Form 1 Users Survey

OMB#: 0925-XXXX

Expiration Date: XX/XXXX

Part A

CTSA National Evaluation

Utilization Study

Users Survey

September 2010

Dear NIH Investigator:

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) initiative in October 2005. CTSA-awarded institutions are sometimes referred to as institutes or centers, such as [INSERT RELEVANT CTSA PROJECT NAME]. Throughout the remainder of this survey, we refer to these awardees as “CTSA institutions” or “CTSAs.” CTSAs are expected to encourage development of new methods and approaches, improve training and mentoring, design new and improved clinical research informatics tools, assemble interdisciplinary teams, and forge new partnerships with private and public health care organizations. As part of these resources, CTSAs offer a range of resources to advance translational science and research.

The first round of awards is nearing the end of their first funding cycle and the NIH leadership is interested in learning more about the use of CTSA resources. Specifically, NIH is interested in understanding what resources are being used, perceptions of the value of these resources, and how the resources may have affected the careers of individuals using the resources. The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) at NIH has contracted with Westat, a research firm in the Washington, DC area, to conduct a survey to answer these questions. All data collected by Westat will be reported in aggregate form. No reports will contain findings linked to individual respondents or institutions.

As one component of the overall national evaluation, you have been sent this survey because one of the CTSAs reported that your clinical or translational research was aided by the resources of the reporting CTSA. We are interested in finding out more about the resources that you used.

If you have used the resources of a CTSA please go to question 1 on this survey.

If you did not use the resources of a CTSA, please select the box below and go to Section II.

I did not use the resources of a CTSA

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 15 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: NIH, Project Clearance Branch, 6705 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7974, Bethesda, MD 20892-7974, ATTN: PRA (0925-xxxx*). Do not return the completed form to this address.

Section I: The first set of questions asks you about your interactions with a CTSA.

1. How did you learn about CTSA resources? (Select all that apply)

• NIH or an NIH Institute or Center (e.g., NCRR website)

• Prior involvement with General Clinical and Research Center (GCRC) and/or with application for CTSA award from NIH

• Professional organization or association (e.g., association website, conference)

• CTSA consortium (e.g., ctsaweb.org, teleconference)

• CTSA host or partner institution (e.g., college /university/medical school website, email listserv)

• Colleague (e.g., grand rounds, email)

• Public news source (e.g., newspaper, television)

• Other (please specify)

2. This table includes a range of CTSA resources that may be available for your research. For both Part A and Part B, you may select as many responses as apply.

RESOURCES	A. Which resources have you used? (Select all that apply)	B. Which resources are you considering using in the future? (Select all that apply)
Behavioral/social science
Bionutrition support
Biostatistics, epidemiology, research design support
Budget development/administration
Cellular imaging and microscopy
Clinical studies support and research coordination
Community engagement consultation
Educational program, coursework, and/or training support
Ethics consultation
Evaluation support
Genetics/genotyping
Genomics
Histology and pathology (e.g., tissue bank)
Informatics support
Inpatient facility
Laboratory assays
Mass spectrometry/physical/analytical chemistry
Medical imaging
Metabolomics
Nursing support
Outpatient facility
Pharmacy
Pilot projects (e.g., institutional funding that may be available for new translational research projects)
Proteomics
Protocol development
Regulatory support
Technology transfer, intellectual property, patents’ assistance
Other (please specify)____________

None

3. Some people may not be sure of the source of resources used in their research. To help us understand your answers, please indicate how sure you are that the resources you checked in the previous question came from a CTSA. (Select one response)

• Extremely sure

• Somewhat sure

• Somewhat unsure

• Extremely unsure

4. For each resource you reported using, please describe your research interests in a few phrases or sentences.

Resources Used	Research interest
What type of research did you use [1ST RESOURCE LISTED IN 2A] for?		Text box delimited to 150 characters
What type of research did you use [2ND RESOURCE LISTED in 2A] for?		Text box delimited to 150 characters Same research interest identified above
What type of research did you use [3RD RESOURCE LISTED in 2A] for?		Text box delimited to 150 characters Same research interest identified above
What type of research did you use [NTH RESOURCE LISTED in 2A] for?		Text box delimited to 150 characters Same research interest identified above

The next question asks you to classify your research.

The NIH has described Translational Research in the following way:
1) The process of applying discoveries generated during research in the laboratory, and in preclinical studies, to the development of trials and studies in humans and,
2) Research aimed at enhancing the adoption of best practices in the community.

In more everyday terms you might think of translational research as moving the research process through phases from bench to animal to human to guidelines development to public health and ultimately to population outcomes.

5. How would you classify the research for which you used this CTSA resource along the clinical and translational continuum below? (Select one response)  

• Basic Biomedical Research: also sometimes called basic research, pre-clinical or non-clinical study. This research does not include human subjects (for Institutional Review Board purposes) and is focused primarily on medical devices, drugs, gene therapy solutions, animal testing, in vitro and in vivo tests etc.

• Clinical Research: typically involves the translation of basic science and new understandings of disease mechanisms gained in the laboratory into the development of new methods for diagnosis, therapy, and prevention and their testing in humans. It includes pilot testing prior to clinical trials and clinical trials phases 1–3. In translational research, this part of the process is commonly referred to as "from bench to bedside”.

• Post-Clinical Research: typically involves the translation of new knowledge gained in formal clinical research into post-clinical or practice-based research. It may include phase 4 clinical trials, guideline development, meta-analyses and systematic reviews, community research, public or population health research, implementation or dissemination research, and health systems or policy research.

• None of the above

Questions 6–9 will be asked for each resource except “pilot projects.” If the only CTSA resource used was “pILOT PROJECTS,” RESPONDENT WILL go to question 10.

6. How satisfied were you with this CTSA resource? (Select one response)

[1 = Extremely dissatisfied, 2 = Somewhat dissatisfied, 3 = Somewhat satisfied, 4 = Extremely satisfied]

6. If needed, would you use this CTSA resource again? (Select one response)

• Yes

• No

• Unsure

6. How would you rate this resource with regard to quality, cost, and accessibility?

[1 = Poor, 2 = Adequate, 3 = Good, 4 = Excellent]

1. Quality 1 2 3 4

2. Cost 1 2 3 4

3. Accessibility 1 2 3 4

6. How did this CTSA resource compare with similar resources you have used from other sources?

[1 = Substantially worse, 2 = Worse, 3 = Better, 4 = Substantially Better]

1. Quality 1 2 3 4

2. Cost 1 2 3 4

3. Accessibility 1 2 3 4

6. Were there CTSA resources available that you decided not to use?

• Yes

• No GO TO Question 12

6. Why did you decide not to use CTSA resources in your research? (Select all that apply)

• Did not have enough information

• Resource was not available when I needed it

• Resource was available from another source

• Resource was too costly

• Resource available was not appropriate/sufficient for my research

• Other (please specify)_____

6. How many peer-reviewed journal articles have you published that benefited from the resources of the CTSA? [Number = ___ ] IF NONE, go to Question 13

1. On how many of these journal articles were you the primary author? [Number = ___ ]

2. How many of these articles have involved collaborating with people from different disciplines? [Number = ___ ]

3. How many of these articles have involved collaborating with people from different departments? [Number = ___ ]

4. How many of these articles have involved collaborating with people from different universities/organizations? [Number = ___ ]

12. Did the research you used the CTSA resources for help you to acquire any additional grants?

• Yes If yes, provide the title of the grant and a brief description.

Grant Title

Co-PIs

Funding Source

Award Amount

• No

12. Did the research you used the CTSA resources for result in any patents or inventions?

• Yes If yes, provide the name of the device and a brief description.

Name of patent/invention

Description of patent/invention

Patent number (If relevant)

• No, but application for patent submitted. If submitted, provide the name of the device and a brief description

Name of device

Description of device

• No

12. Did your use of CTSA resources contribute to the formation of any new collaborations?

• Yes If yes, who did you establish collaborations with? (Select all that apply)

• Researchers in my department

• Researchers in my university or business but outside of my department

• Researchers outside of my university or business (include community-based researchers and practitioner researchers)

• Non-researchers in the business world

• Non-researchers in the community

• Other (please specify)

• No, but it helped strengthen existing collaborations Go to Section II

• No Go to Section II

12. Please describe up to three research interests associated with these new collaborations using a few sentences or phrases.

Research interest 1	Text box delimited to 150 characters
Research interest 2	Text box delimited to 150 characters
Research interest 3	Text box delimited to 150 characters

questions 17–19 WILL be asked for each RESEARCH INtEREST LISTED in question 16.

17. Which kind of activities did you collaborate on? (Select all that apply)

• Research on an existing grant

• Co-authorship on a paper for publication

• Submission of a new grant application

• Development of a new device, methodology, or product

• Other (please specify)__________________

17. How would you classify this research along the clinical and translational continuum below?
    (Select one response)  

• Basic Biomedical Research: also sometimes called basic research, pre-clinical or non-clinical study. This research does not include human subjects (for Institutional Review Board purposes) and is focused primarily on medical devices, drugs, gene therapy solutions, animal testing, in vitro and in vivo tests etc.

• Clinical Research: typically involves the translation of basic science and new understandings of disease mechanisms gained in the laboratory into the development of new methods for diagnosis, therapy, and prevention and their testing in humans. It includes pilot testing prior to clinical trials and clinical trials phases 1–3. In translational research, this part of the process is commonly referred to as "from bench to bedside”.

• Post-Clinical Research: typically involves the translation of new knowledge gained in formal clinical research into post-clinical or practice-based research. It may include phase 4 clinical trials, guideline development, meta-analyses and systematic reviews, community research, public or population health research, implementation or dissemination research, and health systems or policy research.

• None of the above

19. How would you characterize the extent of this collaboration? (Select one response)

• One time only

• Multiple collaborations

• One time only so far, but expect it to continue

• Don’t know

Section II. The last set of questions asks you about your work background.

1. How would you characterize your primary type of employer? (Select one response)

• Academic Go to question 2

• Clinical practice Go to question 4

• Industry Go to question 4

• Government Go to question 4

• Professional organization Go to question 4

• Community-based organization Go to question 4

• Other (please specify) Go to question 4

2. What is your position? (Select all that apply)

• Full professor

• Associate professor

• Assistant professor

• Adjunct professor

• Instructor

• Visiting professor

• Provost/Vice Provost

• Dean

• Research Director

• Research Associate

• Other(please specify)______

3. What is your tenure status? (Select one response)

• Tenured

• On tenure track

• Not on tenure track

4. What degrees do you have and when did you receive them? (Select all that apply)

Degree Year Received

• DAUD (Doctor of Audiology)

• DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery)

• DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine)

• DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice)

• DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine)

• DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy)

• DrPH (Doctor of Public Health)

• DVM or VMD (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine)

• JD (Juris Doctor)

• MD (Doctor of Medicine)

• MPH (Master of Public Health)

• MSW (Master of Social Work)

• ND (Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine)

• PHAR (PharmD)

• PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)

• RN (Registered Nurse)

• Other (please specify)________

5. Have you ever received an NIH R01 grant?

• Yes

• No

Finally, we would like to give you the opportunity to make any additional comments about your experience using the resources of a CTSA, including what improvements might make these resources more useful to you in your research.

Thank you very much for your participation.

Dear NIH Investigator:

We recently sent you an email inviting you to participate in a survey conducted on behalf of the NIH. This is a follow up to that invitation.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) initiative in October 2005. CTSA-awarded institutions are sometimes referred to as institutes or centers, such as [INSERT RELEVANT CTSA PROJECT NAME]. Throughout the remainder of this survey, we refer to these awardees as “CTSA institutions” or “CTSAs.” CTSAs are expected to encourage development of new methods and approaches, improve training and mentoring, design new and improved clinical research informatics tools, assemble interdisciplinary teams, and forge new partnerships with private and public health care organizations. As part of these resources, CTSAs offer a range of resources to advance translational science and research.

The first round of awards is nearing the end of their first funding cycle and the NIH leadership is interested in learning more about the use of CTSA resources. Specifically, NIH is interested in understanding what resources are being used, perceptions of the value of these resources, and how the resources may have affected the careers of individuals using the resources. The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) at NIH has contracted with Westat, a research firm in the Washington, DC area, to conduct a survey to answer these questions. All data collected by Westat will be reported in aggregate form. No reports will contain findings linked to individual respondents or institutions.

As one component of the overall national evaluation, you have been sent this survey because one of the CTSAs reported that your clinical or translational research was aided by the resources of the reporting CTSA. We are interested in finding out more about the resources that you used.

If you have used the resources of a CTSA please go to question 1 on this survey.

If you did not use the resources of a CTSA, please select the box below and go to Section II.

I did not use the resources of a CTSA

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 15 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: NIH, Project Clearance Branch, 6705 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7974, Bethesda, MD 20892-7974, ATTN: PRA (0925-xxxx*). Do not return the completed form to this address.

Dear NIH Investigator:

Thank you for sharing your views about Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) resources. The perspectives of investigators are essential to understanding what resources are being used, perceptions of the value of these resources, and how the resources may have affected the careers of individuals using the resources.