Photograph by Dana Johnson

The first Monday of every month, the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California’s Dean’s Research Cabinet, Town Hall Meeting is held at noon in the Aresty Auditorium of the Norris Research Towers. This past Monday, D. Brent Polk, M.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Physician-in-Chief & Vice President of Academic Affairs CHLA, Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs USC/CHLA, Director, Saban Research Institute, University of Southern California and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, gave a presentation entitled "Update: Research at CHLA The Saban Research Institute.” Dr. Polk spoke of the research grants at Children’s Hospital and the building elements of the Children’s Academic Health Centers, a combination of clinical programs, research, education, and faculty development. Click Here to view the webcast.

Effective March 28th, 2011 the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center is outsourcing the following services: DNA Sequencing and Oligonucleotide Synthesis.  Outsourcing of these services will result in 40-65% savings to USC investigators.  For more information, view the core’s website or call Verlinda Gray at 323-442-7813.

NASA has announced its Informal Education Program: Competitive Program for Science Museums and Planetariums Plus Other Informal Education Institutions.   This competition is institutionally limited; USC has one slot.  KSOM can provide one team.  If you are interested in applying, please send 1-page summary plus CVs to Gigi Petrovich at gpetrov@usc.edu no later than April 18.  "The NASA Office of Education solicits proposals to support NASA-inspired space, science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (S-STEM) informal education projects, including exhibits and partnerships with K-12 schools to support inquiry-based education. Individual total award sizes will range approximately between $100,000 and $1,250,000, with a period of performance not to exceed five years." Click here for further details. NASA application deadline is June 29.

Awards of up to $50,000 per year, for up to two years are available from PRF to support investigators for basic science research aimed at developing effective treatments and/or cure for Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome.  Visit the PRF Website for complete program information.

The Center for Education, Training and Career Development (CETCD) who houses the educational activities of the LAB-CTSI is now accepting applications for Pre-doctoral Clinical & Translational and Post-doctoral KL2 Research Career Development and training research grants. These NIH grants are for young investigators highly motivated in acquiring the scientific competencies necessary to perform clinical and translational research in diverse populations with a multi-disciplinary, team-based approach. Four candidates will be awarded in each category. Letters of Intent due: April 15, 2011.  For question contact Jeanne Dzekov at 323 442 4043  Dzekov@usc.edu or Amy Zhu at 323 442 4039 or amy.zhu@med.usc.edu  Click here for complete application guidelines.

Center for Education, Training and Career Development, CTSI will be holding 3 information sessions to provide guidance regarding eligibility, requirements, and funding for the CETCD Pre-doctoral Clinical and Translational (PCT) Training Award and the KL2 Program. Click here for further details and session dates.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality issued two Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) for new opportunities under its Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs). 

Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics Scientific Forum seeks applications for the establishment of a Scientific Forum (CS Forum) with the primary goal of ensuring research synergy and collaboration among the CERTs Research Centers with each other and with stakeholders and partners in the larger therapeutics research and education community.

Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics Research Centers seeks U19 Research Program Cooperative Agreement applications for CERTs Research Centers (RCs) that propose a body of work addressing a minimum of three of the five programmatic interest areas: (1)   comparative effectiveness, (2)   patient safety, (3)   tool development, enhancement, and/or validation, (4)   health care system interventions, and (5)   translation of research findings into practice or policy.

Letters of intent for these FOAs are due on April 20, 2011.  Applications are due on May 18, 2011.

The Lupus Research Institute (LRI) – founded to support highly promising, idea-driven, novel approaches to discover the cause, improve treatment, and cure lupus – invites applications for financial support for Novel Research Projects relevant to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Applications will be judged principally on novelty of the hypotheses, scientific quality, strength of approach, relevance to lupus, and likelihood of success.  Annual funding of up to $100,000 per year, for a term of up to three years, will be awarded for approved projects. Applications due by May 27, 2011.  For complete grant and application details click here.

Last week, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) unveiled a strategic plan for its increasing portfolio of obesity research. The plan identifies research opportunities focused on: biological processes that regulate body weight and influence behavior; factors contributing to obesity and its consequences; successful interventions for achieving healthy weight and preventing obesity, particularly in diverse populations; and technologies for advancing obesity research and improving healthcare delivery. Learn more.

The CMS Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) launched its new website on Monday, March 21. The site, http://innovations.cms.gov, will serve as a main conduit for information and updates from the CMMI, as well as a forum for the submission of proposed projects and ideas. A key component of the site is the explanation of the Innovation Center’s process for selecting potential models. Faculty engaged in improvement of quality, efficiency or effectiveness of health care should follow this program.  

The Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California is pleased to welcome Keith Rosema, Director of Research for Intellectual Ventures Laboratories (IVL). Faculty, staff and students are invited to attend his presentation of “Inventive Approaches to Global Health.” IVL strives to find efficient invention mechanisms. The Fund for Global Good aims to rapidly convert new health discoveries into real solutions for the developing world by iterating between the laboratory and the field. This seminar will be hosted by Dr. George Tolomiczenko and the HTE@USC program. The Dean’s Translational Medicine Seminar will be held in the Aresty Auditorium of the Norris Research Tower from 12:00pm until 1:00pm. A light lunch will be served prior to the seminar at 11:40am. Click Here to RSVP, Code: Rosema. This event will be webcasted live and archived. For more information, please contact Keck Office of Research Advancement.

USC-Caltech Center for the Study of Law and Politics (CSLP) will host The Behavioral Foundation of Game Theory, APRIL 22, 2011, 8:30AM-5:30PM, DAVIDSON CONFERENCE CENTER.  Program and papers can be found on the CSLP website.  To RSVP, please email: facserv@law.usc.edu.  For questions, contact Christopher Schnieders at (213) 740-5714. Click here for further information.

The Saks Institute for Mental Health Law, Policy, and Ethics and the USC Gould School of Law will present a symposium on Mechanical Restraints Law, Ethics and Policy; April 22, 2011 9am -5pm and April 23, 2011 9am – 1pm; USC Gould School of Law, Room 3. Click here for further information and to rsvp.

The March issue of Academic Medicine is now available on-line. The issue contains a study on the tightening of NIH's intramural conflict-of-interest policies and a related commentary. Other articles focus on team-based training and learning, factors that create a humanistic doctor, performance on OSCEs, and the economic impact of primary care career decisions. Several articles from each issue are available free to non-subscribers. Read the Current Issue here.

• Extramural Nexus (NIH Office of Extramural Research)
• National Postdoctoral Association POSTDOCket
• Academic Medicine Online
• Science Translational Medicine
• Science Magazine
  
  

• Weekly NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
• Weekly Foundation RFP Bulletin
  

To download an event to your Outlook calendar, please click the relevant hyperlink and at the bottom of the new page choose 'export entry to V-calendar'.

For a comprehensive calendar displaying all research activities currently scheduled, please visit the online Calendar of Events.

Mon Apr 11th
7:30am - Research Interests at the House Ear Institute - Clinical Fellows Journal Club- Papers will be available at the time of discussion. This club will meet in the 5th floor lunch room of House Ear Institute, 2100 West Third St. Los Angeles, Ca 90057. For more information, contact (213) 483-4431 or visit the website.

12:00pm-1:00pm - KSOM Research Seminar Series - Judd Rice, PhD, Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Keck School of Medicine of USC will present, "New Roles for Histone Methylation in the Cell Cycle and DNA Repair."  This event will be held in the Aresty Auditorium of the Norris Research Tower, LG. A light lunch will be served at 11:40am in the Atrium. Dr. Michael Stallcup will present his introduction. Click Here to watch the live webcast. For more information contact Keck Office of Research Advancement.

Tues Apr 12th
9:00am-3:00pm - CHLA The Saban Research Institute – Systems Biology Symposium will be held at the Saban Auditorium, 4650 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, Ca 90027. This event is hosted by Susan Lee, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, USC Manager, Proteomics Facility, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. Click Here to view the schedule, list of speakers and topics that will be discussed. Breakfast, refreshments and lunch will be served. For more information and to RSVP, please contact Theresa Webster or Dr. Susan Lee.

12:00pm-1:00pm - Earthquake Preparedness Seminar – USC Office of Fire Safety and Emergency Planning will host this seminar lead by Steve Goldfarb, in recognition of the need to adequately prepare for an earthquake of major magnitude. All staff, faculty and students are encouraged to attend the preparedness seminar held in the Norris Medical Library East Conference Room. For more information contact Jennifer Siu or Lauren Paz at recsports@usc.edu or call (213) 740-5127. Click Here for more information.  

Wed Apr 13th
12:00pm-1:00pm - Center for Excellence in Teaching – Alternate Careers for Humanities PhD.S, This workshop will be given by Tara McPherson & Panel and will be held in the Doheny Memorial Library (DML 233). Lunch will be provided. Click here to RSVP to CET events. For more information on the Center for Excellence in Teaching visit the website.

4:00pm-6:00pm - Center for Excellence in Research – Dennis Atkinson, Corporate Research Advancement Director, will give a workshop entitled, “Obtaining Research Funding from Corporate Sponsors.” This workshop will take place at the USC Credit Union Building- CUB-329. Click  here to RSVP. For more information on the Center for Excellence in Research, visit the website.

To keep up-to-date on available research funding opportunities, visit these institutions and organizations:

• The National Institutes of Health
• The National Science Foundation
• The Foundation Center
• California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
• Office of Research, University of Southern California
• Keck Office of Research Advancement
• Los Angeles Basin Clinical & Translational Science Institute
• Programs in Biomedical & Biological Sciences (PIBBS)
• Links to Professional Societies Promoting Biomedical Research