Academic Career Development and Skills Building

The Houston Methodist Academic Institute offers courses to build key competencies in research and education. Our courses are specially designed for trainees, researchers and educators on academic career tracks and the administrators that support them across our system. Offerings range from introductory lectures that provide general topical overviews to advanced review and development of manuscripts, grants, curricula and other academic projects with experienced faculty.

View our current offerings at attend.houstonmethodist.org.

Art of Translation

These courses are designed for faculty, staff and trainees interested in translation. For additional information, please contact academicaffairs@houstonmethodist.org

Concept to Commercialization

Grant Applications

These courses are designed for faculty, trainees and staff interested in preparing NIH grant applications. For additional information, please contact academicaffairs@houstonmethodist.org

Intro to NIH Grant Components / How to Use NIH RePORTER

This series covers the steps to translating a new technology with real world examples, emphasizing efficient streamlined development while maintaining the highest ethical standards of quality. Topics include:

• Commercialization Strategies

• Developing Technologies and Securing Intellectual Property

• Device Translation- Lessons Learned

• GMP Manufacturing for Clinical Use

• Moving from Basic Research to GLP Safety Studies

• Participant Project Presentation & Review

• Quality Risk Management & Quality Development

• Regulatory Pathways

• Research Integrity & Documentation

• Successfully Filing for First-In-Human Trial

• A Strategic Development Process Tool

• Translational Pathways & Manufacturing

Office of Technology Transfer

Lunch and Learn

This monthly lunch hour series offers presentations on a variety of topics presented by the Office of Technology Transfer, ott@houstonmethodist.org

Translational Quality Seminar

This monthly series sponsored by the Office of Translational Production & Quality covers key issues, such as documentation and validation, that are necessary to move an idea into the clinic. For additional information, please contact hmri_otpq@houstonmethodist.org.

• Documentation

• Qualification & Validation

• Quality Management and the Pharmaceutical Quality System

This lecture, taught by experienced faculty and scientific writers, introduces components of a typical NIH grant with emphasis on sections that are considered in the score. This will also cover how to use NIH RePORTER to:

• Understand NIH funding in specific research areas

• Identify researchers and their publications

• Discover who is likely to review your work

NIH Biosketch/CV Workshop

This workshop provides an organized framework to present a researcher’s education, training, research experience, publications and academic activity. Participants can share their NIH Biosketch in the workshop and receive feedback from instructors and participants.

How to Develop a Data Sharing Plan

NIH has mandated that all applicants provide a Data Management & Sharing (DMS) plan after Jan 25, 2023. This course covers requirements for and development of a DMS plan to be submitted with all NIH grants except training grants. The six required elements will be discussed, and examples and expert discussion provided.

Career Development Mentoring Documents for F, K Awards

This lecture is designed to support individuals applying for postdoctoral fellowships and mentored K awards. Participants will learn how to create a description of the mentor’s experiences, craft a personal statement and learn how mentors can best support the project.

Contracts and Grants Agreements Submission Process

This course will show principal investigators and their research staff the correct submission process of research contracts and grant agreements to be reviewed and approved in accordance with sponsor policy, institutional policy and governing regulations.

Grant Budget Basics

This interactive lecture covers elements to consider when developing a grant budget: inflation, allowable and non-allowable costs, key personnel vs. consultants, patient-care costs and direct and indirect costs as they pertain to key personnel. Presenters also discuss the ARAF, managing funding proposals, MORTI budget development, project costing, sponsors and institutional policies, and the process for a timely grant submission and review by Grants Administration.

Grant Submission Process- Pre-Award

This lecture provides an overview of the NIH review process, and an organized framework in which to identify required grant application information, institutional processes and other support to assist with a successful and timely grant submission.

Grant Submission ProcessPost-Award

Grant Review Process and Mock Review Workshop

Workshop participants submit their grant research strategy for review. The session will present the key elements of the grant review process and the NIH scoring system. A panel of NIH-funded reviewers conduct a mock grant review for each participant’s grant research strategy.

Introduction to NIH Research Strategy for Grantmaking

This lecture provides an overview of components of the research strategy of an NIH grant. Area of focus will include the Innovation, Significance and Approach sections of the application to make your application more competitive.

Advanced Research Strategy

In this workshop, the NIH Research Strategy section will be examined in depth. Participants should bring their research strategy to review significance, innovation and approach with a group of other participants and facilitators.

Advanced Specific Aims Workshop

This lecture provides an overview of the MORTI post award process: required documents, process for when to use continuations and modifications and helpful MORTI templates, checklists and approvals.

In this workshop, key aspects of a grant Specific Aims section are discussed, including how specific aims patterns are identified. Participants should bring their specific aims page to review content and impact. This 90-minute session will provide a brief lecture followed by participant small group workshopping of specific aims and discussion.

Manuscripts and Presentations

These courses are designed for faculty, trainees and staff interested in preparing manuscripts, oral and poster presentations. For additional information, please contact academicaffairs@houstonmethodist.org.

Effective Oral Research Presentations

Systematic Reviews

For additional information, please contact lgirouard@houstonmethodist.org in the Houston Methodist library.

Introduction to Systematic Reviews

Learn the steps to a systematic review and other commonly conducted review types.

Engaging scientific presentations are critical for showcasing and disseminating research findings. This lecture covers creating the structure for a research presentation and a compelling delivery in a timely manner.

Creating a Research Poster

Develop skills to create and present an effective research poster in this 90-minute workshop. This session will begin with a 30-minute presentation including helpful tips, followed by work in small groups to build a research poster while learning about important aspects of visual communication and design.

Introduction to Manuscript Preparation

The Art of the Search: Finding What You’re Looking For

This course overviews library materials and development of search strategies. This workshop includes use of MeSH and differences in MedLine databases including OVID, EBSCO and PubMed as well as Clinical Key.

Literature Searching for Evidence-Based Practice

Learn how to search and pick up tips and tricks to gather materials for evidence-based practice.

Searches for Systematic Reviews: What Makes the Difference

This lecture focuses on strategies for finding time to think and write, selecting a journal and submitting a paper, dealing with reviews and handling a rejected manuscript. It also includes tips for overcoming obstacles to writing and dealing with common problems in manuscripts.

Learn a proven approach to literature searching and some tips and tricks to creating a review search strategy.

We Have It: An Introduction to Houston Methodist Library Materials and Services

General overview of Houston Methodist library resources and subscription databases, including document retrieval and Interlibrary Loan services.