Announcing the Availability of Faculty & Trainee Research Grants Through The Richard B. and Lynne V. Cheney Cardiovascular Institute Applications now accepted for a December 1, 2006 deadline. The Richard B. and Lynne V. Cheney Cardiovascular Institute is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applications for cardiovascular research grants. These grants afford opportunities for interdisciplinary research open to faculty and trainee throughout the GWU campus. All awarded projects must support the Institute’s mission, which is: The mission of The Richard B. and Lynne V. Cheney Cardiovascular Institute at the George Washington University is to promote clinical research, education and patient care with the goal of accelerating the pace of scientific discovery, reducing mortality and improving the quality of life of Americans with cardiovascular disease. To achieve these goals the Institute seeks to provide an interdisciplinary structure to integrate basic and clinical investigators, clinicians, medical educators, health-policy experts, and community leaders. Read on for program details…_____________________________________________ Program Descriptions The Richard B. and Lynne V. Cheney Cardiovascular Institute will award grants for three types of research initiatives. 1. Featured Program Awards – Featured Programs are approved by the Board of the Institute and represent multi-year commitments to research efforts deemed essential to the mission of the Institute. Two programs awards have been granted for 20062007 and the Institute encourages faculty and fellow research applications that support these research programs, described below. A Trial of Home Blood Pressure Monitoring with Nurse Telephone Management in Underserved, Urban Outpatients with Hypertension Blood pressure control in patients with hypertension is often inadequate, particularly in underserved populations. This study hypothesizes that a structured plan for management of hypertension utilizing telephone monitoring of home blood pressure measurements will improve blood pressure in patients treated in free medical clinics in an urban setting. Primary investigator is Dr. Samir Patel, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension. Cardiovascular Genomics In a partnership with GW’s Institute for Genomic Research, the Institute will undertake a translational research effort under the direction of co-investigators Dr. Timothy McCaffrey, Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Dr. Jonathan Reiner. The research initiative seeks to identify genetic markers for heart disease. 2. Faculty Awards – Faculty awards afford the faculty of The George Washington University, Medical Center and Medical Faculty Associates the opportunity to undertake research activities that have application for clinical cardiovascular care. Grants will be awarded up to $75,000 for one year, and allowable expenses include salary support, equipment, supplies, publication/presentation costs, and travel (consistent with GW travel policy). Grantees may apply for supplemental funding up to $25,000 during the funded period if progress justifies such an award. Applicants should consider the following. Preference will be given to applications that: Support or supplement the Featured Research Programs. Are translational in nature. Applicants must include a GW Foggy Bottom clinical cardiovascular coinvestigator. 3. Trainee Awards – GW residents and subspecialty (e.g., cardiology, radiology, etc.) fellows are eligible for these grants, as long as the proposed research project falls within the scope of the Institute’s mission. Applicants may request up to $25,000 for one year and allowable expenses include salary support for the trainee and/or research staff, equipment, supplies, publication/presentation costs, and travel (consistent with GW travel policy). During the funded period, grantees may apply for supplemental funding up to $15,000 if progress justifies such an award. Trainees should consider the following. Preference will be given to applications that: Support or supplement the Featured Research Programs. Are translational in nature. Applicants must include a mentor from the GW Foggy Bottom faculty. Eligibility Faculty Awards – Applicants eligible for the Faculty Awards are any physician or scientist presently serving as faculty or clinician at The George Washington University Foggy Bottom campus. Trainee Awards – Applicants eligible for the award are any physician or scientist presently in a residency or a fellowship program at The George Washington University Foggy Bottom campus. Selection Process Faculty & Trainee Awards – Applications for Faculty and Trainee Awards will be evaluated by the Institute’s Research Committee and select grant reviewers. Criteria for selection include: Scientific quality of the project. Qualifications and commitment of the applicant. 2 Preference will be given to projects that support or supplement the Featured Research Programs. Preference will be given to applicants pursuing translational or clinical research. Applicants are required to include a GW Foggy Bottom clinical cardiovascular faculty as the primary or co-investigator (for Faculty Awards), and a GW Foggy Bottom faculty mentor (for Trainee Awards). Application Procedure & Deadline Faculty & Trainee Awards – Applicants for grant awards must complete an application. Proposals will be no longer than 10 pages in length (plus references) and will include: hypothesis; specific aims; background; preliminary data; methods; significance; qualifications of personnel; adequacy of space/equipment; budget and justification. The anticipated number of awards will depend upon the quality of the applications received. The first deadline for submission is December 1, 2006. It is expected grants will be awarded in January 2007 however, compliance approvals (e.g., IRB) will be required prior to funding. Questions We invite your questions about the program and the procedures, and your ideas for specific projects. For questions about the Trial of Home Blood Pressure Monitoring Featured Research, please contact Samir Patel, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension at 202-741-2281 or spatel@mfa.gwu.edu For questions about the Genomics Featured Research, please contact Timothy McCaffrey, MD, Director of the Catherine Birch McCormick Genomics Center Hypertension at 202-994-8919 or mcc@gwu.edu For questions about the Faculty or Trainee Awards, please contact Judy Hsia, MD, Chairman, Research Committee at 202-741-2323 or jhsia@mfa.gwu.edu To obtain an application form for electronic submission please contact Lorraine Marshall, RN, BSN, Clinical Research Coordinator at 202-741-2318 or lmarshall@mfa.gwu.edu 3