evpr newsletter fall 2015_1

8/18/2019 EVPR Newsletter Fall 2015_1

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Anchors Aweigh! Learn about the University’s state -of -the -art research vessel, the R/V Marcus G. Langseth , page 13

Newsletter | Fall 2015


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ONTENT

03 04

NASA A GREEMENT

The heart of the GISS -CU research collaboration is acore climate modeling toolbox.

05

R/V M ARCUS G. L ANGSETH

Mapping the land claimed by sea level rise.

E NVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & S AFETY

A newly -developed and implemented exposure assess-ment program, and an update on transporting biologi-cal materials.

07 R ESEARCH COMPLIANCE AND TRAINING

Certification Program Educates and Supports Research Ad-ministrators

09

POSTDOC SYMPOSIUM

An annual research and career symposium celebratesthe University’s postdocs.

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RISE W INNERS

What happens when a cell is starved?


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A LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH : HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL

“Continuing expansion of the federal regulatory system and its ever - growing requirements are diminishing theeffectiveness of the nation’s research investment…

Most federal regulations…are efforts to address important issues of accountability and performance…these well -intended efforts often result in unintended consequences that needlessly encumber the nation’s investment in re-

search.

The relationship between federal…agencies and academic research institutions has for the last seven decades beenconsidered a partnership. Yet there exists….no process by which…partners….can consider the effectiveness ofexisting research policies…

...stresses in the federal -academic partnership have diminished the effectiveness of the nation’s investment inacademic research .”

I wager that many who are reading this could have written these words and certainly agree with their important and very troublingsentiment. The reason for the use of the word ‘hope’ in the title of this piece is that all these words are extracted from a recent Na-tional Academy of Sciences (NAS) report that, believe it or not, was prepared at the request of Congress. (Optimizing the Nation’sInvestment in Academic Research A New Regulatory Framework for the 21 st Century: Part 1, National Academy of Sciences, 2015)

Having our government leaders in Washington aware of, and understanding this problem is an important step forward, but it is onlyone step. Beyond this we need cogent and practical recommendations for reform (and a successful implementation – no small matterwhen it comes to regulatory mechanisms on this scale). To this end the NAS report offers four specific proposals that are listed be-low in highly abbreviated form .

“The regulatory regime…governing federally funded academic research should be critically reexamined and recalibrated.

Specifically, the committee recommends that:

1. The White House Office of Management and Budget...: conduct a…comprehensive review of agency research grant proposaldocuments for the purpose of developing a uniform format to be used by all agencies

The federal research agencies (should) : Limit research proposals to the minimal information necessary to per-mit peer evaluation...and reduce and streamline reporting, assurances and verifications.

Research institutions (should) revise self -imposed burdensome institutional policies that go beyond those necessary and sufficient to comply with federal, state and local requirements

2. Research institutions must demand the highest standards in institutional and individual behavior…

3. Inspectors General responsibilities be rebalanced so that…consideration is given both to uncovering waste, fraud and abuse andto advising on economy, efficiency and effectiveness…

4. The creation of a new mechanism…to foster a more effective conception, development and harmonization of research policies.”

If, like I, you remember prior efforts to implement well -intentioned reforms of the regulations that increasingly burden us as PI’s,then you will undoubtedly be reading this with a skeptical eye. Nevertheless this report is music to my ears. We are committed,along with the leaders of the major research universities of the nation, to continue the struggle for improvements in the regulatory

regime under which our investigators conduct research. The pursuit of these goals may be ongoing, but we must take advantage ofthe visibility that this report brings to this important issue. We will be talking with our consultants in DC to devise ways in which wecan help to bring the substance of this report to the attention of key leaders.

I remain ever hopeful!

G. Michael Purdy Executive Vice President for Research


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he Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), a la-

boratory in Goddard Space Flight Center’s Earth Sci-

ences Division, has for more than five decades workedwith the University to conduct scientific research about the

Earth’s climate, planetary environments, and the space environ-

ment. GISS has played a key role in raising the climate issue to

the general public, and their work has been instrumental in ad-

vancing the field of climate science.

At the heart of the GISS -Columbia research collaboration is a

core climate modeling toolbox that includes standard General

Circulation Models of the atmosphere -ocean -cryosphere system,with enhancements that include the carbon cycle and atmospher-

ic composition, including chemistry and aerosols. This toolbox

also includes regional climate models, and integrated assessment

tools that evaluate climate change impacts. The models can be

used to assess the impacts and implications of changes in emis-

sion or air pollution scenarios, and their impact on public health,

agriculture and the economy. The models also enable provide

vulnerability assessments such as the National Climate Assess-

ment, as well as providing a basis for evaluating large -scale mit-igation strategies.

The GISS -Columbia collaboration will also leverage models

developed for earth science to characterize extra -solar planets

and other planets in our solar system. During the past decade,

there has been a rapid rate of discovery of exoplanets. The en-

hanced collaboration will enable the University to leverage

GISS’s capabilities in modeling the Earth as a system to charac-

terize the atmospheric conditions on these newly discovered planets, with particular emphasis on the potential habitability of

other worlds. This work will lead to a better understanding of

different extreme climate states, as well as aid in the search for

possible Earth -like analogues orbiting other stars.

B

NASA AND COLUMBIA SIGN TEN -YEAR AGREEMENT

Dr. Ansaf Salleb -Aouissi

The Space Act Agreement produces climate -related guidance for policy makers and the public.

Pictured (clockwise from bo om -right): Provost John Coatsworth, Goddard Space Flight Center Director Chris Scolese, Exec-u ve Vice President for Research Mike Purdy, Deputy Director of Sciences and Explora on Directorate Colleen Hartman,Director of Sciences and Explora on Directorate Piers Sellers, GISS Deputy Director Ron Miller, Chief of Sta Terri Thomp-son, GISS Director Gavin Schmidt, Director of the Lamont -Doherty Earth Observatory Sean Solomon, Earth Ins tute Execu-

ve Director Steve Cohen.

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uch of every cell’s energy is devoted to making

proteins. Yet little is known about the cellular

mechanisms underlying a cell’s ability to turn on

and off protein production during times of nutrient limitation.Discovering the underlying regulatory mechanism, and how it

works in times of energy restriction, will answer important bio-

logical questions in cellular protein generation and cellular me-

tabolism. Applications for these discoveries could lead to a bet-

ter understanding of human nutrition, or therapies involving

cellular metabolism, which is implicated in diseases ranging

from obesity to cancer.

In 2013, Dr. Jonathan Dworkin , Associate Professor of Microbi-

ology and Immunology, and Dr. Ruben Gonzalez , Professor of

Chemistry, collaborated to study this elusive problem, and were

awarded $160,000 in seed funding through the Office of the

Executive Vice President for Research’s Research Initiatives in

Science & Engineering (RISE) competition.

Their RISE -funded research identified two regulatory factors in

protein synthesis that they are now investigating as part of

anR01 [GM114213 -01, “Regulation of Protein Synthesis by Ser/

Thr Phosphorylation”]. One of these regulatory factors allows

the cell to chemically modify and inactivate the protein synthesis

machinery when cellular energy intake is low, essentially putting

the machinery into a dormant state. Once the cell has adequate

energy intake, the other regulatory factor then reverses the

chemical modification, allowing the cell to rapidly activate thedormant protein synthesis machinery and initiate the process of

building new proteins. A detailed molecular understanding of

the process through which the protein synthesis machinery can

be switched from “active” to “dormant”, and vice versa, has the

potential to unlock new avenues of basic and biomedical re-

search.

RISE grants target particularly imaginative research proposals

that are not yet ready to obtain funding from traditional sources,

but those that, if successful, would significantly advance scien-

tific knowledge, understanding and interdisciplinary discovery.

With questions, please contact the RISE program staff at

[email protected] .

RISE -ING TO THE OCCASION What happens when a cell is starved?

Pictured above: Dr. Ruben Gonzalez (le ) and Dr. Jonathan

Dworkin (right).

M

http://microbiology.columbia.edu/faculty/dworkin.htmlhttp://microbiology.columbia.edu/faculty/dworkin.htmlhttp://www.columbia.edu/cu/chemistry/fac-bios/gonzalez/faculty.htmlhttp://www.columbia.edu/cu/chemistry/fac-bios/gonzalez/faculty.htmlhttp://researchinitiatives.columbia.edu/funding/research-initiatives-science-and-engineering-risehttp://researchinitiatives.columbia.edu/funding/research-initiatives-science-and-engineering-risehttp://researchinitiatives.columbia.edu/funding/research-initiatives-science-and-engineering-risemailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://researchinitiatives.columbia.edu/funding/research-initiatives-science-and-engineering-risehttp://researchinitiatives.columbia.edu/funding/research-initiatives-science-and-engineering-risehttp://www.columbia.edu/cu/chemistry/fac-bios/gonzalez/faculty.htmlhttp://microbiology.columbia.edu/faculty/dworkin.html


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E NVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SAFETY Realizing the vision...

he EH&S Vision Statement aims to promote a

productive and safety conscious work environ-

ment by employing best practices and collabora-

tion. We highlight below the development of two ap-

proaches that embody the spirit of the Vision Statement

and a commitment to health and safety.

Firstly, in order to reduce potential exposure to investiga-

tors administering halogenated anesthetic gases including

isoflurane, EH&S has developed and implemented an ex-

posure assessment program. The program evaluates the

ambient concentration of anesthetic gases that personnel

may be occupationally exposed to during their use. To

identify potential exposure routes, the strategy includes an

assessment of isoflurane delivery and evacuation methods

utilizing high -tech real -time detection equipment during

the performance of veterinary procedures. While the Na-

tional Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

(NIOSH) recommends an isoflurane exposure limit below

2 ppm, Columbia University EH&S’s goal is focused on

promoting best practices to reduce exposure to the lowest

reasonably achievable concentration. Typical recommenda-

tions from these assessments include commonsense admin-

istrative and engineering solutions that can effectively re-

duce occupational isoflurane exposure.

To date, only one isoflurane administration apparatus has

required removal from service due to an irreparable leak in

the delivery system. Recommendations for reducing expo-

sure are updated periodically and disseminated to known

users. For more information as well as current recommen-

dations to reduce exposure to isoflurane, visit http://

www.ehs.columbia.edu/Isoflurane.pdf. Additionally,

EH&S is also available upon request to monitor personnel

for potential exposure to anesthetic gases by contacting

[email protected].

Secondly, EH&S and the Office of Risk Management col-

laborated on a recent revision to a University Policy that

previously prohibited inter -campus transport of biological

materials by researchers. A pragmatic approach to investi-

gator -mediated inter -campus transport was developed that

permits certain specific classifications of biological materi-

als, with low or no risk that are NOT classified as hazard-

ous materials/dangerous goods by the Department of

Transportation, to be transported in University -owned or

contracted vehicle/shuttle bus, licensed taxi cab or personal

vehicles. However these biological materials are NOT per-

mitted on public transport such as an MTA bus nor sub-

way. As a result, this Policy revision may promote produc-

tive collaborations between investigators on different cam-

puses by removing the transport barrier.

For a full description of the Policy, refer to http://www.ehs.columbia.edu/Intercampus.html. If you have anyquestions, please contact a biosafety officer at

[email protected].

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his year, and every year hereafter, September 25 will be

National Research Administrator Day to recognize the con-

ributions made by research administrators. The announcement of

his national day of recognition was made during the 57 th Annual

Meeting of the National Council of University Research Adminis-

rators (NCURA). The day is now included in the National Day Cal-

endar .

Research administrators serve an important role in supporting the

esearch enterprise. The broad field of research administration in-

cludes many types of jobs, including, but not limited to, grants man-

agers, grants coordinators, project officers, financial analysts, de-

partment administrators, subaward specialists, compliance officers,

human subject protection professionals, clinical research coordina-

ors. They include central and departmental administrators serving

faculty and researchers. They protect the institution and educate

researchers on the proper management of sponsored project funding.

The role of the research administrator is becoming increasingly

complex, given the fast - paced nature of science combined with th

increased scrutiny of sponsored research spending. The research

administrator must constantly stay up to date on compliance regula-

tions while serving as the researcher’s advocate. September 25 will

be a day where you can show your appreciation to the research ad-

ministrators in your life. Take them to lunch, buy them a gift card or

treat, or simply say thank you for their hard work!

You can see how research administrators celebrated the day on

Twitter by using #ResearchAdministratorDay.

NATIONAL RESEARCH ADMINISTRATOR DAY !

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http://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-research-administrator-day/http://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-research-administrator-day/http://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-research-administrator-day/http://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-research-administrator-day/http://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-research-administrator-day/


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POSTDOC SYMPOSIUM 2015

n September 17, more than 200 faculty, postdocs,

students and staff came together in Lerner Hall to

celebrate the research accomplishments of the

University’s postdocs at the 2015 Columbia University and

NYC ASCENT Postdoc Research and Career Symposium.

More than 100 postdocs and 1,600 graduate students also

attended a graduate level career fair the following day, on

September 18 that featured more than 75 employers and

was held as part of the symposium. The symposium was

organized to highlight the ground breaking research being

carried out by the University’s postdocs and to provide an

opportunity for postdocs to meet with potential future em-

ployers.

The symposium commenced with poster presentations

from more than 100 postdocs spanning 50 departments

across the University. The breadth of the research present-

ed created a truly unique opportunity for researchers to

learn about exciting and innovative research both within

and outside of their disciplines and to perhaps form new

collaborations. Ten postdocs were honored with top poster

prizes: Jennifer Robinson, College of Dental Medicine and

Department of Biomedical Engineering; Justine Kupfer-

man, Department of Neuroscience; Deepika Suri, Depart-

ment of Psychiatry; Ying Jean, Department of Pathology

and Cell Biology; Chan Aye Thu, Department of Biochem-

istry and Molecular Biophysics; Katherine Alfredo, Earth

Institute, the Columbia Water Center; Ilan Jen -La Plante,

Department of Chemistry; Kirsten Marie Jensen, Depart-

ment of Applied Physics and Mathematics; Shukun Luo,

Department of Biological Sciences; and Katarina Roos,

Department of Chemistry.

Following the poster session, short research talks were

given by 5 postdocs whose abstracts were selected by fac-

ulty review committees from the 110 abstracts originally

submitted for their significance, innovation and potential

impact. Each of these postdocs was given a $1,000 award

donated by A&S, SEAS, CUMC, the Office of the EVP for

Research, and the NYC ASCENT program. The awardees

were: Xi Chen, Department of Biological Sciences (Sahin

Lab), Melody Cheng, Department of Neurology (Kuo

Lab), Alp Kucukelbir (NYC ASCENT Fellow), Data Sci-

ence Institute (Blei Lab), Michael Metzger, Department of

Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (Goff Lab), and

Dessislava Nikolova, Department of Electrical Engineering

(Bergman Lab).

The keynote talk for the symposium was delivered by Dr.

George Yancopoulos [pictured opposite page, bottom

right], the President and Chief Science Officer of Regener-

on Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and a Columbia University PhD/

MD Alum. The keynote talk focused on the founding of

Regeneron and how their novel approaches in tackling

debilitating diseases have led to remarkable treatments and

have positioned Regeneron as a leader in the pharmaceuti-

cal industry. The symposium sessions ended in a widely

attended networking reception.

The event was co -organized by the Office of Postdoctoral

Affairs (OPA) and the NYC ASCENT Program, a profes-

sional development program for computer science and

computer science related postdoctoral trainees at Colum-

bia, Cornell, CUNY, and NYU. OPA also received signifi-

cant assistance from the postdoctoral council, the Office of

Research Initiatives and the EVPR office. The career fair

was run by the Center for Career Education in partnership

with OPA and NYC ASCENT.

For more information, please contact Rory Flinn, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, at [email protected]

Annual research and career symposium celebrates University’s postdocs

O

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Certification Program Educates and SupportsResearch Administrators

Departmental research administrators are on the front lines ofsponsored projects management. Since 2008, the Office of

Research Compliance and Training (ORCT), in conjunction

with other EVPR offices and Sponsored Projects Finance, has

been offering Research Compliance Foundations , an 8 -week

course that introduces research administrators to compliance

topics encountered throughout the lifecycle of sponsored re-

search projects. Taught by senior representatives from SPA,

SPF, IRB, IACUC, EH&S, CTO and RCT, each session gives

participants, who range from recent hires to seasoned veterans,an overview of the compliance issues they will face, available

resources, and how to manage those issues. Almost 1,200 Co-

lumbia administrators from all campuses and many depart-

ments have attended the course, which receives consistently

high praise from attendees. Several departments are requiring

or strongly encouraging new hires to attend Foundations ,

which is offered each year in summer and winter.

In 2009, we introduced Sponsored Projects Essentials , a more

in-depth look at pre - and post -award management of sponsored

projects. Taught by SPA and SPF, the 5 -week Essentials

course has been attended by nearly 500 administrators and is

offered each spring and fall.

Administrators who attend all Foundations sessions, all Essen-

tials sessions, and complete an online case review and Rascal

test earn the Certification in Administration of Sponsored Pro-

jects . Initiated in 2011, the Certification program provides

administrators with the knowledge and understanding of poli-

cies and processes necessary for the successful administration

of sponsored projects at Columbia. To date, 175 administrators

have earned the Certification, received certificates and letters

of congratulation, and had their chairs or directors notified of

their achievement.

Through the Foundations and Essentials courses and the Certi-

fication program, the offices of the EVPR are promoting and

supporting the professional development of the administrators

who play a crucial role in the successful management of our

sponsored research projects. For more information, visit the

Research Compliance and Training website,

www.columbia.edu/cu/compliance/docs/training/

Certification_Program , or contact Joel Roselin at

[email protected] .

EVPR/RCT Provide Chairs/Directors Introduc-tion to Research Responsibilities

Someone once said that being the chair is a half -time job – eve-

ry other minute! The role of the chair or director has many

responsibilities; some are obvious, but others remain hidden

until a problem arises or an action is required. This may be

especially true of responsibilities relating to research. Much

research -related activity at Columbia is centered in the depart-

ment, division or center, and some of that activity involves the

chair or director in one way or another. At times, even experi-

enced chairs or directors may become aware of certain respon-

sibilities only after a problem arises.

To help orient chairs and directors to these sometimes unex-

pected responsibilities, in 2013, EVPR Michael Purdy and As-

sociate Vice President for Research Compliance and Training

Naomi Schrag created an in - person overview of research -

related responsibilities and activities specific to chairs and di-

rectors. Although the one -hour program initially targeted

new chairs and directors, the feedback the program has

received from those who have participated indicates

it is useful for seasoned leaders as well.

For more information, contact Joel

Roselin at [email protected] .

OFFICE OF R ESEARCH COMPLIANCE AND TRAINING Compliance Training Initiatives Support Administrators/Chairs/Directors

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/compliance/docs/training/Certification_Programhttp://www.columbia.edu/cu/compliance/docs/training/Certification_Programhttp://www.columbia.edu/cu/compliance/docs/training/Certification_Programmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.columbia.edu/cu/compliance/docs/training/Certification_Programhttp://www.columbia.edu/cu/compliance/docs/training/Certification_Program


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U.S. Sanctions Programs may Impact Interna-tional Research

What Researchers Need to Know About EconomicSanctions The U.S. government imposes economic sanctions against cer-

tain countries, entities and individuals in order to advance its

foreign policy and national security interests. Although U.S.

sanctions clearly impact the operations of a company engaged in

selling widgets internationally, you might be wondering whether

Columbia University, an institution of higher learning, needs to

be concerned about U.S. sanctions at all. The short answer to

this question is “Yes” - U.S. sanctions can and do impact Co-

lumbia research activities. The goal of this article is to briefly

explain how U.S. sanctions programs apply to Columbia re-

search and whom to contact when a sanctions -related question

arises.

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Con-

trol (“OFAC”) maintains sanctions against certain countries,

entities and individuals. Certain countries are subject to com-

prehensive sanctions, while others are subject to targeted sanc-

tions. Comprehensive sanctions prohibit transactions with a

country’s government and virtually all other transactions involv-

ing the sanctioned country without first obtaining U.S. Govern-

ment authorization to engage in such transactions. Currently,

the U.S. imposes comprehensive sanctions against Cuba, North

Korea, Iran, Sudan, Syria and, most recently, the Crimea region

of Ukraine.

In addition to comprehensive sanctions, the U.S. also imposes

limited, or targeted, sanctions against certain entities and indi-

viduals. Unlike comprehensive sanctions, targeted sanc-

tions do not broadly prohibit transactions with certain

countries and foreign governments, but rather

prohibit transactions with certain entities

and individuals included on one of

OFAC’s sanctioned parties lists,

such as the Specially Designat-

ed Nationals and Blocked Parties List (“SDN List”). A list of

OFAC’s current sanctions programs is available on OFAC’s

website ( http://www.treasury.gov/resource -center/sanctions/

Programs/Pages/Programs.aspx ), as is access to OFAC’s sanc-

tioned parties lists, including the SDN List ( http://www.treasury.gov/resource -center/sanctions/SDN -List/Pages/

default.aspx ).

Although the various U.S. sanctions programs differ in terms of

what each program restricts, we can make some generalizations.

In general, U.S. persons (such as Columbia University and its

personnel) may not engage in the following activities:

Enter into contracts, agreements or research collaborations

with an entity or individual located in a comprehensivelysanctioned country or a Specially Designated National

Make payments to or receive payments from an entity or

individual located in a comprehensively sanctioned country

or a Specially Designated National

Provide services or training to or receive services or train-

ing from an entity or individual located in a comprehensive-

ly sanctioned country or a Specially Designated National

Export or import goods, services or technology to or froman entity or individual located in a comprehensively sanc-

tioned country or a Specially Designated National.

Although restrictions under the sanctions regulations apply

broadly, and can even capture uncompensated interviews or

surveys taking place in a comprehensively sanctioned country or

with a Specially Designated National, there are some useful ex-

ceptions. For example, OFAC permits Columbia researchers to

engage in certain activities relating to the peer -review processwith individuals in certain comprehensively sanctioned coun-

tries, such as Iran and Cuba.

As discussed above, U.S. sanctions regulations can and do affect

aspects of Columbia research. Given the significant penalties

(both civil and criminal) that may be imposed for violating U.S.

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In Fall 2014, the Columbia University Senate approved a com-

panion policy to the University’s Policy on Financial Conflictsof Interest and Research. The new policy, entitled the Columbia

University Policy on Institutional Conflict of Interest (ICOI) in

Research [http://evpr.columbia.edu/files/evpr/imce_shared/

FCOI_Research_Policy.pdf] protects the objectivity of Universi-

ty research from potential conflicts that may result from finan-

cial interests held by the University itself or by its officials who

have responsibility for research oversight. Such financial inter-

ests could include, for example, royalties paid to the University

by research sponsors; ownership interests in start -up companieswhose products are the subject of University research; or certain

large corporate gifts.

Implementation of the Policy is being administered by the

ORCT and will be automated in part through the University’s

research administration and compliance IT system, Rascal. Po-

tential institutional conflicts of interest are reviewed by the Uni-versity’s Institutional Conflict of Interest Committee, an inter-

disciplinary faculty committee that also includes non -voting

members from Columbia Technology Ventures and the Office of

Alumni and Development. The Policy provides that “[t]he ICOI

Committee and the University should make every attempt to

resolve institutional conflicts in a manner that enables research

to proceed at the University. However, if the ICOI Committee

finds that an ICOI cannot be managed, and divestment is not

feasible, then the affected research should not proceed at the

University.”

Anyone with questions about the new Policy should contact

ORCT at research [email protected] .

sanctions regulations and the complexity of the sanctions regula-

tions themselves, it is important that Columbia researchers con-

sider sanctions issues before engaging in research activities in-

volving sanctioned countries or Specially Designated Nationals.

ORCT can help you assess and resolve sanctions -related ques-tions you may have. If a research project involves a sanctioned

country or a Specially Designated National, please contact

Michelle Avallone, Columbia’s Research Export Control Of-

ficer, at [email protected] or 212 -851 -9822.

More details about U.S. sanctions are available on Research

Compliance & Training’s website, http://www.columbia.edu/cu/

compliance/docs/international_research/Keylawsandregulations/

sanctioned_countries.html .

Effort Reporting 2015 This year’s annual effort certification period runs from Tuesday, October 6 through Wednesday, November 18. During those six weeks,

Faculty, including Officers of Instruction, Research (except postdocs), Administration and Libraries, who committed effort on sponsored pro-

cts, must review and certify their effort for the fiscal year that ran from July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2015. Principal Investigators (PIs) must

the same for their research staff. Self -certifiers and PIs who have not previously completed training must do so in Rascal prior to certifying.

For questions, please contact effort [email protected], or visit the Effort Reporting website at www.effortreporting.columbia.edu.

Institutional Conflict of Interest

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.columbia.edu/cu/compliance/docs/international_research/Keylawsandregulations/sanctioned_countries.htmlhttp://www.columbia.edu/cu/compliance/docs/international_research/Keylawsandregulations/sanctioned_countries.htmlhttp://www.columbia.edu/cu/compliance/docs/international_research/Keylawsandregulations/sanctioned_countries.htmlhttp://www.columbia.edu/cu/compliance/docs/international_research/Keylawsandregulations/sanctioned_countries.htmlmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.effortreporting.columbia.edu/http://www.effortreporting.columbia.edu/mailto:[email protected]://www.columbia.edu/cu/compliance/docs/international_research/Keylawsandregulations/sanctioned_countries.htmlhttp://www.columbia.edu/cu/compliance/docs/international_research/Keylawsandregulations/sanctioned_countries.htmlhttp://www.columbia.edu/cu/compliance/docs/international_research/Keylawsandregulations/sanctioned_countries.htmlmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Consultation Hour

The consultation hour is held on Fridays from 11a.m. to 12p.m. in Room 314, Hammer Building. The office’s Executive Director

and/or Compliance and Training Coordinators will be available during that hour to discuss protocol issues or answer questions/

address concerns regarding the IACUC.

Protocol Preparation Consultation

The protocol preparation consultation service provides investigators and research personnel with the opportunity for one on one

meetings with members of the IACUC staff who can provide assistance with protocol preparation, or with responses to comments

subsequent IACUC review. Please note that this service does not include veterinary consultation and does not ensure automatic

IACUC approval.

To request a consultation, contact Ms. Sierrea Fuller (sf2534) by email or phone 212 -342 -0443, or the IACUC Executive Director,Dr. MJ Shepherd (ms4387). When submitting the request, please provide:

1. A draft of the animal care and use protocol

2. Schedule of availability (2 business days required excluding weekends and holidays)

The IACUC office staff is pleased to offer consultation services to better serve the research community. IACUC O FFICE CONSULTATION SERVICES


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he New Jersey shoreline where sea birds wandered

during the last ice age was about 90 miles east of

today’s beaches, tens of meters beneath the sea floor. As the

ice melted, sea level gradually rose and flooded the coastal

terrain, and sedimentation carried out its relentless burial of

things past.

This summer, a group of scientists spent several weeks

aboard the R/V Marcus G. Langseth looking into that past.

Using sound waves, they collected data that will be used to

build 3D images of the sediment beneath the ocean floor.

They hope to be able to peel back layers of the 3D images to

see how coastal landscapes responded to rising sea levelsand hurricanes through history.

Understanding how coastal areas changed as the ocean rose

in the past could help communities protect themselves from

storm surge flooding in the future as the oceans warm and

sea levels rise.

The Langseth , operated by Lamont -Doherty Earth Observa-

tory as the nation’s premier marine seismic research facility,

collects data about the Earth and oceans in several ways ,

most prominently through a system of hydrophone stream-

ers towed behind the ship that record sound waves bouncing

off structures deep beneath the sea floor. Its seismic map-

ping capabilities are about to get stronger: The National

Science Foundation last week approved the purchase of a

new hydrophone streamer system that will reach up to 15

kilometers, allowing the Langseth to capture refracted sound

waves and their velocity through sediment layers over a

longer distance and wider angle, creating higher -resolution

images of deeper features than any research vessel in theworld.

This summer’s New Jersey expedition , led by Rutgers Pro-

fessor and Lamont Adjunct Senior Research Scientist Greg

Mountain, offers a window into the use of hydrophone

streamers for reconstructing Earth’s physical history, in this

MAPPING LAND CLAIMED BY SEA LEVEL R ISE

T

http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/files/uploaded/image/marineseismicbrochure_pages.pdfhttp://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/files/uploaded/image/marineseismicbrochure_pages.pdfhttp://eps.rutgers.edu/slin3d-home-2http://eps.rutgers.edu/slin3d-home-2http://eps.rutgers.edu/slin3d-home-2http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/files/uploaded/image/marineseismicbrochure_pages.pdfhttp://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/


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case for identifying the impact and magnitude of past sea -

level change.

Mountain and his colleagues Mladen Nedimovic of Lamont -

Doherty and Dalhousie University and James Austin and

Craig Fulthorpe of the University of Texas Institute for Geo-

physics set out to map past shorelines buried within sedimentlayers as much as 1,500 meters below the ocean floor. Sedi-

ment cores from the area reflect changes in the climate going

back about 40 million years. But cores don’t provide a view

of buried landforms such as barrier islands and inlets, which

can show the resilience of coastlines as sea -level changes.

Earlier 2D seismic surveys suggested the area holds great

potential for understanding shoreline evolution, but the bur-

ied features were too fine to see in detail, which could mean

the changes that shaped them happened too quickly and weretoo complex to be imaged with 2D data, Mountain said.

The New Jersey expedition was a technological leap past

prior seismic surveys in this region, designed to improve

acoustic resolution of ancient seascapes by collecting data in

3D. To do this, the Langseth towed four air guns just below

the ocean surface to generate an acoustic pulse with each

release of compressed air. Echoes of the pulses reflect off

sediment layers a mile or more below the seafloor and are picked up by 24 hydrophone streamers trailed behind the

ship, the largest number ever attempted in the research com-

munity. In addition, one longer streamer increased the resolu-

tion. Satellite navigation located the position of the ship, each

acoustic pulse and the hundreds of hydrophones within those

streamers, resulting in roughly 30 million individual acoustic

traces over a 200 square -mile area. Mountain and his col-

leagues expect that the quality and shear density of these

acoustic “soundings” of ancient terrains below the seafloor

will reveal previously unseen details of how the New Jersey

coastline has changed over the last 40 -60 million years.

Processing the data into 3D representations will take several

months, but once completed, Mountain and his team hope to

be able to peel back the sediment layers to reveal the migra-

tion of the shoreline as it advanced and retreated. Knowing

details such as whether barrier islands in the past were over-

whelmed by single storms or cut by inlets as the sea level

rose could help scientists find ways to protect and possibly

stabilize coastal communities in the future.

“It’s in our best interest to understand what happened in the

past because it will help explain what we can expect will hap-

pen in the future,” Mountain said. “We’re going to have to

make some accommodations for sea -level rise along

An illustra on of 2D seismic mapping (Hannes Grobe -

Alfred Wegener Ins tute CC -BY-SA2.5). A cutaway

shows what 3D seismic mapping can do.


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the coast within our children’s lifetime. Sea level along the Jer-

sey shore is likely to be 2.5 to 6 feet higher 100 years from

now. With that elevated base, we should expect to see the

flooding and destruction equivalent to what now is a once - per -

century Superstorm Sandy occur every 5 to 10 years.”

The Langseth ’s new 15 km streamer, purchased from an oil

company that had been unable to use it in the current market,

will be thinner, lighter and about twice as long as the ship’s

current streamer. When segmented into shorter streamers, it

will be able to create 3D images to show structures such as tsu-

nami -generating faults, the volcanic underpinnings of continen-

tal margins, and magma chambers several kilometers belowmid -ocean ridges.

Lamont’s Office of Marine Operations plans to re -rig the

Langseth with the new streamer system this fall. The lighter

streamer will also reduce the footprint of the seismic equip-

ment on the ship, creating more room for additional research.

Original story by Stacy Morford on August 19, 2015, pub-

lished in the Earth Institute blog . Photos by Greg Mountain.

Sean Higgins and Lamont Director Sean Solomon talk from the bridge of the Langseth.

http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2015/08/19/mapping-land-claimed-by-sea-level-rise/http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2015/08/19/mapping-land-claimed-by-sea-level-rise/http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2015/08/19/mapping-land-claimed-by-sea-level-rise/http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2015/08/19/mapping-land-claimed-by-sea-level-rise/http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2015/08/19/mapping-land-claimed-by-sea-level-rise/


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he Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center announced

the recipients of its first cohort of Faculty Research Fel-

lowships, competitive awards designed to expand the

breadth of aging research across Columbia University. Increasing

life expectancies in both the developed and developing world areleading to more and more people around the world living into their

70s, 80s, and 90s. With this funding, the Center supports research

on the malleability of human aging to optimize our longer lives.

“Understanding the malleability of aging becomes more important

every year as more and more people live longer lives,” says Ursula

M. Staudinger, PhD, the Robert N. Butler Professor of Sociomedi-

cal Sciences and Professor of Psychology who directs the Colum-

bia Aging Center. “The pool of applicants in our first call for pro-

posals reinforces my conviction that Columbia has the potential to

become a leader in research on the positive plasticity of aging.”

Positive plasticity, a term used by Dr. Staudinger to differentiate

from pathological aging, refers to the fact that human aging is mod-

ifiable and that aging trajectories (e.g., cognitive aging) can be im-

proved.

The Faculty Research Fellowship program launched last fall and is

open to researchers across the entire Columbia campus to reflect

the University’s need to strengthen its investment in aging science

in light of global demographic trends. The program’s purpose is to

enable interdisciplinary study of the biopsychosocial nature of the

aging process and its modifiability. Housed at Columbia’s Mailman

School of Public Health, the University -wide Center awarded a

total of $150,000 this year exploring topics as wide -ranging as the

role of parathyroid hormone in cognitive decline, successful aging

among lesbian and gay adults, and the role of the built environment

in delaying chronic diseases. Another five fellowships will be

awarded in 2016.

The 2015 recipients are:

Sunil Agrawal, PhD, Professor of Mechanical

Engineering and of Rehabilitation and Regen-

erative Medicine.

Walter O. Bockting, PhD, Professor of Medi-

cal Psychology

Gina S. Lovasi, PhD, Assistant Professor of

Epidemiology

Edward Owusu -Ansah, PhD, Assistant Profes-

sor of Physiology & Cellular Biophysics

Marcella D. Walker, MD, MS, Associate Pro-

fessor of Medicine

The next call for proposals will be announced on December 1,

2015 . For more information about the successful proposals and the

next call, please contact the Columbia Aging Center’s Senior Sci-

ence and Strategy Officer, Caitlin Hawke:

[email protected] or visit the Columbia Aging Center’s

website: aging.columbia.edu .

Columbia Examines Social, Mechanical and Physiological Dimensions of Aging

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http://aging.columbia.edu/http://aging.columbia.edu/http://aging.columbia.edu/ursula-m-staudinger-phdhttp://aging.columbia.edu/ursula-m-staudinger-phdhttp://aging.columbia.edu/ursula-m-staudinger-phdhttps://www.mailman.columbia.edu/https://www.mailman.columbia.edu/https://www.mailman.columbia.edu/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_6/aging.columbia.eduhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_6/aging.columbia.eduhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_6/aging.columbia.edumailto:[email protected]://www.mailman.columbia.edu/https://www.mailman.columbia.edu/http://aging.columbia.edu/ursula-m-staudinger-phdhttp://aging.columbia.edu/ursula-m-staudinger-phdhttp://aging.columbia.edu/


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FRANKLIN ESPINAL JR Financial Analyst, MSPH

Franklin Espinal Jr has been pro-moted to Financial Analyst in theMailmain SPA Office, where hehas been working for 7 years. Hisresponsibilities include: processing

post -award actions and reviewingdata for accuracy and ensuringcompliance with award regulatoryterms and University policies. Pri-or to working at Mailman, he wasan Administrative Assistant for theDepartment of Surgery, an OfficeManager at Choice Collectibles inFairview, New Jersey and the Da-tabase Coordinator for the PublicSafety office at Columbia’s Morn-ingside Campus.

THERESE HORN Senior Subaward Specialist, SPA

Therese Horn has been promoted tthe position of Senior Subaward Specialist in the SPA Morningside Ofice. Prior to joining SPA, Theresworked as a Grant Accountant in thdepartment of Laboratory Medicinat Yale University for three and half years, where she was responsibfor pre - and post -award managemof the department’s sponsored projec

portfolio. She has also held positionin financial reporting and financi

planning and analysis at SikorskHelicopter Support in Connecticuand was Co -founder and ExecutiDirector of A Very Merry Birthday, small non - profit in New Haven, CTherese holds a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration iAccounting from Southern Connectcut State University and a gradua

certificate in Project Managemefrom Boston University.

NEW STAFF AND STAFF NEWS

ARIELLA GHANOONI Senior Project Officer, SPA

Ariella joined SPA in the Morn-ingside Office as a Senior ProjectOfficer in May 2015. Prior to join-ing SPA, Ariella held positions asBusiness Manager and Grants Co-ordinator in the School of Engi-neering and Applied Sciences overthe past 4 years. When she is not

plugging away at her desk, she isavid hiker and adventuring. She

recently completed the HauteRoute, a 118 mile high mountainhike through the Alps.


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ERICA PENA Financial Analyst, SPA

Erica Pena joins SPA in theMorningside Office as a financialanalyst. She has more than tenyears in academic and medicalsettings. In her current role, shewill be responsible for reviewingand analyzing grants, contractsand cooperative agreements andapproving all sponsored projectaccounts and budget authoriza-

tions.

RIA MIRANDA Senior Project Officer, SPA

Ria Miranda is the newest SeniorProject Officer in SPA, joining theMorningside Office in June 2015.Before switching to central admin-istration, she worked in the depart-ments of American Language Pro-gram, Applied Physics and AppliedMathematics, and Electrical Engi-neering. She has earned a B.A. fromCarleton College and a master's de-gree from Columbia’s SIPA.

ARACELI VIRUET Senior Subaward Officer, SPA

Araceli Viruet recently accepted a positionas a Senior Subaward Officer at the SPAMorningside Office. She spent the last 8years working at the Mailman SPA officeand has been working at Columbia for the

past 18 years. In this time, she has gainedextensive grants and post -award experience. Prior to being a Senior SubawardOfficer, she held roles as an Associate Pro-

ject Analyst, Financial Analyst and Senior

Financial Analyst. In her current role,some of her responsibilities include, butare not limited to: negotiating and issuingoutgoing subawards, and preparing modi-fications to existing subaward agreementson behalf of SPA. She also works directlywith investigators, department administra-tors, subrecipients, and SPA pre -/posaward staff to manage, develop and issuesubawards as well as assist with postaward activities related to subawards. Ara-

celi holds a B.S. in Business Managementwith a concentration in Marketing fromMarymount Manhattan College.


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