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Stony Brook University
Office of the Vice President for Research
ResourcesNewsletterWinter 2021 Newsletter

 Office of the Vice President for Research

E-Newsletter

 Winter 2020-2021

To view archived newsletters, click here

 

Letter from the Vice President for Research

 Richard Reeder

Dear Stony Brook researchers,

As I write this, it’s been ten months since we ramped down most of our research activities in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and seven months since we began the process of restarting. All indications point to a mostly successful return of research activities for nearly all groups needing to be in laboratory or related spaces. We remain in Research Phase 4 of the Restarting Research plan, which allows 60-80% of the research workforce in laboratory and related spaces at any given time, subject to the required safeguards of maintaining social distancing, use of face coverings/masks, and daily health self-screening using Campus Clear. As in my previous communications, I want to clarify that the “Phase” designation for restarting research is distinct from Stony Brook’s Return to the Workplace plan for which you may have seen recent communications from Human Resource Services regarding changes to implementation dates for those phases. Access to and use of laboratory and related spaces for research continues to be dependent on submission and approval of a laboratory operating plan, which essentially all research groups have already done. The best way to ensure that our return to research continues successfully is to maintain the safeguards that protect the health of research personnel and to follow the University's requirements for daily self-screening for Covid-19 symptoms and regular  pooled testing. 

Across the University, there is much excitement and promise in the air.  The fast-paced activity of the Financial Sustainability Initiative has energized all corners of the University. The Task Forces have focused on critical areas, including research, and many of you will have participated in the Campus Conversations. The Research and Innovation Task Force and its related working groups are addressing important issues that can benefit research activities across the entire University and build on the earlier Facilitating Researcher Success initiative.  I encourage everyone to provide their thoughts to the Task Force and working groups. 

On the Federal stage, the arrival of a new administration in Washington that has pledged to “put science at the forefront” is offering renewed promise for researchers. There is great expectation that by signaling a prominent role for science leaders in policy making, the new administration may also push for expanded funding opportunities. However, significant increases in research funding could be tempered by the costs associated with economic relief packages and the immediate focus on Covid-19 vaccination efforts. Two areas where meaningful change may come quickly are climate science and immigration policy, where previous restrictions severely impacted researchers and disrupted recruitment of foreign graduate students and postdocs. 

I would like to note that the outgoing administration, in its last few days, released a memo updating protections for the security of the U.S. R&D enterprise. This new guidance directs federal agencies, including those providing research funding, to adopt uniform disclosure requirements for potential conflicts of interest and commitment, including foreign connections and support. The release of the White House memo coincided with a long-awaited guidance document from the Joint Committee on the Research Environment (JCORE), which had been charged by the Office of Science and Technology Policy to provide “best practices” for research institutions to comply with reporting and disclosure requirements. While the new White House administration may be signaling a change in emphasis, it is almost certain that requirements for disclosure of foreign connections and other support will remain in effect and be subject to oversight by Federal agencies.  For those researchers who may have such connections, it is important to be aware of these Federal requirements and be alert for changes. Current guidance for disclosure requirements is given here, and will be updated as agencies revise their policies. New online training is also described later in this newsletter.

As in my past letters, I want to remind you that all areas of OVPR are providing our regular support services to faculty. Please reach out to any of our Offices if you have questions. This may be an ideal time to explore a new funding opportunity and develop a research proposal. Let us know how we can help.

Stay safe!

Regards,
Rich Reeder
Vice President for Research

 

Table of Contents

News From: 

 

Upcoming Events   

COVID-19 Research Collaboration Series

The COVID-19 Research Collaboration Series will continue in the spring semester. Each session will include two talks about active COVID-19 research projects at Stony Brook University with a focus on developing collaborations. Presentations will be 10 minutes with 15 minutes of discussion to follow. Sessions are open to all faculty and students.

Save the Dates:   

Monday, February 8th at 4-5pm - Psychosocial Impacts of COVID-19 and Implications for Well-Being

Talk 1: Behavioral Underpinnings of Vaccine Hesitancy and Implications for Vaccine Acceptance, Dr. Stacey Finkelstein

Talk 2: Effect of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic on the Academic, Career, Mental, Psychosocial, and Physical Functioning of the SBU Community, Dr. Brady D. Nelson

Thursday, February 25th at 4-5pm - Models to Predict and Control COVID-19

Talk 1: Using Demographic Pattern Analysis to Predict COVID-19 Fatalities on the US County Level, Dr. Klaus Mueller

Talk 2: Pandemic Control in ECON-EPI Networks, Dr. Marina Azzimonti

Thursday, March 11th at 3-4pm - Impacts of Social Distancing

Talk 1: The Impact of Social Distancing During the COVID-19 Outbreak on Mental Health and Substance Use Outcomes: Examining Risk and Protective Factors in Young Adult Populations in New York, Dr. Sana Malik & Dr. Ijeoma Opara

Talk 2: Psychosocial Impact of COVID-19-Induced Social Isolation (PICSI) on Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Longitudinal Study, Dr. Matthew Lerner & Alan H. Gerber

Monday, March 22nd at 4-5pm - COVID-19 Life Cycle: From Viral Infection to Novel Therapeutics

Talk 1: Viral Infection and Initiation of Thrombosis, Dr. Miriam Rafailovich

Talk 2: Targeted Degradation of SARS-CoV-2 Proteins, Dr. Peter Tonge

To register for any of the above sessions, please click here.

DoD Workshop

OPD is partnering with Academic Research Funding Strategies, LLC to offer a DoD overview workshop on Friday, February 26, 2021, at 12:00 pm. The one-hour workshop will cover:

  • DoD organization and culture
  • What does DoD fund?
  • How to determine where your research fits and identify your
  • program officer at DoD
  • Strategies for getting your foot in the door
  • How to talk to a DoD program officer
  • How to develop white papers and quad charts
  • How to write a DoD proposal

Presenter: Lucy Deckard, Research Development Consultant at Academic Research Funding Strategies, LLC.

Click here to register by Friday, February 12th.

Zoom information will be sent to all participants by Friday, February 19th.

Research IT News

DoIT Information System (Research)

We are pleased to announce the myResearch IACUC module went live on October 19 after working closely with members of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, and the Office of Research Compliance. This module ensures high quality, compliant committee reviews of research involving animals. 

As of the go-live date, all new or continuing review studies must be initiated in myResearch. IRBNet will still be available to look at older studies until a repository is created for this purpose. There will be future communications and advanced notice before we completely retire the use of IRBNet.

The deployment of the IACUC module completes the implementation of the myResearch suite of applications, a multi-year program which owes its success to many in the OVPR, Information Technology and Research community. I think it’s important to reflect on and celebrate this important achievement.

Presently, the OVPR-IT team is now shifting our focus on improving and keeping myResearch current along with providing additional support for IT initiatives in the areas of document and travel management.  

 

Office of Proposal Development News

Staff Updates

Deborah Mann Rodriguez

Deborah has transitioned into a new role as Grants Manager for the Dean’s Office in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Debbie has been a valued member of the Office of the Vice President for Research for a total of 12 years, first as a Grants Administrator in the Office of Sponsored Programs and then as a Proposal Development Specialist in the Office of Proposal Development. We will miss Debbie in OVPR, but we are looking forward to working closely with her as she assists CEAS faculty to prepare proposals and manage their awards.

Debbie's role in CEAS will serve as a pilot for enhanced communications and more effective workflow between the colleges and our central office.

Karrie Gash, Research Development Coordinator

Karrie attended Stony Brook University as an undergraduate earning a BA in Anthropology, and then attended graduate school at Buffalo State College, receiving an MA in Museum Studies. She has worked in the fine art and museum fields, and comes most recently from the National September 11 Memorial & Museum where she conducted research for curatorial initiatives and exhibition content development.

Aileen Rosales, Research Development Coordinator

Aileen has been in the medical education field for over 15 years. Most recently, she worked for 10 years as a Graduate Program Administrator at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City where one of her key responsibilities was managing their NIH T32 grants. She has a wealth of administrative experience related to academic medical/graduate school settings that includes managing faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and student matters between Weill Cornell and Memorial Sloan Kettering.   

Ryan Clemons, Proposal Assistant

Ryan attended the University of Maryland, Baltimore County as an undergraduate, earning a BA in Psychology. He then transitioned to the software development field, where he dove into web development and later to Quality Assurance. As a QA Specialist, he earned multiple Microsoft certifications, and developed important skills in data management, documentation, and reporting.

All are very excited to join the OVPR team and help advance the important research being conducted at Stony Brook. 

New Limited Competition Announcement and Application Process:

The internal competition process for limited submission funding opportunities has changed as of January 1st.

New Procedure for Announcements:

All new internal competition and canvass announcements will be posted on the Office of Proposal Development website as soon as they are open for SBU faculty. Every Friday, a list of the active competitions will be sent out in a single email. Please note that we will no longer send email announcements for individual limited competitions. The full list of active internal competitions and canvasses will always be available on our website. Please check regularly for updates. You can also join our OPD Google Group to receive all OPD messages directly. For a list of limited competitions that repeat annually, please click here.

New Process for Internal Competitions:

Candidates must now fill out this Internal Competitions Form to express interest in a canvass or to apply for an active internal competition. If you are applying for an internal competition, you will need to upload your pre-application as a single PDF document. Pre-application requirements will be posted on the OPD website for each competition.

Pivot Updates

The Office of the Vice President for Research continues to subscribe to Pivot by ProQuest, a global funding opportunities and faculty interests database that all Stony Brook University faculty, research administrators, postdocs, and graduate students can use to explore new research funding as well as potential collaborations. You can use your Stony Brook credentials to log in to the site at https://pivot.proquest.com/.

The Office of Proposal Development is offering virtual Pivot training sessions to all Stony Brook faculty and staff. OPD staff are available for one-on-one or group training sessions by request. Please email OPD_OVPR@stonybrook.edu for additional information or to schedule a training session.

 

Office of Sponsored Programs and Grants Management News 

eRA Will Require the Use of Login.gov to Access eRA Commons, ASSIST, IAR AND Commons Mobile in 2021

Users will be required to use two-factor authentication (2FA) through login.gov to access eRA Commons, ASSIST, Internet Assisted Review (IAR), and Commons Mobile by September 15, 2021. This secure 2FA allows users to log in to four different grants systems (eRA, Grants.gov, GrantSolutions.gov and Payment Management System) using the same login.gov credentials.

We first shared information about eRA initiating the use of 2FA as part of HHS’ Reinvent Grants Management Initiative in April 2020.

eRA is first phasing in the requirement for reviewers using IAR. The new requirement started being phased in December 14, 2020, for reviewers, meeting by meeting, effective for review meetings February 1, 2021 and beyond. As reviewers are enabled for meetings, their accounts will be transitioned to require login.gov to access IAR.

All users of eRA Commons, ASSIST, IAR and Commons Mobile are encouraged to switch to 2FA through login.gov now, before the mandatory deadline of September 2021.

For more information on making 2FA a requirement, please see Guide Notice NOT-OD-21-040.

Resources

Help

eRA Reminder: New eRA Commons Login and Landing Screens Launched January12

The new eRA Commons home screen (log-in screen) and landing screen (screen when first logged in) became available on January 12, 2021. As part of the new design, once authenticated, you will be able to navigate to various eRA modules within Commons via the apps icon in the upper left corner. The modernized screens provide a simpler interface that reflect user feedback and come with enhanced security and stability for the Commons module.

Resources

Final NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing

( https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-21-013.html)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is issuing this final NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing (DMS Policy) to promote the management and sharing of scientific data generated from NIH-funded or conducted research. This Policy establishes the requirements of submission of Data Management and Sharing Plans (hereinafter Plans) and compliance with NIH Institute, Center, or Office (ICO)-approved Plans. It also emphasizes the importance of good data management practices and establishes the expectation for maximizing the appropriate sharing of scientific data generated from NIH-funded or conducted research, with justified limitations or exceptions. This Policy applies to research funded or conducted by NIH that results in the generation of scientific data. 

Revision of the Research Terms and Conditions

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) mandated awarding agencies adopt recent revisions to 2 CFR §200; Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) effective November 12, 2020.  The purpose of this message is to make you aware that the Research Terms and Conditions (RTCs) have been revised by the participating agencies for consistency with the revised 2 CFR §200.  NSF serves as the steward of these terms and conditions, and maintains the 

RTC website  on behalf of all of the participating agencies. 

  • At this time, the agencies participating in this activity include the: U.S. Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration & National Institute of Standards and Technology; U.S. Department of Energy; National Aeronautics and Space Administration; National Science Foundation; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/National Institutes of Health & Food and Drug Administration; U.S. Department of Agriculture/National Institute of Food and Agriculture; and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. 
  • Agency implementation statements provide specific details on how participating agencies are implementing the revised RTCs.
  • In accordance with this requirement, the updated RTCs, which implement the changes to 2 CFR §200, will be fully effective beginning November 12, 2020.
FY 2021 CDMRP Policy on the Inclusion of Women and Minorities in Clinical Research

This announcement is to inform the research community of the recently implemented Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) Policy on the Inclusion of Women and Minorities in Clinical Research and associated changes to application requirements. In 2019, the DoD was directed by the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense to develop a plan to ensure the appropriate representation of women and minorities in its extramural research.

It is now the policy of CDMRP that women and individuals from minority groups be included in all CDMRP-funded clinical research studies, unless there is a clear, justifiable rationale that it is inappropriate with respect to the health of the subjects or the purpose of the research.  As specified in the policy, applicants will be required to include a strategy for the inclusion of women and minorities in all clinical research (e.g., studies involving human subjects or identifiable human biospecimens or datasets) and submit an anticipated enrollment table(s) with the proposed enrollment distributed on the basis of sex/gender, race, and ethnicity at the time of proposal submission.  Additional post-award reporting requirements will be specified in the terms and conditions of applicable awards.

The complete policy, Frequently Asked Questions document, and Suggested Inclusion Enrollment Report format are available under the “Resources and Reference Material” section on the electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP) (https://eBRAP.org).  Please refer to the detailed descriptions of funding opportunities, evaluation criteria, and submission requirements which can be found in each Program Announcement.

All CDMRP funding opportunities, both recently and previously released, are available on the CDMRP website (https://cdmrp.army.mil).

For more information on types of funding opportunities offered and application strategies review the CDMRP Webinar Series: https://cdmrp.army.mil/pubs/Webinars/webinar_series

EERE Program Information Center

While The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (EERE) launched a new website to replace eXCHANGE with  EERE Program Information Center for EERE funding opportunity announcements and application submissions after November 2, 2020, users have experienced intermittent performance issues in the EERE Program Information Center and their team is working diligently to resolve them. To continue investigating the performance issues without impacting the ability for applicants to respond to opportunities, EERE has decided to temporarily move all application submissions activities back to the EERE Funding Opportunity Exchange (Exchange). EERE anticipates using Exchange for submissions through September 30, 2021.

What Does This Mean?

  • Submissions Cutoff:The EERE Program Information Center will no longer accept applicant submissions beginning Friday, January 22 at 5 p.m. ET. The site will be unavailable for use through Tuesday, February 3, while we work to migrate announcement and application data to Exchange. (To view announcement deadlines, please refer to the published opportunities.)
  • Accessing Applications in Exchange:If you have already started or submitted an application in the EERE Program Information Center, your application will be migrated to Exchange automatically, unless notified otherwise by the Solar Energy Technology Office or Bioenergy Technology Office. Applicants whose applications have been migrated will be able to access their application(s) in Exchange beginning Wednesday, February 3.
  • Exchange User Accounts:All applicants will need an Exchange account to access their applications and respond to future EERE opportunities. Unless notified otherwise by the Solar Energy Technology Office or Bioenergy Technology Office,
    • If you havean Exchange account, no further action is needed.
    • If you do not havean Exchange account, and you have started or submitted an application in the EERE Program Information Center, an Exchange account will be created for you. You will receive an email that your account has been created in Exchange, and you will need to use the reset password function to generate a new password and security questions.
    • If you do not havean Exchange account, and have not started or submitted an application in the EERE Program Information Center, you will need to visit the Exchange Registration page to register for an Exchange account.
  • Live Trainings:All live training sessions will be paused beginning January 25. If you have already registered for a training session after this date, you will be receiving an email that the training session has been cancelled.

For additional information about this change, please review the Frequently Asked Questions attached to this email. If you have any additional questions, you can contact the EERE Program Information Center Help Desk at eere-epichelpdesk@ee.doe.gov.

NSF News

"For Comment" Version of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Award Policies & Procedure Guide (PAPPG)

NSF published a notice in the  Federal Register announcing the availability of a “For comment” draft of the  Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG). The Foundation is accepting comments from the external community until  COB February 12, 2021. The draft PAPPG is available on the  Policy Office website. To facilitate review, revised text has been highlighted in yellow throughout the document and explanatory comments have been included in the margins, where appropriate.

This draft version will incorporate the revised 2 CFR §200:  Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Award  that was effective November 12, 2020. Please note that if there is a discrepancy between the current PAPPG (NSF 20-1) and the revised 2 CFR §200, the applicable NSF award conditions apply.

In addition, NSF also has released revised  Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Current and Pending Support. These FAQs are effective for proposals submitted in response to the current PAPPG (NSF 20-1).

Any questions should be directed to the Policy Office at  policy@nsf.gov or contact the Office of Sponsored Programs at osp@stonybrook.edu.

NSF Demo Site for Research.gov Proposal Preparation Now Available

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has launched the Research.gov proposal preparation demonstration site. The new demo site offers proposers the opportunity to create proposals in Research.gov with the role of a Principal Investigator (PI) prior to preparing and submitting proposals in the actual Research.gov Proposal Submission System. We invite you to try the Research.gov proposal preparation features on the new demo site, such as:

  • Initiating Research proposals (other proposal types will be added to the demo site as they are enabled in the actual system):
    • Single submissions from one organization
    • Collaborative proposals with subawards
    • Separately submitted collaborative proposals from multiple organizations
  • Adding co-PIs, Senior Personnel, and Other Authorized Users (OAUs)
  • Uploading required and optional proposal documents
  • Creating budgets
  • Checking proposal compliance
  • Adding subawards
  • Linking collaborative proposals
  • Enabling Sponsored Project Officer (SPO)/Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) access

 What You Need to Know About the New Research.gov Demo Site

  • All users must sign in to Research.gov with an NSF ID or primary email address to access the demo site.
    • Users without an NSF account (i.e., NSF ID) will first need to register for one to use the demo site.
    • Users who already have an NSF ID  must not register for another NSF ID for demo site use. As a reminder, each individual user of NSF systems (e.g., FastLane and Research.gov) should not have more than one NSF ID, per the NSF  Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide  Chapter I.G.3.
  • A red “Proposal Preparation Demo Site” banner is at the top of each demo site page to indicate the user is using the demo site.
  • Each user will be given the PI role for demo site purposes only. No other user roles (e.g., SPO and AOR) are available on the demo site or are needed to use the demo site.
  • The demo site does not support proposal submission to NSF and will not trigger any system-generated email notifications.
  • Proposals created on the demo site will be deleted after six months. Neither NSF staff nor users will be able to access deleted proposal data from the demo site.
  • Demo site proposals will not be available on the actual Research.gov Proposal Submission System, and proposals cannot be transferred between the demo site and the actual system.
  • For further demo site details, please see the demo site Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) available via the  Research.gov About Proposal Preparation and Submission page left navigation menu. A set of topic-specific video tutorials is also available.

Accessing the Research.gov Proposal Preparation Demo Site

To access the Research.gov demo site, you  must have an NSF account (i.e., NSF ID) and be signed in to Research.gov.

  • If you do not have an NSF account:
  • Open  Research.gov.
  • Use the  Register tab located on the top right of the screen to create an NSF account.
  • Input the requested account registration information.

Important Note: Your primary registered email address will be used for NSF account notifications including password resets and can be used to sign in to Research.gov. Please ensure that you have ongoing access to your primary registered email (e.g., a personal email address), even if you change organizations. Refer to the  Research.gov About Account Management page for additional registration guidance.

Retirement of FastLane Demo Site

The FastLane demo site has been retired, however, we encourage you to try the new Research.gov proposal preparation demo site. In accordance with  Important Notice No. 147: Research.gov Implementation Update, NSF is taking proactive steps to incrementally move the preparation and submission of all proposals from FastLane to Research.gov.

Enhancements Coming Soon to Research.gov

Effective in late November 2020, NSF will:

  • Enable the following proposal types on Research.gov and on the new Research.gov proposal preparation demo site:
    • Rapid Response Research (RAPID)
    • EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER)
    • Research Advanced by Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering (RAISE)
  • Remove the  font type and  font size compliance checks and associated warning messages per feedback from the research community.

Stay tuned for additional information about these updates in the next couple of weeks.

Questions? If you have IT system-related questions, please contact the NSF Help Desk at 1-800-381-1532 (7:00 AM – 9:00 PM ET; Monday – Friday except federal holidays) or via  rgov@nsf.gov. Policy-related questions should be directed to  policy@nsf.gov.

myResearch News

myResearch Grants Training Schedule for 2021

The schedule for myResearch Grants training sessions can be found on our website. Users are encouraged to sign up and attend one of the training sessions at a convenient time in order to prepare for future submissions. Click here to register. Until normal campus operations resume, training classes will be offered via Zoom. Registrants will be contacted by an OSP Specialist prior to the training class with the Zoom meeting information.

OSP Personnel Changes

In early December 2020, our office bid farewell to Jennifer Hsieh, as she decided to leave SBU and extend her career boundaries. Both our offices as well as the campus community that Jennifer served in her role, had a fortunate opportunity to collaborate with a valuable, professional, hard-working person with an attitude and knowledge that has motivated many of us. Jennifer's contributions, especially in the clinical trials arena, have been a great benefit to this organization and, undeniably, she will be deeply missed here. We wish Jennifer the very best of luck and the greatest of success in all her future ventures. A search to replace Jennifer is currently underway.  In the interim, please contact osp_contracts@stonybrook.edu for assistance.

Updated RF Procurement Policy

Recent Uniform Guidance policy updates provide entities the option to establish a micro-purchase threshold above the current threshold of $10,000 and up to $50,000 for federal procurements without prior approval from their cognizant agency.

As a result please be advised that effective January 1, 2021, the RF Procurement Policy has been updated to increase the threshold for federal procurements from $10,000 to $50,000

Monthly Award and Monthly Project Summary Changes

The RF Report Center will stop producing the Monthly Award and Monthly Project Summary PDF reports effective January 1, 2021. The last month that the report will be created is month end December 2020. Previously stored reports will be removed from the RF Report Center on March 1, 2021.

The monthly information contained in these reports is currently available in a more modern, simplified and intuitive manner in the RF Report Center. The replacement views are located in the “RF Activity Interface Reporting” and the “Principal Investigator” dashboards.

To access the reports, click on the “Monthly Summary” tab in the top navigation and select either “Monthly Award Summary by Category” or “Monthly Project Summary by Category” from the dropdown menu. See the detailed instructions that demonstrate how to access these views at New Monthly Summary Report.

Each view (Monthly Project/Monthly Award) allows users to drill down into the following sections. They may be used to create a PDF report if needed.

  • Monthly Award or Project Summary by Category (As of month-end.)
  • Cash Position as of Month-End (Note: This will only populate on the monthly award view.)
  • Outstanding Payroll Encumbrances (Note: This is an award to date view, not a month-end view as the data changes regularly. The objective is to provide what is current when viewed.)
  • Outstanding Supplier Encumbrances (Note: This is an award to date view, not a month-end view as the data changes regularly. The objective is to provide what is current when viewed.)
  • Outstanding Requisition Encumbrances (Note: This is an award to date view, not a month-end view as the data changes regularly. The objective is to provide what is current when viewed.)
  • Total Payroll from Award Start Date to Month End Selected (Note: This offers total payroll including a summary of encumbrances by person.)
  • Award Expenditure Detail (Note: This provides the detailed expenditures that occurred in the last month.

We hope that you will find the new monthly summary dashboard views in RF Report Center to be a more effective and dynamic tool for managing awards and projects. Feel free to start exploring the new views now.

Should you have questions, comments, or concerns, please contact your Sponsored Award Analyst in OGM-https://research.stonybrook.edu/contact/assignments.php

Campus Mail Delivery

OGM is now receiving campus mail on a weekly basis, therefore items that are in paper format can come to OGM as they did prior to the pandemic. However, if you wish to submit to OGM by way of email please send to ogm_ovpr@stonybrook.edu.

These requests must come to the OGM mailbox first, and should not be submitted to individuals in OGM or Research Accounts Payable or Travel directly.

 

Office of Research Compliance News 

International Activities - Web-based Training Resources 

The Research Foundation subscribes to the CITI Program for online training modules in a wide array of compliance areas. Training is available to all SBU faculty, staff and students by selecting SUNY- University of Stony Brook at CITI and then logging in with their NetID and password.   In-person training is available upon request.  Please contact Susan Gasparo at susan.gasparo@stonybrook.edu with any questions and/or requests. 

Undue Foreign Influence Courses 

  • Introduction to Undue Foreign Influence Impacts and Concerns in Academia
  • Reporting, Research Integrity, and Effective Practices to Manage Undue Foreign Influence Risk
  • Cybersecurity and Compliance Considerations for Safeguarding Research
  • Nondiscrimination Considerations When Managing Undue Foreign Influence

Export Compliance Courses

  • Export Compliance for Researchers
  • Export Compliance for Biosafety, Export Compliance and International and Foreign Waters, Export Compliance When Using Technology in Research
  • Export Compliance and United States Sanctions Programs, Export Compliance and Collaborations, Export Compliance and Distance Education, Export Compliance for International Shipping
  • Export Compliance for Purchasing
  • Introduction to Export Compliance (for the non-researcher)
  • Export Compliance for Research Administrators
  • Export Compliance for Operational Departments
International Activities - Guidance/Resources 

The OVPR has websites dedicated to International Relationships and Activities and Export Controls.  These websites are designed to provide you with training, resources and guidance to assist you with complying with these regulatory areas.

Guidance on COVID-19 Research with Human Subjects

As more and more individuals are receiving the COVID-19 vaccine the question has arisen regarding the enrollment of these individuals into “no-benefit” in-person research if they have a condition listed on the CDC website that places them at increased susceptibility to the COVID-19 virus.

There is very little information regarding the longevity of the vaccine, how protective it is, the waiting period after it is administered, and its immunity.  There are many unknown variables which could affect risks to subjects.  At this time having the vaccine does not change whether it is permissible to enroll those individuals with conditions that are on the CDC susceptibility list. 

Just a reminder that you should regularly review the guidance regarding research during the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidance includes information you need to give to your participants. The guidance is available athttps://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/restart-research/HS_July%20.php.

New Documents
  • A HIPPA letter for participants to use for the purpose of withdrawing from a study was developed and will be available for use soon.
  • A consent form for use in consenting participants for on-line surveys was developed and will be available for use soon.
MyResearch IACUC

MyResearch IACUC was launched on October 19, 2020.  myResearch IACUC is an interactive web-based electronic system that captures animal subject applications. The system has various views for researchers and study teams, IACUC members and IACUC staff. The system captures new studies and any continuing reviews. Studies are no longer accepted into IRBNet. If you have questions or concerns about the system, you can contact Jamie Fuellbier at (631) 632-9036. Manuals and videos related to myResearch IACUC are available at: https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/research-compliance/Animals-Use/Submissions.

 

Intellectual Property Partners

IPP Office Hours

The Intellectual Property Partners is happy to announce the launch of IPP Office Hours!

Every Wednesday, 1:00- 2:30, we are offering office hours for Stony Brook faculty, post-docs and graduate students to consult with one of our licensing team members on topics ranging from intellectual property protection to commercialization of your technology innovations. Bring your questions!

Various topics may include:

  •   Existing IP questions
  •   Recent innovations
  •   Letters of support for grant applications
  •   Invention disclosure process
  •   Confidentiality
  •   Evaluation and patent filing process
  •   Partnering and Licensing process
  •   Software and copyrights
  •   Start-up formation and campus resources
  •   Technology development resources
  •   IP questions and intellectual property management plans
  •   Royalty distribution

Other topics welcome! 

Virtual Office Hours: by appointment only. Please read more and schedule your appointmenthere.

Codagenix and SBU’s Synthetic Attenuated Virus Engineering (SAVE) technology highlighted in the AUTM Better World Project

We are excited to announce that the article on Codagenix (a spinoff from Stony Brook University (SBU) based on Synthetic Attenuated Virus Engineering (SAVE) technology developed by Dr. Wimmer et al. has been recently published within the AUTM Better World Project. 

The article highlights Codagenix using SAVE technology to successfully synthesize a readily scalable live-attenuated vaccine candidate against COVID-19.  

The story has been submitted as a part of an AUTM award competition; it has been chosen to be showcased, and is now a candidate for the Better World Award.

Read the full story here

SBU Inventors Spotlight: Dr. Arie Kaufman

IPP is happy to present Dr. Arie Kaufman in the new issue of the SBU Inventors Spotlight series! Read more

Option Agreement Executed with Analogic USA

Analogic USA has entered into an Exclusive Option Agreement for the development of a high resolution PET detector system developed by Drs. Wei Zhao and Amir Goldan in the department of Radiology.  

Option Agreement Executed with Stony Brook Start-Up Orchid Imaging

Orchid Imaging, a new Stony Brook start-up, has entered into an Exclusive Option Agreement for the development of a high speed 3D facial scanning system which was developed by Xianfeng Gu in the department of Computer Science.

Reminder: Research Reagent Disclosure Initiative

IPP is introducing a technology disclosure initiative specifically designed for disclosing research reagents. The goal of this initiative is to license patentable or non-patentable research reagents or methods developed here at Stony Brook University. A disclosure form specifically designed for disclosing

Research Reagents, such as antibodies, cell lines, plasmids, proteins, or any other reagents is available on theInventor Portal

Reminder: Digital Signature Requirements

Your New Technology and Reagent Disclosures are important to us! Once you submit your disclosure through the Inventor Portal, all SBU inventors will receive an email requesting their digital signature. The digital signatures of all SBU inventors are imperative to the disclosure process. Please be sure to electronically sign your disclosures when prompted by email. IPP cannot move forward in the evaluation process without all required signatures. Please email sbu_ntd@stonybrook.edu or call 631-632-9009, if you have any questions or need assistance. We are here to help!

Zeblok Wants YOU!

Zeblok Computational: Broad Distribution of AI Algorithms

IPP is developing a relationship with CEWIT-based company “Zeblok”. If you have an algorithm that others can use in developing AI/ML models, Zeblok can help you cross the commercialization chasm. Zeblok Computational provides an AI Platform-as-a-Service, which enables enterprise data scientists to begin developing AI/ML models in minutes and to scale seamlessly for model training and deployment. Zeblok’s AI PaaS includes a growing library of proven original AI algorithms that are carefully selected and rigorously tested to ensure that they are easy to read, easy to use and easy to share, so they will fit enterprise clients’ needs. Zeblok’s closed loop validation process provides algorithm creators with a fast track to broad distribution of their AI algorithms, while protecting intellectual property. Specific enterprises’ need for customization of your software may also provide additional revenue opportunities.

Zeblok’s enterprise clients access curated AI/ML algorithms via its Intelligence Marketplace and incorporate them into AI/ML models, paying a monthly royalty fee. Zeblok Computational licenses  software and provides wide distribution, with early traction in fintech and pharma market segments.

Zeblok Computational’s proprietary cloud native orchestration engine supports multi-cloud, multi-class scheduling, allowing simple multi-user AI/ML workstations to co-exist with on-demand high performance computing (HPC viz GPU capacities) needed for model training. It provides a rapid prototyping environment to promote AI models to APIs for integration into enterprise business processes. The highest quality security protocols ensure the integrity of both enterprise data and algorithm creators’ intellectual property.

Zeblok’s unique partnerships with IBM, NVIDIA, and other industry leaders enables algorithm creators to gain broad promotion and marketing for their algorithms throughout the universe of companies focused on AI/ML development.

We encourage SBU inventors with suitable software to reach out to IPP about their interest in this opportunity.

Phone:    (631) 632 9009

Email:  ovpr_otlir@stonybrook.edu

For more information on Zeblok Computational: https://www.computational.zeblok.com/

COVI-VAC: Phase 1 Clinical Trial is Approved

Codagenix a spinoff from Stony Brook University, and Serum Institute of India announce commencement of first-in-human trial of COVI-VAC, a single dose, intranasal live attenuated vaccine for COVID-19. Read more

15 patents have been issued to Stony Brook researchers

IPP is pleased to announce 15 U.S. patents issued to our faculty and students from July 2020 to present.

 

Economic Development News

ThINC: A Core Facility of the Advance Energy Research and Technology Center (AERTC)

When the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center (AERTC), located at the Research & Development Park at Stony Brook University, was still in the planning stages, including a core facility for advanced studies at nanoscale became part of that vision. The Thermomechanical & Imaging Nanoscale Characterization (ThINC) core facility is a natural fit to support the AERTC’s mission of offering collaborative R&D services to industry, start-ups and academia alike.  ThINC offers holistic solutions for innovation & research in Pharma, Materials & Life Science & Agtech sectors by providing access to world class characterization and imaging instrumentation, expert personnel and expanding partnerships as per user needs. (Read more)

Liftoff: CEBIP “Graduates” First Clean Energy Company into Marketplace

The Clean Energy Business Incubator Program (CEBIP) at Stony Brook University has brought its first seed company client into the marketplace. ThermoLift is located at the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center (AEC) and is now manufacturing heating and cooling heat pump systems for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC). (Read more)

The Technology Enhancement Assistance Program Helps Small Businesses to Recover After Pandemic

The Stony Brook Small Business Development Center in partnership with the Suffolk County Forward Program and Stony Brook University College of Business and College of Engineering & Applied Sciences have launched the Technology Enhancement Assistance Program to help Suffolk County small businesses. The program assesses small businesses’ current technology profile, pinpoints needs, and assists in developing solutions. (Read more)

Adam DeRosa, Ph.D. Joins Economic Development Team in January 2021

Adam DeRosa has been selected as the new Director for Contracts and Intellectual Property for Economic Development beginning on January 4, 2021.  Adam comes to Economic Development from Scully, Scott, Murphy & Presser PC, where he has been an Intellectual Property Contract attorney and has more than 7 years’ experience preparing and prosecuting patent applications, and over 12 years’ experience reviewing, negotiating, drafting, and executing commercial contracts such as material transfer agreements, non-disclosure agreements, clinical trial agreements, research agreements and license agreements.

Adam also has extensive experience conducting and drafting patentability analyses, freedom to operate analyses, third-party observations and surveillance, inventorship analyses, validity and infringement opinions. 

Many of you know Adam through his work in IPP a while back, and he will be expanding his RF and Legal experience to assist Economic Development in contract risk management, contract administration, data and reporting, and intellectual property management.

Adam’s extensive education includes a BS in Biology from Loyola, a PhD in Genetics at Stony Brook and later completed a fellowship in Physiology and Biophysics at Stony Brook, and was awarded a Juris Doctor from Touro College, Magna Cum Laude.  Adam loves to play golf, but loves his dog, an English bulldog named Herman, more.

Economic Development welcomes Adam to the team. Congratulations Adam!

 

Human Resource Services News

Address Changes:

If your address has changed, we want to hear from you! It is important for many things, including where we deliver future year end tax statements.  You can notify us by updating the information on the RF Self-Service website   www.rfsuny.org/selfservice.

To update an address please note the following:

Address change in your employee self-service account:

  • Within "My Contact Information" menu, under "Main Address - US Address" select "update", follow the instructions and make your address changes online.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at hrs_info@Stonybrook.edu

The Minimum Wage for Long Island/Westchester New York will be changing

Please note: effective 12/31/20, the hourly minimum wage for Long Island/Westchester NY changed. The new minimum wage for the Long Island region is  $14.00 per hour.

This new rate also applies for annual/salaried positions; $29,120 for 80 hour biweekly positions and $27,300 for 75 hour biweekly positions.

Please make note of this and if submitting Talent Management Systems (TMS) requisitions for hourly positions, please keep in mind the new rate.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us at hrs_classcomp@stonybrook.edu

The New York State Paid Sick Leave Law

The New York State Paid Sick Leave law requirements include that all regular employees, and employees appointed to summer only positions will be eligible to accrue and use sick time effective January 1, 2021. Full time SUNY employees who have an extra service appointment on the Research Foundation for SUNY (RF) and full time SUNY students who are appointed to the RF in a student title are not eligible to accrue sick time. In order to comply with this requirement, hourly and salaried employees, regardless of full time equivalent effort (FTE) will accrue sick time under the RF Paid Time Off (PTO) sick plan. Please note that this law applies to private employers such as the RF and does not apply to SUNY (State)  employees. A memo regarding this Law and how it applies to you will be forthcoming in the near future. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact us at hrs_info@stonybrook.edu.

Taleo Has a New Look

For those who use the Applicant Tracking System for their recruitment needs, we are pleased to announce that the new user interface has been officially implemented in TMS. Should you have any questions about this new user interface, please visit our website section entitled TMS: New Interface Resources or contact your recruiter.