title: Characteristics of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design Programs in Institutions With Clinical and Translational Science Awards.
abstract: To learn the size, composition, and scholarly output of biostatistics, epidemiology, and research design (BERD) units in U.S. academic health centers (AHCs).
  
  
  
  Each year for four years, the authors surveyed all BERD units in U.S. AHCs that were members of the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Consortium. In 2010, 46 BERD units were surveyed; in 2011, 55; in 2012, 60; and in 2013, 61.
  
  
  
  Response rates to the 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 surveys were 93.5%, 98.2%, 98.3%, and 86.9%, respectively. Overall, the size of BERD units ranged from 3 to 86 individuals. The median FTE in BERD units remained similar and ranged from 3.0 to 3.5 FTEs over the years. BERD units reported more availability of doctoral-level biostatisticians than doctoral-level epidemiologists. In 2011, 2012, and 2013, more than a third of BERD units provided consulting support on 101 to 200 projects. A majority of BERD units reported that between 25% and 75% (in 2011) and 31% to 70% (in 2012) of their consulting was to junior investigators. More than two-thirds of BERD units reported their contributions to the submission of 20 or more non-BERD grant or contract applications annually. Nearly half of BERD units reported 1 to 10 manuscripts submitted annually with a BERD practitioner as the first or corresponding author.
  
  
  
  The findings regarding BERD units provide a benchmark against which to compare BERD resources and may be particularly useful for institutions planning to develop new units to support programs such as the CTSA.
authors: M.H. Rahbar is professor of epidemiology, biostatistics, and clinical and translational sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHSC-Houston), director, Division of Clinical and Translational Sciences, Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School, and director, Biostatistics/Epidemiology/Research Design Core, Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences, UTHSC-Houston, Houston, Texas. A.S. Dickerson is research coordinator, Biostatistics/Epidemiology/Research Design Core, Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas. C. Ahn is professor of clinical sciences; director of biostatistics, epidemiology, and research design, Center for Translational Medicine; and associate director for biostatistics and bioinformatics, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas. R.E. Carter is professor of biostatistics, Department of Health Sciences Research, and section head for clinical statistics, Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, and director, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design Resource, Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. M. Hessabi is research associate, Biostatistics/Epidemiology/Research Design Core, Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas. C.J. Lindsell is professor and vice chair for research, Department of Emergency Medicine, associate dean for clinical research, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and vice president for research, UC Health, Cincinnati, Ohio. P.J. Nietert is professor of biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), Charleston, South Carolina, and director, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design Program, South Carolina Clinical and Translational Research Institute, MUSC. R.A. Oster is professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Preventive Medicine, and codirector, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design Program, Center for Clinical and Translational Science, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama. B.H. Pollock is professor and chair, Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, California. When this study was begun, he was professor and chair of epidemiology and biostatistics; director, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design Core; and director, Bioinformatics Core, School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas. L.J. Welty is associate professor, Division of Biostatistics, Department of Preventive Medicine; director, Biostatistics Collaboration Center; and director, Research Design Analysis Methods Program, Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
authors: Mohammad H
authors: MH
authors: Rahbar
authors: Aisha S
authors: AS
authors: Dickerson
authors: Chul
authors: C
authors: Ahn
authors: Rickey E
authors: RE
authors: Carter
authors: Manouchehr
authors: M
authors: Hessabi
authors: Christopher J
authors: CJ
authors: Lindsell
authors: Paul J
authors: PJ
authors: Nietert
authors: Robert A
authors: RA
authors: Oster
authors: Brad H
authors: BH
authors: Pollock
authors: Leah J
authors: LJ
authors: Welty
mesh_terms: D001363:Awards and Prizes; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D056808:Biostatistics; D006801:Humans; D011643:Publishing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012107:Research Design; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States