# Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design Core

> **NIH NIH U54** · MAINEHEALTH · 2024 · $892,066

## Abstract

The goal of The Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design (BERD) Core is to support NNE-CTR Cores
and investigators in the appropriate use of methodologies and computationally-intensive approaches and
technologies for their studies. In the four-plus years since the NNE-CTR was funded, the BERD Core has
invested considerable resources and personnel in building out our computational and data infrastructures, with
a major goal of supporting and facilitating collaborative research among investigators at the biomedical
institutions of northern New England. Our success has enabled our participation in large national initiatives
such as N3C and RECOVER, as well as numerous state-wide and regional collaborations. A critical element of
our success has been the development of our data science capabilities that have enabled the collaborative
data sharing needed to participate in these large projects. However, our primary mandate -- and strength -- is
our ability to support, educate, facilitate, and train clinical investigators and basic scientists in carrying out
successful clinical and translational research at all stages of the translational research cycle and at all stages
of an investigator's career. A key piece of this effort has been the continued development of our Clinical and
Translational Research Navigation team, which is critical to the support of our clinical investigators at all levels,
but particularly those who are more junior. The valuable guidance and resources they provide on everything
from conceptualization to study design, statistical and survey methods, ethics training, and beyond is
fundamentally necessary for the engagement and success of clinical investigators. In fact, the unique and
innovative Research Navigation model we implemented has been so successful that several of the clinical
departments and service lines at MaineHealth have hired their own research navigators, whom we have
supported and helped to train in the best practices we developed. The model focuses on building
multidisciplinary teams composed of outstanding basic scientists and interested, engaged clinicians who share
ideas and thereby identify common research interests. It has enabled both intra- and inter-institutional
collaboration within and between our two healthcare organizations. As a natural outgrowth and extension of the
Research Navigation model, we will develop and offer CTR Research Design Studio sessions in this next
funding period. Further, we will enhance the integration of clinical, research, and administrative data, continue
to participate in national initiatives such as N3C and RECOVER, provide more intensive training in use of the
Palantir platform in the N3C Enclave and the analytic tools in the Enclave, and provide outreach and training to
analysts and investigators on the use of tools, such as the ATLAS web interface for accessing our OMOP data,
and dashboard development using R and SHINY. We will expand collaborations to bring more o...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10870180
- **Project number:** 5U54GM115516-08
- **Recipient organization:** MAINEHEALTH
- **Principal Investigator:** Susan L SANTANGELO
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $892,066
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-07-03 → 2027-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10870180

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10870180, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design Core (5U54GM115516-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10870180. Licensed CC0.

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