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SCS research and awards news

For all our research and awards news, please visit our news page.

Tuesday 21 July 2015

Latest research opportunities at SCS and Hudson

The new SCS research projects booklet is out now.  Read about our key research themes, profiles of recent students, current project opportunities and how to apply.

Read it here.


2015 Student Open Day - School of Clinical Sciences and Hudson Institute of Medical Research on 5 August

If you're thinking about Honours, Masters or a PhD, don't miss out on the SCS and Hudson Institute Open Day.

Wednesday 5 August at Monash Medical Centre, Lecture Theatre 1 from 5 - 7.30pm.

Students from all universities are invited to attend.  Open Day is a great opportunity to talk to our supervisors and learn about available projects for 2016. Current students will also be available to talk about why the Monash Health Translation Precinct (MHTP) is the best place to do both basic and translational research.  

If you're passionate about medical research, we offer a welcoming and supportive environment with state-of-the-art facilities (be amongst the first to work in our new Translational Research Facility opening in 2016). 

Please register your attendance here.   More information about our research projects here.  

Health leadership role for MCHRI Director

Prof Teede
Professor Helena Teede has been announced as the new Executive Director of Monash Partners Academic Health Science Centre. Professor Teede is a respected clinician and researcher, with a breadth of experience that makes her a great candidate for this new appointment, including her role as Director of the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine's Monash Centre of Health Research and Implementation (MCHRI).

Monash Partners is an innovative Australian health industry, research and educational collaboration between eight independent, world class providers of health services, health research and health education in the south and east of Melbourne. Members are:

Read more here.


Dr Claudia Nold receives Heart Foundation Award

The Hudson Institute’s Dr Claudia Nold has been awarded a prestigious Paul Korner Innovation Award from the Heart Foundation for her research into dangerous diseases associated with premature birth. The award, awarded annually with a prize of $20,000, recognises the most innovative applications received by the Heart Foundation for their highly competitive Postdoctoral Fellowship and Future Leader Fellowship.

Dr Nold, who works in the Hudson Institute’s Ritchie Centre, researches three diseases which cause the high rate of death and disease in premature babies: bronchopulmonary , pulmonary arterial hypertension and intracranial haemorrhage. She seeks to understand the molecular mechanisms of these diseases in order to develop new and effective therapies.

Read more here.

MHTP Biobanking update


An Open Forum was held recently to discuss the future of MHTP biobanking facilities.

The minutes of the forum are attached here.

Please contact Chair of the forum, Professor William Sievert if you have any questions or comments.

Congratulations Dr Soroush Tajadine Sarvestani

The Monash Institute of Graduate Research is pleased to report that Soroush Tajadine Sarvestani was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy last week.

Supervised by Professor Bryan Williams and Dr Michael Gantier, Soroush investigated the role of toll-like receptor 7 and 8 in pathogen-induced infection.


MIGR offer sincere thanks to all the academic and professional staff involved in assisting Soroush achieve this wonderful result.  

Monash Medical Orchestra mid-year update

It has been a very full and rewarding first semester for the orchestra, including the inaugural Solo SoirĂ©e showcasing MMO's many fine soloists, and the highly successful Autumn Concert, Revolutions. MMO's performance at the Australasian Student Selection for the Health Professions Conference in April was well-received by a room full of esteemed guests, and just last week, we played for over 1000 excited medical students at one of the world's largest student-run conferences, the Australian Medical Student Association Convention.

State of the Art Lecture-Haematology - Wed 22nd July

Anticoagulation in 2015: “What’s new and where are we going?"    

Presented by Dr Noel Chan, Haematology

12.30 - 1.30pm TOMORROW

Main Lecture Theatre, Monash Medical Centre 

Hudson Seminar Thursday 23 July: "How pregnancy is established"

23 July, 4pm-5pm, Lecture Theatre 1, Monash Medical Centre

Presented by Associate Professor Eva Dimitriadis.

Details here.

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BDP) Symposium - 31 August

How to reduce the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia.  

August 31, 2015 - ‘The Day of the Lung’Monash Children’s Hospital, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton Lecture Theatre 1

Read program details here.  For more information, please contact Associate Professor Arvind Sehgal

Ritchie Centre annual public forum - October 22

The Ritchie Centre, in collaboration with Monash Health and the Hudson Institute of Medical Research will be holding its annual FREE Public Forum in October.  An expert panel of professionals will discuss the advantages of vaccinations in pregnancy and how we can best inform expectant parents and health professionals. Please register as seating is limited.  

Registration details are attached here.

6th National Higher Education Women in Leadership Summit 2015 (18-21 August)

18-21 August, Park Royal Darling Harbour, Sydney

The renowned professional development and networking opportunity for emerging and existing female leaders from across Higher Education. 2015 Theme “Advice to my younger self”

What do you know now that you wish you had known then? This is the question we have posed to some of the most senior women in the Higher Education Sector. These inspirational senior executive women will reflect on their career journeys - the challenges they have faced, the opportunities they have seized and the lessons they have learnt, to impart advice to women aspiring to achieve professional and personal success.

View the Online Agenda for more information.  Receive up to $150 off registration if you register and pay by 24 July 2015.  More information here.

VIIN Young Investigator Symposium 18 Sept - Rego and Abstract Submission Now Open

Registration and Abstract Submission is now open for the VIIN Young Investigator Symposium. It's a great opportunity to present your work to the VIIN!

Keynote Speaker:
Professor Alan Trounson, Distinguished Scientist at the Hudson Institute of Medical Research

'Unintended discoveries: a career of opportunities from farming to chimeric antigen receptors and many other things in between'

Postgrad Students, Postdocs and RAs are invited to submit abstracts for poster/oral presentations. Lab heads and senior researchers - please attend too and support your young investigators!

Where: Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville
When: 18 September 2015
Registration is free - food and drinks will be provided throughout the day

Monday 20 July 2015

School of Clinical Sciences BMedSc (Hons) Conference Attendance Prize 2015

In 2015 the School has received a generous anonymous $2000 donation to be put toward prize(s) to assist BMedSc (Hons) student(s) to attend a conference to communicate the findings of their research project.

Applications are now being accepted from students for these funds. It can be for a conference in the future or one that has already been attended (related to the Honours research).
We've set the deadline for applications at Friday 28th August 2015.

We will then convene a small panel to consider applications and the decision will be communicated Thursday 24th September.  Committee decision will be final - no haggling will be entered into!

The only prerequisite is that you are a 2015 BMedSc(Hons) student enrolled through the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health.

3MT competition

3MT competition for faculties, departments and schools are underway and the university final is scheduled for Wednesday September 16th. You can find more key dates and other resources at the 3MT intranet page.



Graduate research student updates

Milestone Management
All Graduate Research students and supervisors to note that the Milestone Report Form has been updated to include provision for streamlining the milestone extensions process where the MRP determines that amendments are required by the student in order to meet the requirements of the milestone.
In order to further simplify the process a new form, Milestone Report Form - Reconvened Panel, has also been created.  This form is to be used where the MRP reconvenes at the end of the extension period to assess the student’s progress and determine whether the student has met the requirements of the milestone.


Information for students enrolled in the Biomedical Sciences PhD Training Program:
1. Monash Doctoral Program (MDP) intranet
The Graduate Researcher Development (GRD) section of the MDP intranet page has been updated to include more detailed information about activities offered under each Learning Domain.   Students and their supervisors may wish to use this resource as a professional development activity planning tool.  Visit the GRD intranet page for further details.

2. Deregistering for GRD activities -
Graduate research students can now register or deregister for Graduate Researcher Development activities in GRAMS right up to the day before the activity is scheduled.
Please encourage graduate research students registered for activities, or on the wait-list, to extend professional courtesy to their colleagues by deregistering if they can no longer attend. This allows fellow students on the wait-list to take their place.

3. GRD Activities Available for Remainder of 2015 - Now listed in GRAMS
To enable graduate research students and their supervisors to plan which GRD activities they wish to undertake in the second half of this year year, all currently planned GRD activities scheduled for this period have been advertised in GRAMS. 
Graduate research students are invited to book into the advertised sessions via GRAMS.

Graduate Research - Supervisor Training

Supervisor Development Programs
The Graduate Education portfolio offers supervisors a variety of development opportunities providing advanced skills and knowledge to guide and monitor graduate research students. Find out more and register for Level 1 Supervisor Training, Master Classes and Good Practice Workshops through the Supervisor Training site or contactmigr-membership@monash.edu.

Please invite Honours and Research Masters’ students from within your faculty to attend and to register here.






Conversational English Program for graduate students

MIGR has launched a new initiative called the Conversational English Program, tailored for international graduate research students and includes modules for their partners.

The contact for the program is Belinda Ting 9902-0485 or conversational-english@monash.edu

Register at:   http://monash.edu/students/conversational-english/ .  Please find details here.





Do you have a non-snoring child and would like to contribute to valuable research?

The Ritchie Centre is looking for children/teens between the ages of 3 and 18 years to participate as controls in research sleep studies.
The Centre is carrying out studies on the effect of sleep disordered breathing on blood flow to the brain and its relationship with learning and behaviour. We are looking for non snoring 3–12 year old volunteers to serve as controls. Participants will have an overnight sleep study at the Melbourne Children’s Sleep Centre in the Monash Medical Centre.
We are also looking for 8–18 year old non snoring, normal-weight volunteers to serve as controls in another study on the effects of being overweight in childhood and snoring during sleep on brain structure, academic performance and the cardiovascular system. The participants will firstly have an MRI scan at the brand new Monash BioImaging Facility located in Wellington Road opposite Monash University Clayton Campus. This will take about an hour and afterwards have an overnight sleep study at the Melbourne Children’s Sleep Centre in the Monash Medical Centre. Both of these procedures will be performed on the same night.

Monash Doctoral Program Information Session 2015 - Invitation

Professor Zlatko Skrbis, Vice-Provost (Graduate Education), invites you to the annual Monash Doctoral Program Information Session for Honours and Research Master's students.

Come along and hear about:
  • Monash Doctoral Program options
  • How to apply for a PhD
  • Scholarships
  • The experience of current PhD students
  • Where a PhD can take you
  • And much more...
Following the presentations you will have the opportunity to visit Faculty expo stands, network with research and professional staff and meet other students over a bite to eat.

When
Tuesday 04 August 2015
Where
The Alexander Theatre, 48 Exhibition Walk, Building 7, Monash University, Clayton Campus
Time
2.00 pm - 5.00 pm
Registration
Register your attendance here.

For more information please contact Tracey Kelly-Jenkins.

Asthma Australia Hudson Coffee Early Fellowship in Asthma Research - Applications NOW OPEN

Asthma Australia with the support of Hudsons Coffee is offering an Early Career Fellowship in Asthma Research


This opportunity is only open to:
- Financial member/associate members of the Thoracic Society of Australia & New Zealand;
​​
Researchers who have completed their highest qualification within the last 5 years; AND
- Those who have not yet been the recipient of a major nationally competitive research grant.

Applications close on Friday 7 August 2015Only one application from each School will be accepted.  Where there is more than one application from a School, it will be the responsibility of the Head of School to select the one that will be submitted.  MRO will not submit applications without the Head of School's letter of support.

Fulbright Scholarships Now Open

The Australian-American Fulbright Commission is now accepting Scholarship applications for 2016. Postgraduate, Postdoctoral, Professional and Senior Scholar candidates, as well as exceptional Australian academics interested the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Agriculture & Life Sciences, are invited to submit applications until the 1​ August ​2015​ deadline.

Australian candidates should go to http://www.fulbright.com.au/index.php/australian-applicants to apply.

These schemes are also advertised in ResearchProfessional at: https://www.researchprofessional.com/funding/simple#1435821855389


2015 VicHealth Awards - Nominations Open

Victoria is a world leader in health promotion. Whether it’s ground-breaking research, a community-led health initiative, or a state-wide awareness campaign, communities across the state benefit from health promotion every day.
The 2015 VicHealth Awards will celebrate these great projects that are making our communities happier and healthier places, and empowering Victorians to take control of their health and wellbeing.
This year’s categories are:
  • Promoting healthy eating
  • Encouraging physical activity
  • Preventing tobacco use
  • Preventing harm from alcohol
  • Improving mental wellbeing 
  • Communications in health promotion
  • Building health through sports 
  • Building health through arts
  • Research into action.

2015 MIME travel grants

The Monash Institute of Medical Engineering (MIME) has a number of travel scholarships available for PhD students, postdoctoral fellows and early career researchers working on projects that involve medical technologies. By medical technologies we mean a treatment or device to treat a medical condition, a diagnostic tool or IT system or approach directed towards improvement in clinical outcomes.

This funding, up to $2500, is to cover some of the costs towards:

i. International conference attendance in concert with visits to key groups for further learning, career development and to establish networks and collaborations with high profile international research groups, or

ii. Travel for new collaborative work or continue existing collaborations with key international research groups.

The travel should be carried out within the next 12 months, i.e. by 31st July 2016. Applications can be submitted electronically via the seed fund tab on the MIME website or via the MIME Travel Grants Google Form. The closing date for applications is 31st August 2015. 

For further details please contact MIME’s Deputy Director/Director of Research Professor Laurence Meagher, Laurence.meagher@monash.edu



King Faisal International Prize for Medicine - CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

The General Secretariat of the King Faisal International Prize is pleased to invite nominations for the year 2017 prize in the topic Biologic Therapeutics in Autoimmune Diseases.

Launched by the King Faisal Foundation (KFF) and granted for the first time in 1979, the King Faisal International Prize (KFIP) recognizes the outstanding works of individuals and institutions in five major categories: Service to Islam,Islamic StudiesArabic Language and LiteratureMedicine, and Science. Its aim is to benefit Muslims in their present and future, inspire them to participate in all aspects of civilization, as well as enrich human knowledge and develop mankind. KFIP winners are evaluated only based on merit and their works are meticulously examined by specialized selection committees. The strict selection procedure meets international standards, and many of the laureates who have been awarded the prize went on to receive other prestigious prizes, such as the Nobel Prize. 

The closing date for nominations is 1 May 2016.

Australia-China Joint Research Centres - Applications Now Open

Applications are open for the Australia-China Joint Research Centres and will close 14 September 2015.

Programme guidelines and application instructions are now available from http://science.gov.au/acsrf and will assist to complete the application form.

Information sessions will be held in major capital cities in August 2015.

Further information will be published on the ACSRF website once dates and venues are confirmed and will be provided directly to the contact person submitting the request to the Department for the Valid Registration Number.

Australia-China Joint Research Centres - Priorities Announced

The Minister for Industry and Science, the Hon Ian Macfarlane announced the next round of the Australia-China Joint Research Centres (JRCs) on 2 July 2015. JRCs, which are supported under the Australia-China Science and Research Fund (ACSRF), are virtual centres that link Australian and Chinese research institutions conducting a portfolio of research-related activities in a specified field of research.

PRIORITIES ANNOUNCED
The 2015 JRC priority areas, which were agreed with the Chinese Government, are:
Food and agribusiness
•           Sustainable food production and processing
•           Biosecurity
•           Soil analysis, technologies and remediation
Mining equipment, technology and services
•           Sustainable use of sedimentary basins
•           Sensing, automation, robotics and data analytics for resource extraction, processing and waste management
Marine science
•           Sustainable marine resource management
•           Marine environments and marine ecosystems
•           Maritime engineering

DoD Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research Program Funding Opportunities

The Fiscal Year 2015 (FY15) Defense Appropriations Act provides $3.2 million (M) to the Department of Defense (DoD) Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research Program (DMDRP) to support innovative, high-impact Duchenne muscular dystrophy research.  As directed by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, the Defense Health Agency, Research, Development, and Acquisition (DHA RDA) Directorate manages and executes the Defense Health Program (DHP) Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) appropriation.  The executing agent for the anticipated Program Announcements/Funding Opportunities is the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).

FY15 DMDRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are posted on the Grants.gov website.
Focus Areas:  The FY15 DMDRP encourages research projects that specifically address the critical needs of the Duchenne muscular dystrophy community in the following Focus Areas:

DoD Peer Reveiwed Cancer Reserach Program Funding Opportunity

The FY15 Defense Appropriations Act provides $50 million (M) to the Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) to support innovative, high-impact cancer research.  As directed by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, the Defense Health Agency, Research, Development, and Acquisition (DHA RDA) Directorate manages and executes the Defense Health Program (DHP) Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) appropriation.  The executing agent for the anticipated Program Announcements/Funding Opportunities is the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).

FY15 PRCRP Program Announcement and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanism are posted on the Grants.gov website. 

Congressionally Directed Topic Areas:  To be considered for funding, applications for the FY15 PRCRP must address at least one of the Topic Areas as directed by Congress.  Research applications in the areas of breast, prostate, lung (excluding mesothelioma), or ovarian cancer will not be accepted.  The FY15 PRCRP Topic Areas are listed below:

amfAR Investment Grants for Exploring HIV Persistence and Eradication - REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

amfAR has established a new funding mechanism known as Investment Grants to bring scientists outside the field of HIV/SIV to lend their experience and vision to curing HIV. Proposals must include collaboration with a scientist having a record of publications in the HIV field. Priority will be given to projects with the potential to improve upon current HIV cure strategies or identify undescribed challenges.

ELIGIBILITY
Principal investigator:
• Must hold a doctoral-level degree
• Must hold a faculty-level position at a nonprofit research institution
• Must have verifiable competencies outside the field of HIV
• Must collaborate with an experienced HIV cure research scientist
The Research Development Team will be offering two types of support for applicants in the current ARC Future Fellowships (FT15) round: one-on-one meetings and strategic reviews.

Please encourage FT15 applicants to email mro.researchdevelopment@monash.edu to book a meeting or submit their intention to receive a strategic review.

Please also encourage FT15 applicants to initiate an application in RMS as soon as possible, so that MRO is aware of their submission and can mobilise appropriate support.


For further information about MRO support, please visit the FT Incubator Program intranet page, and refer to the attached scheme guidance document.

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MRO Research Development Support available for FT15​​
We are pleased to offer two types of support for applicants in the FT15 round: one-on-one meetings and our strategic reviews.

Meetings to discuss scope and pitch of intending applicants are available as required during the week of 13th July (or earlier by arrangement).

We are also offering a strategic review of Parts C and D for drafts submitted to mro.researchdevelopment@monash.edu from Monday 13th July and received in advance of the MRO internal deadline for the full proposal on 28 July. Our strategic reviews will be offered on a first come, first served basis.
Please encourage Future Fellowship applicants to email us to book a meeting or submit their intention to receive a strategic review: mro.researchdevelopment@monash.edu.
Please also encourage applicants to initiate an application in RMS as soon as possible so that MRO is aware of their submission and can mobilise appropriate support.


FT15
Research Development dates
Open in RMS 30 June 2015

Research Dev’t Meetings
13 – 17  July 2015
Research Dev’t C/D review service
13 – 28  July 2015

​​
For further information about our support, please see our FT intranet page

ARC Future Fellowships (FT15) - Update from MRO - Strategic Statement

The ARC Team have provided the attached applicant template for the ARC Future Fellowships (FT15) Strategic Statement and extra guidance on Strategic Statement inclusions for faculties in relation to continuing appointments and use of salary for existing employees.


Researchers intending to apply in the FT15 round should be advised to notify the Faculty Research Office (medicine.research@monash.edu) at the earliest opportunity in order to benefit from faculty-specific resources developed to assist with the preparation of their Strategic Statements.

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As you are aware, the ARC has released funding rules and MRO has already advised internal dates for the scheme.

New OHS risk assessment guide

Risk assessments can now be done online as per Hazard and Incident reporting and the link Risk Management is: monash.edu/ohs/risk-management


Please also see the attached guide.



Monash Medical Centre Animal Facilities News

MMCAF NEWS  keeps researchers up to date with any relevant news, new procedures, staff changes, reminders and any other information we would like to pass on.

Read the April-June edition here.

Confirmed dioestrus in pseudopregnant mice using vaginal exfoliative cytology improves embryo transfer implantation rate

Hayley Dickinson et al. published in Reproductive BioMedicine Online.

Read article here.