This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Experience has repeatedly shown that early involvement of statisticians in the conceptualization and design of research projects invariably makes the experiments more powerful and fruitful. Such involvement would be very important in strengthening the research infrastructure, as well as enhancing the quality of biomedical research at Jackson State University (JSU). We therefore propose the establishment of the Biostatistical Support Unit (BSU) as a core facility to provide investigators in the RCMI and other health-related programs, and their graduate and undergraduate students, with modern statistical consulting and technology to support their current and future biomedical research. The Unit is designed to provide all aspects of statistical consulting including: design of experiments, analysis of data, interpretation of results, database design and management, data entry and publication. The facility would also be organized to ensure better biostatistics services to investigators in environmental health and biomedical programs as well as investigators in other health related research centers at JSU. Therefore, the overall mission of this core facility is to provide consulting services to all biomedical researchers and students, as well as to foster interdisciplinary biomedical research collaborations among JSU faculty.
The specific aims of the proposed core are: 1) to strengthen the biomedical research infrastructure at JSU; 2) to provide statistical support to RCMI investigators, other faculty, graduate and undergraduate students involved in biomedical research; 3) to contribute to the development of high quality research by employing statistical methods in all aspects of the research; 4) to increase the number of African Americans and other minority scientists in biostatistics; 5) to continue to provide training opportunities to graduate and undergraduate students, and summer high school students involved in apprenticeship programs; and 6) to enhance the research capabilities of the existing GIS laboratory, especially in the areas of data analysis and management. It is expected that the development of the BSU core will highly strengthen the biomedical research infrastructure, as well as the quality of scientific publications generated from RCMI and other biomedical programs at Jackson State University. The goal of the BSU is to become partially self sufficient with funds generated by consulting, supplemented by both university funds and grant funds obtained for interdisciplinary research. User fees of $ 70 per hour will be charged for all consultation with investigators who have grant supported research programs. Also, as proposals are developed, appropriate fees for statistical support will be included. The initial consultations up to an hour will be free, but once the project has been defined, the client will be given an estimate of the cost of the consultation if more extensive services is needed. All funds generated by the BSU will be used to support activities in the BSU.
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