Volume 13, Number 11: May 2, 2007
CAMPUS NEWS
OSR Reorganization
The Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) began the transition to a new organizational structure on April 23. The reorganization is one result of a committee formed in January to "investigate the structure, policies, procedures, and staffing" of OSR. The new structure consists of three units: in place of the previous Pre- and Post-Award Services will be Proposal Management, Award Management and Reporting, and Cash Management. For more information on the responsibilities of the new units, as well as the new organizational charts and other information, visit the OSR webpage about the reorganization.
UNC Nature Research Center
The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences is building an innovative Nature Research Center (NRC) to engage the public in scientific research that affects their daily lives. The NRC will provide an environment where UNC System faculty and Museum staff can work together to provide a dynamic science learning experience for students, teachers and the general public. A UNC System faculty subcommittee has developed a business plan (doc) for UNC to partner with NRC to showcase current scientific research originating within the university system. The plan states the need for jointly supporting key scientific leadership positions between the museum and the university, and it has been submitted to UNC President Erskine Bowles for approval.
In the next phase, new working groups will discuss the programmatic content that will be included at the NRC. UNC-Chapel Hill faculty members interested in translational science for public consumption or planning potential research programs at the NRC are encouraged to attend one or all of the sessions. The following is the schedule of meetings at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science in downtown Raleigh:
- Paleo-Geo, Weather and Climate working group: Tuesday, May 8, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
- Biology, Genomics, Biodiversity working group: May 21, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
- Astronomy, Exploration working group: May 22, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
For additional information, or to register for the sessions, please contact Betsy Rich at UNC General Administration.
New RAMSeS Update – Facilities and Administration Sharing
The Office of Sponsored Research and the Office of Research Information Systems (ORIS) have revised the RAMSeS (Research Administration Management System and eSubmission) eIPF (Internal Processing Form) in accordance with the university's new policy on Sharing Facilities and Administration (F&A) Cost Reimbursements in Collaborations (pdf).
Under the “Budget” tab of the eIPF, a prompt for F&A Cost Sharing will automatically appear when the award administrative department, lead principal investigator's home department, and other principal investigator(s)' home department(s) are not all the same. This prompt will be pre-populated with the standard formula for the distribution of F&A recoveries outlined in the new policy.
If you have any questions, or experience difficulty with any aspect of RAMSeS, please contact the ORIS Help Line at 843-2594.
Force Measurement and Manipulation in Biological Microscopy
Date: May 21 - 24
Place: Phillips Hall (morning sessions), Sitterson Hall (afternoon sessions)
Computer Integrated Systems for Microscopy and Manipulation at UNC-Chapel Hill is sponsoring the workshop "Force Measurement and Manipulation in Biological Microscopy," at which participants will be given an overview of mechanisms of force generation in biology and consequences at molecular and cellular level. Attend the workshop to learn about theory and applications in force measurement of combined AFM-optical microscope, optical laser trap microscope, and the university's unique 3D Force Microscope.
For more information, or to register for the workshop, click here.
Completing the Electronic RO1 Application
Date: Tuesday, May 8
Time: 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Place: Administrative Office Building, Room 3101
The Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) offers several training sessions during the summer. If you are planning to submit an R01 for the NIH submission deadline in June, you may want to attend "Completing the Electronic R01 Application" training program, which will include detailed discussion of SF424 forms and specific NIH forms that are required for submission. OSR staff will also share tips they've learned from previous electronic submissions through Grants.gov and NIH.
Upcoming Training:
- May 16: Effort Certification
- May 22: Proposal Budgeting
To register or to learn about additional training opportunities, click here.
School of Public Health’s Research Bulletin
The newest issue of the Research Bulletin from the School of Public Health Office of Research is now available. The bulletin, which provides the most recent news, services, and training opportunities from the Office of Research, is updated bi-weekly.
OTD New License Agreements
The Office Technology Development (OTD) executed three license agreements this month:
- An invention entitled "Recombinant Tricellulin fusion protein immunogens for antibody production" was developed in the laboratory of James Anderson, Professor and Chair of the Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, and has been licensed to Invitrogen Corporation.
- An invention entitled "Enterococcus and E. coli Scorpions for Water Quality Assays" by Rachel T. Noble, Assistant Professor, and Angelia Denene Blackwood, Research Analyst at the Institute of Marine Sciences, along with a colleague at DxS Ltd in the UK. It has been licensed to Cepheid, Inc.
- An invention entitled "Identification of the Gene for Vitamin K Epoxide Reductase" by Darrel Stafford, Professor, and Tao Li, Postdoctoral Trainee in the Department of Biology has been licensed to Cepheid, Inc.
To learn more about these new license agreements, please contact OTD at 966-3929. For other information on licenses and agreements, click here.
Federal Grant Workshop for North Carolina's Museums and Libraries
Date: May 14
Time: 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Place: Imperial Center, Rocky Mount
Senator Richard Burr is sponsoring a workshop on competitive federal grant opportunities available to museums and libraries. The workshop will feature speakers from federal government agencies. Register online by Wednesday, May 9.
OTD Seminar on Technology Transfer
Date: Thursday, May 10
Time: 5:15 to 6:15 p.m.
Place: 014 Sitterson Hall
The Office of Technology Development (OTD) Innovations Seminar will present "Inventors' Perspective of Technology Transfer at UNC— Panel Discussion." During this seminar, several UNC-Chapel Hill researchers and an academic department administrator will discuss technology transfer at the university. Each will share personal reasons and motivations for getting involved in technology transfer at Carolina, along with the challenges and benefits of the experience.
No RSVP is required for this seminar. Please contact Jennifer Cole with any questions.