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For all our research and awards news, please visit our news page.

Monday 25 January 2016

$58,000 to unravel the sex-specific genetic causes of Parkinson's Disease

Prof Thyagarajan and PhD student Dr Catherine Ding
Researchers from Hudson Institute and Monash University’s School of Clinical Sciences have received a $58,000 Bethlehem Griffiths Research Foundation grant to help understand the sex-specific genetic causes for why men are more likely to develop Parkinson’s Disease than women.

The grant will support Hudson’s Dr Joohyung Lee and Professor Vincent Harley, and Professor of Neuroscience at Monash University’s School of Clinical Sciences and Directory of Neurology at Monash Health, Professor Dominic Thyagarajan, to carry out a research project in Hudson’s Brain and Gender lab.

Dr Lee says the research project may prove that Y-chromosome gene SRY is associated with the loss of brain cells that produce dopamine, which causes the onset of Parkinson’s Disease.

“Parkinson’s Disease is a debilitating disorder, primarily associated with inability to initiate and control voluntary movement,” Dr Lee said.
“These symptoms result from the loss of brain cells that produce a chemical called dopamine, which acts as a signal to initiate movement.

“Men are twice as likely to develop PD as women and the progression of the disease is more rapid in men.”

Historically, this gender difference has been explained by the protective actions of oestrogen in females, but emerging evidence suggests that sex-chromosome genes also contribute.

“We have shown that the Y chromosome gene, SRY, a key gene for switching on the male-sex, is also found in the male brain. We find SRY in the same brain cells that make dopamine and that SRY can turn on dopamine production in males,” Professor Harley said.

“Current PD therapies only treat the symptoms and do not halt or slow the dopamine cell loss in Parkinson’s Disease, so it’s important that we explore potential sex genetic related causes of the disease.”

The researchers are hopeful the project may show that reducing SRY levels can slow or halt the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease and dopamine cell loss.

“This evidence would provide a novel explanation as to why males are more susceptible to Parkinson’s Disease, and open up this gene as a potential target for new therapies,” Professor Professor Dominic Thyagarajan said.


The research could also be valuable in understanding the role of SRY in other male-biased brain disorders, such as autism, schizophrenia and attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD).

Congratulations Margaret Nixon on the completion of her PhD

Monash Graduate Research Services is pleased to report that Margaret Nixon has fulfilled the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. 
                                                                   
Margaret's thesis, "Intellectual disability, criminal offending and victimisation" was ratified by the Graduate Research Steering Committee on Tuesday 15th December 2015 and will be conferred upon graduation.


We offer our sincere thanks to all the academic and professional staff involved in assisting Margaret Mary achieve this wonderful result.  

"Vitamin D and health - emerging themes from recent research" - Tue, 2 February

MCHRI presents Professor Robert Scragg - 2nd February, 12-1pm, TRF building seminar room 3

Robert Scragg is Professor of Epidemiology at the School of Population Health, University of Auckland. He is a graduate of Adelaide Medical School and trained in epidemiology in the late 1970s at the CSIRO Division of Human Nutrition, in Adelaide, where he became interested in vitamin D and cardiovascular disease. He is a principal investigator on the ViDA Study, a large randomised trial to determine if vitamin D supplementation prevents cardiovascular disease and other adverse health outcomes.
------
Over the last 5 years several large scale vitamin D supplementation trials have commenced, including the Vitamin D Assessment (ViDA) Study just completed in Auckland.  Prof Scragg will give an overview of these trials and vitamin D research issues which have emerged since they started.

PLEASE RSVP to elspeth.lilburn@monash.edu by 29 January

Targeting chemokine reception CXCR4 in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Monday 1 February

Monday, February 1, 11am - 12pm, Level 2 seminar room, TRF

Presented by Dr Lauren Pitt, Langone School of Medicine, New York University

See details here.


"Upstream regulation of Wnt signaling: Science and Therapy" Thursday, 11 February

On Thursday, February 11, 2016 there will be a Centre for Cancer Research (CCR) Special Seminar from 11am to 12pm, Level 2 Seminar Rooms 1 & 2, TRF Building.

The speaker will be: Prof David Virshup, Director of the Program in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology at the Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore, and Professor of Pediatrics at Duke University in North Carolina, USA.

Light lunch to follow presentation outside the Lecture Theatre.


The 'Expert' Expert Witness Workshop, 16 February

Professor the Hon
George Hampel AM QC
Monash University Law School is pleased to present this professional development opportunity next month in the Melbourne CBD. Presented by Professor the Hon George Hampel AM QC, this will be of great benefit to those who provide their expert opinion in court, or who wish to move their career into the area of forensics.

This interactive full-day workshop will appeal to many professional groups (including specialist medical practitioners) where expert evidence is often required for example.

16 February, 9am-4.45pm, Monash University Law Chambers, 555 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

More information here.   Register here.  (Please note there are limited places)

Crawling out of the RNA world: from catalytic RNA to telomerase, a catalytic RNP - 17 February

 Nobel Laureate Professor Tom Cech
This Biomedicine Discovery Lecture will be given by Nobel Laureate Professor Tom Cech on 17 February at 1pm in South 1 Lecture Theatre , 43 Rainforest Walk, Clayton Campus. 

More details here.

Lorne Infection & Immunity Conference 17-19 February

The 2016 Lorne Infection and Immunity conference organising committee invites you to register for the 6th annual conference.

Join infection and immunity scientists from around Australia and overseas for three days of networking and science.


See program and registration details here.

Animal Ethics Information Session - 23 February

Monash University requires that:
• All new research staff and students using live animals complete the information session “Animal Use in Research and Teaching”.
• Researchers, Teachers and students must have attended or enrolled in the next available session to be named on an animal ethics application.

Date: Tuesday 23 February 2016
Time: 10am – 12:30pm
Venue: Lecture Theatre Central 1, 25 Exhibition Walk, Clayton Campus

Register on-line -

ECR travel grant - Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Australia

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Australia invites applications for its early-stage researcher travel grants. These support medical or science graduates in the early stages of their research career with travel to research institutions or scientific meetings which will further the applicant’s expertise in the study of type 1 diabetes. Applicants must be Australian citizens, permanent residents currently residing in Australia, or temporary residents holding JDRF research awards and currently working at an Australian institution. Current PhD students or researchers who are not more than five year postdoctoral researchers are eligible to apply.

Grants are worth up to AU$2,000 for domestic travel and up to AU$4,000 for international travel.  Closing date 28 Feb 2016

Immunology tutoring and demonstrating positions at Monash University

The Department of Immunology is looking for sessional staff to tutor and demonstrate into our teaching program.  We primarily teach three units:

IMM2011:  A level two unit which introduces students to the basics of the immune system.  We cover the innate and adaptive immune system, MHC processing and presentation, tolerance and mucosal immunity.  Students complete both tutorial and practical classes so we require people to either tutor or demonstrate groups of ~20 students.  Tutorial and practical sessions are repeated (you will run the same class twice with different students over two weeks).

IMM3031:  A level three unit which covers both innate and adaptive immune systems in depth.  An extensive knowledge of immunology is required.  There are eight tutorial classes over the semester.

IMM3051:  A level three unit which covers antibody:antigen interactions in a practical class setting.  This unit is completely practical based.

We will also require people for one-off teaching sessions for BMS1021 (ideal for those new to demonstrating) and MED1011.  Dates and times are indicated in the attached spreadsheet.

PhD Student Confirmation of Candidature Seminar - Alexander Rodriguez (27 January)

All students and staff are invited to attend Alexander's confirmation of candidature seminar:

Date: Wednesday 27 January 2016
Time: 9:00-11:00am
Location: Medicine Seminar Room, Level 5, Block E, Monash Medical Centre
(Supervisors: Professor Peter Ebeling, Dr. David Scott)

Synopsis: Cardiovascular disease is a major disease burden particularly in the growing obese, older adult population. Cardiovascular risk may be more related to non-traditional risk factors such as vascular calcification and vascular stiffness. Bone loss occurs during ageing and this may promote vascular calcification and vascular stiffness. Muscle loss also occurs during ageing and can contribute to bone loss. Given that obese, older adults are commonly vitamin D deficient/insufficient and are likely to be physically inactive, we aimed to investigate if a combined exercise and vitamin D intervention can reverse muscle and bone loss and ultimately improve vascular health.


L'Oréal USA For Women In Science grant

The L'Oréal USA For Women in Science fellowship program awards five women postdoctoral scientists annually with grants of $60,000 each. They can be from any specialty. As the deadline is fast approaching, we are reaching out to see if you would be willing to refer any of your fellows to this program. The details can be perused at :  L'Oréal USA For Women In Science grant


Deadline: 5th February 2016

Women in Medicine: Best Practice Mentoring - 9 February

Join us for one or both of these introductory Lunchtime Learning Sessions sponsored by Women in Medicine and the Monash Health Mentors Program:
  • Finding & managing your mentor
  • Being a great mentor

Tuesday, 9 February 2016, Level 4 Seminar Room,  MMC Clayton
12.30 - 1.30pm:  Finding & Managing your Mentor
2.00 - 3.00 pm:  Being a Great Mentor

Details and registration here.

Centre for Inflammatory Diseases updates

Reminder re School ECR Practitioner Fellowships - due 29 January.


Abstracts for 2016 International Congress of Immunology (Melbourne 21 -26 August 2016) due by 25 January 2016


CID Weekly Seminar Series commences on Tuesday 2 February 2016 at 12:00-1:00pm in Seminar Room 1, Level 2, TRF Building
Lunch will be served in the Seminar Room foyer, Level 2, TRF Building from 11:45am.
The schedule will be available shortly


Platform Access Grants
Applications due 17 March 2016
Instructions and Guidelines including Eligibility Criteria and Permitted Research Platforms are attached


Free webinar: ChIP protocol optimization and troubleshooting tips
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
10:00-10:30 AEDT
This webinar will review:
- Chromatin Basics
- Why ChIP is such a useful laboratory technique
- Important aspects for protocol optimization
- Key troubleshooting tips 


Free conference: Mechanisms and Mysteries in Epigenetics Conference
Thursday, April 21, 2016
9:00 AEST
Meeting Chairs: John Mattick, Catherine Suter
Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia Registration: www.abcam.com/epigeneticsAU
This one day, free symposium is devoted to the marriage of epigenetics and RNA. The title ‘Mechanisms and Mysteries in Epigenetics’, encapsulates the interesting and provocative content we have in mind: from the basic mechanisms of how epigenetic modifications regulate gene expression in health and disease, to how they affect formation and inheritance of complex traits, touching on cellular and transgenerational information transfer mediated by RNAs and other molecules.





Courses available for Academic & Professional Staff

The following workshops have confirmed dates and are open for registrations.
Please refer to the workshop web pages for more information


These workshops are designed to assist academic and professional staff to maximise their presentations using the AV equiprment provided in the University's teaching and meeting room spaces.

NHMRC Partnerships Centre: Health System Sustainability

Please ​refer​ here for some correspondence from the NHMRC with regard to the opening of applications for the NHMRC Partnership Centre: Health System Sustainability. Applications are due to the NHMRC by 6 ​April ​2016​

More information is available on their website at: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/grants-funding/apply-funding/partnerships-better-health/partnerships-centres

Huntington Society of Canada Research Programs

The Huntington Society of Canada has launched the 2016 NAVIGATOR and NEW PATHWAYS Research Competitions:  http://www.huntingtonsociety.ca/2016-hsc-research-competition/

The 2016 timeline is:
·         February 8, 2016 – Letter of Intent, (electronic and hard copy) due by 3pm ET
·         February 16, 2016 – Request for full proposal communicated to successful applicants
·         April 14,  2016 – Full proposal (electronic and hard copy) due by 3pm ET
·         June 2016 – Announcement of decisions
·         July 1, 2016 – Funding may commence

All documents and information are available on the HSC website, particularly:
NAVIGATOR Terms of Reference:

NAVIGATOR Application: 

NEW PATHWAYS Terms of Reference:

NEW PATHWAYS Application:

LETTER of INTENT form:

For further information, please contact:​

Shirley Barnes, Office Administrator
Huntington Society of Canada

DoD Funding Pre-announcement for Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Research Program

The FY16 Defense Appropriations Act provides $6 million (M) to the Department of Defense Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Research Program (TSCRP) to support innovative, high-impact TSC research.  As directed by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, the Defense Health Agency, Research, Development, and Acquisition (DHA RDA) Directorate manages the Defense Health Program (DHP) Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) appropriation.  The managing agent for the anticipated Program Announcements/Funding Opportunities is the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).
The TSCRP is providing the information in this pre-announcement to allow investigators time to plan and develop applications.  FY16 TSCRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are anticipated to be posted on the Grants.gov website in March 2016.  Pre-application and application deadlines will be available when the Program Announcements are released.  This pre-announcement should not be construed as an obligation by the government.
Focus Areas:  The goal of the FY16 TSCRP is to encourage innovative research aimed at understanding the pathogenesis, and preventing and treating the manifestations of TSC.  Within this context, the FY16 TSCRP encourages applications that address the critical needs of the TSC community in one or more of the following FY16 Focus Areas:

GRANT ALERT - Australian Mitochondrial Disease Foundation's Grants & Scholarships

Australian Mitochondrial Disease Foundation's (AMDF) research funding is focussed on understanding the biology of primary disorders of the mitochondria and improving their diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure.
The foundation currently offers the following funding opportunities:
· AMDF PhD Top-up Scholarships
o   AMDF support students by providing a flexible scholarship program. Recipients of these scholarships can, and do, investigate a range of different areas, but they all have one ultimate goal – to be part of the solution in finding a cure and effective treatment for mitochondrial disease. AMDF PhD scholarships “top-up” researcher’s existing NHMRC, ARC or similar scholarship.
· AMDF Incubator Grants
o   AMDF Incubator Grants facilitate preliminary investigation and enable the researcher to reach a point where they are then eligible to apply to external/independent bodies for funding to complete their research. AMDF Incubator Grants up to $25,000 are awarded for projects up to 12 months duration.
· AMDF Research Equipment Grants
o   Research equipment grants are available to researchers who are unable to access certain pieces of equipment that are vital, or would greatly advance their work. AMDF Research Equipment Grants up to $50,000 aim to supplement the funding provided by the laboratory or other funding sources for the purchase of the equipment.
· AMDF Translational Research Grants
o   The aim of the AMDF Translational Research Grants is to rapidly transform research discoveries into clinical practice. AMDF fund exceptional researchers who have the capability to turn around ground breaking research and start to make inroads into treatments. AMDF Translational Research Grants are up to $150,000 per year for two years
· AMDF Clinical Trial Infrastructure Grants
o   Clinical trials in mitochondrial disease are almost non-existent in Australia. AMDF is eager for more pharmaceutical companies to see Australia as a viable location to conduct clinical trials. For Australia to be a candidate for clinical trials, infrastructure must be in place. This infrastructure can include venues and staff to run the trial, Internet resources, and bio-banking facilities. AMDF Clinical Trial Infrastructure Grants are up to $75,000 per year for three years.
· AMDF Project Grants
o   One of AMDF’s key goals is to boost research into mitochondrial disease. In some instances this research may not fit neatly into one of the prescribed AMDF research funding opportunities. AMDF will consider all applications for funding to support the highest quality research in the field of mitochondrial disease.
o   For more info - http://www.amdf.org.au/projects/

For more information, please contact the AMDF on (02) 8033 4113 or email Rebecca Davis at rebecca.davis@amdf.org.au

JUST RELEASED! FY16 DoD CDMRP Program Pre-Announcements

The Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) Defense Appropriations Act provides research funding for the peer reviewed programs managed by the Department of Defense (D​o​D) office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).  

This e-mail is to notify the research community of the recently released pre-announcements http://cdmrp.army.mil/pubs/press/press.shtml) for the following programs:

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Research Program
Bone Marrow Failure Research Program
Ovarian Cancer Research Program
Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program
Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Research Program

Descriptions of each of the funding opportunities, eligibility, key mechanism elements, and funding can be found in the respective Program pre-announcement.  FY16 pre-announcements can be found in the CDMRP home page features at http://cdmrp.army.mil.


Subsequent notifications will be sent when the program announcements/funding opportunities are released. 

NHMRC Project Grant and Early Career Fellowships Open in RGMS

The NHMRC have opened RGMS for applications for:
  • Project Grants
  • Early Career Fellowships
Funding rules and advice for applicants can be found at: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/grants-funding/apply-funding

Updated information on the MRO submission process, key changes and other advice for Project Grants is available from the intranet site: http://intranet.monash.edu.au/researchadmin/nhmrc/nhmrc-projectgrant.html

The MRO intranet is currently been updated with information on the submission process, key changes and other advice for Early Career Fellowships and
​is​
 available at: http://intranet.monash.edu.au/researchadmin/nhmrc/nhmrc-trainingfellowships.html

Please contact mhs@monash.edu if you have any questions about these, or other, NHMRC schemes.

Network message: Updated documents: Discovery Projects 2017 ITAs and FAQs

The ARC released updated Instructions to Applicants and FAQ's for the upcoming Discovery Projects round shortly before Christmas.  These can be accessed via the links below. By way of a reminder, the key dates associated with the D17 round are:

RMS Proposals Open: 9 December 2015
Request not to Assess: 17 February 2016 (due to MRO 10 February 2016)
RMS Proposals Close: 3 March 2016 (due to MRO 4 February 2016)


The Discovery Projects Instructions to Applicants for funding commencing in 2017 and Frequently Asked Questions for Discovery Projects commencing in 2017 have been updated on the ARC website. All documents can be found on the Instructions and Frequently Asked Questions page of the ARC website.

If you have any questions regarding the Discovery Projects scheme, please email to ARC-DiscoveryProjects@arc.gov.au.

DoD Preannouncement for Peer Reviewed Medical Research

The Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) Defense Appropriations Act provides $278.7 million to the Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP).  The vision of the PRMRP is to improve the health and well-being of all military Service members, Veterans, and beneficiaries.  The PRMRP challenges the scientific and clinical communities to address one of the FY16 congressionally directed topic areas with original ideas that foster new directions in basic science and translational research; novel product development leading to improved therapeutic or diagnostic tools; synergistic, multidisciplinary research programs; or clinical trials that address an immediate clinical need.

International Funding - US Federal Compliance A133 Audit 2016 - Information Session

Each year Monash University is subject to a US Federal Compliance A133 Audit of US Federal funding received by the university. Prior to the audit we are required to run an Information Session for researchers and their relevant support staff in receipt of US Federal funding. This year's session details are as follows:

Date and time:
Thursday 11th February 1.30 to 2.30/3.00pm

Venue: S9 16 Rainforest Walk Clayton Campus (video conferenced to other locations - venues to be advised)

Agenda:

1.30 to 2.00pm – Professor Jian Li, Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, What to expect from a researcher's perspective

2.00 pm – Ms Pallavi Khani, ShineWing Australia, (Appointed A133 Auditor) will walk us through the procedure for this year.

There will be an opportunity for questions following the presentations.

All Chief Investigators on US Government grants are strongly encouraged to attend in person, along with project managers and research managers.


Please note that the US places the same significance and treats all funding, large or small, the same.

All queries should be directed to the MRO Research Grants and Contracts Team (adm-researchgrants.contracts@monash.edu).

Call for Funding Proposals - Dementia Collaborative Research Centres

The Dementia Collaborative Research Centres (DCRC) seek applications from researchers, health professionals and policymakers for national funding for 2015-16, for small, medium and large projects ending 30 June 2017.

• Up to $50,000 (up to 12 awards)
• $51,000 to $100,000 (up to 6 awards)
• $101,000 to $200,000 (up to 6 awards).

The Dementia Collaborative Research Centres (DCRC) focus on dementia research that spans early detection, prevention, assessment, treatment, and care.

Projects in applied research or knowledge translation must specifically address one or more of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) priority dementia research areas.

Applications should be innovative and designed to have real impact on health care consumers, and on our ability to build capacity in dementia research.

The funding round opens on 13 January 2016 and closes on 29 February 2016.

Any resulting funding will be subject to finalisation of a grant agreement with NHMRC.  More information here and to apply, visit dementiaresearch.org.au



MRO ARC app

The MRO ARC Team will be trialling the MRO ARC App between January and May 2016, alongside the scheme email distribution lists so that researchers will have a choice as how to receive information.  

During the busy ARC grants season, keeping researchers up to date with timely ARC scheme information as well as relevant MRO guidance, is key to the service excellence standards and continuous improvement strategy of the Monash Research Office. 

 Traditionally the MRO ARC Team have used both intranet and scheme email distribution lists to communicate information to the Monash research community about upcoming grant rounds.  For 2016, we would like to trial a further channel of communication – a MRO ARC App – which may offer a number of advantages over the more traditional methods:

·         Push notifications to mobiles or email accounts alerting to new content
·         On-the-go access to information
·         Mobile-friendly content layouts
·         Opportunities to interact with both the MRO ARC team and other researchers applying to the same scheme through forums

We will trial the MRO ARC App between January and May 2016 
alongside the scheme email distribution lists so that researchers will still have a choice as how to receive information.  At the end of this period, we will seek feedback from users of the App to determine whether we continue its use, and if so what improvements are desirable.

The App itself is an adaptation of a commercially available platform designed to improve communication to teams.  It’s free to download and use, and access to the MRO ARC App is restricted to users approved by the MRO ARC Team only.  It is available across all platforms – iOS, Android and desktop – and members can join ARC scheme-specific groups within the App to ensure that the information received is tailored to the schemes of interest.

To use:
1.       Download ‘Team App’ from the App Store or Google Play and sign up for an account.  You will receive an email to confirm your registration.
2.       Log in and search for ‘MRO ARC’ and request access to the ARC scheme access groups that are of interest to you.
3.       MRO ARC Team will approve your membership if you are a Monash University staff member.
4.       Have a look around the MRO ARC App at the pre-populated information on upcoming ARC Scheme rounds.
5.       The MRO ARC Team will post information as it becomes available, and monitor the forums to answer questions or comment on topics.

A poster and FAQ document​ is attached here.

MRO Update - DECRA 2017 Eligibility Exemptions now open in RMS

Eligibility exemptions can be requested by DECRA applicants who were awarded their PhD on or after 1 March 2007 (see Funding Rule D7.4.5 for exception) together with significant career interruption/s. The Instructions to Applicants for Eligibility Exemptions and FAQs provide details of the types of career interruptions that will be considered for DECRA Eligibility Exemptions.

The Key dates for Eligibility Exemption Requests are:

Open in RMS:                 13 Jan 2016
MRO close for review:     9am, 25th Jan 2016
ARC close date:              27 Jan 2016

The link to the relevant ARC web page is: Instructions to Applicants and FAQs


Please email enquiries re: Eligibility Exemptions to: arc@monash.edu

ARC Application Advice Sessions

This year, the MRO ARC Team will offer tailored application advice sessions rather than the usual lecture-style ARC Scheme Information Sessions.  Feedback from previous years is that there has been limited value from the Information Sessions as they mostly comprise of the Funding Rules which can be/have already been read by the applicants.  We hope this change in approach will better support applicants with the ARC information they need for their proposal at this point in the development process.

48 x 20 minute sessions will be available for lead CI’s or research teams to discuss any aspect of their DP17, IN17 or DE17 proposal with a member of the MRO ARC Team face-to-face. 

All sessions will be held during the week commencing 25 January 2016 and can be booked by clicking on the appropriate link below:
·         Discovery Project or Discovery Indigenous
·         DECRA


We ask that participants enter a comment as to the particular aspect(s) that they are seeking advice on so that we can prepare for and make the most of the session time available.  Alternatively, they can email this information to: arc@monash.edu.  Once booked, the MRO ARC team will confirm the session with a calendar invite that will also include the meeting venue and MRO Team member they will meet with.

NHMRC Early Career Fellowships

The National Health and Medical Research Council invites applications for its early-career fellowships. These support Australian researchers to undertake research that is both of major importance in its field and of benefit to Australian health. Fellowships are provided for advanced training in health and medical research either in Australia or overseas. There are different categories within the early career fellowships....more information here.    Closing date 24 Feb 2016

Priority-driven collaborative cancer research – young investigator project grants (Cancer Australia)

Cancer Australia, in collaboration with its funding partners, invites applications for its priority-driven collaborative cancer research young investigator project grants. These support research in identified priority areas to help reduce the impact of cancer in the community and improve outcomes for people affected by cancer. 

There are two categories of grants:
•category B – involves partnerships between Cancer Australia and Cure Cancer Australia, and comprises grants awarded for one year duration with maximum funding of $100,000 to support researchers with one to three years post-doctoral experience, or one to three years after graduation from medical school;

•category C – involves partnerships between Cancer Australia and Cure Cancer Australia, and comprises grants awarded for two years duration with maximum funding of $200,000, with maximum funding per year of $100,000, to support post-doctoral researchers with four to seven years post-doctoral experience, or four to seven years after graduation from medical school.

The proposed research must directly align with at least one research priority area specified by Cancer Australia or its funding partners. Applicants must be qualified researchers who will be conducting research at an NHMRC approved administering institution in Australia. Chief investigators or co-investigators on current NHRMC programme or project grants who form research collaborations are also eligible. The administering institution can be within a university, affiliated to a university or major hospital, or an appropriate independent medical or scientific research institute and must meet NHMRC requirements.

NHMRC project grants

It’s that time of year again, to throw your hat into the ring for the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) next round of project grants and funding.

The Research Grants Management System (RGMS) opened on 13 January 2016 and is a one-stop portal to access and update your profile and CV and to submit your Project Grant application.

Application information and templates are available now on the RGMS and will close on 16 March 2016.

Discovery Project applications close 3 March 2016, while the Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) applications are open until 22 March 2016.

The NHMRC project grant funding rules for 2016 can be downloaded from the NHMRC website: https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/grants-funding/apply-funding/project-grants

Learning and Teaching Research Grant Scheme 2016

The Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and  Health Sciences Learning & Teaching Research Grant Scheme (L&T RGS) is an initiative to assist in the development of high quality learning and teaching research activity in the Faculty.

The scheme is funded to the value of $200,000 with individual grants of up to $20,000 being available although research for smaller amounts for targeted activities are  encouraged. Funding will be for 1 year commencing 1 March 2016.

Expected outcomes from the L&T RGS would include data collection that enabled the research team to apply for external national competitive grants, publications in high quality peer reviewed journals and implementation of new L&T activities in the Faculty.  Cross discipline collaborative projects are encouraged.

·        Submission Deadline: COB 5th February 2016.
Further details and application form available at http://www.med.monash.edu.au/intranet/education/ Under Teaching Grants and Outcomes,  Learning & Teaching Research Grant Application

·      Please send completed applications to fmnhs-dde@monash.edu

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP AND GRANTS-IN-AID IN BONE MARROW FAILURE

Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision is calling for full applications from appropriately qualified scientific or medical researchers for a Fellowship or Grant-in-Aid to support research into the causes and treatment of bone marrow failure (BMF).
Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision particularly seeks potential Fellows and researchers who will be undertaking research that is specifically directed towards finding a cure for BMF and that is applicable to adolescents and young adults with these diseases.
Fellowship funding support will include stipend, consumables and reasonable travel costs. The total support offered will be up to AUD$100,000 per annum for up to three years. With regards to the Grants-in-Aid for project support will be offered up to AUD$100,000 per annum for up to two years. Both the Fellowship and the grant funding payment will also be undertaken in milestone payments. Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision reserves the right not to offer the fellowship if no suitable applicants are identified. Key dates for each application process are listed below.
All interested parties should contact ceo@mrv.org.au to receive further information and application templates.   Further information here and application details here.
RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP APPLICATIONS IN BONE MARROW FAILURE
Dec 2015: Applications open
Jan 31st 2016: Applications close
14th Feb 2016: Outcome of applications announced
GRANTS-IN-AID FOR RESEARCH IN BONE MARROW FAILURE
Dec 2015: EOI open
Jan 31st 2016: EOI close
14th Feb 2016: Outcome of EOI notified and full applications requested
31st March Full application deadline
21st April Full application outcome notification

Registrar research award - Australasian Association of Nuclear Medicine Specialists

This supports work that provides new data of clinical and scientific merit and involves the use of nuclear medicine techniques to be presented at the annual scientific meeting. The award is worth up to AU$3,000 to cover travel to attend a nuclear medicine scientific meeting.

Maximum award: $3,000  Closing date: 29 Jan 2016 

Travelling fellowships to attend American College of Cardiology meetings

Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand, AU

These enable early career researchers to present at an international conference, in particular, to attend the Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology to be held in Chicago, Illinois, from 2 to 4 April 2016. Fellowships are worth AU$3,000 each.
Maximum award: $3,000  Closing date: 15 Feb 2016 

Sunday 24 January 2016

A role for spleen tyrosine kinase in renal fibrosis in the mouse obstructed kidney

David Nikolic-Paterson et al. published in Life Sciences. 

Read article here.

Does the use of IV tPA in the current era of rapid and predictable recanalization by mechanical embolectomy represent good value?

Ronil Chandra et al. published in the Journal of Neurointerventional Surgery.

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National stroke registries for monitoring and improving the quality of hospital care: A systematic review.

Dominique Cadilhac et al. published in the International Journal of Stroke.

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Ten year clinical experience with stroke and cerebral vasculitis

Thanh Phan et al. published in the Journal of Clinical Neuroscience.

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Do cognitive, language, or physical impairments affect participation in a trial of self-management programs for stroke?

Dominique Cadilhac et al. published in the International Journal of Stroke.

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Single Sustained Inflation followed by Ventilation Leads to Rapid Cardiorespiratory Recovery but Causes Cerebral Vascular Leakage in Asphyxiated Near-Term Lambs

Graeme Polglase et al. published in PLoS One.

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Human Endometrial Exosomes Contain Hormone-Specific Cargo Modulating Trophoblast Adhesive Capacity: Insights into Endometrial-Embryo Interactions.

Lois Salamonsen et al. published in Biology of Reproduction.

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