Research December 2024 Newsletter
Colleagues,
As we prepare for the end of 2024, I would like to reflect on some of the research highlights of fiscal year 2024. Carilion Clinic launched twenty-eight new clinical trials, bringing our total portfolio to over 140 trials. In addition, twenty-five new grants were awarded. Moreover, 250 research applications were reviewed and processed by Research and Development to commence research endeavors. Our internal research funding program, theResearch Acceleration Program, continues to grow in both the quality and number of submissions. Recently, twenty-two applications (22) were submitted for review and funding. In this newsletter, you will find articles on the changes to our General Consent to Treatment regarding research, highlights from three of our clinical departments, a recent issue pertaining to REDCap and surveys and changes to grant submissions. In closing, I would like to wish everyone a happy, safe, and relaxing holiday season.
Francis X. Farrell, PhD
Senior Director, Research and Development
Top Research News
Colleagues,
Spring is here—well, almost. With that in mind, it's time to congratulate our medical students, residents, and fellows as they embark on their next journey. I want to thank everyone who contributed to the research mission of …
The mission of Carilion’s Basic Science Research Lab (BSRL) is to create an environment that promotes the success of our researchers.
Most of the bench research in the BSRL belongs to two main focal areas: antimicrobial …
Amgen announced new data demonstrating that adding BLINCYTO® (blinatumomab) to chemotherapy significantly improves disease-free survival in newly diagnosed pediatric patients with National Cancer Institute (NCI) standard risk pediatric B-cell …
The Family and Community Medicine Research Group (FCMRG) had 10 abstracts accepted to the 52nd Annual Meeting of the North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) in Quebec City, Canada in November. Congratulations to FCM …
Research, along with patient care and education, is one of the three pillars supporting our mission to improve the health of the communities we serve. Moreover, as an organization, it is imperative that research is conducted to the highest …
Updates to Grant Submission Process
The research infrastructure is expanding at Carilion, and it is a very exciting time to be an investigator. The Grants Office in Research & Development (R&D) has outlined helpful information and updated processes to navigate the grant submission process.
Defining “grants”
Extramural Funding
Grants can include federal funding opportunities that are issued by the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, and other federal offices. Grants can also include private funding from foundations and/or program specific grants that have a dedicated focus on addressing areas of high need or areas of interest to the funding organization. All of these opportunities fall under the purview of the Grants Office.
Intramural Funding
Research funding does not always have to come from outside of the organization. Carilion has funding opportunities within our system such as the RAP grant https://www.carilionclinic.org/research#research-acceleration-program , and collaborative funding through the Whole Health Consortium. People with a faculty appointment at VT may also have the option of additional funding opportunities that are internal to VT. The Grants Office should be apprised of applications for intramural funding as well!
Carilion processes for applying for funding
The Grants Office is here to help with both pre and post award activities, including preparing budgets, supporting proposal submission, coordinating with external collaborators, negotiating agreements, and promoting good stewardship in administering the fiduciary and technical responsibilities of awards.
Below is a step-by step process for applying for a grant:
- Work with the grants office to find funding opportunities AND create a FREE Grant Forward Account to search for grants and to get grant updates: https://www.grantforward.com/index
- Contact us as early as possible to discuss the project. We require a lead time of at least 30 days for most applications and at least 60 days for NIH applications. This lead time is critical especially if there are external collaborators, as we need to coordinate with their grants team and work within their timeline.
- Submit an R&D application. This is a requirement and includes department chair approval and sign off. https://redcapweb.carilionclinic.org/redcap/surveys/index.php?s=EE7LAYHFDF
- Work with the Grants Office to schedule a feasibility meeting and discuss the budget, and submission timeline.
- Build your NIH bio sketch in the SciENcv platform, which will be a requirement for federal grants starting in May 2025. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sciencv/
How can we help? Contact Trish Winter, PhD Grants Management Administrator: to get started: pjwinter@carilionclinic.org
REDCap Public Survey Security Concerns
We have had two incidents recently where “bad actors” became aware of REDCap public surveys offering gift card compensation. Multiple illegitimate survey entries were submitted in rapid succession in an attempt to receive cards. The survey links were available on posted flyers or were distributed with good intentions through social media by a participant.
In both cases, the suspicious entries were discovered quickly and mitigation efforts were applied.
Public surveys are sometimes necessary, but please be wary and use discretion when offering gift card compensation to participants.
New information regarding REDCap survey security will be provided through MyProjectPath to keep you informed on evolving security measures and best practices.
If you will be distributing public survey links from REDCap for a project that offers gift card compensation, please contact HART@carilionclinic.org and a helpful Power Point with security considerations will be provided.
In a recent iTHRIV newsletter feature, Mattie Tenzer, Director of Health Analytics Research at Carilion Clinic, was recognized for her pivotal role in advancing healthcare research across Virginia. Leading the iTHRIV iBERDI initiative and Carilion’s research analytics team, she supports 280+ projects annually, fostering collaborations with academic institutions, healthcare providers, and community organizations. With over 30 years of experience and a passion for innovation, Mattie continues to drive impactful health solutions statewide. Read the full article here.
New R&D Employee's
Leigh Anne Phan, Clinical Research Coordinator II – Oncology
Leigh Anne Phan recently joined our team as a CRC II in Oncology. She will be working primarily in Pulmonology Oncology on our new collaboration with Everest Detection. Leigh Anne brings with her 21 years of experience in healthcare, including 5 years as a Clinical Research Associate (CRA) and 2.5 years as a Senior CRA at Blue Ridge Cancer Care, where she gained extensive familiarity with oncology research. Most recently, she worked on a grant-funded project at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, focusing on clinical trial coordination, patient recruitment, and regulatory compliance. Her diverse background and experience make her an excellent fit for this position, and we are confident she will make a valuable contribution to our team.
Julia Shelton, Clinical Research Assistant - Neurosurgery
Julia earned her BS in Biological Sciences from Virginia Tech. There, she participated in grant-funded laboratory research. She has been accepted into Radford University Carilion’s 2025 Medical Laboratory Science program.
Current R&D Job Openings
The Clinical Research Coordinator will support a grant funded project at Carilion Clinic in the assigned department. Basic responsibilities include supporting research investigators/physicians with guidance on research policies and processes, enabling successful collaborations with research sponsors, monitoring and tracking study progress, study design assistance, regulatory submission and maintenance, research subject visit management, obtaining tissue specimens for processing, and any other research-related duties, as necessary.
Clinical Research Coordinator - Cardiology
Clinical Research Coordinator - Cardiothoracic Surgery
Clinical Research Coordinator - OB/Gyn
Clinical Research Assistant assists with administrative activities associated with the conduct of research studies including industry sponsored, investigator initiated, grant funded, or internally funded studies while maintaining compliance with guidelines set by governing agencies and institutional policy. This position will be assigned to support minimal risk or non-interventional studies, unless assigned to serve in a support function for greater than minimal risk studies that also include a Clinical Research Coordinator or Clinical Research Nurse.
Clinical Research Assistant - Aortic Center
Clinical Research Assistant - Emergency Medicine
Carilion Clinic TriNetX Virtual Training Schedule
Carilion offers instructor-led, focused training for an in-depth, step-by-step learning experience building patient cohorts and delving into Analytics. The facilitator will be Dee Myers. Please get in touch with HART@carilionclinic.org with the subject of 'TriNetX Training' for training outside of the scheduled sessions. If you haven’t taken a class or need a refresher, this is your opportunity to do so! Let Dee Myers know which date you prefer and she will send a meeting invitation.
- Jan 15, 10:30 a.m. – noon
- Jan 30, 1:30 – 3 p.m.
- Feb 13, 10:30 a.m. – noon
- Feb 27, 1:30 – 3 p.m.
- Mar 11, 10:30 a.m. – noon
- Mar 26, 1:30 – 3 p.m.
TriNetX User Agreement: https://redcap.link/v5pw9j7j
For more information visit:https://redcapweb.carilionclinic.org/redcap/surveys/?s=dcUCIpMAzk8BqKH2
My Project Path:
Resources and Processes for Research, Grants, and QA/QI
Want to do a project, but don’t know where to start? Or, experienced but want to see what new resources are available?
To learn about Carilion’s resources and processes for Research, Grants and QA/QI, visit https://redcap.link/MyProjectPath. This tool provides easy navigation to topics of interest, including links to the Research and Development Application and the IRB PRIS3M application.
iTHRIV Learning Shorts
iTHRIV periodically creates short educational videos, named "Learning Shorts". Learning Shorts are brief, digestible online educational offerings organized around a specific topic. iTHRIV hopes that these videos will help educate, dispel misinformation, and create a basis for conversation between the community and health researchers. To learn more visit: https://www.ithriv.org/short-educational-videos
iTHRIV Updates:
Upcoming Workshops and general information: https://portal.ithriv.org/#/home
Newsletter link: https://www.ithriv.org/april-2023-newsletter
* Carilion Clinic Research and Development is honored to partner with a growing list of prestigious national and statewide research centers and healthcare organizations. Find out more about our collaborative research initiatives; explore our unique public-private partnerships with the Virginia Tech Carilion (VTC) School of Medicine, Virginia Tech, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Radford University Carilion, and others. Connect with our team to discuss opportunities to collaborate with our experts or become a participant.