Biomedical statistics

Biostatistical collaboration for UW and ITHS investigators and trainees is coordinated through the Center for Biomedical Statistics (CBS). The CBS plays a pivotal, collaborative role in biomedical research from the initial design stage to the final reporting phase.

The CBS currently offers collaboration and consultation on the following:

  • Coordinating project-specific biostatistics needs with the appropriate expertise

  • Grant preparation and study design

  • Choosing statistical methods

  • Sample size determination
  • Grant review
  • Randomization and blinding

  • Electronic data capture 

  • High-dimensional data storage

  • Multicenter study coordination

  • Data and safety monitoring
  • Data analysis and cleaning
  • Manuscript review

How researchers use this resource or service

Some examples of past CBS collaborations:

  1. An investigator is interested in designing a community-based interventional randomized trial. She is seeking a named biostatistics collaborator with specific expertise to help design the study and prepare a grant, but does not know whom to contact. Through its various connections with local and international biostatisticians, CBS is helping the investigator identify a biostatistician who has the time and expertise to collaborate on the project.
  2. An investigator is submitting an R01 application in two months and needs help with grant preparation and finding biostatistics support once the grant is funded. The proposal is an international randomized clinical trial with multiple recruitment sites studying the long-term outcomes of two different types of procedures for osteoporotic fractures. The CBS helped the investigator work through the details of the study design, options for electronic data collection, and analysis methods. CBS faculty and staff time were included in the proposal for support promised should the project be funded.
  3. An investigator is preparing an ITHS small pilot application and would like to have a biostatistician review the study protocol, research design, and analysis methods section prior to submission. The investigator scheduled a one-hour in-person consultation with a CBS staff biostatistician, received direct input on the application text, and had several follow-up emails to clarify any further questions about the proposal.

 

Fees

The initial consultation with CBS, up to 2 hours, is available without charge for ITHS investigators with projects based at the UW or affiliated ITHS institutions.

ITHS investigators writing multi-year grants that include a CBS staff biostatistician or faculty co-investigator with at least 10% effort will receive up to 20 additional hours of pre-award consultation and writing assistance from CBS.

Additional support may be negotiated (subject to availability and resources) with more than 10% CBS FTE written into a proposal.

The CBS requires that a Biostatistics Support Charge be added as a direct cost on grants where Biostatistics personnel are named with specified FTE levels on applications. This charge is applied uniformly to all grants that include CBS personnel and it covers the costs necessary for the personnel to perform the proposed research. These costs include support staff, computing infrastructure, consumable costs, faculty development and other allowable items. They do not duplicate or replace any items provided by institutional indirect costs.

The current rates are as follows:

  • $200 per year per percent FTE of faculty and PhD-level professional staff.
  • $100 per year per percent FTE of MS-level professional staff and postdoctoral fellows.
  • $50 per year per percent FTE of graduate research assistants.

For ITHS members who anticipate needing more than 2 hours of CBS consultation but will not be including biostatistics effort into a grant or project, we will contact you or a designated financial specialist as needed, and begin scheduling additional collaboration when fund information has been verified.

ITHS rates:

  • $105/hour for CBS staff time
  • $155/hour for CBS faculty time
  • $5.00/Gb per year for high-dimensional data storage

Getting started

To get started, fill out the Center for Biomedical Statistics request form.

 

Last modified: March 19, 2009