The Association for Academic Surgery is accepting applications through Sept. 1 for its 2008 Student Research Award. The award is open to graduating senior medical students and will recognize outstanding medical student research efforts in academic surgery. Two winners will receive free registration and a $500 travel stipend for the Academic Surgical Congress in February. For more information, please visit http://aasurg.org/awards.htm.

The Midwest Research Collaborative Network will host a forum on cardiovascular disease at Loyola University Oct. 12. The Network recently was launched to provide networking opportunities to researchers from academia and industry within the local Midwest region.
The Loyola event is part of a series of one-day forums, each with a specific research focus. The  meetings rotate between companies and academic institutions in the Chicago area; however, Michigan may periodically host the event. 
This event will offer opportunities for meeting with industry scientists  and establishing potential collaborations.  However,  given the focus on translation and commercialization, there are strict guidelines  for the  format and content of the abstracts. If you are interested in submitting an abstract and/or attending the meeting, please contact Joan Dunbar at jcdunbar@med.wayne.edu.

Graduate and undergraduate students interested in submitting an abstract for Minority Programs Research Day can log onto http://www.med.wayne.edu/physiology/minorityprograms/index.htm for instructions. Everyone is welcome to attend the event, which will be from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Aug. 23, in Scott Hall. The deadline to submit an abstract is Monday, Aug. 13.

The National Institutes of Health has announced a new program to fund exceptionally innovative research. The program, called Unconventional Research Enabling Knowledge Acceleration (EUREKA), targets investigators who are testing novel, unconventional hypotheses or pursuing major methodological or technical challenges. The potential impact of the proposed research must be substantial in terms of both the size of the scientific community affected and the magnitude of its effect on the community. Highlights of the EUREKA program include direct costs of up to $800,000 over four years and a specialized R01 application focusing on significance and innovation. For more information, please visit
http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-GM-08-002.html.

The Food and Drug Administration's Office of Orphan Products Development has announced the availability of funds for fiscal year 2009 and 2010 grants to support clinical trials on the safety and effectiveness of products for rare diseases and conditions. These studies are intended to provide data to the FDA that will substantially contribute to the approval of new products, or new indications for already marketed products. Rare diseases or conditions are defined as those with a prevalence of fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. For more information, please visit http://www.fda.gov/orphan/grants/2009RFA.html.

Wayne State University School of Medicine’s Office of Academic and Student Programs is currently accepting applications for faculty and academic staff to participate in a Medical Education Research Scholars Program. The program will provide education and salary support to faculty and academic staff interested in establishing a career or furthering their career in medical education research. To learn more about this program and requirements, or to obtain an application, please visit http://www.med.wayne.edu/academic_student_programs/mersp/