2017 Premier’s Award for Health and Medical Research – APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN

veski is pleased to announce the call for applications for the 2017 Premier’s Award for Health and Medical Research is now open.

Please help ensure that any young, up and coming postgraduate health or medical research scholars you know apply for this year’s Premier’s Award for Health and Medical Research [PAHMR].

Since 1995, the Premier’s Award for Health & Medical Research (Premier’s Award) has been awarded annually to recognise the exceptional contributions made by early career health and medical researchers in their PhD studies.

How to apply?

Visit: http://www.veski.org.au/pahmr

Applications will close 2pm [AEDT] – Wednesday, 25 January 2017.

In 2017 the Premier’s Award will be presented for the twenty-third time. The Award includes $40,000 in prize money, with $16,000 presented to the recipient and $8,000 to three commendees.

The award is intended for individuals who have recently completed or are at least two years into their PhD candidature; it is not intended for individuals with an established research career.

Applicants may be undertaking research in any field of health or medical research including public health, health services, basic, or clinical research.

ARC Linkage Projects 2017 (LP17) – OPEN in RMS

Applications for ARC Linkage Projects 2017 is for continuous submission in RMS.

1. Please find attached the Funding Rules (2016 edition), FAQs and changes from last round.  Instructions to Applicants will be available for download from the ARC website:http://www.arc.gov.au/linkage-projects on Friday 23 December 2017.
2. For an MRO compliance check, please submit your proposal in RMS. A Pure Application Record will also need to be created and submitted to pre-approval in myResearch/Pure (for guidance refer to: Creating an Application Record) 

If you have any queries, please contact mro-arc@monash.edu.

Linkage Programme Funding Rules 2016

LP17 Changes To Funding Rules

LProg Cross Scheme FAQs

ARC LIEF (LE18) – EOI Process Now Open

The EOI process for ARC LIEF grants is now open, and will close at 5pm on Wednesday 8 February 2017.  All EOI’s submitted State-wide from Victoria-based universities will be discussed at a meeting in mid-February which is attended by the DVCR’s or their delegates.  Only those EOI teams who receive approval from this meeting will be supported to submit a full ARC LE18 application.

To start and EOI, please access the VicLIEF Portal here:  https://monashuniversity.smartygrants.com.au.  Attached is a help sheet for the online portal.

Monash-led Bids – Internal Cash CommitmentFor Monash-led bids, we would expect that the overall cash contribution from the university would total between 40% and 60% of the total request for funds and that this would likely comprise one third from the faculty, one third from the relevant School/Department and one third from Central.
To secure this internal funding, it is important that School/Department/Faculty signs off on their commitment (thus confirming the strategic importance of the request) before any EoI can be lodged and importantly, before any potential partners are asked to support the application.

Externally-led Bids – Monash Cash CommitmentFor non-led bids there needs to be signed approval by the lead Institution before sign off by the relevant School/Department and Faculty regardless of contributions.

Internal Cash Contribution Sign-OffSign-off on internal funding sources is achieved via the LE18 Monash Cash Contribution form (attached).

Key Dates

Activity	Date
VicLIEF Portal Opens for EOIs	Thursday 15 December 2016
VicLIEF Portal Closes	Wednesday 8 February 2017, 5pm
DVCR’s Meeting	w/c 13 February 2017
EOI Outcome Notifications	17 February 2017
RMS Opens	Wednesday 8 February 2017
RMS Closes	Wednesday 5 April 2017, 5pm

If you have any queries, please contact mro-arc@monash.edu.

Platform Access Grants 2017 (Round 2) – APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN

The Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences is pleased to announce a call for applications for a second round of Platform Access Grants (PAG) for funding commencing in 2017. The timing of this round has been offset by 6 months from the PAG (Round 1) scheme administered under the Strategic Grants Scheme 2017 (SGS 2017).

We invite proposals from individuals or small teams (max. 3 members) requesting Service Fees to access FMNHS Technology Research Platforms (including Biostatistics and Bioinformatics), or to purchase Products of these platforms.  Grants of up to $15,000 will be available for this purpose.  Please note that the “Service Provider” does not have to be a collaborator on the grant, and if they are not, they must not be listed as a Chief Investigator.

Registrations and applications for the PAG 2017 (R2) scheme are NOW OPEN via the Faculty Grants, Fellowships and Prizes online portal at: https://monash.fluidreview.com/

PAG Applicants may find it useful to print out and refer to the attached PAG 2017 (R2) – Guidelines and PAG 2017 (R2) – Instructions to Applicants documents, prior to and whilst completing the online application form.

Application Closing Date:  Thursday 30 March 2017 at 5:00PM (AEDT)
All queries related to the PAG 2017 (R2) scheme and the online application form should be directed to the Faculty Research Office by email to medicine.research@monash.edu, or phone (03) 990 58409.

PAG 2017 R2 guidelines

PAG 2017 R2 instructions to applicants

LabArchives Poster Competition Deadline Extended to 20 January

Please be reminded to submit your poster for the LabArchives Poster Competition in order to be in the running to win an iPad!

It is a fun and easy way to give feedback and future ideas, and a chance to win!

The deadline for the LabArchives Poster Competition has now been extended to
Friday 20 January 2017 at 11:55pm.

** For those who have submitted a poster already, and would like to work on it further until the closing date, please email (jackie.how@monash.edu) and resubmit it before the closing date.

For more information on the competition please click here.
Email your poster in PDF format to jackie.how@monash.edu

The winner will be announced on 31 January 2017.

MRO Seminar: Career Development Fellowship Information Session 25 January

Date:      Wednesday 25 January 2017
Time:     2.00pm - 3.00pm
Venue:   Central 1 (C1) Lecture Theatre, Clayton Campus

The Monash Research Office (MRO) will be holding an information session on Wednesday 25 January 2017 for those considering applying for a Career Development Fellowship (CDF) in 2017.

This session will discuss matters relating to eligibility and compliance with NHMRC funding rules for these schemes. We will also cover new MRO compliance checking and faculty approval processes using the new online system, Pure.

There will be the opportunity for questions at the end of the presentation.

Please click to REGISTER.
If you are unable to attend, the session will be recorded for later viewing. 

The session will be video-conferenced to the following locations:
Parkville: Large Meeting Rm, Lvl 5, Bldg 404
AMREP:   Board Room 1, Level 6, The Alfred Centre
MHTP:     Level 2 Seminar Rm 3 TRF building

If you require any further information regarding these sessions, please do not hesitate to contact us on mhs@monash.edu or 9902 4427.

MRO Seminar: Early Career Fellowship Information Session 18 January

Date:       Wednesday 18 January 2017
Time:      1.30pm - 2.30pm
Location: Central 1 (C1) Lecture Theatre, Clayton Campus

The Monash Research Office (MRO) will be holding an information session on Wednesday 18 January 2017 for those considering applying for an Early Career Fellowship (ECF) in 2017.

This session will discuss matters relating to eligibility and compliance with NHMRC funding rules for these schemes. We will also cover new MRO compliance checking and faculty approval processes using the new online system, Pure.

There will be the opportunity for questions at the end of the presentation.

Please click to REGISTER.
If you are unable to attend, the session will be recorded for later viewing. 

The session will be video-conferenced to the following locations:
Parkville: Dean's Meeting Room, Lvl G, Bldg 404
Alfred:     Board Room 1, Level 6, The Alfred Centre
MHTP:     Level 7, Board Room, Translational Research Facility (TRF) building

If you require any further information regarding these sessions, please do not hesitate to contact us on mhs@monash.edu or 9902 4427.

Registration now open: FIJI Basics training workshop - 22 Feb and 3 May 2017

Registration is now open for the FIJI Basics training workshop, being run by staff at MMI-MHTP. 

There are two sessions scheduled for this workshop in February and May, but places are limited so register fast!

Workshops are open to both Hudson and Clinical School and you do not need to be a registered MMI user to attend.

This workshop is a great introduction to image analysis and management, covering topics such as loading images and using the bio-formats importer, saving formats, making basic movies, image adjustments, channels and colours, setting scales, ROIs, working with stacks, area and intensity measurements, creating and using masks, using image filters and basic counting analysis.

Dates: Session 1 – Wednesday 22^nd February 2017

           Session 2 – Wednesday 3^rd May 2017

Time: 9am-1pm, including morning tea break

Location: Translational Research Facility, Level 4

               Room 4R.03 (large meeting room)

Cost: $50 – which will be covered by the MMI-MHTP registration fee for users. Non-MMI-MHTP users must provide a cost centre when registering.

To Register: Email your details to kirstin.elgass@hudson.org.au or sarah.creed@hudson.org.au. Pleas ensure you include full details: full name, department and group, position, which session you would like to attend, best contact email and cost centre if not a registered MMI user. 

Expressions of interest sent previously do not guarantee your place. Please resister with full details to confirm your attendance.

All registrants will be contacted closer to the workshop date with specific information for the day.

Registrations for other workshops (FIJI Advanced, Imaris Basics and Imaris Advanced) will open later in the year.

Please see flyer for more details.

Nominations for Assistant Chair and Observers for NHMRC GRP Panels

Monash University has once again been asked by NHMRC to nominate people to participate in various parts of this year’s review process. There are two call-outs (an Assistant Chair on a GRP and ECRs for Observers) as per below.

1. For ECRs to observe and/or participate in the 2017 Project Grants Grant Review Panels.

The Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences is allowed to nominate up to three ECRs to serve as observers for the 2017 Project Grant Review Panels.

Since 2013, NHMRC has invited ECRs to observe GRP meetings providing training opportunities for future leaders of health and medical research. Engagement of ECRs will:

· provide insights into the Project Grants scheme peer review process which could be advantageous in their future Project Grants applications

· provide ECRs with an opportunity to observe the discussion of applications

· assist NHMRC to expand the pool of potential GRP members for the future.

When nominating, please consider the following:

1. Your nominee must be a researcher who has NOT previously participated as an ECR Observer, nor can they have served on a NHMRC GRP.
2. Your nominee must be a researcher with a higher degree (e.g. PhD) and should be at academic level A or B, typically within 5 years of completing their PhD, noting any career disruptions.  Exceptions can be considered.  
3. If selected, nominees are required for one day, either on Tuesday or Wednesday of a GRP week, between 31 July and 8 September 2017, in Canberra.
4. NHMRC will NOT appoint ECRs to GRPs within the ECR’s area of expertise.
5. Travel and accommodation expenses will be covered by the Faculty.

2. For Assistant Chair in the 2017 Project Grants Grant Review Panels.

The Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences is allowed to nominate one individual to serve as an Assistant Chair for the 2017 Project Grant Review Panels.

Assistant Chairs play an important role in ensuring the peer review process for each project grant application is fair and equitable. In return, the experience provides Assistant Chairs with valuable insights into the Project Grants funding scheme and functions of the peer review process.

When nominating as an Assistant Chair, please consider the following:

1. Your nominee must be a researcher with an active, up to date RGMS account, who has NOT previously served on a NHMRC GRP either as a panel member or Assistant Chair.
2. Your nominee must be a researcher with a higher degree (e.g. PhD) and should be at academic level B or C, typically within 15 years of completing their PhD, noting any career disruptions.  Exceptions can be considered.
3. NHMRC seeks to appoint Assistant Chairs to GRPs outside the Assistant Chair’s specific area of expertise.
4. Your nominee is expected to fill this role for one week between 31 July and 8 September 2017 at the NHMRC office in Canberra.
5. In July 2017, Assistant Chairs will be required to review each application progressing to panel review to ensure compliance with NHMRC requirements, prior to commencement of their assigned GRP.
6. NHMRC will provide travel and accommodation expenses for the Assistant Chair and pay a daily sitting fee. 
7. To ensure the needs of NHMRC are met, nominations for Project Grants Assistant Chairs may be over-subscribed. For that reason, it is not possible to confirm every nominee as an Assistant Chair.

For all nominees NHMRC advises that:

• Gender, state/territory and discipline balance will be considered when accommodating nominees.
•  NHMRC reserves the right to make the final decision on attendees, and will provide confirmation of appointment in 2017.
• If the nominee does not wish to be a part of the identified GRP and NHMRC is unable to accommodate changes, the offer will be extended to another nominee.

To nominate for either the Assistant Chair and/or Observers positions please complete the relevant attached form and email your nomination to medicine.research@monash.edu by 31 January 2017 to allow timely review by Monash and nomination to NHMRC by their specified date.

Intending applicants will be advised by the Faculty Research Office if they are to be recommended as Monash nominees to the NHMRC.

ARC DECRA and Discovery Project: MRO Advice Sessions 10 - 27 January

Are you considering to apply for an ARC Discovery Project or ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award?

The Monash Research Office is holding one-on-one advice sessions.

With the ARC Discovery Project round open, and DECRA soon to open on 16th January 2017, you may may have questions in relation to your intended application on eligibility, staying clear of the Medical Research Policy, how best to address the selection criteria etc. Or you may need a clarification of the Funding Rules as relevant to your particular scenario.

Whatever it may be, the MRO ARC team have a wealth of experience with ARC applications and may be able to offer some sound advice.  You are welcome to book a 20 minute one-on-one session to discuss your application specifically.  These tailored face-to-face sessions allow you to fully and easily explore the issue, and if necessary the ARC team will follow up with further information.

The sessions are offered over a 3-week period from Tuesday 10 to Friday 27 January 2017 - please click here to choose your slot.  

If possible, please email a synopsis of your issue to mro-arc@monash.edu before your session.

PhD opportunity

The Department of Psychiatry is looking for outstanding candidates to undertake PhD studies in the field of Refugee Mental Health epidemiology. This PhD research will be based at Synergy in the Department of Psychiatry at Monash University. The Project is a longitudinal population study of recently arrived refugees to identify risk and protective factors for mental health and other outcomes.

CLICK HERE for further information.

3MT presentation - Dilanka Fernando presents his research on cancer progression

Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) - Category 1 grants available for research into violence against women

Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) has just released our Research Priorities 2017-19 grants round. This multi-million dollar round has Australian Competitive Grants Register Category 1 status.

Jointly funded by Australia’s Commonwealth, state and territory governments, ANROWS was established in 2013 to undertake research aimed at addressing the high rates of domestic, family and sexual violence against women and their children and improving outcomes for victims. ANROWS works with governments and non-government agencies, researchers, and practitioners to undertake high quality research that aims to influence policy, service provision and professional practice.

The round is now open and closes 5pm AEDT 31 March 2017.

In recognition of the need to support early career researchers (ECR), ANROWS has a dedicated ECR stream in the current grants round. For a project to be considered for this stream, the research must be led by a ECR Principal Chief Investigator. Applications for the ECR stream will be compared to other ECR applicants (rather than the full group of applications).

Topics build on the work ANROWS has done since 2013, as well as taking into account recommended research areas identified through recent state and federal government and royal commission inquiries. A full topic list and Information for Applicants pack is available at http://anrows.org.au/research-program/grants/current-grants.

This funding round has a focus on intersectionality and applications need to demonstrate a consideration of priority populations (such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, women with disability and culturally and linguistically diverse women) to be eligible for funding.

ANROWS will work to ensure a robust program with a balance between small, medium and large sized projects. Historically, most researchers have applied for larger grants, which means that smaller projects may be more competitive.

Presentation: Tips on Writing Statistical Sections for Grants and Publications

• Presenter: Assoc Prof. Arul Earnest, Senior Biostatistician, Registry Sciences Unit 
• Topic: Tips on Writing Statistical Sections for Grants and Publications 
• Date: 14 February 2017
• Time: 1pm 
• Venue: Seminar room 3, TRF Building

Synopsis:

Writing up the statistical sections for a grant proposal or manuscript can be a daunting task for some. These sections are usually scrutinized carefully by reviewers and make a huge difference on the outcome of the submission. Established international guidelines for the various epidemiological study designs will be used to demonstrate how sections within a manuscript or grant proposal can be written.

Bio:

Arul is currently an Associate Professor with Monash University. Arul’s research interest is in Bayesian spatio-temporal models and risk-adjustment models for clinical registry data. He has developed and applied these models on a number of clinical applications in Singapore and Australia. For more than 15 years, Arul has provided consultative and collaborative methodological input to clinicians and hospital administrators, resulting in more than 135 publications in a variety of peer-reviewed international medical journals, several grants and research awards. He enjoys giving talks on biostatistics and research methodology.

Attachment in children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review

Samantha Teague et al. published in Elsevier.  Read full article here.