Boston University Summer Institute in Biostatistics

描述(申请人提供)：1 波士顿大学(BU)提出了一个为期六周的强化项目，名为“波士顿大学生物统计学夏季培训学院(BU SIBS)”，该项目基于一个全面的课程，包括生物统计分析、流行病学分析、临床试验的设计和分析、统计遗传学和统计计算，旨在吸引来自美国各地的本科生和新近毕业的学生对生物统计领域的许多令人兴奋的机会感兴趣。该课程内容严谨，并穿插着突出生物统计学相关性的当前实例。我们的教职员工热情高涨，致力于这项计划，我们的外部演讲者小组也是如此，他们是来自学术界和工业界的执业生物统计学家和流行病学家，以及从事重要且广为人知的研究的内科研究人员，如国家心肺血液研究所(NHLBI)赞助的弗雷明翰心脏研究(FHS)和杰克逊心脏研究(JHS)。在波士顿大学的大力机构支持下，我们提出了一个基础设施，以支持项目期间学生生活的方方面面。2003年，波士顿大学(BU)是接受NHLBI资助的三个地点之一，用于开展为期六周的生物统计学强化培训计划，旨在吸引本科生对该领域众多令人兴奋的机会感兴趣(T15 HL075881)。2006年，该计划又继续实施了三年。2009年，我们幸运地成为八个获得资金的地点之一，以继续该计划三年(T15 HL097791)。截至本申请之日，2004年6月和7月至2011年期间已完成8届会议，第九届会议定于2012年6月11日至7月20日举行。北卡罗来纳大学SIBS在2013、2014和2105年的暑期课程的具体目标是：1.开办一个互动项目，旨在向不同的本科生和应届毕业生介绍生物统计学这一充满活力、极其重要的学科，它为广泛的生物医学研究提供必要的工具，并提供许多令人兴奋的职业选择。2.为学生提供生物统计分析、流行病学分析、设计临床试验分析和统计遗传学的基本原理的坚实基础，使用创新和创造性的教学方法，并通过高度宣传和相关的例子。3.向本科生介绍SAS和R计算程序包，并提供技能，使他们能够自信地进行基本的统计分析，并使用NHLBI对心、肺、血液和睡眠障碍的研究提供的数据集来解释统计程序包的输出。4.充分评估该计划，根据反馈和自我评估更新和修改课程，最终传播一份高质量、相关和全面的课程，可供其他机构使用，向本科生介绍生物统计学领域。5指导学生在本国院校选课，为申请生物统计学或其他学科的研究生项目提供职业咨询、建议和支持，并跟踪北大SIBS的毕业生以记录该项目的短期和长期效果。为了实现这些目标，我们将该计划的重点放在四个具体的内容领域：生物统计学、流行病学、临床试验的设计和分析以及统计遗传学。对于每个内容领域，我们将强调将学生主动学习与在线模块相结合的教学策略，开展教学和课堂讨论；由特定学科的专家进行演示和小组讨论，以讨论使用特定技术并出现在媒体或最近的科学出版物中的实例；及时和真实地使用NHLBI数据集进行动手练习；访问非现场地点，与从事生物统计研究的专业人员会面；以及学生和教职员工之间的团队合作和友谊精神。到目前为止，该计划一直非常成功。在第一年，我们收到了24个名额的78份申请。在过去的8年里，我们看到来自美国各地的申请增加了260%，这些申请来自学业成绩优异(平均GPA=3.5)和不同本科专业的学生。在每堂课开始时进行的调查中，学生们表示对生物统计学及其众多职业选择不清楚。在每个为期六周的课程中，学生们对这一领域的热情和兴趣稳步增长，因为他们第一手了解了生物统计学领域令人兴奋的选择。毕业生 北卡罗来纳大学SIB的学生一致认为，该项目为他们带来了一份他们从未认为可能的职业。我们成功地与超过90%的学生保持了稳定的联系，从2004-2011年完成北大SIBS到2012年，超过74%的北大SIBS校友已经进入生物统计学研究生课程或在该领域找到了工作。目前正在完成本科学业的绝大多数北大SIBS学生正在申请生物统计学的研究生课程，或正在考虑该领域的就业机会。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): 1 Boston University (BU) proposes an intensive six-week program entitled the 'Boston University Summer Institute for Training in Biostatistics (BU SIBS)', based on a comprehensive curriculum that includes biostatistical analysis, epidemiological analysis, design and analysis of clinical trials, statistical genetics and statistical computing designed to interest undergraduates and recent graduates from across the US in the many exciting opportunities in the field of biostatistics. The curriculum is rigorous and interspersed with current examples that highlight the relevance of biostatistics. Our faculty is enthusiastic and committed to the program, as are our panel of outside speakers who are practicing biostatisticians and epidemiologists from academia and industry, and physician researchers working on important highly-publicized studies such as the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)-sponsored Framingham Heart Study (FHS) and Jackson Heart Study (JHS). With strong institutional support from BU, we propose an infrastructure to support all aspects of student life during the program. In 2003, Boston University (BU) was one of three sites to receive funding from the NHLBI to run a six-week intensive training program in biostatistics designed to interest undergraduates in the many exciting opportunities in the field (T15 HL075881). In 2006, the program was continued for another three years. In 2009, we were fortunate to be one of eight sites to receive funding to continue the program for three additional years (T15 HL097791). As of the date of this application, 8 sessions have been completed during the months of June and July of 2004 through 2011 and the 9th session is scheduled for June 11-July 20, 2012. The specific aims of BU SIBS for the summers of 2013, 2014 and 2105 are: 1. To run an interactive program designed to introduce a diverse body of undergraduates and recent graduates to biostatistics as a vibrant, vitally important discipline that provides the essential tools for a wide range of biomedical research and offers many exciting career options. 2. To provide students with a solid foundation in the basic principles of biostatistical analysis, epidemiological analysis, design an analysis of clinical trials and statistical genetics using innovative and creative approaches to teaching and through highly publicized and relevant examples. 3. To introduce undergraduate students to the SAS and R computing packages and to provide skills that will enable them to confidently conduct basic statistical analyses and interpret output from statistical packages using datasets available from NHLBI studies of heart, lung, blood and sleep disorders. 4. To fully evaluate the program, update and modify the curriculum based on feedback and self-evaluation and to ultimately disseminate a high quality, relevant and comprehensive curriculum that can be used in other institutions to introduce undergraduates to the field of biostatistics. 5 To mentor students in course selection at their home institutions, provide career counseling, advice and support for applications to graduate programs in biostatistics or other disciplines, and to track graduates of BU SIBS to document short- and long-term effectiveness of the program. To achieve these aims we focus the program on four specific content areas: biostatistics, epidemiology, design and analysis of clinical trials, and statistical genetics. For each content area we will emphasize a teaching strategy that integrates active student learning with on-line modules, engaging didactic teaching and in- classroom discussion; presentations and panel discussions by experts from specific disciplines to discuss examples that utilized specific techniques and appeared in the media or in recent scientific publications; timely and authentic hands-on exercises with NHLBI data sets; visits to off-site locations to meet professionals engaged in biostatistical research; and a spirit of teamwork and camaraderie among students and faculty. The program has been very successful to date. In our first year, we received 78 applications for 24 slots. Over 8 years, we have seen a 260% increase in applications which come from across the US from students with outstanding academic records (mean GPA=3.5) and a diverse range of undergraduate majors. In surveys administered at the start of each session, students indicated being unclear about biostatistics and its many career options. Over each six-week session, students' enthusiasm and interest in the field grew steadily as they learned first-hand about exciting options in the field of biostatistics. Graduates of BU SIBS are unanimous in the sentiment that the program introduced them to a career they never thought possible. We successfully maintain steady contact with over 90% of our students from completion of BU SIBS (2004-2011) through 2012 and over 74% of the our BU SIBS alumni have either entered into graduate programs in biostatistics or taken jobs in the field. The vast majority of BU SIBS students currently completing their undergraduate work are applying to graduate programs in biostatistics or considering employment opportunities in the field.