Quantitative Methods for HIV Researchers: Mentored Scholars

HIV/AIDS Mentored Scholars in Quantitative Methods Program

The Program

The 1 year Mentored Scholars Program aims to provide professional development and collaboration opportunities for biomedical researchers and quantitative scientists (biostatisticians, data scientists, engineers, bioinformaticians, and other related researchers). The program is designed to strengthen scholars’ research skills so they can effectively conduct data driven HIV/AIDs research.

Scholars will become a part of a group of quantitative scientists, established researchers, and other early-stage investigators with an interest in driving HIV/AIDs research using data and quantitative methods. Scholars will be guided through the development of an individualized development plan and participate in monthly meetings designed to meet the specific needs of researchers participating in HIV/AIDS research. Meetings will include:

  1. Peer-mentorship activities
  2. Research and collaboration skill building workshops
  3. Networking opportunities
  4. Career advancement and professional development workshops

Program Eligibility

The program is open to Early Stage Investigators (ESI) conducting research in any area related to HIV/AIDS. Specifically, eligible researchers will be:

  • Early-stage faculty (Assistant Professor, Research Assistant Professor, and equivalent positions),
  • Postdoctoral fellows,
  • Research staff.

Trainees in the Duke Interdisciplinary Research Training Program in AIDS (IRTPA) T32, CFAR ESIs, and CFAR Development Core Grant applicants and awardees will be given priority.

In addition, researchers will be selected for the program based on having a research project in mind/underway or have a funding opportunity (Opportunities Fund) to work toward application/proposal.

This program is not designed for researchers without formal quantitative training to become a quantitative scientist; however we do provide quantitative workshops that Scholars our encouraged to participate in.

Example Scholars/Goals

  1. A researcher in a biomedical, clinical, sociobehavioral HIV/AIDS research field who aims to develop their research portfolio and enhance their ability to do data-driven HIV research.
    • Example: A postdoc who is writing a NIH K proposal and would like assistance in navigating quantitative resources needed to support the proposal.
    • Example: An assistant professor is growing their research by aggregating large and increasing amounts of data from disparate sources and is unfamiliar with approach developing the organizational structure to support these large-scale research initiatives.         
  2. A quantitative scientist such as a biostatistician, epidemiologist, psychometrician, data scientist, bioinformatician, working in (or aiming to work in) HIV/AIDS who wants to find a quantitative methodologist in an area.
    • Example: A biostatistician is starting to integrate natural language processing in their work and is looking for experience with machine learning.
    • Example: A postdoc in a quantitative department whose path was not through a standard biostatistics/statistics/engineering/computer science background would like to identify new training pathways to gain skill sets to supplement their ongoing research postdoc work.

  • The Scholar will develop an (or modify an existing) individual development plan (IDP) or equivalent style accountability document with quarterly milestones.
  • The Scholar will attend Mentored Scholars Group Meeting with other Scholars.
  • The Scholar will present at the group meeting 3 times about their progress toward the stated goal.
  • The Scholar should expect to attend 1 meetings a month.
  • The Scholar will have meetings with the program leaders to discuss their goals and identify any additional resources that program leaders can provide.
  • The Scholar will have at least one consultation with the CFAR QS Core to discuss their work and identify potential areas where the Core can assist.

 

  • Priority access to one-on-one support from CFAR staff biostatisticians and bioinformaticians via the CFAR QS Core.
  • Access to additional quantitative science resources and programs such as design studios and program administration such as grant review sessions.
  • Scholars have the opportunity to co-mentor a quantitative graduate student intern over the summer with a quantitative scientist via the Quantitative Methods for HIV Researchers: Summer Internship program.
  • Networking opportunities
  • Career advancement and professional development workshops
  • Peer-mentorship activities

By the end of the year, the scholar is expected to make substantial progress toward their stated research goal. Some example goals:

  • Assemble a comprehensive research team to work towards a grant submission
  • Submitted a grant/paper/abstract
  • Applying for a fellowship
  • Developing an application for a research faculty position

Prospective scholars interested in the Program should prepare a comprehensive CV and complete the application located here. The application will involve answering the following questions (no more than a paragraph):

  1. What is a current research outcome that you are working toward in the next year? Is it a grant, a publication, or some other milestone?
  2. Why are you interested in participating in this program?

Upon receipt of the submitted materials, the program leadership will convene a one-on-one meeting with the applicant to discuss their goals. This meeting will last approximately 30 minutes. Program leadership will reach out within a week with the final decision.

Applications are accepted throughout the year though entrance into the program starts in either March or September.

Please submit any questions to Kelly Suñé.

Upon entering the program (either in March or September), the scholar is expected to work on making progress toward their stated goal. They will need to present three times to their peers: once upon entering, once halfway through, and then once upon exiting. Please note, at any point the Scholar can schedule a meeting with Program leadership or ask to have a grant review session/design studio.

Mentored Scholars meet monthly. Topics may include:

  • Peer Mentorship Group Discussions and Presentations
  • BERD Presentation on Navigating Quantitative Collaborations
  • Best practices for Quantitative research
  • Team science Skills Development Workshop
  • DOCR resource navigation plus general discussion
  • Presentation from the CFAR QS Core discussing services offered and navigation.

Optional Mentorship

Scholars may also have the opportunity to be linked with potential mentors who can provide guidance related to working with quantitative scientists to:

  1. Design studies including hypothesis testing and sample size estimation for specific projects,
  2. Develop the analysis plan and optimal data analysis methods related to an ongoing research project,
  3. Engage in multidisciplinary team science and communication.

If interested, program leadership will work with the scholar to try and match them with a quantitative mentor to help them develop and work toward their goals. The mentor is not expected to serve as ‘the statistician’ or oversee any analysis of the Scholar’s project, but rather to provide guidance, connect scholars to quantitative resources at Duke, and help guide the Scholar toward their goal. Mentors and Scholars will have 1-1 meetings monthly over the year to discuss progress and follow the Scholar’s IDP to meet their goals.