Technical Support Core

技术支助核心的主要目标是为方案项目工作人员提供便利、协调良好、成本效益高的技术支助服务，这些服务对拟议的研究方案至关重要。所有项目都将广泛使用自动化和/或基于计算机的仪器来执行研究方案、收集数据和分析实验结果。此外，这一方案项目代表了参与调查人员迄今使用的方法的一种容易实现但仍然是实质性的扩展。所有项目都将需要新的定制设备建造、新的计算机编程以升级和扩展现有的数据收集和设备 控制软件、收集和评分观测数据的新方法和/或新的统计方法。由于这些需求在各个项目中都很常见，因此将服务/支持提供集中在一个核心中具有后勤和财务上的意义。核心将由四个组成部分组成，它们直接回应刚刚阐明的需求。它们是： 1)设备建设和维护。核心PI将与外部承包商合作设计、安排施工和维护测试仪器，其中一些将需要轻型机械和/或电气工程； 2)计算机编程和维护。核心PI将与咨询计算机软件工程师合作，开发、扩展和/或维护现有软件库，以实现程序项目的测试协议； 3)观测数据收集/分析。核心PI将与外部顾问合作，安排最有效地利用Shdver中心的观测编码设施，以协助方案项目调查人员收集和评分观测数据； 4)统计咨询和项目数据库管理。核心合作调查员将协助方案项目调查员对其数据进行统计分析，并在必要时安排有重点的咨询，以解决项目过程中可能出现的任何异常困难的统计问题。他还将构建和维护一个方案项目数据库，以促进跨项目数据共享和评估。 参与这一核心工作的每一名工作人员都已经履行了先前和/或正在进行的研究项目中提议的那种作用，他们都非常有资格担任这里提议的职务。

The main objective of the Technical Support core is to provide program project staff with convenient, well-coordinated, cost-effective access to technical support services that are essential to the proposed research programs. All projects will make extensive use of automated and/or computer-based apparatus to implement the research protocols, to collect data, and to analyze results of experiments. Moreover, this program project represents a readily achievable but nevertheless substantial extension of methodologies used thus far by the participating investigators. All projects will require new custom-purpose apparatus construction, new computer programming to upgrade and extend existing data collection and equipment control software, new methods for collecting and scoring observational data, and/or new statistical methodology. Because these needs are common across projects, centralizing service/support provision within a core makes logistical and financial sense. The core will have four components that respond directly to the needs just articulated. These are: 1) Apparatus construction and maintenance. The core PI will work with external contractors to design, arrange construction of, and maintain test apparatus, some of which will require light mechanical and/or electrical engineering; 2) Computer programming and maintenance. The core PI will work with a consulting computer software engineer to develop, extend, and/or maintain a library of existing software to implement the program project's test protocols; 3) Observational data collection/analysis. The core PI will work with an external consultant to arrange for maximally effective use of the Shdver Center's Observational Coding facility to assist program project investigators in collecting and scoring observational data; 4) Statistical consulting and program project database management. The core co-investigator will assist program project investigators with statistical analysis of their data and arrange for focused consulting, as necessary, to resolve any unusually difficult statistical issues that might arise in the course of the projects. He will also construct and maintain a program project database that will facilitate cross-project datasharing and evaluation. Each of the staff members participating in this core has already fulfilled a role of the type proposed on earlier and/or ongoing research projects, and all are very well-qualified to serve in the capacity proposed here.