UAB Affiliation: Department of Medicine
Vice Chair for Research: Charles 0. Elson, III, M.D.
The Office for Research was created to serve as an advocate and facilitator for investigators in the Department of Medicine in all areas related to research.
Research Council. This committee's charge is to analyze the Department's clinical and fundamental research enterprise and to advise the Chairman on an ongoing basis as to its strengths, weaknesses, and needs. The Research Council includes senior investigators broadly-based in multiple disciplines and is supported by the Office for Research. This committee plans to get the input of internal and external advisors to provide a fresh view of the Department's research enterprise and provide insight into our current status, how we stack up against others, and what we need to do to improve. A list of current committee members is available.
External Reviews of Department of Medicine Research Programs
The Department of Medicine has made enhancement of its existing research structure a priority. In support of this effort, the Research Council is pleased to announce the opportunity for faculty investigators with the same programmatic research interests to apply for an external review of their program. It is our intent that one or two reviews a year be held on various thematic areas of existing research led by Department of Medicine investigators until such time as all areas have had the opportunity for review. These reviews are meant for major research programs and are not intended to substitute for reviews held within the structure of a Center or Program Project grant.
Reviews will be organized by the Department's Office for Research with the guidance of the Department of Medicine's Research Council and will be structured around a one to two day meeting conducted by an External Review Committee. At the end of the review, the External Reviewers will be asked to provide a critique of the program as a whole. It is anticipated that this critique will assist faculty investigators as a group to address the following questions among others: How do we stack up against programs elsewhere? Is this program at the cutting edge of research in the field? And, how can we get better?
Specific aims of these reviews are to:
- Provide Department faculty investigators with an evaluation of their research program
- Provide the Chairman with an independent review of our Departmental research
- Assess our competitiveness and standing in the scientific community
- Identify possible areas of future research opportunities
It is anticipated that the review will provide faculty with valuable insight into the competitiveness of their research programs, while allowing the Chairman an opportunity to address specific needs and plan for future opportunities. As the Department is in the process of recruiting new junior faculty, this review will help to identify areas where there is a need for more effort and could influence the direction for recruitment.
Multi-Investigator Planning Grant Program. In an effort to stimulate and support the establishment of new competitive multi-investigator research programs, the Department of Medicine's Office of Research has funded developmental awards for applications submitted under the new Multi-investigator Planning Grant Program. The program invites exploratory/developmental grant applications for the establishment of an infrastructure for eventual applications for multi-investigator research programs, such as Program Project grants (POI), SPORE grants, or Center grants (P50 or P60) from NIH or other funding agencies. Applications are reviewed through a competitive, peer-reviewed application process. This support is intended to show the ability of investigators to work as a cohesive team, and aid in the acquisition ofresources, preliminary data, and/or administrative support needed to operate an interdisciplinary research program.
Contact Information
Location: 178H Shelby Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building, 1825 University Boulevard
Phone: (205) 934-5035
Fax: (205) 934-1477
Vice Chair for Research: Charles 0. Elson, III, M.D. [coelson@uab.edu]
Research Advisor: John Volanakis, M.D. [volanaki@uab.edu]
Staff Member: Susan Winn [swinn@uab.edu]
