MICHR (Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research)

Our upcoming workshop outlines the process of obtaining valid informed consent and will give you the opportunity to demonstrate necessary language and communication skills when interacting with potential study participants and their families. This session is not about writing the informed consent document or specific U-M IRB requirements. Attendees of the workshop should come prepared for active participation and will need to review a recorded video presentation before attending. When: Wednesday, April 30 Time: 1 - 3 p.m. Where: This session will be held online, and the organizers will be in touch with more information after you register.

The Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (MICHR) played an important role in a new clinical trial that will allow researchers to study 3D-printed bioresorbable devices aimed at treating children with a rare and life-threatening airway condition, tracheobronchomalacia. The trial, launched by Michigan Medicine and Materialise, marks a crucial step towards full Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the innovative devices designed to support the airways of infants with the severest forms of the disease. With assistance from MICHR, Mott otolaryngology surgeon Glenn Green, M.D. and colleagues were able to obtain emergency approval to use the bioresorbable scaffolding through working with the FDA, Institutional Review Board and hospital administration. It’s since been used in more than 40 children at Mott.

Sharing a mentorship opportunity for those in health research here at U-M: If your study team is interested in hosting a MICHR-funded student researcher this summer, find the interest form at the link below! Please share with those in your networks who may be interested, and reach out with questions. Quick facts: - students will be undergrads from area colleges interested in exploring staff-level research careers, without significant prior research experience - you'll be a U-M-based clinical & health research study team with an experienced research coordinator who can serve as a mentor - the program lasts 10 weeks (6/2-8/8), with students available for ~32 hours/week of MICHR-funded work on basic research tasks which they'll complete alongside a MICHR-led curriculum of research skills-based workshops Note that all student effort would be MICHR-funded, with student hiring, onboarding, and required training (PEERRS, HIPAA) facilitated by MICHR ahead of the program start.

Through gameful simulations and practice, the 2-day, in-person Collaboration Kit Workshop will build your capacity to work in a high-performing cross-disciplinary team. Open to U-M graduate students, postdocs, staff, and faculty working in health research. Developed by the U-M-based Alliance for Arts in the Research University (a2ru) and facilitated by MICHR team science experts. This 2-day workshop will take place 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. on May 12 and 13, 2025. Lunch will be provided. Register online by April 21. #collaboration #TeamScience

This energizing event, funded by the MICHR PACE Dissemination grant, served as a springboard for action for collaborative efforts across service domains to address the healthcare needs of rural communities.

There's still some room in our 2/26 Mentoring Academy session on "Aligning Expectations" and our 4/10 session on "Mentoring Across Difference." The MICHR Mentoring Academy curriculum helps senior postdocs, senior staff, and faculty in clinical and translational research develop and hone mentoring skills. The program is based on the widely used Mentor Training for Clinical and Translational Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison?Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER)?and satisfies the new NIGMS guidelines regarding the preparation of mentors involved in?training grants.

The “Advancing Research Best Practices for CHWs and Promotoras” course is a new practical resource for community health workers (CHWs) and promotoras, the Spanish term for CHWs. The course materials, designed to enhance their understanding of research basics and their role in improving research quality, are now available online at no cost, making them easily accessible for all in English and Spanish. This is critical as promotoras and CHWs can be integral to conducting community-based research. El curso “Fomento de las Mejores Prácticas de Investigación para Trabajadoras de la Salud Comunitaria y Promotoras” es un nuevo recurso práctico para trabajadoras de la salud comunitaria y promotoras. Los materiales del curso, dise?ados para mejorar su comprensión de los conceptos básicos de la investigación y su papel para elevar la calidad de la investigación, están ahora disponibles en línea sin costo alguno, haciéndolos accesibles para todos en inglés y espa?ol. Esto es crítico, ya que las promotoras y las trabajadoras de la salud comunitaria pueden ser parte integral del equipo al llevar a cabo investigaciones con base en la comunidad.

Have you and your research benefited from the support of a #mentor or peer mentor? Does your mentor or peer mentor have a track record of excellence in #mentoring students, fellows, staff, or early-career faculty at the University of Michigan? Nominate your mentor or peer mentor for the 2025 MICHR Distinguished Clinical & Translational Research Mentor Award or Peer Mentor Award. This award is part of MICHR’s continuing efforts to foster a culture of learning, especially in clinical and health research. This award recognizes the value of mentoring in helping early-career investigators reach across disciplinary boundaries in pursuit of science. Nominees may come from any discipline in any school, department, or program at any of U-M’s three campuses and do not need to be affiliated with MICHR. We encourage nominations of mentors across the clinical and translational research spectrum. The nomination deadline is March 17, 2025.

Are you interested in enhancing and refining your mentoring abilities? Do you need to fulfill a mentor training requirement? The MICHR Mentoring Academy curriculum helps senior postdocs, senior staff, and faculty in clinical and translational research develop and hone mentoring skills. The program is based on the widely used Mentor Training for Clinical and Translational Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) and satisfies the new NIGMS guidelines regarding the preparation of mentors involved in training grants. Registration is now open for several topics. #mentoring

The February 12 virtual workshop IMPACT: Procedures Documentation for Clinical Trials will introduce participants to best practices for creating, interpreting, and using a manual of procedures (MOP) and other procedures documentation to ensure standardized practices across personnel and sites of a clinical trial. Topics will include an overview of sections to include in a MOP, what to do if a documented procedure isn’t feasible, and how to utilize an MOP to address scenarios during the trial.