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Course Objectives
The 2008 NIH Summer Institute will address essential conceptual, methodological, and practical issues involved in planning and carrying out cross-systems health services research.
Individuals with health problems are often involved in multiple systems. Their complex needs can create significant challenges to obtaining and complying with effective health treatments and services, leading to less than optimal health outcomes. Cross-systems research offers a means to understand and develop strategies for overcoming these challenges.
The vulnerabilities faced by persons with multi-system involvement include lack of service coordination, gaps in services, and conflicting norms, priorities, definitions and goals among systems. Examples to consider include the disconnects between systems such as health care, aging services, mental health treatment and services, alcohol and other substance abuse treatment and services, schools, welfare and child welfare, social services, housing programs, and criminal justice systems, among others.
This institute will have three interlocking didactic content themes:
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Models for understanding healthcare services access and outcome |
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Conceptualizing cross-systems health services research |
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Examples of work in cross-systems health services research |
Process will include working groups to develop individual proposals and presentations on health services research methods relevant to cross-systems studies.
“Tools” will include: Frameworks for services research and translating services research across systems—Conceptualizing research at different levels of analysis (e.g.: macro, organizational, provider, individual and family levels)—Use of multiple informants and multiple sources of data—Importance of strong explanatory frameworks for both intervention models and naturalistic or epidemiology based models.
The Institute is intended for investigators who have COMPLETED THEIR DOCTORATE and who plan to develop entry-level (e.g.: R03, R21, or R34) NIH grant applications for research in this area. Faculty will include established investigators from social work and other fields. The goal is for every participant to develop a draft grant proposal by the end of the training that will eventually lead to a grant submission to the relevant NIH institute.
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Major Topics
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Overview of conceptualizing and designing cross-systems research |
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Developing and submitting an NIH R03, R21, or R34 proposal |
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Measurement–selecting measures, assessing validity and reliability; strengths and limitations of various measurement strategies |
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Research design– sampling; types of designs; effect sizes; power |
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Analysis– models and issues |
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Participation will include writing draft sections on measures, methods, and analysis for an R03, R21, or R34 application. Participants will present and receive feedback on their drafts during the institute. |
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Institute Format
Participation in this institute will include the following:
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Instructional sessions with Institute faculty |
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Discussion of cross-cutting issues |
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Discussing and receiving feedback on iterations of the proposal under development |
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Development and refinement of a draft research proposal |
In order to achieve the objectives of the 2008 Summer Institute, it is expected that participants will work on their proposals during the evening hours.
Participants should choose and be familiar with the NIH funding mechanism for which their application is being developed.
Participants are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to bring a laptop to participate in the Summer Institute.
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Location of Instruction
The Institute will be held in Bethesda, Maryland.
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Cost
No fee is charged for the Summer Institute Program. Room and board and materials will be covered by NIH. Travel expenses and the cost of meals not provided for you will be reimbursed at the conclusion of the Institute.
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Background
In May 2003, the National Institutes of Health developed the first trans-institute plan for social work research. This document, dubbed the NIH Plan for Social Work Research, made a series of recommendations to further enhance this area of research in the extramural program. One of the proposed initiatives was for NIH to conduct a Summer Institute on Social Work Research. This initiative would focus in 2004 on qualitative and mixed research methods, in 2005 on behavioral and social intervention research, and in 2006 on the design and development of quantitative research—these methodologies represent frequently mentioned research infrastructure and training needs in the field. Specifically, the NIH plan proposed to:
Develop and implement an NIH Summer Institute on Social Work Research offering new researchers intensive exposure to issues and challenges in the field of social work research. The program of the Summer Institute would include lectures, seminars, and small group discussions in research design relative to social work as it relates to health, discussion sessions on methodological approaches and interventions, and consultation on the development of research interests and advice on preparing and submitting research grant applications to the NIH.
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