SODM Research News
In an effort to unclutter your inboxes, the SODM Research Newsletter will no longer be emailed to your inbox. Instead, up to date information can be found on this page. Time-sensitive or urgent notices will continue to be sent via email as well as posted. You can always look back at previous newsletters and archived items.
As always, please feel free to direct any questions or concerns dentres@case.edu.
IT Purchases on Sponsored Projects
Please remember if you are purchasing IT items for your projects, you must complete that purchase with the assistance of the SODM IT department. Per Andrew in IT, if your grant purchase “has hardware, software, or other technology need, [SODM IT requires that] the applicant fills out a New Technology Request via the Contact SODM IT tool”. Please contact SODM IT if you have any questions.
Get Help to Get Funded!
Would you like some help finding research funding? Let the Office of Research and Competitive Awards Development help with the process from identifying potential sponsors and program announcement to application preparation and submission. The office, led by James Southworth focuses on non-federal research sponsors and has already helped quite a few SODM faculty submit and are ready to help you too! You can review a presentation they recently gave to the SODM Faculty Research Committee that provides some details on their office and their goal of increasing non-federal research dollars to campus.
If you are interested, please feel free to reach out to Jim to set up a one-on-one meeting to discuss your research and how they can assist you.
Reminder! Understand the SODM Business Meals Policy
The SODM Office of Finance and Administration has issued a reminder regarding the reimbursement of local meal expenses using University funds. This same policy also applies to meals charged to sponsored projects funds.
In the majority of cases, local meal expenses (meaning meal expenses incurred while an employee is not on travel status) are unallowable. Such expenses would only be permitted if the meals were specifically requested in the project budget and approved by the sponsor. It is extremely uncommon for meals to be allowed on research projects. Other projects, such are large clinical trials, conference grants, or training grants may include a component that allows for local meals.
If you are unsure or have questions about the allowabilty of an expense on a sponsored project, please contact Tricia Mehosky Ribeiro. As with meal expenses billed to non-sponsored speedtypes, if an expense is determined to be unallowable on a sponsored project speedtype, it will be moved to the project's cost share.
Linking eRA Commons Profile to ORCID
The NIH Office of Extramural Research encourages everybody from graduate students to senior scientists to register for an ORCID account and link it to their eRA Commons personal profile. Starting October 1, 2019, ORCID identifiers will be required for individuals supported by institutional research training, career development, and other research education awards. xTrain appointments will not be accepted for agency review if potential appointees do not have an ORCID iD linked to their eRA personal profile. ORCID iDs will also be required for PD/PIs on individual fellowship and career development applications submitted for due dates on or after January 25, 2020.
For more information, please refer to the CWRU ORCID page, the NIH Guide Notice, and a post on NIH's Open Mike blog.
HIPAA and Compliance Refresher (Slides posted below)
Representatives from the CWRU IRB Office and the Compliance Office recently presented a HIPAA and Compliance overview to SODM faculty, staff, and students. If you missed the event, please feel free to take a look at the slides from the IRB Office and University Compliance.
Information on Submitting an NIH RPPR with Human Subjects
If you are PI on an NIH-funded project that involves human subjects, you already know that the NIH implemented the Human Subjects System (HSS) last year as a way to obtain more details about planned studies during proposal and timely information about subject enrollment.in active projects. With this change in system, PIs who have submitted RPPRs in the past year have had to take an extra step in order to update their enrollment data by going outside of the NIH Commons to ASSIST system. Until now, there's not been much guidance on how this needs to be done.
In late January, the NIH posted more information on this process that includes instructions. Please review the NIH eRA blog posting to ensure that all of the needed data gets to the NIH with your RPPR.
NIH Online Training and Information
The NIH offers lots of content to answer your research questions. While there are numerous options, a few that may be of interest are:
- Introduction to the Principles and Practice of Clinical Research: Training on the safe, effective conduct of Clinical Research. The course focuses on the spectrum of clinical research and the research process by highlighting biostatistical and epidemiologic methods, study design, protocol preparation, patient monitoring, quality assurance, ethical and legal issues, and much more.
- Grant Application How-To and Tips for Success Video Series: Quickly learn how to access application forms, ensure your application is a good fit for an announcement, and make an important final check of your application after submitting.
- Protecting Human Research Participants: Though as of September 2018 the NIH has discontinued the formal training program, archived content is available for review. Please note that if you are looking to obtain certification in human subjects protection, CWRU offers the CITI program. More information on available training and obtaining credit can be found on the CREC website.
- All About Grants Podcasts: Interviews by and between NIH staff members discussing the ins-and-outs of the grant process.
Educational Opportunities
There have been a number of new offerings on campus for research education as we kick off the new academic year. Topics include research administration, financial processes, IRB issues, and more! Check out the following links and register today!
- CWRU Research Events Calendar: Main listing and registration site for CWRU and UH training.
- CWRU Administrative Professionals Series (CAPS): This program covers sponsored projects, financials, travel, and other areas of core University processes in short sessions. Most are in-person classes, but a few are now online. There is an option of obtaining a certificate if the full curriculum is completed.
- Administrative Professionals Network: A peer network of individuals who join together to share best practices, communicate and encourage professional development, and serve as resources for each other.