The Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design (BERD) Core has been instrumental in expanding clinical and translational research of new investigators, community partners, and programs of the Oklahoma Shared Clinical and Translational Resources (OSCTR). Based upon input from our Internal Advisory Committee and OSCTR investigators, we established and deployed the Sooner Survey Center in 2014 to facilitate the design and implementation of health-related phone, internet, and in-person surveys and interviews. Projects supported through the Sooner Survey Center and the BERD Core continue to grow in number and scope. The objective of the Alterations and Renovations proposal is to renovate space in the College of Public Health Building on the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center campus to accommodate the research space needs of the growing BERD Core and the Sooner Survey Center of the OSCTR. A wet lab and non-functioning walk-in environmental chamber will be removed and the laboratory space will be remodeled to accommodate the expansion of the Sooner Survey Center to include an additional 23 calling stations. In addition, existing offices will be updated to include a research interview room, research conference room, supervisor's office, and research staff office. Audio/visual equipment will be mounted in the research conference room to accommodate conference calls and meetings with partner and affiliated OSCTR institutions. The creation of additional office and calling center space will allow for consolidation of the currently scattered Survey Center offices and for expanded Survey Center and BERD staff and graduate student research space. The College of Public Health Building, the location of the proposed renovation, houses the Sooner Survey Center and is the primary office of 12 BERD personnel. In addition, the College of Public Health Building houses the Director of the Tracking and Evaluation Core, is the location of many class sessions and workshops for the Professional Development Core, and is adjacent to the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, which houses components of the Administrative and Clinical Resources Cores. All Cores of the OSCTR will benefit from the expanded BERD and Sooner Survey Center facilities. In addition, the renovations will enhance research infrastructure that supports research design, analysis and data capture needs of OSCTR community partners, as well as research training, education, and capacity building within their organizations. Expanded Sooner Survey Center facilities will support phone- and internet-based surveys of OSCTR investigators and trainees, and provide facilities for qualitative focus group sessions or interviews for research and program evaluation projects. The planned renovation will enhance the mission of the BERD Core, to enable OSCTR investigators and partner institutions to design, perform, and report rigorous, reproducible, and innovative studies that can be applied to improve clinical care and patient well-being in Oklahoma and other IDeA states.
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