Center for Academic and Professional Enhancement (CAPE)

Future Research at WesternU

Western University of Health Sciences has recently embarked on a program to enhance its standing as a graduate university with a new commitment to establish a greater research presence as an institution. Uniquely, as the only graduate university in the country with a faculty and curriculum focused exclusively on post-graduate training in the health sciences, the addition and commitment to a more prominent role the in health-related research is a significant goal, and one codified enthusiastically by Western University's Board of Trustees at their recent meeting. Toward this goal the University last year created a new position: Vice President for Research and Biotechnology, filled by Dr. Steven Henriksen, to lead this effort. Dr. Henriksen has spent his entire career in basic and clinical research, first at the N.I.H. as a Staff Fellow, then at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, and most recently at The Scripps Research Institute. Dr Henriksen has been tabbed with the responsibility of enhancing the research presence of Western University by developing a unique ten-year research Strategic Plan for the University. Part of this plan includes the founding of a Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences and the concerted recruitment of new faculty with active research programs from both domestic and international sources. The goal of the research program is to position Western University as an agile, flexible partner with both collaborative institutions and industry, to attack the most pressing health-related issues facing mankind, including brain-related disorders, infectious disease threats, cancer and complex metabolic diseases. To accomplish this task the focus will be to develop programs that are teamed with scientists who are passionate about integrative biology, with hierarchical impacts from the bench to the bedside. With the existing Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine, and Allied Health Sciences (and soon Dentistry, Podiatry, Optometry and Public Health),Western University is in a unique position to fully integrate health-related research with health-related delivery for the next Century.

Conducting Research at WesternU

• WesternU Office of Sponsored Research and Contracts Management. It is Western University's policy that all grant and contract applications to external sponsoring agencies including Federal, State and Private entities, in support of research related activities, must be submitted to the Office of Sponsored Research and Contract Management for review and for obtaining final institutional approval prior to submission to the external sponsoring agencies at a minimum 2 weeks prior to the deadline. See the Grants and Contracts Fact Sheet for more information.

Contact Information:
Matthew Katz, Assistant Vice President, Sponsored Research and Contracts Management
(909) 469-5567
mkatz@westernu.edu

Nancy Riker, Manager, Director, Post Award and Grant Accounting
(909) 469-5458
nriker@westernu.edu

• Foundations and Corporate Relations
  The University Advancement Department is available to assist with identifying private foundations and corporations as possible funding sources for various faculty projects. Staff will assist with the Letter of Inquiry to the funding source and the proposal itself. Many funding sources have specific dates for proposal submission, so please allow sufficient time for project development.

Contact Information:
Leigh Wiemann, Executive Director of Philanthropy
(909) 469-5456
lwiemann@westernu.edu

Sherry Slade, Director of Foundation and Corporate Relations
(909) 469-5525
sslade@westernu.edu

• WesternU Library Resources

Intellectual Property/Copyright Policy

Copyright is a protection that covers published and unpublished literary, scientific, and artistic works, whatever the form of expression, provided such works are fixed in a tangible or material form. Western University respects the intellectual property of others and complies with all federal, state, and local statutes governing its copyright and privacy policy.

Guidelines for Using Research Subjects

• Human Subjects. Research using humans as research subjects are required for reviewing to ensure that the rights and welfare of the subjects are protected. WESTERNU IRB policy requires that all research involving human subjects, whether funded or regulated by an external organization or not, must comply with WESTERNU and federal regulations.

To obtain the approrpriate IRB forms, contact the IRB Office at irbadmin@westernu.edu or (909) 469-5636.

• Animal Subjects. To assess and maintain animal care, treatment and practices in experimental research conducted at WesternU, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is responsible for the protection and welfare and proper housing of animal subjects. The committee provides faculty with approproriate information on maintaining animals for the purpose of teaching or research.

Safety Guidelines in Conducting Research

• Radiation Safety. To maintain high standard radiation safety procedures, a policy-determining Radiation Safety Committee (RSC), a Radiation Safety Manual (RSM), and a Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) have been implemented at WesternU. Researchers that use radioactive materials in his/her projects must apply first to the RSC for a radiation use authorization. Interested faculty members should submit their request for amendment to the current Radioactive Material License to the RSO. After approval, the licensee will follow the radiation safety procedures described in the RSM.

Contact Information:

Dr. Arezoo Campbell, Chair of the Radiation Safety Committee (RSC)
(909) 469-5240
acampbell@westernu.edu

• Biosafety. The mission of the IBC (Institutional Biosafety Committee) is to review and approve research protocols associated with grant applications in the areas of recombinant DNA and infectious agents.

Contact Information:

Dr. Jeffrey Felton, Chair of the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)
(909) 469-5226
jfelton@westernu.edu

Ordering Research Supplies

Persons who have been awarded an extramural research grant will get an account number and approval of purchases from the Dept. of Sponsored Research. The Dept. of Research and Biotechnology awards intramural research grants and approves those purchases. If an intramural grant has been awarded separately by your college then the Dean of that college would approve research purchases. The orders can be completed by the person responsible for purchasing for that college.

Finding External Grant/Funding Sources

Feel free to explore at the following website links for funding sources for your proposed research or educational projects.

• Grants Net
  GrantsNet is a one-stop free resource to find funds for training in the sciences and undergraduate science education. ScienceCareers.org is dedicated to being the world leader in matching qualified scientists with jobs in industry, academia and government, providing GrantsNet and all the necessary career resources for scientists. The site is supported AAAS (The American Association for the Advancement of Science) and this service is completely free.

• National Institutes of Health (NIH>
  NIH is the nation's medical research agency making important medical discoveries that improve health and save lives. It is a part of US Department of Health and Human Services and is a primary federal agency for conducting and supporting medical research. NIH consists of 27 distinct institutes and centers providing leadership and financial support to researchers in every state and throughout the world. NIH scientists investigate ways to improve people's health, and to prevent disease as well as the causes, treatments, and even cures for common and rare diseases.

• Office of Extramural Research at NIH
  NIH Office of Extramural Research provides Medical and Behavioral Research Grants Policies, Guidelines, & Funding Opportunities. It is the hub for grants policy and operations, grants administration, and the coordination of NIH's extramural programs and activities.

• National Library of Medicine (NLM)
  National Library of Medicine (NLM), which is located in NIH, is the world's largest medical library providing research services and information on health care and biomedical sciences. The library collections are more than 8 million items including books, journals, technical reports, manuscripts, microfilms, photographs and images. The collections can be consulted in the reading room or requested on interlibrary loan. NLM is a national resource for all health science libraries through a National Network of Libraries of Medicine.

• National Center for Biotechnology Information
  National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), as a national resource for molecular biology information, creates public databases, conducts research in computational biology, develops software tools for analyzing genome data, and disseminates biomedical information – for better understanding of molecular processes affecting human health and disease.