Participation Requested: FASEB Survey to Collect Perspectives on Data Access Issues

Federal agencies will be issuing new and modifying existing data access policies over the next few years; an overview of these changes was presented on recent Board and Science Policy Committee conference calls. At the request of the FASEB Board, we have developed a survey to gather the many different perspectives of FASEB societies on data maintenance and sharing. This will enable us to promptly and thoughtfully respond to agency actions. Please complete the 15 minute survey linked to below by November 24th.

FASEB Survey on Data Access Issues: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DataAccessPolicies (a pdf copy of the survey question is attached for your reference)

Survey Period: October 13th though November 24th, 2015

Background information: The 2013 Office of Science and Technology memorandum on public access to research results requires federal agencies to create and expand requirements for sharing digital data produced as part of federally funded research. At a minimum, agencies will require that a data management plan (DMP) be included in all research grant applications. Additional information about the memorandum and select agency plans can be found in the attached document.

Survey results will be compiled by FASEB staff and presented to the FASEB Data Science and Informatics Subcommittee. They will inform FASEB comments on issued or proposed agency policies and may also be used for the development of a broad position statement.

If you have any questions or comments about the survey, please contact Bethany Drehman at bdrehman@faseb.org.

Best Regards,
Parker Antin, PhD
FASEB President
URL: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DataAccessPolicies

Contact Person: Bethany Drehman (bdrehman@faseb.org)

Funding Opportunities now available for the NIH Common Fund Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity in Humans Program

The new Common Fund Program Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity in Humans has two overarching goals: 1) to assemble a comprehensive map of the molecular changes that occur in response to physical activity and 2) to develop a user-friendly database that any researcher can access to develop hypotheses regarding the mechanisms whereby physical activity improves or preserves health.

The program will be funded via a series of cooperative agreements as a consortium.  The NIH is now inviting applications for the following components.

• Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium Coordinating Center (CCC) (U24) (RFA-RM-15-014)
  A Consortium Coordinating Center to oversee the entire project, including the development of consortium protocols by the MoTrPAC Steering Committee, the conduct of the clinical study, and the biospecimen distribution, storage, and analysis.


• Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Bioinformatics Center (U24) (RFA-RM-15-012)
  A Bioinformatics Center to develop a multidimensional data resource that is capable of receiving the range of datasets from the Chemical Analysis Sites and distributing them to the broad scientific community in formats that investigators can use to develop and test hypotheses about the mechanisms by which physical activity improves health.


• Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Clinical Centers (U01) (RFA-RM-15-015)
  Clinical Centers to implement a physical activity protocol and collect appropriate data and biospecimens.


• Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Metabolomics and Proteomics Chemical Analysis Sites (U24) (RFA-RM-15-011)
  Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Genomics, Epigenomics and Transcriptomics Chemical Analysis Sites (U24) (RFA-RM-15-010)
  Chemical Analysis Sites to characterize human and animal samples using proteomic, metabolomic, genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptional profiling approaches and to perform initial analyses of datasets.


• Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Preclinical Animal Study Sites (U01) (RFA-RM-15-013)
  Preclinical Animal Study Sites to provide tissues that cannot be obtained from human participants and to explore the functions, sources, and target tissues of molecules that are affected by physical activity and thought to be relevant to human health.

For more information, please see the funding opportunity announcements in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. NIH also will be hosting a webinar to answer questions from prospective applicants on October 22, 2015, beginning at 2 PM Eastern Daylight Savings Time. For additional information, please visit http://commonfund.nih.gov/MolecularTransducers.  

The NIH Common Fund supports goal-driven, research networks in which investigators generate data, solve technological problems, and/or otherwise pilot resources and tools that will be stimulatory to the broader research community. Common Fund programs are designed to achieve their goals within a maximum of 10 years. More information about the programs currently supported by the Common Fund can be found at www.commonfund.nih.gov.

Contact Person: Aron  Marquitz (aron.marquitz@nih.gov)