Update for July 2008

UC was recently awarded $54,000 from the Technology Commercialization Incentive Program led by the Ohio Board of Regents. The $500,000 Technology Commercialization Incentive Program scored universities based on a number of measures, including start-up activating in the state, productive licensing deals with Ohio businesses and industry-financed research expenditures. Of the 16 institutions ranked, UC placed 4th.

It’s significant that we ranked quite well within the state for technology transfer initiatives. The funding we received will be used to support the intellectual property office. Read more.

I would like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday weekend. And, as always, we welcome your feedback and encourage you to check out research.uc.edu.

Sandra Degen, PhD
Vice President for Research

NEWS/GRANTS
Postdoctoral Satisfaction Survey Results
Results are in from the satisfaction survey administered in April to the postdoctoral population at UC.

• Seventy-six of the nearly 200 postdocs at UC responded to the survey.
• Of the total respondents, 70 percent identified themselves as citizens of a country other than the United States.
• When asked to rank levels of satisfaction with a variety of issues such as salary, benefits, international issues and mentoring, the majority of respondents were very satisfied, somewhat satisfied or neutral.
• Forty percent of respondents said they did not have a written document that described their employment conditions or mentoring expectations, but 25 percent discussed these issues with their mentor.
• Of respondents, 63 percent meet with their mentor more than once a month to discuss progress.
• The majority of respondents, 76 percent, are funded by their mentor’s grant, while 15 percent are funded by a training grant.

Overall, the survey revealed that the postdoctoral fellows are satisfied with their experiences, and it indicated that UC is making postdoctoral training a priority. The results of the survey will also be used to develop future programming targeted to the postdoctoral population. Thank you to all of the postdocs who responded to the survey. For more information, contact Jamie Baird-Titus, postdoctoral fellow, at (513) 558-2938 or e-mail bairdje@ucmail.uc.edu.

Researcher’s Gateway Addition
Information about grants with institutional limits is now posted under the grants/funding link on Researcher’s Gateway. Visit this page regularly to see new grant opportunities and to read the Weekly NIH Guide and SSTI Weekly Digest.

NIH Submission Policy
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) now requires that the final version of any peer-reviewed journal article resulting from NIH-funded activities be submitted to the PubMed Central repository, where it will be available to the public within 12 months after the journal article is published. Read more about this new policy. You can also view the policy change by clicking on the policies/procedures link on Researcher’s Gateway.

IRB Summer Hours
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) consulting services offered through the RESEARCH, etc. program will continue to be available during the summer months, but by appointment only. Researchers new to the university or unfamiliar with the IRB submission process are encouraged to visit with the IRB’s consultants. Medical researches seeking more information should contact Carolyn West at (513) 558-7580 or e-mail carolyn.west@uc.edu. Social and behavioral researchers can contact Claudia Norman at (513) 558-5784 or e-mail claudia.norman@uc.edu.

Data Monitoring Service Offered
Beginning Aug. 1, 2008, the Office of Research Compliance and Regulatory Affairs will offer monitoring of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Investigational New Drug/Investigational Device Exemption (IND/IDE) on a fee-for-service basis at significantly reduced rates. This service—offered at $45 per hour—is available through our FDA assistance program. The fee is just half the price normally charged by most contract research organizations. For more information, contact Joanne Lindwall at (513) 558-3576 or e-mail joanne.lindwall@uc.edu.

New Grants Awarded in June
Writing winning grants is tough. We understand the hard work that goes into preparing a proposal and want to make sure that effort doesn’t go unnoticed. Check out your great work—and that of your colleagues—at uc.edu/ucresearch/new_grant_winners.html.


GREEN BITS
The university, as part of the Green Partnership for Greater Cincinnati, is working collaboratively with four other major organizations in the Greater Cincinnati area to reduce its carbon footprint. There are several things you can do in labs and offices to improve energy and waste management. Research Update—with the help of Eric Gruenstein, PhD, professor of molecular genetics—provides monthly “greening” tips for research faculty and staff. This month, Gruenstein focuses on instrument and supply catalogs. This month’s green bit comes from Alison Weiss of the department of molecular genetics.

Tip #7: Elevators or Stairs?
If you’ve ever listened closely to the sounds emanating during a typical workday from the elevator shafts in the Medical Sciences Building (MSB), you will have noted an almost constant, low level hum and whoosh, as two or three of the six elevators are almost always in motion. And if you’ve been a passenger you will also have noted the more than occasional rider who travels only a floor or two before disembarking. For the energy hawks among us this is, of course, a chance to point out one more opportunity to cut down on our generation of green house gases by using the stairs for these short, vertical journeys instead. But there are other, perhaps more compelling reasons as well.

Time is one of them. After all, you don’t have to wait for the stairs, they are always waiting for you. For a trip of only a floor or two, unless you’re lucky and the elevator happens to arrive within seconds, it’s faster to take the stairs. And at the same time you’re improving or maintaining your fitness without having to make a trip to the recreation center.

If you are out of shape, it is important not to set yourself up to fail. Remember fitness is a commitment you are making for the rest of your life and you don’t need to achieve your goals the first day. Work up to an elevator-free life by walking a few flights, and then catch the elevator. Increase the number of flights when you stop feeling winded. Celebrate your accomplishments, not the stairs you didn’t take.

Hot Topics—Human Subject Protection: Still Challenging After All These Years
Friday, Sept. 26, 2008
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Northern Kentucky Convention Center
Registration must be received by Sept. 19. The fee for this event is $85, which includes lunch, refreshments and conference materials. Continuing education credits are available for a small additional fee. To register, visit Researcher’s Gateway and click on the education/training link and look for IRB seminar. For more information, contact Carol Fabby at (513) 558-5620 or e-mail carol.fabby@uc.edu.