr. Scott H Randell in the Department of Medicine, was granted to Gilead Sciences, Inc. The research-based biopharmaceutical company will use the materials in its drug discovery research and development program, focused on improving the care of patients suffering from life-threatening respiratory disease.
To learn more about these new patents and license agreements, please contact otd@unc.edu or call 966-3929. For other information on licenses and agreements, click here.