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Research Week in Review

In the Office of the Vice Provost for Research & Scholarship, over 250 professionals guide faculty, staff, and learners through the entire Research Lifecycle, from project conception and grant submission to sharing results with the world and creating commercial opportunities

To submit an announcement to the Week in Review, email vprs@miami.edu or to have your event appear in the Research Events Round Up newsletter promote your event.

 

Spotlight

Register Today!

Enrollment Tracking Policy Town Hall Webinar

A virtual town hall meeting is scheduled on Monday, March 13, 2023, from 5:00pm – 5:45pm to answer questions regarding the implementation plan of the new policiy, Enrollment Tracking Using REDCap. This policy, jointly sponsored by the University of Miami (UM) Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship (VPRS) and the Miller School of Medicine Executive Dean for Research, requires that study teams use an institutionally supported platform to track participant accruals to human subjects research. Implementation will occur in a phased approach with significant institutional support to ensure there is minimal burden on study team members. and the plan for implementation.

Please register in advance for the Enrollment Tracking Policy Town Hall webinar. Anyone needing additional support can: (1) email TrackingQuestions@miami.edu; (2) review the FAQs document; and (3) request a more focused training for their study team, Department/Division, and/or School/College.

Read more.

 
UM Guide Available!

NSF Off-Campus or Off-Site Research Activity Plan

This is a reminder that all National Science Foundation (NSF) proposals with an “off-campus or off-site research” component are required to establish a “plan to ensure a safe and inclusive working environment.” NSF defines “off-campus or off-site research” as “data/information/samples being collected off-campus or off-site, such as fieldwork and research activities on vessels and aircraft.” 

Several solicitations from BIO and GEO  require the submission of a Safe and Inclusive Work Environments Plan that will be considered as part of the Broader Impacts criteria during the review process.

Guide/Template Available and Reminder of Submission Process 

UM has developed a Guide that may be used as a template. 

NSF proposals that meet the criteria of being off-campus or off-site research must upload the plan to the attachment section of the Funding Proposal in IBISResearch. This will allow Research Administration to verify that it is complete prior to submission.

For NSF proposals to GEO or BIO section, the plan must be uploaded with the application.  

PIs will be required to share this plan with all members of their research team prior to their participation in the off-campus/off-site research component.

More information about this NSF requirement can be found at NSF PAPPG, II.E.9.

 

Researcher Resources Available

Imaging Core for Translational Research

VBI-Imaging Core for Research and Training (ICRT)

The VBI-Imaging Core for Research and Training (ICRT), houses two state-of-the-art pieces of equipment: 1) The Axiom Artis Biplane, is the only piece of equipment dedicated 100% to Translational Research in South East Florida. Neuro, spine, peripheral, and abdominal, as well as, cardiac imaging are part of its wide spectrum of applications. 2) The MRI suite houses the 3T Magnetom Trio A Tim, incorporating a wide range of coils and software for applications in neurology, cardiology, angiography, oncology, and orthopedics. ICRT provides support to users not only from the University of Miami, but external organizations and private companies in the design and implementation of in vivo and in vitro procedures requiring endovascular techniques as part of the research, testing or training projects. Watch this video to learn more about the VBI-Imaging Core for Research and Training (ICRT). Please contact Ana Isabel Rojas (arojas@med.miami.edu) for more information.

 
Read About Three Imaging Cores

Imaging Cores at the Medical School

The Analytical Imaging Core Facility (AICF) at the Diabetes Research Institute, The Miami Project Imaging Core, and the Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) Core are the three imaging Core facilities at the UM medical center available on a fee-for-service basis.

  • The AICF has two Leica SP5 confocal systems for high resolution imaging of fixed samples or live animal imaging. The facility has an automatic slide scanner for high quality fluorescent and brightfield scanning of fixed slides and a Laser Microdissection System, which allows the isolation of specific regions of interest in tissue or individual cells. The Core uses FIJI for high throughput image analysis and helps users with custom analysis scripts. For more information, please visit their website or email Maria Boulina at mboulina@miami.edu.
  • The Miami Project Imaging Core at the Lois Pope Life Center is equipped with an Andor Dragonfly spinning disk confocal with super resolution capability, 3i lightsheet microscope, and stereology systems. The Core also offers image analysis software (Imaris neuroscience package) including 3D image rendering, surface creation, spot detection and filament tracing. For additional information, please visit their website or contact Yan Shi M.S. at yshi@miami.edu
  • The TEM Core at the Lois Pope Life Center is the only TEM facility at UM. The Core offers embedding, sectioning, and imaging of block tissue, cell cultures and pellets. TEM is used for high-magnification and high-resolution pictures of cellular ultrastructures and nanoparticles.  For additional information, please visit their website or contact Vania Almeida at valmeida@miami.edu.

 

Announcements & Reminders

Deadline: March 15, 2023

Clarified NSF Disclosure Requirement and Link for Compliance

On January 30, 2023, the National Science Foundation (NSF) clarified in their Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 23-1) that in addition to disclosing private equity interests, investigators must also disclose venture and other capital financing.

Specifically, disclosures must be made at the time of proposal submission. If you are currently funded or are pending funding from the NSF, UM’s Disclosures & Scholarly Activities Management (DSAM) section is asking you to complete a brief two-question Qualtrics survey. Survey responses may lead to follow-up by the UM’s Disclosures & Scholarly Activities Management (DSAM) team, but your answers to the survey questions are all that is needed at this time.

Follow this link to take the survey that must be completed before UM will submit future NSF funding proposals, and no later than March 15, 2023.

Do not hesitate to contact DSAM with any questions or concerns: DSAM@miami.edu and 305-243-0877.

Now Available!

IT Resources for Researchers Online Hub

Are you a researcher at the University of Miami looking for IT-related services and support? Whether you are planning your research project or if your project is already underway, there are various IT services available throughout the U.

Not sure what IT services you need? Connect with a technology specialist for a custom 1-1 consultation and learn what IT resources are available to fit your needs.

Online Hub

Consultation Request

How To Identify in IBISResearch-IRB

Billing Costs Related to a Study

IBISResearch – IRB is a human subjects research protocol review system at the University of Miami. This system includes questions that ascertain the scope of work that the protocol entails, including the billing/costs related to a study. There have been questions from study teams asking how to answer the following question.

Does this study include procedures, lab tests, or medical interventions of any kind that might generate a charge through UHealth or a commercial laboratory, no matter the source of reimbursement?  YES or NO

The question above is crucial to ensuring proper research billing practices, which can have significant implications for the University. Here are additional details to help ensure you answer this question correctly within the IRB system.

Exciting News!

Research Compass is a New Guide to Navigating Research at UM

Faculty and staff can now access a new resource guide that provides key information for successfully navigating the research landscape at the University of Miami. 

It’s called the Research Compass, and it is a web-based tool that informs and educates members of UM’s research community on the different people, places and things needed to make research and scholarship happen at UM. 

Developed by the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship (OVPRS) and the Miami Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), the goal of the Research Compass is to provide a dynamic tool that offers useful and timely information at the moment it is needed at every stage of the research lifecycle. 

Read more.

Important NIH Notices

NIH Notices

  • Reminder: NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing Plan Effective January 25, 2023. The National Institutes of Health issued a notice (NOT-OD-23-053) to remind the community of the effective date of the NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing (DMS Policy) and summarize available key resources.

    As noted in the Final NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing (NOT-OD-21-013), the effective date of the DMS Policy was January 25, 2023 for competing grant applications submitted to NIH on or after January 25, 2023 and subsequent receipt dates; proposals for contracts  submitted to NIH on or after January 25, 2023; NIH Intramural Research Projects conducted on or after January 25, 2023; and other funding agreements (e.g., Other Transactions)  executed on or after January 25, 2023, unless otherwise stipulated by NIH.

    The DMS Policy applies to all NIH research, funded or conducted in whole or in part by NIH, that results in the generation of scientific data. Note that the DMS Policy does not apply to research and other activities that do not generate scientific data, for example: research training, fellowships, infrastructure development, and non-research activities. See Research Covered Under the Data Management & Sharing Policy for more details. 

  • Forms-H Coming for January 23, 2023 Due Dates. 
    Applicants applying to NIH funding opportunities with due dates on or after January 25, 2023 must use updated application forms and instructions identified with a Competition ID of “FORMS-H” (NOT-OD-22-195). The primary change to the updated application forms is the addition of an “Other Plan(s)” attachment on the PHS 398 Research Plan and PHS 398 Career Development Supplemental forms as part of the implementation of the 2023 NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy. Applicants must attach the required Data Management and Sharing Plan in this new field in FORMS-H applications (NOT-OD-22-189).
  • Notice for the NIGMS Grant Writing Webinar Series for Institutions Building Research and Research Training Capacity The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) will host an informational webinar series for faculty and sponsored programs/research development personnel from institutions building research and research training capacity. During the webinars, suggestions will be shared for navigating the process of seeking NIH funding. Attendees will learn considerations for determining research idea and grant writing readiness, selecting opportunities to apply for, effectively writing a grant application, and seeking appropriate feedback. Registration is required to attend.
  • Do you have questions about the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Inclusion Plans?  In Part 1 of this NIH All About Grants podcast mini-series, NIH's Inclusion Policy Officer, Dawn Corbett, discusses how to consider inclusion plans when putting together your application (MP3 / Transcript). Part 2 of the podcast covers inclusion plans during peer-review and post-award (MP3 / Transcript). NIH's All About Grants episodes can also be heard on iTunes and Spotify. Read the article in the Extramural Nexus.
  • Updated Requirements for NIH Notification of Removal or Disciplinary Action Involving Program Directors/Princial Investigators or other Senior/Key Personnel. Section 239 now requires that, “[t]he Director of the National Institutes of Health shall hereafter require institutions that receive funds through a grant or cooperative agreement during fiscal year 2022 and in future years to notify the Director when individuals identified as a principal investigator or as key personnel in an NIH notice of award are removed from their position or are otherwise disciplined due to concerns about harassment, bullying, retaliation, or hostile working conditions.” Therefore, effective 60 days from the publication of this Notice, NIH recipient institutions are required to notify NIH when individuals identified as PD/PI or other Senior/Key personnel in an NIH notice of award are removed from their position or are otherwise disciplined by the recipient institution due to concerns about harassment, bullying, retaliation or hostile working conditions. Notification must be provided by the Authorized Organization Representative within 30 days of the removal or disciplinary action and must be submitted to NIH through a dedicated web form.
  • NIH NIAID Technology Transfer Fellowship ProgramFellows will be mentored by professionals that work side-by-side with with world-renowned NIAID and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) scientists and will be part of the team that helps transfer innovations from the lab to commercial products (including vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics) that benefit global public health.
  • NIH Grants Policy Statement (Rev. Dec 2021) This update is applicable to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements with budget periods beginning on or after October 1, 2021. This update supersedes, in its entirety, the NIHGPS dated April 2021. Previous versions of the NIHGPS remain applicable as standard terms and conditions of award for all NIH grants and cooperative agreements with budget periods that began prior to October 1, 2021. This update incorporates new and modified requirements, clarifies certain policies, and implements changes in statutes, regulations, and policies that have been implemented through appropriate legal and/or policy processes since the previous version of the NIHGPS dated April 2021.
  • Childcare Funding Available for Pre/Post Docs Full-time appointed predoctoral  and postdoctoral NIH-NRSA supported trainees are eligible to  receive $2,500 per budget period for childcare costs provided by a  licensed childcare provider. For households where both parents are eligible full-time predoctoral or postdoctoral NRSA trainees, each parent is eligible to receive $2,500.
  • Guidance on Salary Limitation for Grants and Cooperative Agreements  This Notice provides information regarding the salary limitation for NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards and extramural research and development contract awards.Since 1990, Congress has legislatively mandated a limitation on direct salary for individuals under NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards (referred to here as a grant). The mandate appears in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law 117-328), signed into law on December 29, 2022, which provides authority for NIH to incur obligations for Fiscal Year 2023. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 restricts the amount of direct salary to Executive Level II of the Federal Executive pay scale. The Office of Personnel Management recently released new salary levels for the Executive Pay Scale. Effective January 1, 2023, the salary limitation for Executive Level II is $212,100.