Biostatistical Service

Biostatistics

The model of service has been updated (August 2021), removing fees for internal researchers^*.

RPH Research Foundation’s in-house Biostatistical Consulting Service offers expert research program support to researchers towards ensuring high quality research methodology, analysis and output.

The service is accessible and free to East Metropolitan Health Service (EMHS) researchers and 50 Murray Street Resident Researchers*.

Full time PhD students based at 50 Murray St will have access to 2 hours of free support per fortnight (unused hours cannot be accumulated).

Fees will be applied for reanalyses stemming from incomplete data sets (observations or variables), inclusion of ineligible patients, unplanned/unnecessary interim analyses etc or for analyses requested against advice of the statistician (see fee table below).

Non EMHS researchers can also access the services on offer (see fee table below).

*criteria apply - see below.

Queries and Appointments

Queries and appointment requests can be directed to our biostatistics team at biostatistics@rphresearchfoundation.org.au.

Available Services

Study Design

Clarification of research question, identification of outcomes, confounding variables management, sample size requirements (power analysis); advantages/disadvantages of collection methodology.

Ethics and Grant Applications

Feedback on clarity of aims, statistical analysis proposed, power calculations, advice.

Data Collection Layout

Data Conversion for Statistical Package Use

Writing code to read files, file conversion from one file format to another.

Data Set Preparation

Reshaping data from wide to long format, merging data sets, data checking and issue identification, creation of new more efficient variables.

Analysis and Feedback

Analysis of data, assisting with interpretation, software tuition.

Reporting

Assist with interpretation of results, client review, manuscript preparation including statistical methods, formulations tables/graphs.

Peer Review

Review and edit manuscripts.

PhD Support

Consultation and advice on research project design and analysis.

Workshops

Custom designed workshops for your team (fees apply).

Co-authorship

In return for free statistical support, it is expected the statistician will be offered co-authorship on the paper and their affiliation with the RPH Research Foundation reported.

Grant Application Support

Assistance with study design, sample size calculations and analysis plans for grant applications will be provided free of charge. It is a requirement of free support that any grant application submitted for a project includes a statistical budget when permitted in the application (see eligibility criteria).

Free Service Eligibility Criteria*

The following eligibility criteria apply:

1. Research Focus

Data must have a research focus.

Note: QA or compliance monitoring projects will not qualify without a substantial research component such as the evaluation of an intervention in a designed study.

2. Data Source

Data must be sourced from within East Metropolitian Health Service (EMHS) or 50 Murray St.

Note: A process will be established to facilitate consideration of projects where data are sourced from another location e.g. a national database, where the principle investigator is based within EMHS or 50 Murray St.

3. Researchers

The principle investigator must be based within EMHS or at 50 Murray St.
Supervisor(s) of Advanced Trainees and PhD students must be located within EMHS or at 50 Murray St.
PhD students must also be based within EMHS or at 50 Murray St.

4. Grant applications

Submitted applications must include a statistical budget (where permitted)

Note: Free support is not conditional on a successful grant. Researchers awarded grants will be required to transfer the statistical budget to the Foundation in exchange for statistical support. Using statistical support as “in kind” in a grant application must be approved by the Foundation (please contact our Research Grants Department)

Not Eligible

MD student research projects will not qualify for free support.

Fees

The RPH Research Foundation provides free biostatistical services to recipients of our grants conducting research within EMHS. This support is provided as in-kind support and is a non-cash contribution to researchers’ projects that is on top of the grant funding provided. To help us provide an estimated dollar value of the in-kind support requested in your grant application please provide an approximate dollar figure based on the below rates.
- PhD and Master's - $75 + GST per hour
- Otherwise - $100 + GST per hour
Note that successful Seed Funding grantees will NOT be charged for using the biostatistical fee as a researcher conducting research within EMHS but the above figures are to provide an estimate of the in-kind support that will be provided to your project. Provide an estimate of the hours used in the breakdown and the cost in the ‘in-kind budget’ part of your grant application, for example, 5 hours at $100/hour =$500 of in-kind support.
*Chief Investigator must be located within EMHS or 50 Murray Street.
The following fees apply for repeat analyses required due to poorly prepared or incomplete data sets:
- PhD and Master's - $75 + GST per hour
- Otherwise - $100 + GST per hour
*For research conducted outside of the EMHS Region.
- Non-commerical - $175 + GST per hour
- Commerical - $250 + GST per hour