Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Research Design, and Informatics (BERDI)

Biostatistics Trainee Research and Quality Support Program

Collaborative Program to Enhance Research for Lifespan Residents, Fellows, and Graduate Students

Mission

The trainee research and quality support program is tailored to residents, fellows, and graduate students who conduct research and quality initiatives as part of their training in satisfaction of ACGME and departmental requirements.

The program is designed to provide opportunity, support, advice, and guidance with emphasis on mentoring and facilitating efforts from conceptualization through data management using REDCap, contemporary data analysis, interpretation, and write up.

Where needed, trainees are guided to other partners, such as the Department of Operational Excellence, Lifespan Library, Brown Center for Biomedical Informatics, Research Protection Office (IRB), and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).

Program Details

Trainees learn of, and about, the program individually or as a group through a variety of approaches. Once engaged, individuals self-schedule their semi-structured consultations as their schedules and personnel availability permits over the life of the project.

Orientation

  • Pre-scheduled open houses in PDR 1-2-3 at Rhode Island Hospital
  • Introduction to program goals and resources
  • REDCap tour
  • Q&A

Semi-Structured Consultations

NIH core review criteria

Research

Early consultation with members of the biostatistics core is guided by a broad breakdown of research tasks. The current NIH Core Review Criteria are used as a guide to structuring the early phases of the project.

Quality

Trainees interested in a quality project will have the opportunity to work with the Department of Operational Excellence:

  • Lean and Six Sigma
  • Project sustainability through alignment with Lifespan priorities
  • Green Belt Certification (time allowing)

Program Goal

The goal of the program is to focus critically on the intellectual aspects of conducting research and quality studies, while providing contextualized footholds for trainees to accomplish tasks with the Lifespan system. More specifically, the biostatistics core will:

  • Collaborate on conceptualization and planning
  • Steer trainees to other resources
  • Data management protocol development
  • Guide set-up of REDCap database
  • Conduct statistical analysis with trainee
  • Assist in visualization, presentation, and write-up

Program Benefits

Trainee benefits include:

  • Applied education in scientific thinking, design, data management, and biostatistics
  • Coordinated process for initiating and conducting research with expert support
  • Potential for interdepartmental collaborations
  • Higher quality presentations and peer-review publications

Mentor benefits include:

  • Increased efficiency for mentor time on projects by supplementing expertise
  • Vicarious learning of methodological or statistical techniques and tools
  • New opportunities for interdepartmental collaborations
  • Senior authorship of higher quality presentations and peer-review papers
Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Research Design, and Informatics (BERDI)