Each month, the Center for Research and Scholarship at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing sends an internal research newsletter to faculty, staff, students and researchers. A recap is posted here.
Message from the Associate Dean for Research
As we approach 2025, changes are coming to National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant applications and peer review, and we are here to support our research community through this transition. The Center for Research and Scholarship (CFRS) is actively preparing to help you navigate these updates effectively.
We can expect the following changes to be effective in 2025:
- Simplified Peer Review Framework: NIH will introduce a new structure that emphasizes clarity and efficiency in the peer review process for most competing research project grant (RPG) applications. This framework aims to reduce administrative burden and improve feedback for applicants. This change is effective Jan. 25, 2025.
- Updated Fellowship Review Criteria: Fellowship applications will align with the new peer review structure, emphasizing the significance of the proposed research and the applicant鈥檚 qualifications. The PHS Fellowship Supplemental Form will be revised to ensure clearer criteria that focus on the potential for research success. This change is effective Jan. 25, 2025.
- Changes to Training Program Applications: NIH (T32) Training Program applications will see an emphasis on mentorship and the expected outcomes of training experiences. This will include a focus on how the program prepares trainees for independent research careers, highlighting their career trajectory and contributions to the field. This change is effective Jan. 25, 2025.
- Revised Reference Letter Instructions: New guidelines will provide a structured format for reference letters. These letters will now require specific examples of candidates' accomplishments and potential, helping reviewers better evaluate their strengths, weaknesses, and suitability for biomedical research. This change is effective Jan. 25, 2025.
- Adoption of Common Forms: The Biographical Sketch Common Form and Current and Pending (Other) Support Common Form will be implemented using the SciVal platform, standardizing application materials across NIH submissions, effective May 25, 2025.
In response to these updates, the CFRS will be updating you as we learn more and offering training sessions designed to equip our research community with the knowledge it needs to comply with the NIH changes in peer review and grant submission processes. These sessions will cover:
- Best practices for crafting competitive applications under the new framework.
- Detailed explanations of the revised review criteria and how to align your proposals accordingly.
- Strategies for writing impactful reference letters that meet the new requirements and more.
We鈥檙e committed to keeping you informed and supported during this transition. Thank you for your attention to these significant developments, and please don鈥檛 hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns. Together, we will navigate these changes successfully!
Ronald Hickman, PhD, RN, ACNP-BC, FNAP, FAAN
Associate Dean for Research
Scholarship Awards
Nurses Lifetime Achievement Award
Rebecca M. Patton, the Lucy Jo Atkinson Professor in Perioperative Nursing and assistant professor, was given the Top Nurses Lifetime Achievement Award from The Plain Dealer, cleveland.com, and Advance Ohio. Congratulations, Becky! Read more about Becky's award on FPB News.
星空传媒 and FPB Research News
PubMed Workshops at HEC Sept. 24-25
The 星空传媒 Cleveland Health Sciences Library will present two informative workshops to help you get up to speed with searching the PubMed database, and with an advanced session for those familiar with the database, but who want to be able to use its advanced features.
These events are open to all 星空传媒 students, staff, faculty, and hospital affiliates. Feel free to bring your lunch. If possible, please bring a laptop. These sessions will be led by a Cleveland Health Sciences Library librarian. For questions, comments, or accommodation requests, please contact us at askCHSL@case.edu 24 hours in advance.
Sept 24: Painless PubMed - 12:10-1 p.m. in Samson Pavilion Room 401
Join us for a one-hour session, Painless PubMed, designed to quickly introduce you to searching the PubMed database. Upon completing this class, you should be able to: Describe when you should use PubMed and how to access it; Describe the basic back-end function of PubMed and how you can leverage understanding of it to improve your experience; Tailor your PubMed search query to get more relevant results; Broaden or narrow a search in PubMed; Navigate search results in PubMed; and Save and share searches and search results in PubMed.
Sept. 25: Advanced PubMed - 12:10-1 p.m. in Samson Pavilion Room 211B
Are you familiar with the database PubMed but want to be able to use its advanced features? Level up with Advanced PubMed. Upon completing this session, you should be able to: Build more complex searches, including 3 & 4 concept clusters; Create an answerable question using the PICO question format; Utilize MeSH terms; Utilize the Boolean operators in searches; and Determine other potential databases to search based on your topic.
Pilot Award Program Opportunities
The Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative (CTSC) Annual Pilot Award Program seeks letters of intent for one-year Annual Pilot Projects ($50,000) that will:
- Foster innovative new clinical and translational research that supports research development to address urgent questions or to develop preliminary data that can provide initial support to establish proof of concept and be used to launch new NIH or other externally funded research proposals;
- Encourage interdisciplinary teams of investigators that span across CTSC partners to stimulate investigators from other areas to lend their expertise in research in clinical and translational science, also while developing collaborations or new research avenues;
- Support research collaborations with community partners and organizations; and
- Advance health equity in Northern Ohio through research.
Both translational research and translational science projects are eligible. One-page letters of intent (LOI) are due by Nov. 15, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. via InfoReady.
Although applications are welcome in the broad domains of clinical and translational research, we are especially interested in applications covering the following priority areas for 2025 funding:
- Projects addressing clinical translational science; that is, disease-agnostic projects that focus on the process of turning research results into real-world applications to improve health
- Innovative, multicenter clinical studies that integrate community and clinical partners to ensure health improvements for all
- Dissemination and implementation of research evidence and innovation to clinical practice
- Projects that leverage Cosmos or TriNetX
- Health issues related to the environment
- Innovative implementation science methods that promote the uptake of research findings into routine health care in clinical or policy contexts
- Interventions at community and/or clinical practices to promote health equity
- Studies on methods to improve the clinical and translational research process
Applicants will first submit an LOI to clearly enunciate the proposed activities that address one or more of these goals with a sustainable design for future application to community health. Applicants submitting a successful LOI will be invited to submit a full proposal.
Up to 8 grants will be awarded with budgets up to $50,000 each in direct costs. All research activities must be completed by June 30, 2026. More information about the award program can be found on the CTSC website.
NIH News and Updates
A National Institutes of Health (NIH) policies for fiscal year 2025 webinar registration is now open. 鈥淣IH Grants Policy Updates: FY2025 Edition,鈥 will be held online Oct. 17, 2024, from 1-2 p.m. This live, virtual event is an invaluable opportunity for grant administrators, research compliance officers, and anyone involved with NIH grants to stay informed on the latest policy news. Expert presenters from the NIH Office of Extramural Research will cover crucial updates on grant policies, systems, and resources, and discuss how these changes could affect your institution鈥檚 compliance processes. .
Sneak Peek at the New NIH Grants and Funding Site
This month, NIH will release its newly redesigned grants and funding site at . It was developed with the needs of the grants community in mind, based on website usage data and feedback provided through site survey responses over the years.
eRA Ends Just-in-Time Notifications October 1
An automated email from eRA for Just-in-Time information, sent for applications with overall impact scores of 30 or less, will be retired on Oct. 1, 2024 (see ). The official email notification will continue to be sent by grants management staff from the awarding institute/center directly to the principal investigator of the application and the signing officials associated with the organization.
NIH Loan Repayment Programs
The are a set of programs established by Congress and designed to recruit and retain highly qualified health professionals into biomedical or biobehavioral research careers. The escalating costs of advanced education and training in medicine and clinical specialties are forcing some scientists to abandon their research careers for higher-paying private industry or private practice careers.
LRPs counteract that financial pressure by repaying up to $50,000 annually of a researcher's qualified educational debt in return for a commitment to engage in NIH mission-relevant research. Since tomorrow's medical breakthroughs will be made by investigators starting in their research careers today, the LRPs represent an important investment by NIH in the future of health discovery and the well-being of the nation.
Recent School of Nursing Publications
Wenzell, M. L., Johnson, C. R., Lecavalier, L., Barto, L., Mulligan, A., Williams, A., Ousley, O., Kim, S.Y., Schiltz, N., & Scahill, L. (2024, In Press). Exploring the Congruence of Actigraphy and the Pediatric Autism Insomnia Rating Scale. Sleep Medicine.