In This Week’s Update:

COVID-19 Updates:
- COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Trials Are Ongoing
- New Funding Opportunities
- Expiring Funding Opportunities
New UR CTSI KL2 Career Development Awardees
CLIC Webinar: Recruiting Future Clinical Researchers
Roc Health Data: August is National Black Business Month
Career Engagement, Revitalization, and Transition (CERT) Program
Teaching Translational Science: Examples from the Field of D&I
CHeT Talks: Tracking COVID-19 at the Community Level
Funding Opportunities

COVID-19 Updates

COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Trials Are Ongoing, Despite
EUA Hold
The FDA recently decided to hold on an emergency use authorization (EUA) for COVID-19 convalescent plasma therapy. The decision was made with urging from a group of federal health officials including NIH Director Francis S. Collins and Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), who argued that more data is needed before this treatment can be used more widely.

The EUA hold does not affect the URMC’s COVID-19 convalescent plasma clinical trials, which are still seeking volunteers. Healthy individuals who are at high risk for contracting COVID-19 and those who have recently been diagnosed with COVID-19 can call (585) 273-1926 or email Susanne_Heininger@URMC.Rochester.edu to learn more about participating in the trials.

New Funding Opportunities from the NIH:

Emergency awards for limited clinical trials to evaluate therapeutic and vaccine candidates against SARS-CoV-2. Apply by Tuesday, September 1.
Emergency awards for automatic detection and tracing of SARS-CoV-2 to support the early-stage development of an innovative platform that integrates biosensing with touchscreen or other digital devices to achieve detection and tracing of SARS-CoV-2 in real-time. Apply by Tuesday, September 15.

Expiring Funding Opportunities:

NIH Director's Early Independence Award, Apply by Friday, September 4
Emergency Competitive Revisions for Community-Engaged Research on COVID-19 Testing among Underserved and/or Vulnerable Populations, Apply by Wednesday, September 9
Emergency Competitive Revisions for Social, Ethical, and Behavioral Implications (SEBI) Research on COVID-19 Testing among Underserved and/or Vulnerable Populations, Apply by Wednesday, September 9

New KL2 Career Development Awardees

Study Lung Disease, Frailty in Cancer Survivors

Matthew McGraw,MD and Nikesha Glimore, PhD

The UR CTSI KL2 Career Development Award is a stepping stone to independence for early-career scientists, providing two years of funding for mentored research. For the next two years, the award will support Matthew McGraw, M.D., (photo left) as he investigates how e-cigarette chemicals kill stem cells in the lung, and Nikesha Gilmore, Ph.D., (photo right) who is studying whether EGCG, an anti-inflammatory supplement, can reduce frailty in older colon cancer survivors. Read more in the UR CTSI Stories Blog.

Building Real Connections:
Recruiting Future Clinical Researchers

Join the UR CTSI's Center for Leading Innovation and Collaboration (CLIC) for a webinar discussing successful strategies to recruit future clinical researchers. According to a recent CLIC Insights to Inspire article, those strategies focus on building partnerships with recruits by making them feel like a part of the community and institution. This can take different forms, such as working with institutional faculty, program graduates, or applicants themselves - but collaboration is the key to successful recruiting. Register now.
Date: Thursday, August 27
Time: 3:00 – 4:00 pm

Roc Health Data: August is
National Black Business Month

According to the United States Census Bureau, Black-owned businesses account for almost ten percent of all US businesses. Of the approximately two million companies in the U.S. owned by Black individuals, more than half (59%) are owned by women. Find and support these local businesses using the maps available on the Roc Health Data website, which also show restaurants by zip code.

Apply for Career Engagement, Revitalization, and Transition Program

This one-year program is designed to provide a professional development opportunity for URMC faculty at the associate professor or professor levels. It is designed to facilitate transitions based on practical knowledge from local experts and peers. There is no charge to faculty for attending. This program is made possible through educational funds from the UR CTSI and the Dean’s office. Apply by Tuesday, September 15.

Online Teaching Practices Buffet:

Tools, Strategies and Materials for a More Inclusive Online Class

This webinar, supported by the Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute, is recommended for University of Rochester faculty and/or those assisting faculty with the design and teaching of their online courses. Facilitators will provide research-based and experience-tested effective practices for establishing a more inclusive online presence with students and adapting course-specific policies for online use. Register now.
Date: Wednesday, September 2
Time: 3:00 – 4:00 pm

CHeT Talks:
Drug Development in the Digital Age

Join Ray Dorsey, M.D., director of the University of Rochester's Center for Health + Technology, for a live Zoom interview with Robert Califf, M.D., vice chancellor for Health Data Science and professor of Cardiology at Duke University and scientific advisor at Verily Life Sciences, about drug development in the digital age. Register now.
Date: Wednesday, August 26
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 pm