The mission of the Design and Biostatistics Resource (DBR) is to provide a wide range of design, statistical, and analytical support services to assist University investigators garner grant support and succeed in publishing study results. The DBR provides support through consultations - both one-on-one and group - and formal lecture series. An encounter with the DBR usually begins with the completion of the online request form, followed by a one-hour consultation. After the initial consult, the DBR offers up to five hours of free follow-up support in the form of:
- additional data analyses
- sample size and power calculations
- hypothesis refinement
- study design guidance
- manuscript review
- grant submission assistance
Longer-term collaborative arrangements with appropriate financial support are also possible.
If you would like more information, please contact DBR Director Dr. Roger Vaughan, Professor of Biostatistics, at rdv2@columbia.edu.
What is the DBR?
The Design and Biostatistics Resource (DBR) of the Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research provides a wide range of services in conjunction with the Biostatistics Consulting Service (BCS) in the Department of Biostatistics of the Mailman School of Public Health. Services include:
- Assistance with the articulation of study hypotheses, and recommendations for appropriate study design
- Power & sample size calculations
- Brief data analysis
- Statistical analysis plans for grant applications
- Manuscript preparation assistance
How do I gain access to these services?
The first thing to do is to think carefully about what you need; perhaps you are not really ready for data analysis, but actually need help thinking about how to define the variables, construct hypotheses, and plan analyses.
Then, fill out and submit a request form.
What will happen to my form?
Your form will be reviewed by a statistician in the DBR and you will be contacted for an appointment, or referred to an appropriate alternative resource.
How long will it take?
You will usually be contacted within a day or two to make an appointment, but in periods of high demand, it may take up to two weeks to get an appointment.
How far in advance should I contact the DBR?
At least 6 weeks before a grant or paper is due, or at least 4 weeks before an analysis is needed.
What will happen at the appointment?
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You will meet with a DBR biostatistician, a Masters level data analyst, and possibly one or more biostatistics students at an initial consultation, which usually lasts for an hour or less. DBR staff will then spend up to 4 hours of additional time (e.g. data analysis, manuscript review, power analysis) working to complete your request. How much does it cost?We provide these consulting services to the CUMC research community free of charge. More extensive collaborations require formal support and can be referred to Biostatistics faculty for availability. |
What if I want to learn more about research design and biostatistics?
Consult the list of Design and Biostatistical References
You may sign up to attend the Irving Institute Clinical Research Seminar Series, which is offered every year and lasts for 14 weeks; topics include Power and Sample Size, Design, t-test, ANOVA, Regression. If you are interested in more formal training you may consider pursuing a research degree, such as the Master of Science in Biostatistics, Clinical Research Methods track, or the Patient Oriented Research track.
For details on other training opportunities, see TRANSFORM.
Who is this service for?
Priority is given to faculty and research scientists on the health sciences campus who do not have their own departmental or institutional resources for study design and biostatistics.
Can students use it?
Due to limited resources, we do not provide DBR services to students.
OK, I understand more about the resource and am ready to ask for help. How do I do it?
Submit Request |
