The Score

• Each letter must be no more than 100 words. NIH encourages applicants to use this single sentence for letters of collaboration: "If the application submitted [org name and PI name] as PI of the application, [app title] is selected for funding by NIH, it is my intent to collaborate and/or commit resources as detailed in the application."
• Letters from senior/key personnel and other significant contributors are unnecessary.
• Letters from trainees or laboratory staff, including graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and technicians, should not be included.
• Once Forms J are implemented, applications that include letters of support may be returned without review.

• Updated logo: All consent forms that previously included a UNMC and/or Nebraska Medicine logo now feature the combined UNMC/Nebraska Medicine logo. These updates have been made automatically, and no action is required by study teams.
• Revised standard consent language: The Office of Regulatory Affairs also has updated standard language in the "Will you be paid for being in this research?" section of the consent form template to clarify tax reporting requirements for participant payments. When applicable, consent forms also now include updated language explaining that donated research samples become the property of the participating institution and will be transferred to the study sponsor.
• Currently approved studies: There is no requirement to update consent forms for studies that already have IRB approval. However, study teams may submit revisions if they would like their consent documents to include the updated language.
• Central IRB studies: For studies that rely on an external IRB, required logo and standard language updates are being implemented in templates used by Advarra, WCG, NCI and NMDP. Study teams should refer to the cIRB forms webpage for the most current versions.

For any investigators planning or working in cancer research, the Community Outreach and Engagement office has designed the PAC (Partners in Addressing Cancers) to help connect researchers with Community Scientists and Research Liaisons to build community-engaged partnerships that make research more informed, relevant, and impactful.

Investigators interested in working with PAC or scheduling a consultation can contact lauregarcia@unmc.edu or swatanabe@unmc.edu.

As a condition for NIH funding, all research subject to the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines) must be reviewed by the UNMC Institutional Biosafety Committee. Examples of clinical trials subject to the NIH Guidelines (human gene transfer) include viral vector-based vaccines, mRNA vaccines, and gene-modified cell therapies such as CAR-T. Industry-sponsored clinical trials where a new IBC protocol is submitted on or after March 1, 2026, will be subject to the following IBC review fees: 

Fees for IBC review of Industry Sponsored Clinical Trials

• Initial Review: $1,500 per IBC protocol
• Request for Change to IBC protocol (sponsor initiated): $750
• Annual Continuing Review: $750
• Study Closure: No charge

Invoicing for IBC review will occur through RSS. Please contact IBCORA@unmc.edu or biosafety@unmc.edu if you have any questions.

TriNetX LIVE is a powerful tool for clinical research, enabling swift cohort discovery and feasibility assessments across a vast data network.

• This platform is now available for use by UNMC researchers, a new resource supported by the READi Core and the VCR office.
• Supports queries against the TriNetX research network (includes more than 100 HCOs and more than150 million patients) or Nebraska Medicine.

TriNetX LIVE empowers researchers at UNMC by streamlining access to real-world data from over 100 healthcare organizations, enhancing the speed and accuracy of study planning.

• Provides comprehensive EHR data, including demographics and lab results, supporting robust analysis.
• Accelerates feasibility and cohort discovery for observational studies, outcomes research, pragmatic research, and hypothesis generation.
• Supports trial feasibility planning by helping teams estimate eligible populations and baseline characteristics.

Researchers interested in using this new tool can now request access through the UNMC/NM Service Now website.

Questions? Contact Lisa Treat at ltreat@unmc.edu.

Several core facilities across UNMC are transitioning from RSS to Stratocore PPMS on a rolling basis. Stratocore is a web-based platform for managing core facilities, equipment reservations, service requests, and billing. During this phased rollout, some facilities will continue to use RSS until their migration is complete.

Principal investigators should complete lab group setup as soon as possible. Researchers won’t be able to book services for cores that have transitioned to Stratocore until their lab group setup is complete.

Read more about Stratocore PPMS from the UNMC Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research

Registration is now open for the 2026 UNMC Protection of Human Subjects Conference. The hybrid conference will be hosted in person at the Michael F. Sorrell Center (619 S 42nd St, Omaha, NE 68198) Oct. 16, 8 am to 4 pm. This is a free educational event.

View more information or click here to register for the in-person event. For information regarding virtual attendance, please email irbora@unmc.edu. Registration for in person attendance will close Oct. 11. Registration for virtual attendance will close Oct. 14.

The IDeA-CTR Network is offering FREE Clinical and Translational Research Focused NIH Structured Grant Writing Workshops focused on the K and R levels. The sessions will be facilitated by the AtKisson Training Group (ATG), a nationally recognized consulting firm specializing in grant writing among other things. Registration is required using the 2026 AtKisson Grant Writing Workshop registration form.

This six-week hybrid course serves as an introduction to the 48-week course. From the course summary, this class "will provide a focused introduction to how artificial intelligence and machine learning are used, evaluated, and governed in academic health systems The emphasis is on conceptual clarity, critical appraisal, and translational relevance rather than coding or model development."

Dates are to be determined. View the course description.

Nebraska INBRE and the Center for Biomedical Informatics Research and Innovation (CBIRI) are offering a free online bioinformatics course. The Introduction to Bioinformatics course is a self-paced, comprehensive program covering seven key topics in the field of bioinformatics. Participants from nonprofit organizations in Nebraska are eligible to enroll at no cost. To get started, please complete the registration approval form using your official institutional email.