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SCS research and awards news

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

Monday, 20 July 2015

3MT competition

3MT competition for faculties, departments and schools are underway and the university final is scheduled for Wednesday September 16th. You can find more key dates and other resources at the 3MT intranet page.



Graduate research student updates

Milestone Management
All Graduate Research students and supervisors to note that the Milestone Report Form has been updated to include provision for streamlining the milestone extensions process where the MRP determines that amendments are required by the student in order to meet the requirements of the milestone.
In order to further simplify the process a new form, Milestone Report Form - Reconvened Panel, has also been created.  This form is to be used where the MRP reconvenes at the end of the extension period to assess the student’s progress and determine whether the student has met the requirements of the milestone.


Information for students enrolled in the Biomedical Sciences PhD Training Program:
1. Monash Doctoral Program (MDP) intranet
The Graduate Researcher Development (GRD) section of the MDP intranet page has been updated to include more detailed information about activities offered under each Learning Domain.   Students and their supervisors may wish to use this resource as a professional development activity planning tool.  Visit the GRD intranet page for further details.

2. Deregistering for GRD activities -
Graduate research students can now register or deregister for Graduate Researcher Development activities in GRAMS right up to the day before the activity is scheduled.
Please encourage graduate research students registered for activities, or on the wait-list, to extend professional courtesy to their colleagues by deregistering if they can no longer attend. This allows fellow students on the wait-list to take their place.

3. GRD Activities Available for Remainder of 2015 - Now listed in GRAMS
To enable graduate research students and their supervisors to plan which GRD activities they wish to undertake in the second half of this year year, all currently planned GRD activities scheduled for this period have been advertised in GRAMS. 
Graduate research students are invited to book into the advertised sessions via GRAMS.

Graduate Research - Supervisor Training

Supervisor Development Programs
The Graduate Education portfolio offers supervisors a variety of development opportunities providing advanced skills and knowledge to guide and monitor graduate research students. Find out more and register for Level 1 Supervisor Training, Master Classes and Good Practice Workshops through the Supervisor Training site or contactmigr-membership@monash.edu.

Please invite Honours and Research Masters’ students from within your faculty to attend and to register here.






Conversational English Program for graduate students

MIGR has launched a new initiative called the Conversational English Program, tailored for international graduate research students and includes modules for their partners.

The contact for the program is Belinda Ting 9902-0485 or conversational-english@monash.edu

Register at:   http://monash.edu/students/conversational-english/ .  Please find details here.





Do you have a non-snoring child and would like to contribute to valuable research?

The Ritchie Centre is looking for children/teens between the ages of 3 and 18 years to participate as controls in research sleep studies.
The Centre is carrying out studies on the effect of sleep disordered breathing on blood flow to the brain and its relationship with learning and behaviour. We are looking for non snoring 3–12 year old volunteers to serve as controls. Participants will have an overnight sleep study at the Melbourne Children’s Sleep Centre in the Monash Medical Centre.
We are also looking for 8–18 year old non snoring, normal-weight volunteers to serve as controls in another study on the effects of being overweight in childhood and snoring during sleep on brain structure, academic performance and the cardiovascular system. The participants will firstly have an MRI scan at the brand new Monash BioImaging Facility located in Wellington Road opposite Monash University Clayton Campus. This will take about an hour and afterwards have an overnight sleep study at the Melbourne Children’s Sleep Centre in the Monash Medical Centre. Both of these procedures will be performed on the same night.

Monash Doctoral Program Information Session 2015 - Invitation

Professor Zlatko Skrbis, Vice-Provost (Graduate Education), invites you to the annual Monash Doctoral Program Information Session for Honours and Research Master's students.

Come along and hear about:
  • Monash Doctoral Program options
  • How to apply for a PhD
  • Scholarships
  • The experience of current PhD students
  • Where a PhD can take you
  • And much more...
Following the presentations you will have the opportunity to visit Faculty expo stands, network with research and professional staff and meet other students over a bite to eat.

When
Tuesday 04 August 2015
Where
The Alexander Theatre, 48 Exhibition Walk, Building 7, Monash University, Clayton Campus
Time
2.00 pm - 5.00 pm
Registration
Register your attendance here.

For more information please contact Tracey Kelly-Jenkins.

Asthma Australia Hudson Coffee Early Fellowship in Asthma Research - Applications NOW OPEN

Asthma Australia with the support of Hudsons Coffee is offering an Early Career Fellowship in Asthma Research


This opportunity is only open to:
- Financial member/associate members of the Thoracic Society of Australia & New Zealand;
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Researchers who have completed their highest qualification within the last 5 years; AND
- Those who have not yet been the recipient of a major nationally competitive research grant.

Applications close on Friday 7 August 2015Only one application from each School will be accepted.  Where there is more than one application from a School, it will be the responsibility of the Head of School to select the one that will be submitted.  MRO will not submit applications without the Head of School's letter of support.

Fulbright Scholarships Now Open

The Australian-American Fulbright Commission is now accepting Scholarship applications for 2016. Postgraduate, Postdoctoral, Professional and Senior Scholar candidates, as well as exceptional Australian academics interested the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Agriculture & Life Sciences, are invited to submit applications until the 1​ August ​2015​ deadline.

Australian candidates should go to http://www.fulbright.com.au/index.php/australian-applicants to apply.

These schemes are also advertised in ResearchProfessional at: https://www.researchprofessional.com/funding/simple#1435821855389


2015 VicHealth Awards - Nominations Open

Victoria is a world leader in health promotion. Whether it’s ground-breaking research, a community-led health initiative, or a state-wide awareness campaign, communities across the state benefit from health promotion every day.
The 2015 VicHealth Awards will celebrate these great projects that are making our communities happier and healthier places, and empowering Victorians to take control of their health and wellbeing.
This year’s categories are:
  • Promoting healthy eating
  • Encouraging physical activity
  • Preventing tobacco use
  • Preventing harm from alcohol
  • Improving mental wellbeing 
  • Communications in health promotion
  • Building health through sports 
  • Building health through arts
  • Research into action.

2015 MIME travel grants

The Monash Institute of Medical Engineering (MIME) has a number of travel scholarships available for PhD students, postdoctoral fellows and early career researchers working on projects that involve medical technologies. By medical technologies we mean a treatment or device to treat a medical condition, a diagnostic tool or IT system or approach directed towards improvement in clinical outcomes.

This funding, up to $2500, is to cover some of the costs towards:

i. International conference attendance in concert with visits to key groups for further learning, career development and to establish networks and collaborations with high profile international research groups, or

ii. Travel for new collaborative work or continue existing collaborations with key international research groups.

The travel should be carried out within the next 12 months, i.e. by 31st July 2016. Applications can be submitted electronically via the seed fund tab on the MIME website or via the MIME Travel Grants Google Form. The closing date for applications is 31st August 2015. 

For further details please contact MIME’s Deputy Director/Director of Research Professor Laurence Meagher, Laurence.meagher@monash.edu



King Faisal International Prize for Medicine - CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

The General Secretariat of the King Faisal International Prize is pleased to invite nominations for the year 2017 prize in the topic Biologic Therapeutics in Autoimmune Diseases.

Launched by the King Faisal Foundation (KFF) and granted for the first time in 1979, the King Faisal International Prize (KFIP) recognizes the outstanding works of individuals and institutions in five major categories: Service to Islam,Islamic StudiesArabic Language and LiteratureMedicine, and Science. Its aim is to benefit Muslims in their present and future, inspire them to participate in all aspects of civilization, as well as enrich human knowledge and develop mankind. KFIP winners are evaluated only based on merit and their works are meticulously examined by specialized selection committees. The strict selection procedure meets international standards, and many of the laureates who have been awarded the prize went on to receive other prestigious prizes, such as the Nobel Prize. 

The closing date for nominations is 1 May 2016.

Australia-China Joint Research Centres - Applications Now Open

Applications are open for the Australia-China Joint Research Centres and will close 14 September 2015.

Programme guidelines and application instructions are now available from http://science.gov.au/acsrf and will assist to complete the application form.

Information sessions will be held in major capital cities in August 2015.

Further information will be published on the ACSRF website once dates and venues are confirmed and will be provided directly to the contact person submitting the request to the Department for the Valid Registration Number.

Australia-China Joint Research Centres - Priorities Announced

The Minister for Industry and Science, the Hon Ian Macfarlane announced the next round of the Australia-China Joint Research Centres (JRCs) on 2 July 2015. JRCs, which are supported under the Australia-China Science and Research Fund (ACSRF), are virtual centres that link Australian and Chinese research institutions conducting a portfolio of research-related activities in a specified field of research.

PRIORITIES ANNOUNCED
The 2015 JRC priority areas, which were agreed with the Chinese Government, are:
Food and agribusiness
•           Sustainable food production and processing
•           Biosecurity
•           Soil analysis, technologies and remediation
Mining equipment, technology and services
•           Sustainable use of sedimentary basins
•           Sensing, automation, robotics and data analytics for resource extraction, processing and waste management
Marine science
•           Sustainable marine resource management
•           Marine environments and marine ecosystems
•           Maritime engineering

DoD Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research Program Funding Opportunities

The Fiscal Year 2015 (FY15) Defense Appropriations Act provides $3.2 million (M) to the Department of Defense (DoD) Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research Program (DMDRP) to support innovative, high-impact Duchenne muscular dystrophy 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 and executes the Defense Health Program (DHP) Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) appropriation.  The executing agent for the anticipated Program Announcements/Funding Opportunities is the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).

FY15 DMDRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are posted on the Grants.gov website.
Focus Areas:  The FY15 DMDRP encourages research projects that specifically address the critical needs of the Duchenne muscular dystrophy community in the following Focus Areas:

DoD Peer Reveiwed Cancer Reserach Program Funding Opportunity

The FY15 Defense Appropriations Act provides $50 million (M) to the Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) to support innovative, high-impact cancer 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 and executes the Defense Health Program (DHP) Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) appropriation.  The executing agent for the anticipated Program Announcements/Funding Opportunities is the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).

FY15 PRCRP Program Announcement and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanism are posted on the Grants.gov website. 

Congressionally Directed Topic Areas:  To be considered for funding, applications for the FY15 PRCRP must address at least one of the Topic Areas as directed by Congress.  Research applications in the areas of breast, prostate, lung (excluding mesothelioma), or ovarian cancer will not be accepted.  The FY15 PRCRP Topic Areas are listed below:

amfAR Investment Grants for Exploring HIV Persistence and Eradication - REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

amfAR has established a new funding mechanism known as Investment Grants to bring scientists outside the field of HIV/SIV to lend their experience and vision to curing HIV. Proposals must include collaboration with a scientist having a record of publications in the HIV field. Priority will be given to projects with the potential to improve upon current HIV cure strategies or identify undescribed challenges.

ELIGIBILITY
Principal investigator:
• Must hold a doctoral-level degree
• Must hold a faculty-level position at a nonprofit research institution
• Must have verifiable competencies outside the field of HIV
• Must collaborate with an experienced HIV cure research scientist
The Research Development Team will be offering two types of support for applicants in the current ARC Future Fellowships (FT15) round: one-on-one meetings and strategic reviews.

Please encourage FT15 applicants to email mro.researchdevelopment@monash.edu to book a meeting or submit their intention to receive a strategic review.

Please also encourage FT15 applicants to initiate an application in RMS as soon as possible, so that MRO is aware of their submission and can mobilise appropriate support.


For further information about MRO support, please visit the FT Incubator Program intranet page, and refer to the attached scheme guidance document.

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MRO Research Development Support available for FT15​​
We are pleased to offer two types of support for applicants in the FT15 round: one-on-one meetings and our strategic reviews.

Meetings to discuss scope and pitch of intending applicants are available as required during the week of 13th July (or earlier by arrangement).

We are also offering a strategic review of Parts C and D for drafts submitted to mro.researchdevelopment@monash.edu from Monday 13th July and received in advance of the MRO internal deadline for the full proposal on 28 July. Our strategic reviews will be offered on a first come, first served basis.
Please encourage Future Fellowship applicants to email us to book a meeting or submit their intention to receive a strategic review: mro.researchdevelopment@monash.edu.
Please also encourage applicants to initiate an application in RMS as soon as possible so that MRO is aware of their submission and can mobilise appropriate support.


FT15
Research Development dates
Open in RMS 30 June 2015

Research Dev’t Meetings
13 – 17  July 2015
Research Dev’t C/D review service
13 – 28  July 2015

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For further information about our support, please see our FT intranet page

ARC Future Fellowships (FT15) - Update from MRO - Strategic Statement

The ARC Team have provided the attached applicant template for the ARC Future Fellowships (FT15) Strategic Statement and extra guidance on Strategic Statement inclusions for faculties in relation to continuing appointments and use of salary for existing employees.


Researchers intending to apply in the FT15 round should be advised to notify the Faculty Research Office (medicine.research@monash.edu) at the earliest opportunity in order to benefit from faculty-specific resources developed to assist with the preparation of their Strategic Statements.

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As you are aware, the ARC has released funding rules and MRO has already advised internal dates for the scheme.

New OHS risk assessment guide

Risk assessments can now be done online as per Hazard and Incident reporting and the link Risk Management is: monash.edu/ohs/risk-management


Please also see the attached guide.



Monash Medical Centre Animal Facilities News

MMCAF NEWS  keeps researchers up to date with any relevant news, new procedures, staff changes, reminders and any other information we would like to pass on.

Read the April-June edition here.

Confirmed dioestrus in pseudopregnant mice using vaginal exfoliative cytology improves embryo transfer implantation rate

Hayley Dickinson et al. published in Reproductive BioMedicine Online.

Read article here.