Office of the Vice President for Research
E-Newsletter
Spring 2021
To view archived newsletters, click here
Letter from the Vice President for Research
Dear Stony Brook researchers,
Research Phase 5 Effective July 2nd
There is a great sense of anticipation for renewed energy returning to our campus as we look to the summer and fall semester. This was clearly signaled in President McInnis’ April 6th memo to the University. In the research community we have been in Research Phase 4 since July 2020. This has allowed us to resume most of our research activities, although not without some limitations. With the prospect of improving public health conditions and increasing numbers being vaccinated, the Restarting Research Task Force recently met to evaluate next steps. I am pleased to report that the Task Force enthusiastically supported a transition to Research Phase 5, to be effective July 2nd, provided that public health conditions allow. Moving to Research Phase 5 will eliminate some of the restrictions limiting personnel, as well as the requirement to update and obtain approval from your department chair for changes to your Lab Operating Plan. However, even with some restrictions lifted, the University will require certain safety measures to remain in effect. Therefore, we will be modifying the terms of Research Phase 5 to require that all personnel in research labs and related spaces will be required to follow the same safety protocols required across the campus. Currently, this includes use of masks, physical distancing, daily health self-screening, and weekly surveillance testing for Covid-19. As new guidance is provided by SUNY and the NYS Department of Health, these safety protocols may be revised and will be communicated by Human Resource Services and also included in the Coming Back Safe and Strong webpage. Investigators should begin planning now to be ready to transition to Research Phase 5. Formal announcement of the move to Research Phase 5 will follow shortly.
Summer Travel on Sponsored Research Grants
With summer fast approaching, and the prospect of increasing opportunities for research-related travel, this is a good opportunity to review current guidance for travel on sponsored research awards administered through Research Foundation (RF). Principal Investigators (PIs) are responsible for ensuring that travel on their grants complies with both sponsor guidelines and RF travel policy. Pre-approval for travel to domestic locations is not required, however, the PI is responsible for approving the travel reimbursement of students and other key personnel with effort assigned to their award. Currently, international travel is not advised owing to high Covid-19 infection rates throughout the world. However, if international travel is necessary, travelers are required to register travel using the eFTR portal. In addition, pre-approval is required for travel to any country listed by the U.S. State Department as a level 3 or 4 risk. International travelers must also be aware of federal requirements for export controls. All travelers should be aware of local restrictions related to Covid-19 at their destination as well as those for returning to New York.
Undergraduate and High School Students in the Summer Period
Recently, I informed investigators that in-person participation of undergraduate and high school students in research labs and in field research will be permitted starting in the summer period (May 1st). Such participation will be at the discretion of the Principal Investigator (PI) and will require approval by their Department Chair or Director. Students must follow daily health screening and surveillance testing requirements. Other details are provided here.
Science Security Updates
In the last Research Newsletter, I noted that a January 14th White House memo directed federal funding agencies to adopt uniform requirements for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest and commitment, including foreign connections and support. The Biden administration has recently signaled they plan to move ahead with implementation of the measures intended to enhance research security. Funding agencies are already starting to update their guidance. NIH is among the first, making changes to the Biosketch and Other Support Format Pages that are intended “to provide full transparency and disclosure of all research activities, foreign and domestic.” The updated forms are available starting May 25th and will be required in January 2022. Further information is given later in this Newsletter. I will also use this opportunity to remind all researchers of the University’s requirement to complete the annual conflict of interest disclosure no later than May 31st. All those who are required to disclose will have received email notification and a link to the myResearch page.
Encouraging Calls for Increased Federal R&D Funding
I hope that everyone has been following the calls for substantial increases in federal R&D funding coming out of Washington. Some of the proposed bills would be truly transformational in scale. While it remains to be seen what Congress and the White House finally approve, the attention being given to this topic is being heralded as a watershed moment for science and engineering research. We all need to be thinking how to capture the new opportunities before they arrive. For those who have not yet taken advantage of our funding opportunities database, please sign up now to receive the latest updates.
Finally, I’d like to mention the new name for our former Office of Technology Licensing and Industry Relations; this will now be called Intellectual Property Partners. See announcement below in this newsletter.
As always, please feel free to contact me with any suggestions or questions.
Best wishes,
Richard J. Reeder
Vice President for Research
Table of Contents
News From:
- Office of Proposal Development
- Office of Sponsored Programs and Grants Management
- Office of Research Compliance
- Intellectual Property Partners (was Office of Technology Licensing and Industry Relations (OTLIR))
- Economic Development
- Office of Human Resource Services
Announcements
OTLIR announces a new name!
We are happy to announce that the Office of Technology Licensing and Industry Relations (OTLIR) has changed its name!
As of May 3rd, 2021, OTLIR became Intellectual Property Partners (IPP).
The new name is a better reflection of our mission of building meaningful partnerships with Stony Brook University inventors and the business community to bridge innovation with public benefit. The name change is a result of a rebranding effort designed to showcase the development of our office, our mission, vision and core values. Our new name more closely aligns with the work we do in supporting the larger goals of SBU’s economic development efforts. We built a dedicated, skilled and engaged team to support faculty, entrepreneurs and industry partners through all aspects of invention, entrepreneurship, licensing, and commercialization. We cultivated a strong team environment where our core values guide our actions. Intellectual Property Partners (IPP) is here to protect the university’s intellectual property, promote and license the university’s innovations and technologies, and develop the university’s innovation community.
May is Annual Disclosure Certification month!
SBU’s Disclosure of External Interests & Commitments Policy (P209) requires that salaried faculty, researchers and executive/senior leadership disclose their external interests and commitments. An email from myResearch was sent on May 1st with a link to submit your Annual Disclosure Certification.
Office of Proposal Development News
OPD Website Updates
Changes have been made to the Office of Proposal Development’s (OPD’s) website. See below for more information with links to the new or updated web pages:
- The ‘Pivot, by Proquest’ web page has been renamed ‘Pivot Funding Opportunities Database,’ but the url remains the same. The active lists of funding opportunities in priority research areas automatically generated by the Pivot database have now been consolidated onto this main web page. These active lists include Arts & Humanities Funding Opportunities, COVID-19 Funding Opportunities, Instrumentation and Facilities Funding Opportunities, and Large Funding ($5M+) Opportunities. This web page can be found here.
- A new web page called ‘Noteworthy Funding Opportunities’ has been created to share recently released funding opportunities in priority research areas. OPD actively curates this list, which can be found here.
- The ‘Upcoming Workshops’ web page has been updated to include a section for external workshops that may be of interest to faculty. This web page can be found here.
- The ‘Past Workshops’ web page has been updated to include a link to the ‘Stony Brook Research’ YouTube channel, where recordings of select presentations and workshops are available for viewing. This web page can be found here, and the YouTube channel here.
New OPD Weekly Newsletter
OPD is now sending a weekly newsletter on Fridays. The newsletter will include the list of active limited competitions (the new procedure put in place as of January 1st will remain the same, and a reminder is below), noteworthy funding opportunities, upcoming workshops, and other important announcements from OPD. All funding opportunities and upcoming events will be posted on OPD’s website as soon as they are open for SBU faculty. Please check regularly for updates. Questions should be directed to OPD_OVPR@stonybrook.edu. Limited Competition Announcement and Application Process Reminder:Please fill out the Internal Competitions Form to express interest in a canvass or to submit a pre-application for an internal competition listed in the weekly newsletter. The most updated list of active competitions can be found here on the OPD website.
COVID-19 Research News
Launch of the COVID-19 Research Database
The COVID-19 Research Database was designed to provide Stony Brook faculty with a resource of all COVID-19 research happening on campus, and to promote collaborations by listing all of the active projects and contact PIs. To add a new project or to update the information for an existing project in the database, please fill out this form. The form can also be used at any time to edit the information in the database, referring back to the automatically assigned ID number for a project. Participation in the database is optional and researchers can opt out at any time by emailing OPD_OVPR@stonybrook.edu.
COVID-19 Research Collaboration Series
The COVID-19 Research Collaboration Series resumed in the spring semester, with five additional sessions. Each session focused on developing collaborations between researchers and included two talks about active COVID-19 research projects at Stony Brook University with an opportunity for discussion following the presentations. The workshop series concluded on April 29, 2021, with a talk on Structure-based Design of Coronavirus Vaccine Antigens by special guest speaker Dr. Jason S. McLellan, Associate Professor from the Department of Molecular Biosciences at The University of Texas at Austin. To view recordings of select sessions, please visit the 'Stony Brook Reseach' YouTube channel.
Updates to Pivot, the Funding Opportunities and Faculty Interests Database
March Release Highlights
Filter by Most Recent
Pivot users now have the ability to filter their search results by the most recently added funding opportunities from the last 7, 14 or 30 days. Recently added opportunities are those that are completely brand new to Pivot and not ones that may be recurring that are updated.
‘Recently Added’ Advanced Search Filter
This new enhancement to advanced search allows users to search opportunities added to Pivot within the last 7,14 or 30 days. In addition, by creating a saved search they will receive weekly alerts on newly added opportunities.
Country of Funder Enhancements
As Pivot expands opportunities globally, it was important to also add functionality making it easier to search by Country of funder. Now included in advanced search, this feature allows users to focus on funders from a group of countries or zero in on just one.
Additionally, Pivot has made other updates related to country filtering:
- Filter search results by "Country of Funder”- enables users to filter opportunities to view only those in which the funder resides in the selected country.
- Browse funders directory by “Country of Funder” - enables users to browse funders by their country as well as filtering funders by A to Z.
Expanded Awarded Grants Advanced Search
A new “search all” keyword field has been added to Awarded Grants to allow users to gain more insights by searching for a keyword/topic in combination with other fields such as date range, institution, or funder.
Idea Exchange Enhancements
In addition to the above new features, the following enhancements have been made based on direct customer feedback:
- Allow Relevance Ranking for embedded searches and newsletters
- Allow curated searches to be renamed and modified – including after they are published
- Add Sponsor information to calendars
- Add a Deadline Reminder option for 4 months prior to deadline
- Include Funder/Sponsor Types in Exported Opportunities information
- Make it easier to Delete Expired Opportunities from Curated Lists and Tracked Opportunities
Pivot Profiles Have Been Updated
In February, OPD offered a quick and easy way for faculty to update their Pivot profile. By answering a short survey, faculty ensured their profile reflected their current research interests and areas of expertise. Thank you to the nearly 300 faculty who responded to the survey. All profiles have now been updated, and can be reviewed by logging in here.
With an updated profile, finding relevant funding opportunities is even easier. It also makes finding collaborators simpler, both internally at Stony Brook University as well as externally at other institutions that subscribe to Pivot. OPD recommends faculty log in to Pivot to add additional details to their profile, as the database works most effectively for faculty who include the most information.
Faculty can log in to Pivot by Proquest at any time to set up an account and claim their profile. To make additional profile changes, please follow these instructions: Updating Your Pivot Profile.
To learn more about Pivot by Proquest, please visit OPD’s website To request further assistance, or to set up one-on-one or group Pivot training sessions, please contact OPD at OPD_OVPR@stonybrook.edu.
OVPR Seed Grant Program
Spring 2021 OVPR Seed Grant Award Winners
Below are the winners of the Spring 2021 OVPR Seed Grant Program competition. Faculty were asked to submit an abstract and brief proposal, including a timeline that demonstrated how this seed funding would help to develop a highly competitive proposal for extramural funding. 58 applications were received from the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the School of Communication and Journalism, the School of Health Technology and Management, the School of Medicine, the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, and the School of Social Welfare. The following winners were announced on March 3, 2021.
Robotic-Arm Augmented Wheelchair for Enabling Independent Living of People with Quadriplegia
- Nilanjan Chakraborty , Department of Mechanical Engineering
- Haibin Ling , Department of Computer Science
- Xiaojun Bi , Department of Computer Science
- I. V. Ramakrishnan , Department of Computer Science
- Brooke Ellison , School of Health Technology and Management
- Melissa Bessaha , School of Social Welfare
- Miguel Munoz-Laboy , School of Social Welfare
AI Video Analysis to Identify CTE and Dementia Symptoms
- Steven Skiena , Department of Computer Science
- Sean Clouston , Department of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine and Program in Public Health
- Imin Kao , Department of Mechanical Engineering
- Fazel Khan , Department of Orthopaedics
- Brendan F. Boyce , Department of Pathology
Automatic sense-defense system against SARS-CoV-2 and other RNA viruses
- Gabor Balazsi , Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology
- Erich R. Mackow , Department of Microbiology and Immunology & Center for Infectious Diseases
- Xin Qian, Departments of Radiation Oncology and Radiology
- Adrian Howansky, Departments of Radiation Oncology and Radiology,
- Zhigang Xu, Department of Radiation Oncology
Samuel Ryu , Department of Radiation Oncology - Wei Zhao , Department of Radiology
The Role and Influence of Mass Media on COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy
- Ruobing Li , School of Journalism
- Lijiang Shen , Department of Communication Arts and Sciences, Pennsylvania State University
- Daniel P. Raleigh, Department of Chemistry
- Carlos Simmerling, Department of Chemistry and the Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology
- Ken Dill, Department of Chemistry and the Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology
BLBLVRBs the metabolic driver in breast cancer
- Natalia Marchenko , Department of Pathology
- Wadie Bahou , Department of Medicine
Exploring virulence potential of Rickettsia amamblyommatisor Spotted Fever pathogenesis
- Hwan Kim, Department of Microbiology and Immunology
- Jorge Benach, Department of Microbiology and Immunology
A seismic nodal array investigation to the Turkana Basin, Kenya
- Weisen Shen, Department of Geosciences
- William Holt, Department of Geosciences
- Isaiah Nengo, Department of Anthropology and the Turkana Basin Institute
Fall 2021 OVPR Seed Grant Program Timeline (Tentative)
| Application due: | On or before October 1, 2021 |
| Notification to finalists: | Week of November 22, 2021 |
| Presentations (tentative): | Week of December 6, 2021 |
| Winners announced: | By December 10, 2021 |
| Award start date: | January 1, 2022 |
Dates are subject to change. Please note there have been changes to the call for applications. Click here for more information.
Workshops
| Workshop Title | When |
|---|---|
| Grantsmanship 101 for Graduate Students and Postdocs |
June 8, 2021, 12-2pm |
| Strategies for Planning, Developing, and Writing Large Team Grants |
June 23, 2021, 12-2pm |
Dates and times are subject to change.
Early Career Workshop Series Coming in the fall:
Dates and times are subject to change.
Office of Sponsored Programs and Grants Management News
NIH Updates
Upcoming Changes to the NIH Biographical Sketch and Other Support Format Page for Due Dates on or after May 25, 2021
This Guide Notice informs the extramural community that NIH has updated its application forms and instructions to support the need for applicants and recipients to provide full transparency and disclosure of all research activities, foreign and domestic. Use of the updated format pages will be required for applications and Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPRs submitted for due dates on or after May 25, 2021 . Please refer to the link above to read the Notice in its entirety and note that NIH released NOT-OD-21-110 that describes the implementation of the updated forms. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your OSP Specialist.
Implementation of Changes to the Biographical Sketch and Other Support Format Page (NOT-OD-21-110)
To align applicant and recipient systems with NIH's longstanding policy requirements and application requirement updates, NIH expects applicants and recipients to use the updated biosketch and other support format for applications, Just-in-Time (JIT) Reports, and Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPRs) as of May 25, 2021. NIH will require the use of the updated format pages for the previously mentioned submissions for anything on and after January 25, 2022. Failure to follow the appropriate formats on or after January 25, 2022 may cause NIH to withdraw applications from or delay consideration of funding.
- Biosketch Format Pages, Instructions and Samples: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm
- Other Support: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/othersupport.htm
Publication of the Revised NIH Grants Policy Statement (Rev. April 2021) for Fiscal
Year 2021 (NOT-OD-21-107)
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announces publication of the revised NIH Grants Policy Statement (NIHGPS, rev. April 2021). The NIHGPS provides both up-to-date policy guidance that serves as NIH standard terms and conditions of award for all NIH grants and cooperative agreements, and extensive guidance to those who are interested in pursuing NIH grants.
Expanding Requirement for eRA Commons IDs to All Senior/Key Personnel (NOT-OD-21-109)
National Institutes of Health
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Food and Drug Administration
Targeting due dates on or after January 25, 2022, NIH, AHRQ, FDA, and ORD/VA will require all individuals listed on the R&R Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Form to have an eRA Commons username (Commons ID). Extension of the existing eRA Commons ID requirement to include all senior/key personnel will facilitate better data collection for individuals contributing to federally funded research as well as assist in disambiguating data on applications and facilitating the identification of conflicts of interest in peer review.
National Science Foundation – Research.gov March 2021 Update
Effective March 22, the National Science Foundation (NSF) enabled three new proposal types in the Research.gov Proposal Submission System and in the recently launched Research.gov Proposal Preparation Demo Site. These are the Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED), Equipment, and Travel proposal types. New automated compliance checks and associated error and warning messages for these proposal types were also implemented. In addition, proposal withdrawal functionality was added for both single submission (with or without subawards) and separately submitted collaborative proposals from multiple organizations. New training resources have also been added to the Research.gov About Proposal Preparation and Submissionpage.Proposal Withdrawal Functionality
- Proposing organizations can now withdraw both single submission (with or without subawards) and separately submitted collaborative proposals from multiple organizations in Research.gov.
- Organizations no longer need to contact the NSF Help Desk to initiate Research.gov proposal withdrawal actions.
- A new Proposal Withdrawal section has been added to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the Research.gov About Proposal Preparation and Submissionpage left navigation menu.
- Refer to PAPPG Chapter IV.A. for proposal withdrawal requirements.
Training Resources
- New and updated system-related FAQs by topic are available on the Research.gov About Proposal Preparation and Submissionpage left navigation menu.
- A new 16-minute Research.gov proposal demo video has been added to the Research.gov About Proposal Preparation and Submissionpage Video Tutorials section.
- The video highlights key proposal preparation steps including:
- oSetting up a proposal
- oUploading a document and compliance messaging
- oPreparing Proposal File Update/Budget Revisions
- A new How-to Guides section has been added to the Research.gov About Proposal Preparation and Submissionpage left navigation menu. The initial topic-specific guide is posted, and new guides will be added to this section going forward.
State University of New York (SUNY) Fringe Benefit Rates by State Fiscal Year Actual 2020/21 and 2021/22 Rates
The percentage breakdown for each component of the State University of New York 2020-2022 employee fringe benefit rates can be found here
WolfMart 360 New Experience
As part of our promise for continuous improvement, WolfMart 360 is getting a new look
and feel on April 9, 2021 that is designed to improve users overall shopping experience.
Until then you will be able to toggle your screen from the existing 'classic' experience
to the 'new shopping experience'! The new user interface is a redesign of the shopping
pages that streamlines, simplifies, and modernizes the user experience from beginning
to end. Please watch the New Experience Intro video for an overview of the changes.
You can begin using the new user interface now by clicking on the toggle button, which
can be found on the bottom right corner of the shopping home page. From there, users
can select the shopping experience desired: New or Classic. By clicking on the radio
button for 'new shopping experience' and then clicking Save, you will be defaulted
to the new experience. All users are currently defaulted to the classic experience.
On April 9th the new experience will be in effect for everyone, as the classic experience
will no longer be an option. We encourage users to use the toggle and try out the
experience before it is live on April 9th.
Click HERE to view our user friendly Icon Dictionary that includes a brief description found
next to each new icon. Please feel free to reach out to Procurement with any questions
and visit our WolfMart 360 website for additional information. Contact our WolfMart
360 help desk at WolfMart_Help@stonybrook.edu or call (631) 632-4573.
RF Payroll Schedule for Personnel Paperwork Submission 2021 - 2022
Please click on the link to, the SBU Research Foundation HRS/Payroll calendar that outlines the deadlines for when HRS/Payroll should be in receipt of all documents to include dated approvals by the authorized signatory (PI or full delegate in ERAS).
HR/Payroll must first receive these documents to create or extend the RF Assignment which is responsible for generating paychecks. Assignments create paychecks. The corresponding Labor Distribution/Schedule Lines do NOT create paychecks. The Labor Distribution/ Schedule Lines allocate the payroll costs to Award/Projects only after the employee has an active Assignment, and after OGM has reviewed and approved.
Forms to appoint and extend active RF Assignments must be received by the HRS/Payroll office by the submission dates outlined below for the corresponding pay date.
As an example- for someone to be paid on Friday 5/21/2021 all documents to support this employment (employee appointment form, employee change form, fellowship appointment form) must be received by the HRS/Payroll office by 4/30/2021.
If a RF Assignment will ultimately have Labor Schedule Lines that charge Stony Brook Foundation funds, the forms should first go to the SBF for approval before it is submitted to HRS/Payroll.
Emailing the documents to the RF Payroll team does not override these deadlines and it should not be assumed that they will be processed in a different manner. The submission dates are still essential to the process.
Schedule for Personnel Paperwork Submission 2021 - 2022
Check LOTS, on the Tuesday following the submission deadline date to verify Payroll received paperwork on time.
The schedule for Personnel Paperwork Submission 2021 - 2022 can be found here.
Completed Employee Appointment/Change or Fellowship forms should be submitted to: RF_Payroll@stonybrook.edu
Check transmittal for payments received on campus
The Office of Grants Management receives campus mail delivery (zip 3366) and can accept payments that are for deposit into RF awards. While every effort should be made to have sponsors submit payments electronically and directly to The Research Foundation Central Office, if a check is delivered to a campus office the OGM can deposit in the associated Awards as appropriate. Checks must be made payable to:The RF for SUNY
Questions regarding payment transmittal for RF Awards deposits should be directed to: Michele Hass Assistant Director, michele.hass@stonybrook.edu
Please have the sponsor/payor include the RF award number or PI name on the payment details remittance when payment is made.
Checks should be mailed to:
The Research Foundation for The State University of New York
PO Box 9, Albany, New York 12201-0009
Attn: Cash Receipts Department
ACH or Wire payments should be made to:
Key Bank of New York
66 South Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12207-1501
Routing Number: ABA 0213-00077
Checking Account Number: 10970107
Swift Code: KEYBUS33
Federal Express deliveries should be sent to:
The Research Foundation for SUNY
Cash Receipts Department
35 State Street, Albany, NY 12207
Tel: 518-434-7148 Fax: 518-434-8347
Attn: Debbie O'Connor, Cash Manager
OSP Staff Changes
The Office of Sponsored Programs welcomes two new Contracts and Clinical Trials Specialists, Danielle Kelly and Steven Spaccarelli, to the team.
Danielle graduated from the University at Buffalo School of Law with a concentration in Intellectual Property and Privacy Law in 2017. Prior to attending law school, she graduated from SUNY Oswego with a double major in public justice and creative writing. After law school, she worked in compliance at a bank, followed by two years of practice of primarily corporate law at a small firm in Buffalo.
Steven graduated from Albany Law School in 2019 with a focus in Sports & Entertainment Law and became a Licensed New York State Attorney in December of 2020. Prior work experience includes areas such as Grant Approval/Drafting, Public Sector Labor Law and Non-Profit Criminal Legal Aid.
Michelle (Shelly) Rose,Grants and Contracts Specialist, has accepted a new position at the university and her last day in OSP is on May 7th. We are immensely grateful for all the contributions that Shelly has made during her time with our office, We will miss her professionalism, knowledge, care and especially sense of humor, but we are excited for her next steps. Best wishes, Shelly, on your next venture!
Office of Research Compliance News
Human Research Protection Program - Changes to the Standard Operating Procedures
The Office of Research Compliance, Human Research Protection Program would like to announce recent changes made to the Standard Operating Procedures. These changes include the following:
- Removed language that refers to “verbal consent”
- Added definitions for “primary” and “secondary” endpoints
- Added language about obtaining permission for conducting research “off-site”
- Clarified that trained members of the study team can obtain informed consent for a clinical trial
- Added information about the posting requirement for consent forms (Clinical Trial Informed Consent Form Posting (45 CFR 46.116(h))
- Added information about research requirements when the study is funded by the Department of Defense
- Added information about research requirements when the study is funded by the Department of Justice
- Added information about the Continuing Review Application and device research
- Added information that Principle Investigators cannot participate as subjects in their own studies
- Added language about General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
Changes to the Radioactive Drug Research Committee (RDRC) Standard Operating Procedures
Updates to the Radioactive Drug Research Committee standard operating procedures are now available on the Office for Research Compliance website.
Intellectual Property Partners
Nitrogen Sensor for Advanced Septic Systems
Nitrogen Sensor for Advanced Septic Systems created by the Stony Brook University researcher Qingzhi Zhuhas been awarded by the $50,000 seed grant among three SUNY Campuses. The grant has been announced by Chancellor Malatras to fund groundbreaking technologies to treat serious illnesses and protect environment. (Read more)
Intellectual Property Partners Office Hours
Stony Brook Intellectual Property Partners (formerly The Office of Technology Licensing and Industry Relations) is offering office hours for Stony Brook faculty, post-docs and graduate students. Schedule your appointment every Wednesday, 1:00 – 2:30 pm, 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 appointment here: https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/technology-licensing/inventors/Office_Hours.php
19 Patents Issued to Stony Brook Researchers
Stony Brook Intellectual Property Partners (formerly The Office of Technology Licensing and Industry Relations) is pleased to announce 19 U.S. patents issued to our faculty and students from July 2020 to present.
NeuroRx, Inc
NeuroRx, Inc. announced initiation of a Phase 2/3 clinical trial investigating the role of inhaled ZYESAMI™ (aviptadil) for the treatment of patients with Severe COVID-19 in partnership with UCI Health of the University of California, Irvine.
Looking back at the Stony Brook Chapter of the National Academy of Inventors Annual Meeting 2020
The Stony Brook University Chapter of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Annual Meeting and New Members Induction Ceremony was held virtually this past December.
Economic Development News
Rise of the Urban Foodscape: A Virtual Tradeshow in the Pandemic Era
Rise of the Urban Foodscape, a virtual tradeshow powered by FuzeHub was held on February 24, 2021 and was co-hosted by the Long Island Food Council and the Manufacturing and Technology Resource Consortium (MTRC), in partnership with Manufacturing and Technology Enterprise Center (MTEC) and ITAC NYC.
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.
CEBIP Solar Panel Cleaning Tech Company Advances to American-Made Solar Prize Finals
SuperClean Glass, Inc., the CEBIP Solar Panel Cleaning Tech Company, has been named a finalist in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) American-Made Solar Prize for 2021. Superclean Glass was one of 10 companies named as finalists and will receive a $100,000 prize and an additional $75,000 in DOE vouchers to test their technologies.
Human Resource Services News
Going Paperless!
Human Resource Services is excited to announce that the Graduate Student Appointment Process is going Paperless!
Effective immediately we are rolling out the implementation of the DocuSign Graduate Student Appointment Process (GSAP) for Research Foundation Research Project Assistant Hires/Rehires and Extensions.
GSAP is fully paperless! Creating a convenient, consistent and user friendly experience. Allowing recipients to access and sign documents anytime, on any internet enabled device - in just a few clicks! In addition, it’s secure, transparent and auditable.
For more information, please visit Human Resource Services Graduate Student Appointment Process (GSAP) State and Research Foundation webpage.
Human Resource Services will be conducting multiple zoom training sessions. To sign up, please visit: Research Project Assistant GSAP Training.
COVID-19 Vaccination Paid Time Off
Great news! Governor Cuomo signed a new law on March 12th allowing employees to take up to four hours off from work, with pay, to get vaccinated for COVID-19. This applies to public and private employees, including the Research Foundation.
A few things to make note of:
- Notify your supervisor in advance of the need for this leave.
- Time will be granted based on the individual situation, not to exceed four hours per injection.
- Time off only applies during regular work hours. If you receive the vaccine outside of your regular work hours, you do so on your own time.
- This is a separate paid leave category and will not come from existing paid time off accruals.
The law expires December 31, 2022.
Employees who received vaccination during work hours prior to March 12, 2021 must charge leave accruals or be granted a leave without pay.
For more information, visit “HR Provides Information on COVID-19 Vaccination Leave.”
Department Return to Campus Work Plan
We will continue to come back safe and strong by returning employees to the workplace in accordance with Returning Remote Workers to Campus.
At this time, we encourage departments to review their individual Return to Campus Work Plans to determine if any updates are necessary. If your department has not completed its Department Return to Campus Work Plan, please complete and submit it as soon as possible to HRS_Return_to_Campus@stonybrook.edu.
To download the updated document, visit the Department Return to Campus Work Plan.
Annual Leave Accrual Cap Extension
The Research Foundation for SUNY has announced that it will allow employees to carry over vacation in excess of 40 days until December 31, 2021.
New York State Travel Guidelines
As summer approaches, please be advised that the NYS DOH and CDC travel and quarantine guidelines continue to be updated. You can find the most up-to-date guidance on New York State’s COVID-19 Travel Advisory website.
Faculty and staff should also be aware that NYS continues to require that all travelers coming/returning to NYS from areas beyond the border states (NJ, CT, PA, MA, VT) or internationally must complete the NYS Department of Health Traveler Health Form.
Retirement Plan for Summer Research Faculty
- The RF has a one-year vesting period for its TIAA retirement plan
- The appropriate level of contribution will be paid when you move to the RF payroll.
- You may use your state service as a credit towards participation and vesting in the plan.
Research Foundation Summer Appointments
We provide the following information to assist with RF summer appointments:
- Research Faculty: The defined summer period begins May 24, 2021, and will end August 20, 2021. These dates apply to anyone with an academic year obligation.
- Summer Project Aides (Non-SUNY Students): the RF has defined the period of employment to be no more than four months and must be between May 1st and September 30th.
Complete guidelines for RF Summer Appointments can be found on the Human Resource Services website.
Research Project Assistant Stipend Increases
Per the Collective Bargaining Agreement for the Research Foundation Research Project Assistants (RPA), please be aware that the Research Foundation will process a $450 increase in the annual stipend rate, an increase of $17.31 biweekly effective 8/28/2020. For example, if you appoint a RPA for $1000 at 50% FTE then effective 8/28/2020 the RPA will receive an increase of $ 17.31, the biweekly rate will now be $1017.31. This is a contractual increase that will be processed automatically and will not require additional paperwork from departments.
If you have any questions, please contact RF Payroll at RF_appointments@stonybrook.edu or (631) 632-6162.