News and Updates

Allied Health Science Research Quarterly Newsletter

Fall & Winter 2011 (PDF)

Summer 2011 (PDF)

Spring 2011 (PDF)

Winter 2010 (PDF)

Fall 2010 (PDF)

IRB Application IT Expertise Information

In the newly launched online IRB application, investigators are asked to: "Please provide contact information for the individuals or groups who will provide IT expertise and/or consultation for your study and/or will manage the devices where your study data is stored (IT support within your department or school, research staff with appropriate IT expertise, etc)."

For DAHS faculty and students, please list "OIS" as the office and "Dennis Schmidt" as the contact person for data security related to research projects.

Joint UNC-NCSUBME Rehabilitation Engineering Center Seed Grant Program

The UNC-NCSU Rehabilitation Engineering Pilot Grant Program was established to facilitate collaboration between UNC and NCSU faculty for attaining larger grants, and to foster collaboration between undergraduate engineers at NCSU/UNC and Health Sciences students at UNC. For grant funding we will consider proposals that foster advancement of clinically relevant rehabilitation engineering research through collaboration of NCSU and UNC faculty members.

Qualifications for Funding:

All grants need to involve new or enhanced collaboration in rehabilitation engineering between NCSU and UNC faculty. These are essentially multi-PI grants.

Types of funding:

There are two types of funding offered:

• Matching funds for NC TraCS $5-50K Pilot Grants

Two to three proposals will be funded under this program where we will match up to $25K from NC TraCS for Rehabilitation Engineering proposals. A letter of intent should be sent to co-interim Directors of the Rehabilitation Engineering Center (REC) to assure that the proposal is rehabilitation engineering related. Brief information on the NC TraCS program follows and can be found in more detail at:http://tracs.unc.edu/

The NC TraCS Translational Research Pilot Program was established to facilitate the transfer of research findings to clinical practice in order to improve the health of the people of North Carolina. This program is designed to encourage and facilitate novel clinical and translational research in its many forms. Pilot grants are 12 month awards and offered three times each year.

Proposals are encouraged from teams of investigators from different disciplines, institutions and diverse communities for the following types of translational research projects in Rehabilitation Engineering:

• Research that generates initial or basic discoveries relevant to Rehabilitation Engineering regardless of whether the context of the discovery is the laboratory or the field.
• Research that applies or accelerates discovery into testing in Rehabilitation Engineering.
• Development and/or evaluation of the evidence base that changes practice in Rehabilitation Engineering.
• Investigators may apply for funding to develop new technologies that demonstrate an application or utility, develop a proof-of-concept, or better characterize a technology.

If interested in funding for this type of research, request a consult with Carolina KickStart, NC TraCS’ commercialization initiative, at nctracs@unc.edu or 966-6022, before submission.

Preference will be given to proposals from faculty forming new multidisciplinary teams and from senior faculty moving in a new research direction, to high-risk projects with potentially high rewards, and to research focused on one of nine North Carolina health priorities--cancer, childhood & youth issues, chronic disease, delivery & access, environmental health, infectious disease, injury & violence, mental health & substance abuse, and obesity. See this link for more information about these priorities: http://tracs.unc.edu/learn-about-clinicaltranslational-research/health/research-priorities.html To receive matching funds from the Rehabilitation Engineering Center there will have to be a clear link to Rehabilitation Engineering.

• Seed money grants (non- NC TraCS)

We will also fund seed grants to foster collaboration between UNC and NCSU faculty doing Rehabilitation Engineering. The awards will range from 5K-25K depending on the scope of the proposal and its ability to develop new collaborations or enhance existing ones. This must be clearly stated in the proposal. Faculty salary will NOT be supported but pre-doctoral and post-doctoral trainees can be supported if they meet the mission of fostering or enhancing collaboration between the institutions. All other expenses including but not limited to research assistants, equipment/supply, subject costs, travel and statistical support will be considered.

Acknowledgement

For all funding received, acknowledgment of the REC in all publications and presentations is required.

Application Deadlines and Guidelines for Academic Year 2011-2012

• Match funds for NC TraCS pilot grants

Please go to the NC TraCS website for application details and please send co-Interim Directors of the REC a letter of intent prior to submitting to determine if your proposal fits the REC criteria to be eligible for matching funds. These grant applications should follow all NC TraCS $5-50K pilot guidelines and applications are submitted directly to NC TraCS.

Application Deadline is January 4, 2012.

• Seed Money Grants

There will be two deadlines for seed money grants:

November 15 and March 1

These applications should be sent directly to the REC co-interim Directors.

Seed Money Grants Format:

Applications must be submitted as one PDF file with 1.5 line spacing, font no smaller than Arial 11, and 1-inch margins. Application sections should occur in the following order:

1. Cover Sheet (see attached at end of announcement).
2. Scientific Abstract. A summary of the proposal for use by review committee members (250 words).
3. Project Timeline.
4. Human and/or Animal Subjects. Although Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC) approval is not required prior to submission, briefly describe any human and/or animal subject issues. If human subjects will be involved in the research, provide a description of their involvement and characteristics, specific risks to subjects who participate, and protection against those risks.
   Describe the sources of materials that will be obtained from human subjects as part of their study participation. Provide assurance that the project will be reviewed and approved by the UNC and/or NCSU IRB and comply with HIPAA. If vertebrate animals are to be used, provide a description of the proposed use of the animals in the work outlined and procedures for ensuring that discomfort, distress, pain and injury will be limited. Projects involving animal subjects must be reviewed and approved by an IACUC.
5. Research Plan (5 pages, including tables and figures). The Research Plan should follow the standard NIH format: Specific Aims, Significance, Innovation, and Approach. Include where applicable clear evidence of how the proposal meets the review criteria. References do not count towards the 5-page limit. Be sure to clearly address how this research is a collaboration that enhances an ongoing collaboration or helps to form a new collaboration in rehabilitation engineering.
6. Budget. Use PHS 398 Form Page 4 .
7. Budget Justification. The Budget Justification should include sufficient detail for reviewers to assess whether appropriate resources have been requested.
8. Other Support. Provide a complete list of all sources of salary and research support of the PI. Clearly indicate whether an existing source of support is contributing to this research project.
9. NIH Biosketches for the key members of the research team.

Review Criteria

1. Significance of the work to Rehabilitation Engineering
2. Novelty/Innovation of the research idea
3. Collaboration between UNC-CH and NCSU faculty. These grants are essentially multi-PI grants.
4. Potential to lead to future major grants
5. Potential for the project to lead to a commercialization opportunity
6. Soundness of the proposed methods
7. If a senior level PI, the application represents a new research direction
8. Feasibility of accomplishing the stated project goals within the one-year project period

For more information please contact the Interim Co-Directors:

Rick Segal PT, PhD, FAPTA
Professor and Director
Division of Physical Therapy
Co-Interim Director, Rehabilitation Engineering Center
UNC at Chapel Hill
CB# 7135
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7135
Voice: (919) 843-8660
FAX: (919) 966-3678
richard_segal@med.unc.edu
http://www.med.unc.edu/ahs/physical/faculty/richard-l-segal-pt-phd

or

Dr. Richard A. Wysk
Dopaco Distinguished Professor
Co-Interim Director, Rehabilitation Engineering Center
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering Campus Box 9706
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC 27695
Voice: 919-515-1549
FAX: 919-515-5281
rawysk@ncsu.edu
http://www.ise.ncsu.edu/wysk/

UNC research resources (Center for Faculty Excellence)

The Center for Faculty Excellence provides Carolina faculty holistic support across the entire spectrum of professional development: instruction, research, and leadership skills. The Center also provides support to graduate instructors through a wide range of activities and resources. The Center provides:

• Resources to individuals who wish to improve their effectiveness as instructors and mentors.
• Support and guidance for designing, funding and undertaking successful research on campus.
• Advice and training for faculty members taking on campus leadership roles

They can be found at the following link:

http://cfe.unc.edu/research/consult.html

Community of Science (COS) Database

The GrantSource Library has made available to Allied Health Sciences information and resources regarding advanced searches within the Community of Science (COS) Database.

COS is the leading global resource for hard-to-find information critical to scientific research and other projects across all disciplines, with more than 25,000 records worth over $33 billion and is an invaluable tool for any potential grants.

Please contact Wesley Winkelman if you are interested in these tips for finding funding opportunities for you or your division.