Vice President's Message

2006 Update to Stony Brook's Human Subject Protection Program (HSPP)

I am very pleased to announce the release of the 2006 Update to Stony Brook University’s Human Subject Protection Program (HSPP)

As you know, this program has many active participants, including Principal Investigators and their study teams, staff of the Office of Research Compliance (ORC), and the membership of our Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). Our combined efforts continue to help ensure that our HSPP is solid and effective in keeping safe those individuals who volunteer to participate in our research activities at SBU.

The ORC and the IRBs are constantly evaluating the program to assess the need for clarifications of current SBU policies and procedures, promulgation of new policies and procedures, and dissemination of new federal guidance and regulations. The 2006 update provides a summary of such actions that have been taken or proposed over the past year, including some clarifications of unchanged policies and procedures, since our last update in 2005. You may access the 2006 update here:
http://www.stonybrook.edu/research/humans/2006humsub.html

It is extremely important that you review this information with all members of your study team. If you have any questions about any aspect of this update, please feel free to contact me by email, jmatuk@notes.cc.sunysb.edu, or by phone 631-632-9036.

--Contributed by Judy Matuk, Director of Research Compliance

Good News and Coming Events

News

Computer Science

Jie Gao has been awarded a prestigious CAREER award by the National Science Foundation for her proposal, "Geometric Algorithms for Wireless Sensor Networks." The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program supports "the early career-development activities of those teacher-scholars who most effectively integrate research and education within the context of the mission of their organization."

Mechanical Engineering

The Mechanical Engineering Department has been selected to be one of the five US teams invited to compete as finalists in the Second International Student Capstone Design Fair with all expenses paid by the Government of South Korea. The Design Fair was held November 30th through December 2nd at the EXCO Convention Center in Taegue, South Korea. It was jointly hosted by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Energy of Korea, Korea Technology and Engineering Foundation and Capstone Design Education Center of Seoul National University of Technology. More info on the design fair can be found at http://www.prodic.org/asia/about.html.

Professor Jeff Ge and Mr. Ayman Sawas, a mechanical engineering student who graduated in May 2006, represented Stony Brook University at the Design Fair. They showcased a senior design project titled Accessible Medication Dispensing Device. It is a timed automatic medication dispenser designed for residential use to help a patient manage multiple prescription medicines. The device was developed by a team of three students, Ayman Sawas, Warren Halbig and Mohammad Yusuf under the guidance of Professor Raman Singh, the faculty advisor, and Professor Jeff Ge, the instructor of the capstone senior design course. The design project was part of the senior design program for developing assistive devices to aid people with disabilities. The program was established by Professors Jeff Ge and Fu-pen Chiang and has been supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation as well as generous donations from Rockwell International Trust

--Contributed by Fu-Pen Chiang, Mechanical Engineering

Events

March 10-11: "33rd Annual Northeast Bioengineering Conference"

The conference, "Engineering Innovations in Life Sciences & Healthcare," will be organized by the Department of Biomedical Engineering. For more information, a schedule of activities and to register please go to the conference website at:
http://bme.sunysb.edu/NEBMES2007/

Opportunities and Sponsor Information

NYSTAR Regional Partnership Program

PROPOSALS DUE AT NYSTAR BY February 5, 2007, 5:00 p.m.

Regional Partnerships (RP) are independent, not-for-profit economic development organizations established to stimulate commercialization through innovation, entrepreneurship, and the development and adaptation of new technologies. All RPs will be part of NYSTAR’s statewide network and provide capital and expertise in technology, finance, and business to assist New York State entrepreneurs and established businesses to overcome challenges and plan for growth.

Eligible Entities:
RPs shall include broad representation of the economic development and innovation community in the region, including but not limited to, small and large businesses, commercial lending institutions, venture capital firms, community colleges, colleges, and universities, research institutions, and workforce development organizations. A partial list of potential members can be found on NYSTAR’s web site. RPs shall also be comprised of local economic development organizations and, to the extent they are present in the region, centers of excellence.

Requirements:
RPs are expected to coalesce the region’s high-tech economic development community, businesses and entrepreneurs, private and public organizations, and academic institutions to help innovative companies commercialize new technologies and compete. RPs shall work individually and in coordination with other RPs to advance economic growth and business creation and expansion in the state. In conjunction with NYSTAR, RPs will provide funding to businesses and entrepreneurs to augment existing resources and help commercialize emerging technologies to assist existing businesses to be more competitive and grow high-tech companies.

Award Duration:
RPs will be certified for up to five years, provided performance is satisfactory as determined by NYSTAR based upon the goals and objectives of the RP program. NYSTAR shall certify up to ten RPs to represent the ten economic development regions established by the New York State Department of Economic Development pursuant to section two hundred thirty of the economic development law.

Go to
http://www.nystar.state.ny.us/regionalrfp.htm
for the RFP to find details and specific requirements related to this funding opportunity.

NCRR Shared Instrument Grant (SIG) Program

The NCRR Shared Instrument Grant (SIG) program solicits applications from groups of NIH-supported investigators to purchase or upgrade commercially available instruments that cost at least $100,000. The maximum award is $500,000. Types of instruments supported include confocal and electron microscopes, biomedical imagers, mass spectrometers, DNA sequencers, biosensors, cell sorters, X-ray diffraction systems, and NMR spectrometers among others. -Mechanism of Support. This funding opportunity will use the NIH S10 mechanism. -Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. The NCRR intends to commit approximately $43 million in FY2008 to fund approximately 125 new awards. Since the cost of the various instruments will vary, it is anticipated that the size of awards will also vary. The total amount awarded and the number of awards will depend on the funds available for the SIG program.

Applications are due March 21. The complete announcement can be found at:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-07-105.html

--Contributed by Peter Saal, Funding Opportunities Administrator

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis Young Scientists Summer Program (IIASA) 2007

Summer Fellowship in Austria for Graduate Students in Natural and Social Sciences, Math, Policy, and Engineering

Each summer, the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) near Vienna, Austria, hosts a selected group of graduate students, primarily doctoral, from around the world in its Young Scientists Summer Program (YSSP). These students work closely with IIASA's senior scientists on projects within the Institute's 3 theme areas of Natural Resources & Environment, Population & Society, and Energy & Technology. The U.S. Committee for IIASA provides airfare and a modest living allowance for the applicants from American institutions who are selected to participate.

APPLICATIONS DEADLINE: 15 JAN 2007. PROGRAM DATES: 4 JUNE-31 AUGUST 2007

IIASA is an international institution, supported by the U.S. and sixteen other governments, that engages in scientific research aimed at providing policy insight on issues of regional and global importance. For more information please go to this site:
http://www.iiasa.ac.at/

Upcoming Funding Opportunities

For a complete list of upcoming deadlines, please go to -
http://www.stonybrook.edu/research/fndopp/deadlcal.html

NIH Grants.gov News

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has confirmed that Research Project Grant (R01) applications for the February 5, 2007 deadline must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov. In anticipation of this submission deadline, NIH in cooperation with Grants.gov has initiated a variety of changes to assist the applicant community in a successful transition to electronic submission. The most recent edition of the NIH Extramural Nexus newsletter outlines those changes and offers helpful links to resources for investigators and administrators. This special issue of Nexus is available at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/partners/1106Nexus.htm or through the NIH Electronic Submission web site (under eSubmission News) at: http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/

Topics at this link include:

NIH will NOT penalize applicants for Grants.gov or eRA Commons System Problems: NIH describes the process for reporting problems with submissions and how it will communicate any extensions of deadlines because of Grants.gov system problems and any extension of the eRA Commons error-correction validation windows because of NIH system problems.

“Parent Announcement” for R01: The R01 Parent Announcement for applications is available and should be used for the February 5 deadline. Accessing the announcement ensures that investigators are using the correct forms for their submission. As you know, there are currently two versions of the Grants.gov SF 424 R&R in use. It is important that investigators begin preparing their applications with the correct forms.

MAC Options: Grants.gov has posted an early-release of the IBM Workplace Forms (PureEdge) viewer for Macintosh users. There are limitations to its use but it is an additional tool for non-Windows based applicants.

-Contributed by Lydia Chabza, Manager of Sponsored Programs

Interdisciplinary Seminars

Please remember that, in an effort to encourage interdisciplinary research on campus, this office will supply $100 toward a speaker's luncheon when your department invites a Stony Brook colleague from an unrelated discipline to give a seminar. Please contact Ann-Marie Scheidt amscheidt@notes.cc.sunysb.edu to determine eligibility. You will be asked to provide a copy of the seminar notice annotated with the number of attendees and a brief description of any anticipated collaborations with the speaker's department.

Music for Meetings

Please remember that the OVPR would like to assist those of you who are planning a research meeting on campus by providing musical interludes. If you would like to have Stony Brook student musicians play at the reception for your meeting it can be arranged by contacting Ann-Marie Scheidt amscheidt@notes.cc.sunysb.edu. Arrangements must be made with this office in advance of the meeting. OVPR will make a payment to the Department of Music and the Department in turn pays the students. You get to listen to some nice music.

Essential Policies, Procedures and Resources

Updated Fringe Benefit Rate Memo

An updated fringe benefit memo with updated rates has been posted to the OVPR web site. It can be found at:
http://www.stonybrook.edu/research/spo/fbrate.pdf

International Travel on RF Business

Effective January 1, 2007 the Research Foundation will offer an emergency medical benefit program for overseas travelers, in conjunction with the international emergency medical evacuation coverage through International SOS. CIGNA will insure the program, called "Medical Benefits Abroad", through its International Expatriate Benefits (CIEB) division. The key advantage is that in most situations travelers will no longer need to pay up front for emergency medical services and then file a claim with their US-based plan for reimbursement. The reason is because CIGNA is recognized worldwide and has agreements with hospitals and other health care providers in many international locations. This plan is offered on a blanket basis to all RF and SUNY employees traveling on RF business AT NO COST to the traveler. The cost to the RF will be absorbed by the Fringe Benefit Pool. Simply provide the traveler with a CIGNA ID card and brochure before travel begins. Travelers (and their dependents who travel with them) will then be covered once they leave the country for all travel of 90 or fewer consecutive days.

For travelers on longer-term assignments, The RF is offering a more comprehensive benefits program through CIEB called "Global Health Advantage", which covers routine and emergency care worldwide, and is also offered at no cost to the traveler. More information about these programs will be posted in the coming weeks as RF works with CIGNA on the implementation.

--Contributed by Fran Ondras, Benefits Administrator, Human Resources Department, RF SUNY

New Procurement Newsletter

The December 2006 edition of the Procurement Office Newsletter, "Procurement News" is now available for your viewing. You may access the newsletter at the Procurement website at :
http://www.stonybrook.edu/procurement/news/

OVPR Closing at 2pm on December 14th

The Offices of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) which include Administration, Sponsored Programs, Grants Management, Compliance, Technology Licensing, Research Resources, and Economic Development will be closing at 2:00pm on Thursday, December 14, 2006 for our annual holiday celebration. The School of Medicine Outreach Office will be closed all day on the 14th. Please be sure to plan accordingly.

--Contributed by Christine Davide, Assistant to the Vice President for Research

State Employee Tuition Waiver Program--Spring 2007

SUNY has a tuition assistance policy that supports employee initiatives to acquire and maintain career-related knowledge, skills and abilities. Human Resources has released a memorandum, see below, that gives eligibility information and instructions for using the program.

ELIGIBILITY
-You must be a full-time State employee
-The course must be taken at a SUNY-operated campus (not applicable for Community Colleges)
-The course must be credit-bearing (up to 3 credits per semester may be waived at approximately 30% - 50%; subject to the availability of funds)
-The course must be career-related or working toward a degree

You may not use this waiver in conjunction with any other tuition assistance for the same course.

ATTENTION UUP EMPLOYEES - In addition to the SUNY tuition waiver program, UUP represented employees are eligible for a UUP tuition waiver, which will cover 100% of the cost of a course that is credit bearing and taken at a SUNY or at Empire State College. The completed UUP tuition waiver must be submitted to the Benefits Office during the semester in which you take the course. You must specifically request a UUP waiver form from the Human Resource Services Benefits office.

PROCEDURE
-The B140w application can be downloaded from our website www.stonybrook.edu/hr/benefits, click on Forms and Publications, look for Benefits, and click on form number B-140W .
-Return the completed application to Human Resource Services/Benefits, Z=0751 on or before Friday, December 15, 2006 for approval.
-Individuals submitting a completed waiver form for consideration after Friday, December 15, 2006 will not be considered for a waiver.
-We will review the number and type of waivers (graduate or undergraduate) requested, allocate the tuition waiver funds, and put the approved waiver in the campus mail to you on or before Friday, December 22, 2006.
-Approved waivers must be submitted to Student Accounts on or before Wednesday, February 7, 2006. They will be void after that date.
-According to IRS Regulations in effect for the tax year in which tuition assistance is received, you may be taxed on the amount of assistance received.

COMPLETING THE FORM
Question 1-5 general information
Question 6 the highest degree you have already earned
Question 7 where are you taking the course
Question 8 the reason you are taking the course
Question 9 list the course you are taking
Question 11 the signature of your supervisor or department head is required

Our funds are limited, so it is very important that individuals not using approved waivers return them to us immediately. Employees who drop courses after the University’s "drop/add" period will be fully responsible for any tuition liability incurred.

If you have questions about the completion of the forms, please call Sandy White at 2-6167.

Holiday Season Reminder for West Campus and HSC State Employees

As we approach the holiday season Human Resource Services provides guidelines on Winter Holiday dates, reassignments, and other important information. To access this year's memorandum, please visit the Human Resource Services website at:
http://www.stonybrook.edu/hr,
click on the red Winter Reminders button at the right side of the website, and select the State Memorandum.

For More Information

Gail S. Habicht is Vice President for Research. She can be reached at (631) 632-7932. An abundance of specific information for the research community is available on our Website, where past issues of this bulletin can also be found.

Office of the Vice President for Research -
http://www.stonybrook.edu/research/

Monday Memo archive - http://www.stonybrook.edu/research/monmemo/mmarchive.html

All Past issue of Monday Memo are keyword searchable.

And if you are challenged by the embarrassment of riches in the over 2,000 individual Web pages that comprise the Website, you may find the alphabetical site index helpful. The index can be accessed at - http://www.stonybrook.edu/research/sitemap.html.

If you have information you would like to contribute to Monday Memo please email it to the editor, Adnan Rangwala, at marc.dempsey@stonybrook.edu