Wednesday, July 31, 2013

RFA: American Diabetes Association and Lilly Clinical Research Award: Diabetes Care in Older Adults


American Diabetes Association and Lilly Clinical Research Award: Diabetes Care in Older Adults


Application Deadline:
September 16, 2013 for January 2014 funding
Award Description:
The ADA and Lilly Clinical Research Award: Diabetes Care in Older Adults provides grant support for clinical and translation studies focused on improving the evidence base and understanding of the goals, barriers, and effects of treatments and interventions (beneficial and adverse) in the older adult population with diabetes. 
Support:
Up to three awards will be funded, which will each receive a maximum of $200,000 per year for a total of $550,00 over a term of three years. Indirect costs are limited to 15% of the total direct costs.
Application Materials: 
Apply Online
» Begin a NEW application
» Access a saved application


TEST POST DURING CROW

We are discussing during CROW why we do not get notifications from blogspot.

Monday, July 29, 2013

Clinical Research Oriented Workshop (CROW) Meeting: July 24, 2013



Present:  Marianne Burke, Kat Cheung, Abby Crocker, Kairn Kelley, Rodger Kessler, Connie van Eeghen
1.                  Start Up: Kat is in the Masters CTS program; contemplating the PhD.  Discussion of the variability of soup quality in the Atrium CafĂ© vs. the FAHC cafeteria resulted in a preference for the FAHC kitchen, which has less variability in performance outcomes – recipes are pretty good too.

2.                  Discussion: Kairn: Power Calculations and You: How Standard Deviation Affects The Research Question
a.       Kairn developed a plan to test the validity of dichotic word tests, in which the same subject gets the same test within 20 minutes.  The pilot data resulted in pre to post-test differences that were much larger than expected, resulting in overlapping distributions and different means
b.      The sample size is driven by the following characteristics of the testing procedure.
                                                  i.      Competing word tests: 20 on the right + 20 on the left = 40 total (a commonly used test, from Kairn’s survey of interested audiologists)
                                                ii.      Dichotic digit tests: 40 right + 40 left   (a commonly used test, from same survey)
                                              iii.      Dichotic consonant vowel tests: 30 right + 30 left = laterality index (R-L)/R+L (Kairn likes this test, but it is criticized as not being very reliable)
c.       Given the variability in the pilot data (5 children, three tests each, 2 ears each), there are new questions:
                                                  i.      For each test, is the group mean at T1 the same as the group mean for T2?  Note that there is no clinical standard to determine a meaningful change in score.
                                                ii.      What is the SD of individual change in score T1 to T2?
d.      Power calculation to replicate test-retest reliability published in the manual:
                                                  i.      Expected effect size: 2
                                                ii.      Standard deviation of scores: 2.5
                                              iii.      Effect/SD = 0.8
                                              iv.      Sample size needed: 26 individuals for a difference of 2 or greater on a two tailed test with alpha of 0.05 and beta of 0.2
                                                v.      However, with multiple tests to analyze, a correction is needed to increase the sample size
e.       Strategy: two separate populations (pediatric office and day camp) of 30 kids each, analyzing each group separately.  There were some opinions offered that running two populations may be more than is needed for a dissertation, but this was left to the candidate and her committee to discuss.

3.                  Next Workshop Meeting(s): Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., at Given Courtyard South Level 4.   
a.       July 31: Kairn: draft analytic plan for dissertation; also Sylvie Frisbie and the Blogspot (no Ben, Abby)
b.      August 7: Marianne: Journal club on Banks DE, Shi R, Timm DF, Christopher KA, Duggar DC, Comegys M, McLarty J. Decreased hospital length of stay associated with presentation of cases at morning report with librarian support. J Med Libr Assoc. 2007 Oct;95(4):381-7. PubMed PMID: 17971885; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2000787.
c.       August 14 (no Abby, no Marianne); plan for new schedule Fall semester (week of Aug 26)
d.      August 21: Abby: Opiate project update
e.       August 28:
f.       Future agenda to consider:
                                                  i.      Peter Callas or other faculty on multi-level modeling
                                                ii.      Charlie MacLean: demonstration of Tableau; or Rodger’s examples of Prezi
                                              iii.      Journal article: Gomes, 2013, Opioid Dose and MVA in Canada (Charlie)
                                              iv.      Ben: Tukey chapter reading assignments, or other book of general interest
                                                v.      Summer plan: each week, one person will send out an article or prezi ahead for review or discussion by all.  Alternatively, if a participant is working on a key document for their professional development, this is also welcome (e.g. K awards, F awards, etc.)

Recorder: Connie van Eeghen

Saturday, July 27, 2013

MEPS Data Users’ Workshop in Rockville, MD, on September 23-24, 2013.

SAVE THE DATE
AHRQ will be conducting a two-day hands-on MEPS Data Users’ Workshop in Rockville, MD, on September 23-24, 2013.
Day 1 of this workshop will consist of lectures designed to provide a general overview of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) including information about survey design, file content, and the construction of analytic files. Particular emphasis will be on health care utilization, expenditures, and medical conditions.
Day 2 of the workshop is intended to give hands-on experience to participants. A laptop computer will be provided to each participant. The participants will apply the knowledge gained from the previous day's lectures and work with programmers and analysts on MEPS data. They will learn how to identify and pull together variables to build a data file to answer their research questions. SAS example exercises will be demonstrated. There will be time allotted for open discussion and for answering specific research questions from participants. To fully benefit from the second day, participants should have some prior knowledge of MEPS. A basic knowledge of SAS is desirable, but not essential.

The workshop is offered free of cost.
A full program description, registration form, and logistical information will be available by the end of July on the Workshops & Events page of the MEPS Web site at http://meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/about_meps/workshops_events.jsp.
For any other questions, email workshopinfo@ahrq.hhs.gov.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Clinical Research Oriented Workshop (CROW) Meeting: July 17, 2013 - partial



Present:  Marianne Burke, Abby Crocker, Kairn Kelley, Amanda Kennedy, Rodger Kessler, Ben Littenberg, Connie van Eeghen 

Note: these notes are a partial representation of what was a great discussion.  For more info, see Rodger (the discussion leader).
1.                  Start Up: Updates on current projects around the table.  Elias Brandt is a “big data set analysis” analyst for the SAFTINet project – see Rodger for contact info. 

2.                  Discussion: Rodger: current version of “degree of integration measure”
a.       Rodger has applied for an R21 to validate a measure of integrating behavioral health care and medical care – this is a gap in the field.  Feedback from reviewers:
                                                  i.      Positive – good idea
                                                ii.      Need a draft with a measurement system, with a theory behind it
b.      Background: Rodger has developed a lexicon of integrated care, grounded in other theoretical work.  Has made a first draft of using the lexicon to develop a measurement system.  (Rodger previously sent out a draft.)  His lexicon does not include measures of standards of NCQA certification (primary or specialty care – which includes cardiology, for example, but not behavioral health) or Meaningful Use standards.
                                                  i.      A theoretically driven tool will examine the domains of care (integrated care) and identify measures that match those domains.  Neither NCQA or MU are theoretically driven, and have a limited relationship to integrated care.
                                                ii.      Rodger’s thought is to examine existing measures to map back to the domain, and possibly find missing domains.  He also wants to ensure that integrated care reaches out, to other domains, in developing a credible and useful measurement system. 
c.       The theoretical model can be expanded.  Start with the accepted instrument; add needed scales to reference other domains, e.g. inclusion of patient and family or caregiver, as a sidebar. 

3.                  Next Workshop Meeting(s): Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., at Given Courtyard South Level 4.   
a.       July 24: Kairn: Power Calculations and You: How Standard Deviation Affects The Research Question; also, check out CTS Blogspot for notifications (no Ben)
b.      July 31: (no Ben, Abby)
c.       August 7: Marianne: Journal club on Banks DE, Shi R, Timm DF, Christopher KA, Duggar DC, Comegys M, McLarty J. Decreased hospital length of stay associated with presentation of cases at morning report with librarian support. J Med Libr Assoc. 2007 Oct;95(4):381-7. PubMed PMID: 17971885; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2000787.
d.      August 14 (no Abby); plan for new schedule Fall semester (week of Aug 26)
e.       August 21: Abby: Opiate project update
f.       August 28
g.      Future agenda to consider:
                                                  i.      Peter Callas or other faculty on multi-level modeling
                                                ii.      Charlie MacLean: demonstration of Tableau; or Rodger’s examples of Prezi
                                              iii.      Journal article: Gomes, 2013, Opioid Dose and MVA in Canada (Charlie)
                                              iv.      Ben: Tukey chapter reading assignments, or other book of general interest
                                                v.      Summer plan: each week, one person will send out an article or prezi ahead for review or discussion by all.  Alternatively, if a participant is working on a key document for their professional development, this is also welcome (e.g. K awards, F awards, etc.)

Recorder: Connie van Eeghen

Grant Writing Workshop

Grant Writing Workshop 
Sponsored by: Vermont EPSCoR and Vermont Genetics Network
Location: Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center
Date: September 7, 2013
 
Registration is FREE and sponsored by VGN and VT EPSCoR 
<http://www.uvm.edu/~epscor/new02/?q=node/866&URL=http://www.uvm.edu/~epscor/index_plain.php?Page=../Annual_Meeting_Registration/index_drupal_gww.php>
  
For Graduate Students: A session of graduate research fellowships with a panel of successful applicants for NSF and NIH fellowship awards.
 
For Small Businesses and Faculty and Student Entrepreneurs: A session on funding opportunities presented by a federal agency representative TBN (check back soon for more details!)
 
For Postdocs and Faculty: A session on NIH (R01, R021 and R15) awards followed by a session on NSF RUI and standard grant awards.
 
This year's keynote presenter is Dr. Robert Porter, Director of Research 
Development at the University of Tennessee. 
Bio <http://www.uvm.edu/~epscor/new02/?q=node/1466#leader>
 
Additional Details <http://www.uvm.edu/~epscor/new02/?q=node/1466> check 
back for updates!
 
Questions?
Email epscor@uvm.edu 
Phone 656-7931