Flinders Research NewsMessage from the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) - COVID-19 Online Forum

Flinders University

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Robert Saint, has released the following information on the College of Medicine and Public Health online forum, Thursday 2 April, 1:00-2:00 pm SA time.

"In recent weeks Professor Jonathan Craig, Vice President and Executive Dean of the College of Medicine and Public Health, has hosted a number of online College forums for staff and students to discuss the COVID-19 epidemiology, and the University’s response and plans. As an internationally recognised clinician and scientist with past experience on the WHO expert review panel for global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property, Jonathan is well positioned to deliver authoritative and insightful analysis of COVID-19 as it evolves. 

Given the thirst for knowledge and information about the virus, Professor Craig’s future weekly presentations will be made available for viewing more broadly by our staff and students. Of particular interest will be an analysis of the pandemic’s current status, sources of transmission, and testing data in Australia and around the world. 

This Thursday 2 April from 1:00-2:00pm SA time, Professor Craig will host a livestreamed Forum. It will include an opportunity for live questions, which can be submitted at www.slido.com using the event code (detail on accessing the Forum and the event code for questions are detailed in the 1 April email from Professor Saint). If you’re unable to join this important conversation at that time, it will be recorded and posted on our COVID-19 information pages for students and staff

In the meantime, please stay safe, stay healthy, and stay informed."

New OpportunitiesCDMRP opportunities now open for April 2020

CDMRP

The Department of Defense office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) has recently released Fiscal Year 2020 funding opportunities for a number of Department of Defense (DoD) Programs.

The Flinders internal closing date for each of these opportunities is 10 working days prior to the external closing date. Please contact the Research Grants and Tenders team if you are intending to apply as soon as possible so that they can assist in registering to apply etc.

Please consult the modified Program Announcements available on Grants.gov and contact the Research Grants and Tenders team if you have any questions.

Bone Marrow Failure Research Program

  • Idea Development Award

Breast Cancer Research Program

  • Breakthrough Award Levels 1 and 2
  • Breakthrough Award Level 3
  • Breakthrough Award Level 4
  • Era of Hope Scholar Award
  • Innovator Award
  • Transformative Breast Cancer Consortium Award

Gulf War Illness Research Program

  • Idea Award
  • Research Advancement Award
  • Clinical Evaluation Award
  • Therapeutic/Biomarker Trial Award
  • Patient-Provider and Health Communications Award
  • New Investigator Award

Lung Cancer Research Program

  • Concept Award
  • Idea Development Award
  • Investigator-Initiated Translational Research Award
  • Career Development Award
  • Clinical Translational Research Partnership Award

Lupus Research Program

  • Idea Award
  • Impact Award
  • Transformative Vision Award

Military Burn Research Program

  • Clinical Translational Research Award 

Neurofibromatosis Research Program

  • Clinical Trial Award
  • Early Investigator Research Award
  • Exploration-Hypothesis Development Award
  • New Investigator Award
    (Additional NFRP Award Mechanisms to be released at a later date)

Neurotoxin Exposure Treatment Parkinson’s

  • Early Investigator Research Award
  • Investigator-Initiated Research Award
  • Synergistic Idea Award

Orthotics and Prosthetics Outcomes Research Program

  • Clinical Research Award
  • Clinical Trial Award

Ovarian Cancer Research Program

  • Proteogenomics Research Award

Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program

  • Idea Award
  • Impact Award
  • Behavioral Health Science Award
  • Translational Team Science Award
  • Virtual Cancer Center Director Award 
  • Career Development Award – Fellow Option
  • Career Development Award – Virtual Cancer Center Scholar Option

Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program

  • Clinical Trial Award open to all 44 topics

Peer Reviewed Orthopaedic Research Program

  • Applied Research Award
  • Clinical Translational Research Award
  • Clinical Trial Award

Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program open to Emerging Viral Diseases and Respiratory Health with a focus on COVID-19

  • Clinical Trial Award
  • Investigator Initiated Research Award
  • Technology/Therapeutic Development Award

Prostate Cancer Research Program

  • Early Investigator Research Award
  • Physician Research Award
  • Idea Development Award
  • Translational Science Award
  • Clinical Trial Award
  • Health Disparity Research Award
  • Population Science and Research Outcomes Award

Spinal Cord Injury Research Program

  • Investigator-Initiated Research Award
  • Translational Research Award
  • Clinical Trial Award

Tick-Borne Disease Research Program

  • Career Development Award
  • Idea Development Award

Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Research Program

  • Clinical Translational Research Award
  • Exploration-Hypothesis Development Award
  • Idea Development Award

Vision Research Program

Focused Translational Team Science Award

Investigator-Initiated Research Award Levels 1 and 2

Translational Research Award

 

Detailed descriptions of the funding opportunity, evaluation criteria, and submission requirements can be found in the Program Announcements. The Program Announcements are available electronically for downloading from the Grants.gov website, the CDMRP website and the electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP). A listing of all open CDMRP funding opportunities can be obtained on the Grants.gov website by performing a basic search using CFDA Number 12.420.

Submission is a two-step process requiring both pre-application submission and full application submission. All pre-applications must be submitted through eBRAP. Full applications from extramural organisations (non-DoD organisations i.e. Flinders University) must be submitted through Grants.gov.

Refer to the General Application Instructions, Section II.A. for registration and submission requirements for eBRAP and Grants.gov. For detailed information on the submission process, refer to Section II.D. of the Program Announcement/Funding Opportunity.

For more information on types of funding opportunities offered and application strategies review the CDMRP Webinar Series.

New OpportunitiesBill and Melinda Gates Grand Challenges - April 2020

Grand Challenges banner

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives.

Grant applications are being accepted by the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation for the following Grand Challenges and Grand Challenges Explorations initiatives – and multi-language translations are now available for each request for proposals. The Grand Challenges family of initiatives fosters innovation to solve key global health and development problems.

The Gates Foundation are accepting applications until 22 April 2020. The Flinders internal closing date for a completed final draft application is 8 April 2020.

Accelerating Discovery for Non-Hormonal Contraceptives: Grand Challenges seeks new approaches and concepts for the characterization of contraceptive drug targets, the identification of active contraceptive compounds, and the establishment of novel and impactful research tools with the potential to revolutionize the field of contraceptive R&D and yield substantially improved contraceptives that better meet women's needs. Please see the announcement blog.

Improving Access to and Use of Safe and Appropriate Cesarean Section: Grand Challenges seeks ideas for interventions to address challenges related to cesarean section: increasing access to cesarean section where it is currently inadequate, increasing quality and safety of cesarean section to reduce iatrogenic harm to both mothers and newborns, and reducing rates of non-medically indicated cesarean section.

Innovations in Materials Science for a Transformative Menstrual Health and Hygiene Product: Grand Challenges Explorations seeks transformative and innovative ideas to support the design and development of a new menstrual health and hygiene product that meets key criteria of being responsive to user needs, focusing on discreetness, affordability, and sustainability.

Innovations for Improving the Impact of Health Campaigns: Grand Challenges Explorations seeks innovative solutions that accelerate the improvement of coverage, reach, efficiency, and effectiveness of campaign-based delivery of health interventions.

Proposals must be submitted online by clicking the "Apply For This Opportunity" button on the webpage for each open challenge, which can be accessed through the grant opportunity list. This application portal will enable you to register for an open challenge as well as create, edit, and submit your proposal. After you have created an account and registered for a challenge, you can start the online application process.

Applications are open to anyone from any discipline, from student to tenured professor, and from any organisation, including colleges and universities, government laboratories, research institutions, non-profit organisations, and for-profit companies.

Initial grants of $100,000 are awarded, and successful projects have the opportunity to receive follow-on funding of up to $1 million. Winning grants are chosen approximately 5 months from the submission deadline.

New Opportunities2021 Australian Academy of Science Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scientist Travelling Research Award

Australian Academy of Science

This award from the Australian Academy of Science recognises research in the physical and biological sciences, allowing interdisciplinary and sociocultural research that could straddle the social sciences and humanities, by outstanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PhD students and early- and mid-career scientists.

It aims to support the expansion and growth of their research networks and international knowledge exchange through visits to relevant international centres of research. Two annual awards of $5500 are planned, with additional support provided to attend the Academy's Annual Science at the Shine Dome event.

Applicants must be Australian citizens or permanent residents at the time of application. Applicants should also either be enrolled for a PhD or be within 15 years of obtaining a PhD.

The proposed travel must be for a minimum of two weeks and a maximum of three months duration.

Applications close at 9.00 am AEST 1 June 2020. The Flinders internal closing date for a completed final draft application is 18 May 2020. For application advice and assistance, contact Dr Sarah Jay, Research Grants Officer (IGII), Research Development and Support.

Grants are offered to successful applicants in early November each year for travel to be carried out in the next year. The Australian Academy of Science encourages applications from female candidates and from candidates from a broad geographical distribution.

For more information and to access the online application form, visit the Australian Academy of Science website.

New Opportunities2021 Al & Val Rosenstrauss Fellowship now open

Rebecca L Cooper Foundation

The Rebecca L Cooper Medical Research Foundation invites applications for the 2021 Al & Val Rosenstrauss Fellowship.

The Fellowship is targeted at early-career researchers (3-10 years post-doctoral) who show potential to be stars of the future and who are building credentials for a long career in research, the fellowship provides funding of $100,000 per year (excluding GST) for a period of four years, towards salary costs of the recipient.

Below is a list of eligible areas of medical research:

  • Brain Sciences: Psychiatry or Neurology (excluding Dementias)
  • Dermatology (excluding Skin Cancer)
  • Endocrinology (excluding Diabetes)
  • Geriatrics (excluding Dementias)
  • Lung Disease (other than Cancer) 
  • Rheumatology
  • Vision Sciences

Applications close on 5pm EST on 30 April 2020. The Flinders internal closing date for a completed final draft application is 16 April 2020. For application advice and assistance, contact Dr Sarah Jay, Research Grants Officer, (IGII).

For more information about eligibility and application guidelines please visit their website and refer to the 2021 Fellowship Application Guidelines. 

Please also note that the Foundation’s 2021 Project Grant round opens in August 2020. Applications may be submitted in the period 3 August 2020 to 28 August 2020. The Flinders internal closing date for a completed final draft application is 14 August 2020. Details may be found on the Foundation’s website

New OpportunitiesNHMRC Special Initiative in Mental Health now open

NHMRC

Mental Health is a strategic priority for NHMRC. The Special Initiative in Mental Health will support a multidisciplinary, nationally focussed team to establish a national centre for innovation in mental health care as a collaborative network across Australia that will undertake innovative high quality implementation research to improve health outcomes and outlooks for people living with mental illness in defined areas of need.

The Special Initiative in Mental Health will operate as a virtual network across Australia, coordinated by a single institution, through a series of flagship programs and be open to a broad membership of researchers, health care services, carers and consumers in mental health to facilitate innovative service delivery across Australia.

Applications are now open in Sapphire. Applications close in Sapphire on 15 July 2020. If you are interested in applying, contact the Gareth Rees, Senior Research Support Officer (NHMRC and Health), Research Development and Support, as soon as possible to arrange for a compliance review date.

The Deadline for minimum data in Sapphire is 24 June 2020.

Funding is available for five years with a total of $10,000,000 available. Further information is available on GrantConnect.

Seminars Conferences and WorkshopsLaunch of 10-year strategy for Sustainable Cities and Regions

Future Earth Australia

Future Earth Australia, following extensive consultation and oversight from leading urban research, practice and policy experts from around Australia, has launched a report that lays out a 10-year strategy to transform Australia’s cities and regions and to address urban problems including transport congestion, inflated housing markets, the loneliness crisis, inequity in opportunities and biodiversity loss.

Future Earth Australia is a national peak initiative that enables Australian researchers, governments, industry and NGOs to collaborate with each other and with international networks and programs across Australia and Oceania.

Watch the video and read about the report.

Flinders Research NewsUSAMRAA’s Supplemental Guidance on Administrative Flexibilities for Grants and Cooperative Agreements in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

USAMRAA

On 19 March 2020 the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of the US Federal Government issued Memorandum M-20-17 Administrative Relief for Recipients and Applicants of Federal Financial Assistance Directly Impacted by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) due to Loss of Operations. The Department of Defense (DoD) also recently published Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

The United States Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA) has provided the following revised supplement guidance on 25 March 2020 (Version 2, revised: March 25, 2020; Replaces FAQs dated March 16, 2020).

"The USAMRAA will apply, to the maximum extent possible, all the allowed exceptions to our financial assistance awards, including allowance of costs. The following exceptions, aligned with the format in Memorandum M-20-17 and guidance from the DoD, are time limited. OMB anticipates reassessing the exceptions within 90 days. 

1. Flexibility with SAM registration:

The SAM registration process will be relaxed as outlined in M-20-17.

2. Flexibility with application deadlines:

There are currently no plans to modify existing application deadline dates but please continue to monitor Grants.gov for any potential change(s) to an application deadline.

Please contact the CDMRP Help Desk at help@eBRAP.org or 301-682-5507 if you need further assistance.

This response may be updated at a later date depending on whether application review panel meeting dates are revised. Please check this page periodically for possible updates.

3. Waiver of Notice of Funding Opportunities Publication: 

USAMRAA has no immediate emergency Program Announcements for grants or cooperative agreements available at this time.

This response may be updated at a later date depending on whether application review panel meeting dates are revised. Please check this page periodically for possible updates.

4. No-cost extensions on expiring awards:

USAMRAA’s terms and conditions of award already allow for a one-time, no cost extension of up to 12 months, without need to request prior approval, when the recipient notifies the Grants Officer (GO).

Recipients may notify USAMRAA’s GO(s) of a blanket no-cost extension on all active awards(including grant numbers) covered under M-20-17 -- i.e., they do not need to be requested on an individual basis for each award.

However, please be aware that funding expiration statutes may prohibit extensions. Recipients should contact the USAMRAA GO for award-specific guidance.

5. Abbreviated continuation requests:

Not applicable for USAMRAA grants and cooperative agreements.

6. Expenditure of award funds for salaries and other project activities:

Recipients may continue to charge salaries and benefits to currently active awards consistent with the recipients' policy of paying salaries (under unexpected or extraordinary circumstances) from all funding sources, Federal and non-Federal.

USAMRAA will allow other costs to be charged to Federal awards necessary to resume activities supported by the award, consistent with applicable Federal cost principles and the benefit to the project. This may include allowing rent on equipment and facilities during this time frame.

However, to the maximum extent practicable, recipients must invoke or institute any and all reasonable mitigation actions and practices to lessen the cost to the Government during the crisis period. Such actions may be part of an existing program created by the recipient organization or may be created to respond to this crisis.

Recipients must maintain appropriate records and cost documentation as required by 2 CFR §200.302 - Financial management and 2 CFR § 200.333 - Retention requirement of records to substantiate the charging of any salaries and other project activities costs related to interruption of operations or services.

7. Allowability of Costs not Normally Chargeable to Awards.

USAMRAA will allow recipients who incur costs related to the cancellation of events, travel, or other activities necessary and reasonable for the performance of the award, or the pausing and restarting of grant funded activities due to the public health emergency, to charge these costs to their award without regard to 2 CFR § 200.403, Factors affecting allow ability of costs, 2 CFR §200.404, Reasonable costs, and 2 CFR § 200.405, Allocable costs.

USAMRAA will allow recipients to charge full cost of cancellation when the event, travel, or other activities are conducted under the auspices of the grant.

However, recipients should not assume additional funds will be available should the charging of cancellation or other fees result in a shortage of funds to eventually carry out the event or travel.

Recipients are required to maintain appropriate records and cost documentation as required by2 CFR § 200.302 - Financial management and 2 CFR § 200.333 Retention requirement of records, to substantiate the charging of any cancellation or other fees related to interruption of operations or services.

8. Prior approval requirement waivers:

OMB and DoD have authorized awarding agencies to waive prior approval requirements as necessary. Some prior approvals are already waived under the DoD General Research &Development Terms and Conditions and USAMRAA’s agency-specific terms conditions.

Recipients should consult their GO regarding other potential prior approval waivers based on project-specific circumstances.

All costs charged to Federal awards must be consistent with Federal cost policy guidelines and the terms of the award, except where specified in OMB Memorandum M-20-17.

9. Exemption of certain procurement requirements:

The procurement requirements contained in 2 CFR 200.319(b) regarding geographic preference and 2 CFR 200.231 regarding contracting with small and minority businesses, women’s business enterprises, and labor surplus supply firms are waved in order to expedite the procurement process for needed support during the period outlined in OMB Memorandum M-20-17.

10. Extension of financial and other reporting:

Recipients may delay submission of financial, performance and other reports on currently active award accounts up to three (3) months beyond the normal due date.
Contact the GO and Grants Officer’s Representative (GOR) for extensions on other milestones and deliverables required in the terms and conditions of the award. If warranted, the same three-month extension may be granted.

Recipients may continue to invoice for payment of Federal funds without timely submission of reports.

Reports must be submitted at the end of the postponed period. Additional extensions require prior approval of the GO.

11. Extension of currently approved indirect costs rates:

Recipients may continue to use the currently approved indirect cost rates (i.e., predetermined, fixed, or provisional rates) to recover their indirect costs on Federal awards.

Recipients may contact their cognizant agency for indirect costs to request an extension on the use of the current rates for one additional year without submission of an indirect cost proposal. The cognizant agency may also approve requests for an extension of the indirect cost rate proposal submission to finalize the current rates and establish future rates.

12. Extension of closeout:

Recipients may delay submission of any pending financial, performance and other reports required by the terms of the award for the closeout of expired projects, provided that proper notice about the reporting delay is given by the grantee to the GO.

This delay in submitting closeout reports may not exceed one year after the award expires.

13. Extension of Single Audit submission.

Implemented as stated in M-20-17.

14. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the conduct of my DoD-supported human subjects research protocol. What do I need to report to the USAMRDC Human Research Protection Office (HRPO)? 

For guidance, visit https://mrdc.amedd.army.mil/index.cfm/collaborate/research_protections/hrpo/faqs

15. ACURO Guidance During the COVID-19 Pandemic

For guidance, visit https://mrdc.amedd.army.mil/assets/docs/orp/acuro/ACURO_Guidance_for_COVID-19.pdf"

Flinders Research NewsResponding to Frequent Questions on Flexibilities Related to NIH Funding and COVID-19 - 26 March 2020

National Institutes of Health

Dr Mike Lauer, Deputy Director for Extramural Research at the National Institute of Health released an update on 26 March 2020.

This update responds to further questions raised from their update that was covered in our previous article Databases and other information on COVID-19 from the World Health Organisation and the National Institutes of Health.

"The public health emergency due to COVID-19 is causing difficulties in many aspects of our lives. My colleagues and I here at NIH are well aware of the challenges being felt in the research community as institutions are closing, people are being asked to practice social distancing, and resources and attention are justifiably focused on public health needs. We are listening to your concerns and are working quickly to develop answers to your many questions.

We recently updated our Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Information for NIH Applicants and Recipients website with a slew of additional FAQs, new funding opportunities, as well as the video message from me, below, where I address some of the most common questions. 

Since yesterday’s recording of this video, in response to community concerns about their ability to submit applications in a timely manner, we have published a notice announcing that grant applications submitted late for due dates between March 9, 2020, and May 1, 2020, will be accepted through May 1, 2020. This notice applies to all relevant funding opportunity announcements, including those that indicate no late applications will be accepted. A cover letter providing a justification is not required. NIH will be extending the expiration date of most FOAs expiring between now and May 1. Be sure to read the notice carefully for details.

Things are moving quickly. Please continue to communicate with us. We are listening.

I encourage you to monitor our website frequently. To help you identify updated content, the page now includes a link to page update history so you can easily see what’s new."

New OpportunitiesApplications for the RSTMH 2020 small grants round are now open

Royal Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RSTMH) 2020 Small Grants round is now open.

The aim of the small grants is to enable early career researchers and global health professionals in the field of tropical medicine or global health to undertake clinical or scientific research and/or fieldwork. The maximum awarded is £5,000.

Applications should focus on the RSTMH thematic areas, including: 

  • Neglected tropical diseases
  • Malaria, with a particular focus on drug resistance
  • One Health and wider planetary health
  • The consideration of human health alongside animal health and the environment
  • Topical issues including, but not limited to, emerging diseases
  • Drug resistant infections

The closing date for applications (including references) is 5pm GMT 15 April 2020. The Flinders internal closing date for a completed final draft application is 1 April 2020. For application advice and assistance contact Sarah Jay, Research Grants Officer, IGII.

For more information, visit the RSTMH website.

Flinders Research NewsDepartment of Health advice re Community Grants Hub "Population Health and Sport" Funding Arrangements - 27 March 2020

Department of Health

The Department of Health and the Research Contracts team, Research Development and Support, Flinders University, have provided the following information regarding the Community Grants Hub "Population Health and Sport" Funding Arrangements. Specifically, this information is for funding recipients and the process to notify changes to project delivery following COVID-19.

This message is for researchers who received Commonwealth funding through a spending approval given by the Population Health and Sport Division in the Department of Health.

Population Health and Sport team acknowledges that the quickly emerging concerns regarding coronavirus are impacting researchers ability to plan, commit to and deliver projects, programs, activities and services in the upcoming months.

It is important that these projects, programs, activities and services continue throughout this period, where possible. However, there exists flexibility for you to adjust and cease or postpone plans that were in train. You do not need to seek approval ahead of making changes to previously agreed approaches and activities.

Please notify healthsportgrants@dss.gov.au of the decisions you make with details of the: (may need not be limited to)
* There is no need for you to write to the Department again – unless things have changed – if you have done so in the last fortnight.

  • Significant changes being made;
  • Impact on deliverables, and projected timeline for completion; and
  • Where adjusted arrangements are not able to be put into place. 

Population Health and Sport team suggests that you use “key words” in the subject line to enable them to act on your notification. For e.g  Covid-19 Impact – [Org Name] – Activity ID – Activity Title. The Community Grants Hub has an established mechanism by which those managing Health grants report this information through to the Department of Health policy teams for their consideration and, if necessary, action.

We ask that you copy research.contracts@flinders.edu.au to your email.

The Department of Health COVID-19 health alert webpage is updated regularly with the most up-to-date public health information, prevention strategies and resources.  A COVID-19 Health Information Hotline (1800 020 080) is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

New OpportunitiesCrohn's & Colitis Foundation’s Senior Research Awards 2020

The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation’s Senior Research Awards are now open. The Award aims to provide established researchers with funds to generate sufficient preliminary data to become competitive for funds from other sources such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Proposal must be relevant to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) or Crohn's disease and/or ulcerative colitis. Letters of Intent are due 5 May 2020. The Flinders internal closing date for a completed final draft Letter of Intent is 28 April 2020. For application advice and assistance, contact Dr Sarah Jay, Research Grants Support Officer (IGII).

Applicant must hold an MD and/or PhD (or equivalent degree) and must be employed by an institution (public non-profit, private non-profit, or government) that is engaged in health care and/or health-related research. He/she must have attained independence from his/her mentor. Eligibility is not restricted by citizenship or geography.

Only one application is allowed per applicant per submission date. The Awards are available from one to three years with a maximum per year of US $115,830 available.

For more information, visit the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation's Senior Research Awards grant page.

Flinders Research NewsNew Zealand Ministry of Health - The COVID-19 Emergency Response & Ethical Review Operating Procedures (eSOP)

HDEC logo

The New Zealand Ministry of Health, Health and Ethics Disability Committees (HDEC) Secretariat provided the following information (dated 24 March 2020) for researchers who would be submitting a COVID-19 related application or amendment through the Ethics Secretariat.

"The COVID-19 Emergency Response: Ethical Review Operating Procedures (eSOP) is now live to guide and assist in the ethical review of research specific to or affected by the COVID-19 response. 

We ask all researchers who submit a COVID-19 related application (new study or a post approval form related to a currently approved study) through Online Forms to also notify us of submission via the HDEC email (hdecs@health.govt.nz) with the following wording in the subject line ‘COVID -19 new study’ or ‘COVID-19 Amendment’.

This will allow the Secretariat to easily identify and triage applications to the correct pathway. 

The eSOP will not apply to research not related to or impacted by COVID-19. 

To assist with the expected increase in workload the Ethics Secretariat will no longer be providing the scope of review service. However, this policy will be reviewed monthly. If you are not sure if your research sits within the scope of HDEC review, please consult your institution’s research office or complete and submit an ethics application via the Online Forms portal for HDEC consideration. 

For all other correspondence please limit email and phone calls to urgent queries only. Please contact the Ethics Team on 0800 4 ETHIC (08004 38442 or +64 4 819 6877 from outside New Zealand). HDEC email: hdecs@health.govt.nz 

Please be aware that the Ethics Secretariat will not be working in the office for the foreseeable future, given that we are now at Level 3 of the COVID-19 Response.

Please be patient when waiting for a response. Our 0800 number is operational but will be diverted to a cell phone.   

Thank you for your patience and understanding at this time. 

Stay well and look after yourselves

The Ethics Team
Quality Assurance and Safety
Health System Improvement and Innovation
Ministry of Health"

New OpportunitiesAccessing SPSS Statistics on Staff/Students Personal Devices - COVID-19 Special Arrangements

IBM SPSS

The Flinders Library has provided the following update on special arrangements for accessing SPSS Statistics on staff and student personal devices.

In addition to the Flinders Library local arrangements for remote access to IBM SPSS, IBM Inc. put forward a supplementary initiative for accessing SPSS Statistics on staff/students personal devices. The details from IBM are listed below:

"In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting disruption that Universities across the world are facing, IBM over the weekend announced that they will be extending the SPSS Statistics Subscription Trial for active and new accounts through to June 15, 2020. 

  1. Academic Faculty Members and Students who require SPSS Statistics on their personal devices can download the free trial via: http://ibm.biz/spsstrial2020 
  2. As part of the process, Academic Faculty Members and Students will need to individually create an IBM ID and password to access the free trial. 
  3. Please note that the IBM SPSS Statistics Subscription Trial has the same feature set as the version of SPSS Statistics available under your SPSS Statistics site license.

IBM are making these changes out of concern and compassion for those who are affected by the global situation and to help universities to make the transition to online learning tools easier."

New OpportunitiesMRFF Frontier Health and Medical Research Program Stage One 2020 - Deferral

MRFF

In recognition of the COVID-19 emergency and the associated disruption to Government, businesses and researchers across a range of industries, a decision has been made to defer the Medical Research Future Fund - Frontier Health and Medical Research Program Stage One Grant opportunity by the Federal Government Department of Health.

The department intends to re-open the Grant Opportunity once circumstances regarding COVID-19 improve.

Inspiring Research will provide further information regarding the reopening of Frontier Health and Medical Research Program Stage One, when it becomes available. Interested researchers who did not apply in the Stage One 2020 round but are considering a future application are encouraged to contact Carmela Sergi, Health Partnerships Director, Research Development and Support.

New OpportunitiesAustralia’s National Hydrogen Strategy

DISER

Australia’s National Hydrogen Strategy sets a vision for a clean, innovative, safe and competitive hydrogen industry that benefits all Australians. It aims to position our industry as a major player by 2030.

The strategy outlines an adaptive approach that equips Australia to scale up quickly as the hydrogen market grows. It includes a set of nationally coordinated actions involving governments, industry and the community.

To read more on the Strategy, visit the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources webpage.

Information on the history and potential of the strategy is available at The Conversation.

Share your success

Share research news and opportunities, including information regarding upcoming research related events in your area.
Contact inspiring.research@flinders.edu.au for article submissions or further information.

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