Research Revealed: The Power of Multimedia
July 2021 | Information & Support for the BU Research Community
Insider Insights
PROMOTE YOUR WORK
The Power of Multimedia
In May, a 60-second video about how a team of BU mechanical engineers used Japanese paper-cutting techniques to create soft robotic grippers earned more than 750k views. Here are four lessons for other faculty promoting new research, plus tips for improving the quality of your research videos.
Recommendations for confronting racism and sexism in science (The Brink)
Guidance for using visual protocols to share step-by-step information (Nature)
Find Funding
- Funding for Large Research Collaborations or Centers: Federal Relations has posted an updated compendium(Kerberos log-in required) on federal resources for large research centers, including opportunities available at the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, NASA, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Transportation.
- Sustainable Investing: The Impact Measurement & Allocation Program seeks to fund BU research teams exploring sustainable investing practices, and particularly ESG (environmental, social, and governance) metrics related to carbon accounting, climate risk, and human capital. Applications are accepted quarterly; the next deadline is Wednesday, September 15.
- Translational Research: Are you working on an idea for which you require clinical data to prove its effectiveness? Are youengaged in translational bench, clinical, biomedical, patient-oriented,
implementation, or population health science research? The BU Clinical & Translational Science Institute’s Integrated Pilot Grant Award Program is a unique funding opportunity that supports investigators from across disciplines to develop and deploy new tools, technology, and methods to expedite clinical and translational research and discovery. Applications are due Monday, September 6. - Broader Impact: Any research proposal submitted to the National Science Foundation (NSF) must include a Broader Impacts statement, detailing the benefits of research on the world around us. Here are five tips from program officers to develop this critical component of your NSF grant application.
Manage an Award
As of July 1, the Post Award Financial Operations units of Research Administration, Compliance, Service Center Administration, and Training moved from Financial Affairs to Sponsored Programs within the Office of Research, introducing a single Research Administration office spanning both pre- and post-award. This new structure aims to enhance and streamline the support provided to the University’s research community.
Conducting Research
- Field Research: We are pleased to announce a new collection of resources for BU researchers engaged in field work. The Field Activities Subcommittee, which operates under the auspices of the Laboratory Safety Committee, welcomes suggestions and questions submitted by email to lsc@bu.edu.
- Data and Biospecimen Sharing: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is requesting feedback on sample language it has developed for use in informed consent documents for data and biospecimen sharing. NIH has established a web portal for responses, which must be received by Wednesday, September 29.
Bring to Market
- The Innovator’s Journey: This month’s blog post from Rana K. Gupta, Director of Faculty Entrepreneurship, features research and reflections from Professor Muhammad Zaman, Biomedical Engineering (ENG), on tackling substandard healthcare in underserved communities.
- Entrepreneurship Programs: BU Technology Development offers a full suite of programs to support researchers as you develop ideas and bring your research to impact. Visit their Learning Paths webpage for suggested programming based on your role, where you are in your journey, and what you’re trying to achieve.
Notes & News
- Five Boston University researchers were honored with Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) awards from the NSF: Assistant Professor William Boley, Mechanical Engineering (ENG); Assistant Professor Mark Bun, Computer Science (CAS); Assistant Professor Zeynep Demiragli, Physics (CAS); Associate Professor Francesco Orabona, Electrical & Computer Engineering (ENG); and Associate Professor Emily Whiting, Computer Science (CAS).
- Professor Alisa Bokulich, Philosophy (CAS); Associate Professor Margaret Litvin and Associate Professor Petrus Liu, World Languages & Literatures (CAS); and Professor Merav Opher Astronomy (CAS) were named Radcliffe Fellows by the Harvard Radcliffe Institute.
- Assistant Professor Laura Lewis, Biomedical Engineering (ENG), was named a 2021 Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences and awarded a 2021 McKnight Scholar Award.
- Professor Katya Ravid, Medicine (MED), received about $2.9M from the American Heart Association (AHA) to lead a multidisciplinary team as a new AHA center and as part of the Association’s newest Strategically Focused Research Network on disparities in cardio-oncology. The team will use experimental models and data from the Veterans Health Administration and Boston Medical Center to study which cancers are linked to the development of blood clots and what biological mechanisms cause the clots, as well as the impact of health disparities on cancer patients with blood clotting disorders.
- Assistant Professor Indara Suarez, Physics (CAS), won an Early Career Research Program Award from the US Department of Energy.
- Professor Helen Tager-Flusberg was appointed to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, a federal committee advising on autism-related science and policy.
- On Wednesday, July 21, the BU Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Policy & Research hosted a virtual Capitol Hill briefing on expanding global access to vaccines.