Dear Colleagues,

It was great to see so many of you in person at last month’s School Assembly. I will not recap my entire presentation here, as the slides are available for anyone who was not able to attend. However, I will highlight some key points: 

Federal Funding

We are continuing to monitor the status of our federal grants, and we ask that faculty reach out directly to me if they receive notice of a grant termination. We encourage faculty with current awards, especially covering topics that may be at risk, to do the following:

  • Check spend rates and minimize carryforward
  • Discuss risk/strategy with your NIH program officer
  • Use progress reports as an opportunity to reframe and possibly change aims
  • If aims change, we must also seek official approval from NIH via OSP

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the new NIH director, has specified 5 priorities for future research. Currently, within these priorities, a focus on “high risk” populations is still acceptable. The priorities are:

  • Population health
  • Reproducibility and rigor
  • Innovation and collaboration
  • Safety and transparency
  • Academic freedom

Research Administration

NIH has implemented a simplified review framework for most grant applications, in which the previous 5 criteria are now reorganized into 3 factors. NIH has postponed their implementation of new requirements for Biosketch and Other Support forms, which was previously scheduled for May 25th. We will update when a new implementation date is posted.

Faculty Development and Support

We remain committed to faculty development, recognizing that these activities continue to build the future of the school; foster a supportive, collaborative, and respectful culture; deeply impact our reputation inside and outside the University; and are essential to meeting our mission.

  • Faculty Development Seminar Series. The Faculty Development Seminar Series summarizes offerings throughout the semester, and we send out a note via SPH Today on the first of each month to highlight the offerings for that month. The Zoom links for the following May sessions can be found here.
    • Building and Managing Research Teams: May 2, 12:30–2pm
    • Guidance on Foundation Funding: May 14, 1-2pm
    • Promotion Information Session: May 21, 1-2pm
  • Grant Writing Workshops. There are several School and Campus-wide workshops available to help support faculty in developing a grant proposal. They are:
  • Resources for Faculty Promotion. We have many resources available for faculty as they move through the promotion process. We want to highlight the Mid-rank Review Program, which is an optional non-evaluative resource that allows faculty who have been in rank for 2-3 years to submit materials to the Appointments and Promotions Committee for feedback on their progress to promotion.
  • Additional research support. We have proposed a package of research support to address challenges associated with the current federal funding landscape. The package is currently under review with the Provost and we will share more information once we are able.
  • idea hub Pilot Awards. idea hub offers a vibrant pilot award program that includes multiple funding opportunities to support excellence and innovation in education, research, and practice. The next deadline for pilot awards is September 2 and an updated RFA will be circulated over the summer. Though the offerings for this cycle will likely be reduced due to budget constraints, we expect that the following awards will still be offered thanks to our DAR team and the generosity of donors:
    • Early Career Catalyst Award
    • Established Investigator Innovation Award
    • Educational Innovation Award
    • CFAR Developmental Grant Award
    • Carlin Foundation Award for Public Health Innovation
    • Training Grant Development Award

Mental Health Resources

These times are challenging for many of us, and I encourage you to take care of yourself and your mental health. Boston University offers many mental health resources for faculty and staff, including:

As always, feel free to reach out to me with any questions. I hope you have a great week.

Best,

Michael McClean, ScD
Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Advancement
mmcclean@bu.edu

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