Biostatistics and Modeling
Sidebar
The BAM Core is composed of two inter-connected units. The Biostatistics Unit handles statistical requests including pre-award statistical support and post-award collaboration. The Modeling Unit supports research involving HIV epidemic and pathogenesis modeling and health economic evaluation. Initial service requests should be directed towards one of these two units, although collaborations and cross-unit requests are encouraged and accommodated.
The BAM core has a particular focus on training and mentoring the next generation of HIV researchers on biostatistics and modeling methodologies. As such, we provide multiple formal and informal training activities in quantitative methods, please contact us for details.
BAM Core service areas:
The BAM core provides statistical consultation and collaboration in the following areas:
• Participation in all types of studies
• Clinical trials
• Observational studies
• Survey designs
• Health economics
• Genomics studies (in collaboration with the MCI and TV Cores)
• Specialized analyses
• High-dimensional analysis
• Geospatial analyses
• Bayesian methods
• Clinical trial design and analyses
• Dynamic modeling and cost-effectiveness evaluations
The BAM core provides the following services:
• Pre-award grant proposal support (when the BAM Core or personnel are included in the application’s budget after a discussion with BAM leadership regarding the appropriate level of support):
• Study planning, including assistance in formalizing aims
• Design and health economics advice and referrals
• Sample size and power calculations
• Development of analysis plans
• Collaboration on funded proposals (with funding committed to the BAM Core or personnel):
• In-depth collaboration as a co-PI or co-investigator
• Funding allocated towards quantitative effort separate from CFAR support
• Collaboration in research communication
• Interpretation of results
• Drafting of abstracts, posters, or articles as co-authors
Access to BAM services
All requests must be submitted using the above "Submit a service request" link. One hour of consultation is available to SD CFAR members for free. All investigators receiving BAM assistance during grant preparation are required to include BAM personnel or recharge in the budgets for their grant proposals (a practice that usually strengthens the applications).
Timelines
We will respond to service requests with an initial scheduling email within 3 working days. However, since we usually work on multiple projects at a time, your request will be placed in a queue. Queue time can be anywhere from a few days to several weeks. To ensure proper review of grant applications and adequate time to support associated work product (e.g. power calculations or text to include in a grant), at least 4 weeks advance notice before the grant deadline is required for BAM support.
Co-authorship
Considerations of co-authorship should be based on intellectual and research contributions, which include design, analysis, and interpretation, regardless of compensation. For more on authorship guidelines, see International Committee of Medical Journal Editors uniform requirements for manuscripts
FAQ
Who can receive support?
Members of the SD CFAR institutions (UCSD [including the SD Veterans Affairs Healthcare System and the Veterans Medical Research foundation], San Diego State University, Scripps Research, and The La Jolla Institute for Immunology) who request support HIV-related research. Additionally, we support individuals who are applying for SD CFAR international pilot grants (including international colleagues), and SD CFAR developmental grants.
What happens after I submit my request for assistance? How long will it take to receive a response?
Your service request will be reviewed and allocated to the relevant BAM Core faculty, and a first response will be made within three working days. In the (likely) event that we have a project queue, queuing time can be anywhere from a few days to several weeks. You will be informed of the specific queuing situation (if any) in our first response. When your project reaches the front of the queue, you will be contacted to arrange a meeting. We recommend making a request as early as possible to ensure your deadlines are met (see the Timelines section above).
What will happen at the initial meeting?
The first meeting typically involves a discussion with one of the members of the BAM Core Leadership and lasts no more than one hour. During the meeting, please be prepared to discuss the background, research aims, and the goals of the project. Discussions about the specific work items requested (e.g., a power calculation or statistical analysis plan) will occur in conjunction with budget discussions, including a timeline for delivery.
My deadline is this week, what should I do?
Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate last-minute requests. Please feel free to reach out to us, but we cannot guarantee consultation under short deadlines due to the many projects we support.
Quantitative Working Group
In the summer of 2018, the Quantitative Working Group (QWG) was established to help investigators develop collaborative, quantitative, and methodological innovations for their grant proposals and research projects. The video linked below provides more detail. Let us know how we can help you!
For more information, submit a service request here or contact:
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Director of Biostatistics 858 822-2388 |
Director of Modeling natasha-martin@health.ucsd.edu 858-822-4802 |
Ravi Goyal, PhD Leadership Trainee
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