As we continue to enhance the research ecosystem on the UF Health Jacksonville campus, we are focused on providing new platforms, services and resources for our investigators. To support these developments, we have reorganized the Office of Research Affairs at the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville to better align with our enterprise’s mission and vision. This new structure will provide more clarity regarding roles and responsibilities for our expanding staff.

We have created a new organizational chart that shows the layers of support and management for the office’s enhanced infrastructure. This organizational structure features two primary divisions:  administrative and programmatic. The chart includes the individual entities that will operate within and across the divisions to facilitate research advancements and provide skilled services for the enterprise.

As part of the restructuring, Tina Bottini has been promoted to senior assistant dean for research administration, a newly created title.

Visit our updated website for additional information about research resources and services on campus.

CLINICAL TRIAL OFFICE

The Office of Research Affairs is building a new centralized clinical trial office for the Jacksonville campus, with a goal of being operational in early 2020. Among its many benefits, the office will assist with trial budgeting and negotiations, protocol development, study coordination, site evaluation, mentoring, continuing education and quality assurance. These offerings will make the clinical trial experience — from inception to completion — more efficient and effective, with the aim of increasing clinical trial productivity for the college.

The clinical trial office will initially be housed on the sixth floor of Tower II on the downtown campus, with plans to ultimately establish a presence closer to the Clinical Center. We also hope to have an additional clinical trial office at UF Health North.

SEED FUND COMPETITION

The UF Office of Research in Gainesville, led by David P. Norton, Ph.D., recently announced the 2020 Research Opportunity Seed Fund competition. The College of Medicine – Jacksonville was allowed to submit three applications.

The competition targets multidisciplinary, investigator-initiated research projects with a high probability for extramural support or outstanding commercial potential. The program focuses on new projects and collaborative partnerships that emphasize novel research.

To be competitive, proposals must be multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary and involve faculty from at least two departments, units or colleges. The strongest proposals are interprofessional, with inclusion of Jacksonville faculty from the College of Nursing and College of Pharmacy, as well as faculty from UF colleges in Gainesville.

Applicants are encouraged to be very clear on how their efforts will lead to (i.e., “seed”) new extramurally funded programs and/or intellectual property, as these are key review components.

The three selected College of Medicine – Jacksonville applications will be submitted to the Office of Research in Gainesville by Jan. 31. For more information, email ora@jax.ufl.edu.