Roxanne Vaughan, Ph.D.Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences

Building a competitive research program

What is needed to be successful scientifically?

1. Submit grant proposals and obtain extramural funding.

TIME LINE: 6 months for writing, 9 months for review to funding. 6 more months if grant needs revising and resubmitting.

2. Publish work in high quality journals. TIME LINE: 3 - 6 months for writing, 3 - 6 months for

review, revision, and publication

3. Perform research and generate data. TIME LINE: 6 months - 1 year/manuscript

RESPONSIBILITIES OF NEW FACULTY

1. Integrating into new situation and new responsibilities.

2. Teaching - undergraduate, graduate, medical students.

3. Setting up lab - ordering equipment, supplies

FACULTY START-UP FUNDS FROM ND EPSCoR:

1. Ability to purchase equipment and supplies.

2. Ability to hire lab personnel

EPSCoR start-up funds were crucial for maintaining research

momentum

Ability to support graduate student within 2 months of my arrival She helped me with ordering equipment and supplies, establishing assays and getting lab work started We were performing experiments within 3

months of my arrival First publication from UND was submitted for

publication within one year and published during second year

Benchaporn PananusornMaster’s Student

Progress to date After 1 year at UND my NIH grant was

funded This allowed me to hire a post-doctoral

fellow, technician, and support two other students

James Foster, Ph.D.Research Assistant Professor

Jon GaffaneyDoctoral Student

Mark CervinskiDoctoral Student

Heather HoldenResearch Specialist

Research Projects Phosphorylation and regulation of

dopamine transporters Identification of active sites on DAT for

substrates and antagonists using irreversible ligands.

Identification of DAT NH2-terminus as major site of PKC-induced phosphorylation

Benchaporn

Identification of DAT phosphorylation sites by HPLC and 2-D TLC mapping.

Research Progress

Jamie

Identification of PP1 as major DAT phosphatase

Phosphorylation of DAT in response to psychostimulant drugs

Jamie

Mark

Heather

Identification of antagonist-induced conformational changes in DAT using protease protection assays.

JonIdentification of photoaffinity label binding sites.

19992 papers from collaborations

20002 papers including work from UND/1 collaborative paper

20012 papers entirely from UND/1 collaborative paper

20022 papers entirely from UND/1 paper submitted

20032 papers in preparation

During each following year we submitted 2-3 more papers

These levels of publication and research efforts are required for success

During competitive submission of my NIH grant the primary criticism resulting in

poor priority score was "lack of progress as evidenced by publications", even though the grant included data that resulted in paperseventually published in the Journal of Biological

Chemistry and Molecular Brain Research.

Grant Support Progress NIDA RO1 “Phosphorylation and regulation of

dopamine transporters” 17.5%, pending NIDA RO1 “Affinity labeling the dopamine

transporter active site” 18%, pending NIDA F32 Predoctoral Fellowship to Jon Gaffaney EPSCoR IIG “Phosphorylation of Human

Dopamine Transporters” RO1 subcontract “Ligand Binding Sites on DAT”

collaboration with Emory University Planned submissions to NSF, private foundations

Strategies for Success Become familiar with NIH and NSF websites

These contain instructions, electronic forms, hints for writing successful proposals, data and information on funded grants (CRISP database).

Talk with your NIH and NSF officials by telephone or at meetings.

Talk with your colleagues who have grants. Collaborate with colleagues at other institutions.

Ahn Pham, doctoral studentEmory UniversityWorking on DAT photoaffinity labeling project

DAT Research Group

Supported by ND EPSCoR, National Institute on Drug Abuse, UND Senate Scholarly Activities Committee

THANK YOU - STAFF OF EPSCoR for your efforts on behalf of

scientific progress and excellence in North Dakota