From our researchers
Learn what sets VCU School of Nursing apart when it comes to research.
The Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing’s Office of Research, Scholarship, and Innovation develops and maintains systems which support the strategic directions of the SON and support faculty in their programs of research and scholarship. The primary functions are to:
- Enhance research and scholarly productivity
- Increase the intensity of the research environment
- Facilitate the development of research/scholarship activities
- Assist faculty and students in securing and managing funds to support research and scholarship
The Office of Research, Scholarship, and Innovation houses the Center for Biobehavioral Clinical Research, which supports a robust program of innovative and nationally renowned biobehavioral research.
Our office provides support services through two functional units:
Research Administration
This unit is responsible for providing administrative support for all research and scholarship activities of faculty and research-related groups. Specific services include:
- Ensuring that all university, state, and federal training and other regulatory requirements are met
- Providing pre-award grant preparation and submission services
- Facilitating effective post-award grant management processes
- Supporting faculty members in the preparation and submission of research-related progress, regulatory, fiscal, and other reports
- Coordinating all research-related events
- Providing support to graduate and undergraduate nursing students interested in pursuing research and scholarship
- Maintaining a database of all research-related activities
- Assisting investigators in connecting with appropriate research-related resources
- Advising and supporting faculty members with Institutional Review Board applications and processes
- Facilitating development and implementation of research methodologies including recruitment/consent, retention, and data collection processes for a variety of clinical, biological, and other data
- Assisting investigators in obtaining intramural funding
Research Support Services
This unit offers a full range of biostatistics/data services and biobehavioral research laboratory services through the components described below. A fee structure is developed for each project based its unique design and needs.
- Biostatistics and Data Services
Biostatistics and Data Services
- Advising on appropriate research designs and analysis plans
- Acting as a liaison between School of Nursing researchers and other relevant individuals and/or facilities at VCU depending on project needs
- Preparing appropriate sections for grant applications, including sample size justification, power analysis, and analysis plan
- Developing appropriate randomization and stratification procedures
- Preparing analysis-ready data sets by merging individual components of a relational database
- Scoring scales and subscales
- Reconfiguring data formats and creating derived data from various sources
- Conducting the analysis of data from completed studies or from other data sets
- Assisting in the preparation of presentations, manuscripts, and reports
- Assisting with development of data management strategies and plans
- Developing quotes for grant application budgets
- Creating, testing, and disseminating data collection tools
- Creating data collection tracking systems
- Building and maintaining relational and other databases on a secure SON server
- Working with project personnel to train data collectors and monitor the data collection process
- Conducting data entry by electronic transfer, scanned forms, or importing procedures
- Completing data checks, monitoring data, and managing missing data and other reports and data files
- Biobehavioral Research Lab
Biobehavioral Research Lab:
The School of Nursing's biobehavioral research laboratory is available to all School of Nursing faculty, as well as to other VCU faculty and non-VCU individuals, on a fee-for-service basis. Specific services include:
- Providing access to, and support from, biobehavioral research laboratory services to faculty members and doctoral students
- Assisting faculty members and doctoral students with study design and logistics
- Preparing appropriate sections for grant applications including budget items for laboratory costs and supplies
- Acting as a liaison between the School of Nursing and other core facilities and/or researchers within the VCU community
- Ensuring that all studies are in compliance with appropriate regulations and processes
- Maintaining written and electronic records of all samples processed by the lab and providing monthly sample updates
- Processing biological material in a consistent/meticulous manner and providing long term storage
- Performing biological assays including but not limited to ELISA, Multiplex, PCR, and qPCR
- Assisting with data analysis and interpretation if requested
- Purchasing study specific lab supplies and coordinating financial aspects with Research Administration post-award
VCU research resources
