Interdisciplinary Research Consortium on Health Disparities (IRCHD)

Global Health & Innovation Conference at Yale

GH/Innovate 2010
Global Health & Innovation Conference
Presented by Unite For Sight, 7th Annual Conference
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Saturday, April 17 – Sunday, April 18, 2010

Registration & Details (Registration rate increases monthly): http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference

Conference schedule: http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference

New Call For Social Enterprise Pitches: Do you have an innovative idea or a new program in development?  Submit your idea for presentation.  Complete details on conference website.

2010 APHA Annual Meeting Call for Abstracts

The American Public Health Association is announcing the Call for Abstracts for the 2010 Annual Meeting to be held November 6-10, in Denver, CO. The theme of the meeting is “Social Justice:  A Public Health Imperative.”

They are looking for abstracts in all areas of public health and are also interested in abstracts that focus on the Annual Meeting theme. Abstracts should be no more than 250 words and must include a measurable learning objective.

All abstracts must be submitted online and an easy to use online form will walk you through the process step-by-step. The site is now opened so you may link directly to the abstract submission form through the APHA website at http://www.apha.org/meetings or http://apha.confex.com/apha/138am/oasys.epl

Authors must provide complete and accurate contact information in order to be notified of abstract status on June 1. You do not have to be a member of APHA to submit an abstract, however, if your abstract is accepted, presenting authors must become an Individual member as well as register for the Annual Meeting.

The deadline for submission of abstracts range from February 1 thru February 5, 2010 depending on the Section, SPIG, Caucus or Forum to which you wish to submit. All submissions will end at 11:59 pm (Pacific Standard Time) on the due date listed on the Call for Abstracts.

8th Biennial Cancer Survivorship Teleconference Series

This Spring, CancerCare, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, LIVESTRONG, Intercultural Cancer Council, Living Beyond Breast Cancer and National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, will present a four-part telephone workshop series, The Eighth Annual Cancer Survivorship Series: Living With, Through & Beyond Cancer.

This free series, made possible by support from the National Cancer Institute and LIVESTRONG, offers cancer survivors, their families, friends and health care professionals practical information to help them cope with concerns and issues that arise after treatment ends.

Part I, which takes place on Tuesday, April 13th, is entitled, Trouble Sleeping? Sleep Better to Feel Better: Tips You Can Use. The faculty for this program includes Elizabeth D. McKinley, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Dean, Emily Blackwell Society, Case School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University; Sonia Ancoli-Israel, PhD, Director, Gillin Sleep and Chronomedicine Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Professor of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego; and Stewart B. Fleishman, MD, Director, Supportive Services, Continuum Cancer Centers of New York, Beth Israel Medical Center, St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital.

Part II, Communicating with Your Health Care Team After Treatment: Making the Most of Your Visit, will take place on May 18th. Part III, Survivorship and Workplace Transitions, will take place on June 22nd. And Part IV, Survivors Too: Communicating With and Among Family, Friends and Loved Ones, will take place on July 13th. All of the workshops take place from 1:30 to 2:30 pm Eastern Time.

These workshops are free – no phone charges apply. However, pre-registration is required. To register simply go to the CancerCare website, www.cancercare.org/connect.

Registration for the 2010 NCI Summer Curriculum is now open

The Principles and Practice of Cancer Prevention and Control Course is a 4 week course designed to give participants a broad-based perspective on the current state-of-the-science in the field of cancer prevention. Experts representing disciplines from across the entire spectrum of cancer prevention research will present lectures on timely topics. It will be held from July 12-August 6, 2010 in Rockville, Maryland, with lectures from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm on most days.

The Molecular Prevention Course is a 1 week course that helps participants gain a stronger background in the molecular biology and genetics of cancer. It provides a thorough overview of cutting-edge research in molecular epidemiology, chemoprevention, biomarkers, and translational research. This course will be held from August 9-13, 2010, also in Rockville, MD, with lectures from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm on most days.

Please visit the website for more information and to view syllabus samples from the 2009 Summer Curriculum in Cancer Prevention at http://www3.cancer.gov/prevention/pob/courses/index.html.

Landon Foundation-AACR INNOVATOR Award for Research in Personalized Cancer Medicine

Landon Foundation-AACR INNOVATOR Award for Research in Personalized Cancer Medicine is designed to accelerate progress in the area of personalized cancer medicine by providing support for physician-scientists who conduct meritorious studies that hold promise for near-patient benefit.  The award provides a two-year grant of $100,000 to support direct research expenses, which may include salary and benefits of the grant recipient, postdoctoral or clinical research fellows, and/or research assistants, research/laboratory supplies, and equipment.

Be Prepared for Major Changes in NIH applications

Are you planning to submit an NIH grant application?  If so, please note that all applications intended for due dates on or after January 25, 2010* require the use of new forms and instructions. Major changes include:

• Restructured forms to align with review criteria
• Significantly shorter page limits

These changes apply to all competing applications, so whether you are submitting a new, renewal, resubmission or revision, you must take action now to ensure a successful submission!

1.    Return to the updated funding opportunity announcement or reissued parent announcement to download the new application package and instructions.

–    FOAs are in the process of being updated. See timeline for more information.

2.    Be sure to choose the correct forms.  Applications intended for due dates on or after January 25 require new forms.

–    For Electronic SF 424 (R&R):  ADOBE FORMS-B

–    For Paper PHS 398:  Revision date “June 2009”

3.    Read the updated FOA and new application instructions carefully

For more details the Enhancing Peer Review Web site which has a page dedicated to the upcoming application changes, as well as a number of additional resources including:

• A short video overview of the changes
• FAQs
• List of related policy notices
• A Training and Communications Resources page, and more.

*Applicants eligible for continuous submission who are submitting R01, R21 and R34 AIDS applications should use the old SF 424 (R&R) ADOBE-FORMS-A on or before February 7, 2010 and the new SF 424 (R&R) ADOBE-FORMS-B thereafter.  Non-AIDS applications from applicants eligible for continuous submission need to use ADOBE-FORMS-A on or before January 24, and the ADOBE-FORMS-B on or after January 25, 2010.

Landon Foundation-AACR INNOVATOR Award for Cancer Prevention Research

Landon Foundation-AACR INNOVATOR Award for Cancer Prevention Research recognizes outstanding achievement by junior faculty in any discipline of cancer prevention research. The projects must describe novel and innovative research that, if successful, will have strong potential for high impact in the cancer prevention field. The award provides a 2-year grant of $100,000 ($50,000 per year) for direct research expenses; which may include salary and benefits, equipment, and supplies; and for attendance at AACR Meetings for the purpose of participating in scholarly exchange.

NCMHD RFA ON Health Disparitities

The NCMHD Health Disparities Research on Minority and Underserved Populations (R01) seeks innovative research addressing elements that eliminates health disparities.  Research focused on disease and/or conditions that disproportionately affect racial/ethnic minorities is a growing field and has been employed lately in understanding dynamics contributing to health disparities.  Funding for this FOA will support investigators who propose to conduct health disparities research using its principles to improve health inequities.  The research should take into account the characteristics of health systems and health seeking behaviors that propagate disparities.  The focus of targeted research population is diverse.   It includes ethnic racial minorities, medically underserved and vulnerable populations, and rural and low-income populations.  Several approaches could be used when designing programs; specific interventions may include but are not limited to biological, behavioral change strategies, lifestyle factors, environmental, social and structural barriers, economics, institutional and cultural, family influences, delivery system interventions, medical procedures and regimens (including alternative therapy), medical and assistive devices and technologies.

NCMHD Disparities Research and Education Advancing Mission (DREAM) Career Transition Award (K22)

This purpose of the NCMHD DREAM Career Transition Award (K22) is to facilitate the transition of early stage investigators working in health disparities or areas that address health disparity conditions and populations from the mentored stage of career development to the independent stage of investigator-initiated health disparities research.  The program will provide an opportunity for investigators to develop solid research skills during the initial period of up to two years of study and research within the environment of the NIH Intramural Research Programs located at the NIH.  The award may also include a follow-on period of up to three years of salary and mentored research support at the candidate’s current institution or organization or an academic or research grantee institution of the candidate’s choice.  This period of extramural support will facilitate the transition to independence as a researcher in health disparities research.

Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Online Interactive Textbook

The e-Source online resource for Behavioral and Social Sciences Research advances the  methodological skill set of new and established researchers on the latest  research methods, approaches and translation of behavioral and social science (BSS) research.

It  also provides an easy means by which investigators can efficiently obtain  answers to emerging methodological concerns. Specifically,  it:

1. Demonstrates the considerable  potential of  BSS research to enhance biomedical research;
2. Serves as  a resource center for the  most current and high quality BSS research  methods with references to and  examples of well designed studies in  BSS research and information on how to  easily and efficiently obtain  authoritative answers to methodological  questions;
3. Provides  information on how to  integrate BSS research into a variety of  biomedical research activities; and
4. Updates  and strengthens the impact  of BSS research by identifying consistent  and high quality standards for the  research  community.

To view this course, go to http://www.esourceresearch.org.  Recognized international experts in their fields are developing the 16  modules for this web-based learning site:

• Determining Appropriate Methods - John B. McKinlay,  PhD
• The Concept of ‘Science’ in the Behavioral and Social  Sciences - Jeffrey Coulter, PhD
• Theory Development and  Construction - Stephen Turner, PhD
• Concepts in Sample  Surveys - Sarah M. Nusser, PhD and Michael D. Larsen, PhD
• Do’s and  Don’ts of interviewing - Steve Woodland, PhD
• Administrative Data  Systems in Behavioral and Social Science Research on Health and  Aging - Vincent Mor, PhD
• A Reporting Checklist for Observational  Studies - Richard Berk, PhD
• Using Qualitative Methods to Study  Health and Illness - David Silverman, PhD
• Conversation Analysis as  an Approach to the Medical Encounter - John Heritage, PhD
• Integrating Software  and Qualitative Analysis - Eben  Weitzman, PhD
• Clinical Trials - Duolao Wang, PhD and Ameet Bakhai,  MD, MRCP
• Cluster Unit Randomized Trials - Allan Donner, PhD
• Multi-level Modeling: A Conceptual and Methodological Overview - S.  V. Subramanian, PhD
• Operationalizing, Measuring and Defining  Psychosocial Variables - Keith Widaman, PhD
• Ensuring Conceptual  Cultural and Equivalence - Leo Morales, PhD
• From Quality of Life to  Patient-Reported Outcomes - Donald L. Patrick, PhD and Gordon Guyatt, PhD

The online course was developed under a contract from the NIH  Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (http://obssr.od.nih.gov) by the  New England Research Institutes (NERI) (http://www.neriscience.com/web/default.asp).