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News from SPARC

SPARC Achieves Major Data Milestone

The NIH SPARC program achieved a major data curation and publication milestone last quarter. As of Aug. 1, a total of 200 datasets, models, and simulations have been curated and are now available on the SPARC Portal – and counting. Explore our rich, high-quality collection of datasets, models, and simulations shared by investigators from across the global neuromoduction research community. SPARC research extends across multiple species, anatomical structures, and experimental approaches, and the science continues to expand as we enter our sixth year.

SPARC Codeathon Winners Announced

On August 12, SPARC announced the winners of the SPARC 2022 FAIR Codeathon! Five teams of nearly 40 scientists and software engineers gathered virtually across nine global time zones in five continents. Competition was fierce, and judges from academia, industry, and the NIH had a very tough time deciding how to award the $50,000 USD worth of prizes. The participants helped broaden our collective view of SPARC to provide a glimpse of the different ways the research community will use our shared platform in the future. Find out more about the winners and the diversity of fantastic project submissions built using SPARC data and resources on the SPARC Portal.

SPARC.science Expands Social Media Presence

The SPARC Communications Committee established the SPARC.science LinkedIn page and group to expand our communication with the autonomic nervous system, organ physiology, and data science communities. Join the SPARC.science group and follow our page on LinkedIn, and invite your colleagues. Feel free to post your science content and job opportunities. Also, follow the SPARC Twitter feed and SPARC YouTube channel for even more SPARC information and content.

News from the NIH

Neuromod Prize Phase 1 Winners Announced

The NIH Common Fund announced eight Phase 1 winners of the SPARC program’s Neuromod Prize, a $9.8 million competition to accelerate the development of targeted neuromodulation therapies. Each team was awarded $100,000 and an exclusive invitation to conduct proof-of-concept studies in the second phase of the competition, beginning later this year.

Among the prize-winning SPARC-affiliated researchers advancing to Phase 2 are: Dr. Warren Grill and collaborators at Duke University's Biomedical Engineering; members of the BIOS Health team; members of the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Urology; the Neuroengineering & Pain Research (NPR) Lab at the University of Connecticut; and members of the University of Louisville Research Foundation, Inc.

Learn more about the winners and their research on the official Neuromod Prize website and the NIH/SPARC Neuromod Prize details page.

SPARC’s Ready for NIH Data Management Sharing Policy Changes. Are You?

Are you and your peers interested in learning about the important updates to the NIH Data Management Sharing Policy? The NIH released the new data sharing policy implementation details in mid-August.

A two-part NIH webinar covers the policy’s fundamental details. The recording of Part 1 - Understanding the New NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy will be available within a few days. You can find the presentation slide deck here. You can also register now for Part 2 of the webinar series, Diving Deeper into the New NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy. It livestreams Sept. 22 at 12:30 p.m. ET. A recording and slide deck will be posted about a week later.

The NIH Common Fund Wants Your Ideas

The NIH Common Fund seeks ideas for potential new scientific programs that might be supported in fiscal year 2025 or beyond. The Common Fund supports bold scientific programs (like SPARC) that catalyze discovery across biomedical and behavioral research. Investigators and multiple NIH Institutes and Centers collaborate on innovative research addressing high-priority challenges for the NIH as a whole. NIH encourages idea submissions describing what you think is the greatest opportunity or challenge in biomedical research today and what makes it the right time to address this idea through a Common Fund program.
Learn how to submit an idea at NOT-RM-22-016: Soliciting ideas for new NIH Common Fund programs. Responses are due Sept. 30.

Conferences and Calls for Papers

SPARC to Exhibit at ISAN2022

The International Society for Autonomic Neuroscience (ISAN) conference will take place Sept. 4-7 in Cairns, Australia. Learn more about the meeting on the ISAN conference website.

The SPARC DRC’s MAP-Core team will be exhibiting at the meeting. Visit the SPARC exhibitor table and explore open datasets, tools, maps, models, and simulations on the SPARC Portal. SPARC will also be conducting user research, and welcomes your participation and contributions to the evolution of the SPARC Portal.

Seeking Special Topic Submissions

The Frontiers in Neuroscience research topic on “Multiscale Anatomy and Biophysics of the Autonomic Nervous System: Implications for Neuromodulation,” is due Oct. 15. See submission info and details about the topic scope at this link and email questions to Nikki Pelot.

Seeing you F2F: Share Your Conference Plans

Sharing ideas and knowledge is more fun in person. Please complete this short 5-question survey about your plans to attend upcoming scientific meetings, so we can say, “See you there!”

Funding and Research Opportunities

NIH Neuroscience Development for Advancing the Careers of a Diverse Research Workforce (R25)

The aim of this program is to support educational activities encouraging individuals from diverse backgrounds – including those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences – to pursue further studies or careers in research.

Learn more about NIH Neuroscience Development for Advancing the Careers of a Diverse Research Workforce (R25) and apply by the Sept. 26 deadline.

NIH HEAL Interdisciplinary Team Science to Uncover the Mechanisms of Pain Relief by Medical Devices (RM1)

This initiative intends to support team science research to uncover the mechanisms of action of pain relief by medical devices with the overall goal of optimizing therapeutic outcomes for FDA-approved or -cleared technologies.

Learn more about NIH HEAL Interdisciplinary Team Science to Uncover the Mechanisms of Pain Relief by Medical Devices (RM1) and apply by Oct. 10.

NINDS Faculty Development Award to Promote Diversity in Neuroscience Research (K01)

The purpose of this initiative is to diversify the pool of independent neuroscience research investigators by providing junior faculty with research cost support, protected research time, and career stage-appropriate professional development mentorship in neuroscience research. Individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in biomedical research, are eligible for support under this award if they have doctoral research degrees (Ph.D. or equivalent) and are in the first three years of a faculty tenure-track or equivalent position at the time of application.

Learn more about NINDS Faculty Development Award to Promote Diversity in Neuroscience Research (K01) and apply by Oct. 12.

NIDDK Research Education Program Utilizing Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC) – Generated Resources (R25)

This initiative invites applications to establish research programs for qualified graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, medical residents, biomedical engineers, and clinical fellows to engage in neuroscience research using SPARC-generated resources (datasets/maps/models) as the foundation for the research experience in conjunction with educational activities that may be combined with hands-on computational or “wet lab” projects.
Learn more about NIDDK Research Education Program Utilizing Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC) – Generated Resources (R25) and apply by Nov. 9.

SPARC Data and Resource Center (DRC) Office Hours

SPARC Experts Ready to Assist

Feeling confused about a SPARC DRC area of expertise? The SPARC DRC holds regular open office hours to support the SPARC community. If you want to learn more about how to use SPARC Portal tools and resources, these sessions are for you. New SPARC users can get help with onboarding, and existing users can participate in tutorials, direct guidance, and Q&A sessions. Any SPARC DRC representative can refer you to the best contact if you need further guidance.

For help with topics like organizing and submitting your data or the curation process, visit K-Core’s office hours on Tuesday and Thursdays. You can email K-Core directly at [email protected].

If you need help with topics like managing, storing, and tracking data, visit DAT-Core’s office hours on the first Monday of each month. Email DAT-Core directly at [email protected].

For assistance with image data and segmentation and/or scaffolds and flatmaps, visit MAP-Core’s office hours on the last Tuesday of each month. Email MAP-Core directly at [email protected].

If you need help with modeling and simulation, visit SIM-Core’s office hours on the last Thursday of each month (every other month, starting in September). Email SIM-Core directly at [email protected].

You can view the SPARC DRC’s office hours on a shared Google Calendar on the web or integrate them into your own calendar using this iCal link. To join any of the sessions, please visit this meeting link. To request specific questions and topics of interest to be covered in sessions, please complete this form.

Get Help from the Pennsieve Team

Pennsieve is the data management platform behind the SPARC Portal and supported through the DRC’s DAT-Core.

Do you need help with your Pennsieve Account or have other Pennsieve platform questions? Learn how to send us a message directly through the Pennsieve platform.

Do you need an invite to the SPARC Consortium Workspace on Pennsieve? Request an account through the updated request form.

Revisit Past Newsletters

Back issues of the quarterly SPARC Plug newsletter are now available! Visit the SPARC Portal News and Events page and scroll to the newsletter section.