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Volume 13, number 2: August 16, 2006

CAMPUS NEWS

Identifying Funding Sources: Workshop for Social Science Faculty

Date: September 13
Time: 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.
Place: 01 Manning Hall computer lab

The GrantSource Library and the Odum Institute for Social Science Research invite faculty to a hands-on workshop on searching for funding sources for research, departmental programs, and other scholarly endeavors. Susan Gramling, GrantSource Librarian in the Office of Information and Communications, will provide tips for conducting a funding search and will present an overview of resources available through the GrantSource Library.

You will learn how to:

  • make the most effective use of the COS and Sponsored Programs Information Network (SPIN) multidisciplinary funding opportunity databases (how to search, important features, pros and cons);
  • set up a customized funding alert in COS and other agency-specific mailing lists including NSF, ED, and NIH;
  • search for funding using specialized funding resources, such as FundSource, Grants.gov, and Foundation Center RFP Bulletin;
  • identify UNC internal funding opportunities; and
  • research actual awards funded by federal sponsors.

Advance registration is requested; click here.

Contact the GrantSource Library for further information.

SRA Certificate Program

The Office of Sponsored Research announces its third professional development curriculum in research administration, the Tar Heel Certificate Program, designed to strengthen the base of knowledge in sponsored research administration and practice across campus. The program includes a series of workshops for administrative and support staff who work in the sponsored research enterprise or manage grant and contract accounts at Carolina . To be eligible, the participant must have at least six months' experience working for the university in an area related to sponsored research.  

Please direct questions regarding the program to Phyllis Daugherty at 843-2609. READ MORE

National Conference on Human Subject Protections

Dates: September 25-26
Place: Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention Center, Durham

The U.S. Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) will sponsor “Crossing the Line: What is Acceptable Risk?,” a national conference on human subject protections.

Co-sponsors of the conference include the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University, North Carolina State University, and other area organizations.

Topics will include:

  • additional risks posed in research involving vulnerable populations such as children, prisoners, and students;
  • the best means of communicating risk within the informed consent process;
  • special considerations in genetic testing, web-based research, psychiatric studies and international research; and
  • Human Research Protections Program accreditation, use of central Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), and the impact of media coverage of research and clinical trials.

The conference is open to everyone with an interest in research involving human subjects, and should be of special of interest to those currently serving or about to begin serving as members of IRBs. READ MORE

RAMSeS Tips from OSR

You can help expedite the review process of your submitted proposals by following these recommendations from the Office of Sponsored Research (OSR):

  • Make greater use of the RAMSeS Attachments tab. An eIPF cannot be approved without the necessary backup information. So please upload all documents that you would have normally included in a hardcopy proposal (such as budget and budget justification) as electronic attachments to the eIPF.
  • Forward eIPFs to OSR five business days prior to the sponsor's deadline. Although the introduction of RAMSeS has streamlined the routing of proposals, the review and approval time OSR needs to complete a thorough evaluation and submission of proposals has not been affected.

For RAMSeS announcements and policy updates, click here.

READ MORE

RAMSeS Project Financial Guarantee Approvers

Beginning August 14, roles assigned within RAMSeS “Research Contacts” determine which individual(s) within each department are authorized to approve Project Financial Guarantee (PFG) forms. Just as IPF Approvers receive email notification that proposals are awaiting their review and approval, PFG Approvers will receive an email requesting that they review and approve PFG Forms.

Departmental role managers have assigned the role of PFG Approver to at least one individual in their departments' “Research Contacts”. For departments with no PFG Approver assigned as of August 11, the role of PFG Approver has been assigned to the departmental role manager.

Please direct questions about the new PFG Approval process to Andrew Reynolds in OSR at 962-4396. For assistance with “Research Contacts”, please call Ellen Quinn at 962-5074, or the ORIS help line at 843-2594.

Hardcopy Proposal Submission and RAMSeS

While many sponsors have adopted electronic proposal submissions processes, others still require the submission of hardcopy grant proposals. The Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) provides the following guidelines for hardcopy proposal submissions:

  • If the sponsor mandates that an application, or any part thereof, be submitted as a paper copy, then business offices must forward hardcopies of these documents to OSR, Sponsored Programs Office (SPO), or the Office of Clinical Trials (OCT);
  • Submission of hardcopies should occur simultaneously with the eIPF submission via RAMSeS. This includes any hardcopies that require an OSR/SPO/OCT signature;
  • If multiple copies are required, then the exact number of copies specified must be submitted; and
  • OSR, SPO, and OCT do not have the capability to print and/or make copies of electronic documents that are attached to eIPFs.

For more information, click here. (pdf)

New RAMSeS Reporting Features

The Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) and the Office of Research Information Systems (ORIS) have added a new reporting feature to RAMSeS. This feature allows anyone with an ONYEN or SOMID to access proposal and award data within RAMSeS, and offers an alternative to accessing more detailed award and proposal data through “My Research at Carolina.” Also, the RAMSeS reporting feature replaces Sponsored Research reports formerly found on Finance Central. RAMSeS reporting includes real-time award and proposal data from FY 2000 through the present.

To utilize the new RAMSeS reporting feature, log in to RAMSeS using your ONYEN/SOMID and password and select the “Reporting” tab at the top of the page. Choose either “Proposal Reporting” or “Award Reporting,” and the category by which you'd like to sort the data. (Proposal and Award data may be sorted by Department, Lead PI, Prime Sponsor, School, or Sponsor. Award data may also be sorted by Sponsor Type.) Once you have selected a sort category and entered begin and end dates, click the “View Report” button to generate your report. You may then export reports as various file types, e.g., Excel, Acrobat (PDF), etc.

If you have questions about this process or need assistance with RAMSeS, “Research Contacts,” or “My Research at Carolina,” please contact Ellen Quinn at 962-5074, or call the ORIS help line at 843-2594, or OSR at 966-3411.

Carolina Innovations Seminar Series: How to Avoid Becoming Road Kill on the Road to Technology Commercialization

Date: September 14
Time: 5:15 to 6:15 p.m.
Place: 014 Sitterson Hall

Do you have an idea you'd like to commercialize? Is it something that an existing company might license and develop, or do you want to you become an entrepreneur and start a company yourself? This seminar will help UNC researchers learn the steps to technology commercialization and provide some tips to make this a smooth and successful process.

Lea Strickland, President and CEO of Focus Futures, will share her expertise in ensuring that businesses' operations—processes, activities, and infrastructure—are appropriate and adequate to support their financial performance and strategic objectives. Cathy Innes, Director of the Office of Technology Development, will also speak at the seminar.

The Office of Technology Development serves to help researchers navigate the steps to commercializing innovations arising from their research, and manages the intellectual property owned by the university.

A reception will follow at Top of the Hill Restaurant and Brewery. READ MORE

Legal Issues in Research

The Office of University Counsel provides useful information on legal issues of concern to faculty and staff, including liability, privacy, public records and open meetings, the use of university equipment and/or facilities, and employment.

The office's website includes:

The Office of University Counsel also provides a compliance line to help the campus community identify and address compliance concerns about financial, research, HIPAA, environment, and health and safety matters on campus.

Conversational Living Room for Health Researchers

Date: September 12
Time: 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.
Place: Michael Hooker Research Center Atrium

The Office of Research at the School of Public Health has announced its first Conversational Living Room for 2006-2007. This social and scientific gathering brings together faculty and postdoctoral scholars from the schools of public health, medicine, nursing and others to discuss research ideas. The event will provide opportunities for researchers to share their concepts, identify potential collaborators, and gather feedback. Please contact Meg Gray if you are interested in presenting your research ideas on September 12. For more information and to view posters from past events, click here.

Odum Institute Welcomes New Staff Members

Two new staff members have joined the Odum Institute for Research in Social Science—Lynn Hamilton and Richard Silc.

Lynn Hamilton will serve as Assistant Director for Survey Research and Development. Lynn previously held positions at the University of Chicago , the University of Illinois at Chicago , and the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Lynn specializes in CATI interviewing methodologies, and her interests include survey quality and increasing response rates through interviewer motivation and training techniques.

Richard Silc is the new Business Operations Manager. Most recently Richard was the Chief Financial Officer of a project management firm developing health care facilities in Minnesota . Richard previously held positions at the University of Arizona 's Cancer Center , and as a Foreign Service Officer with the Agency for International Development. Richard is a licensed CPA and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bahrain. READ MORE

New Resources from the UNC Libraries

The University Libraries have added these new online resources for researchers, accessible through the Article Databases and More webpage. Resources are available at computers on campus, and most may be accessed off-campus with an ONYEN and password.

Economist.com
Politics, economics, business, technology, culture, and more from one of the world's premier news magazines. Contains full text.

Roper Center iPOLL
Full text of 500,000 questions from national public opinion surveys since 1935, updated daily. Also includes data sets available for download.

Bioline International
Access to quality research journals published in developing and transitional countries, with an emphasis on the life and medical sciences. Contains full text.

Electronics Design and Repair Services for Researchers

The Electronics Facility in the Department of Chemistry offers consultation, electronic circuit research, development and construction services, repair, maintenance, and trouble-shooting to research activities conducted at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Repair services by the Electronics Facility support research and student laboratories and include most typical instrumentation. The facility also provides calibration services, a library of circuit-design resources, and hardware design and prototyping.

For more information, including hours, location, rate schedules, and to make service requests, click here.

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