Submit a Request

Please submit a ServiceNow ticket using this link.

Please email biostatisticscore@rush.edu indicating that you are seeking biostatistical support and provide your contact information.

Study background information includes materials which help us to understand your study. Materials such as a draft abstract, draft proposal, etc. can be attached to the biostatistics request form.

For requests from within Rush

The Biostatistics Core may use any of the following as proof of regulatory review to proceed with offering services including biostatistics and/or bioinformatics. ​

1. Form 118 Non-Human Subjects Determination Notice
2. Initial letter from RUSH IRB which indicates that the study is exempt or expedited, dated less than two years ago. If initial exemption or expedited approval letter is dated two years ago or more, then the requester must submit an amendment describing work that the Biostatistics Core will be doing and data and analytical needs to the IRB and provide the letter approving this amendment to the Biostatistics Core.
3. For full board studies: Initial letter from RUSH IRB which indicates that the study has been approved, dated less than one year ago. If your IRB approval letter is dated more than one year ago, the most recent continuing review approval letter (not expired) is needed.

Please contact the Office of Research Affairs regarding Protection of Human Subjects to determine regulatory needs for your project.​

Exceptions

We do not request regulatory approval for Biostatistics Core purposes:

• If you are asking for us to propose methods and conduct power analysis or sample size calculation for grant proposals or IRB submissions
• If your data that we will be working with is not human subject data

For external requests

The Biostatistics Core may use any of the following as proof of regulatory review to proceed with offering services including biostatistics and/or bioinformatics and should be attached to the request form:​

1. Initial letter from the IRB of record pertaining to your project which indicates that the study is exempt or expedited, dated less than two years ago. If your initial exemption or expedited approval letter is dated two years ago or more, then you must submit an amendment describing work that the Biostatistics Core will be doing and data and analytical needs to the IRB and provide the letter approving this amendment to the Biostatistics Core.
2. For full board studies: Initial letter from your study’s IRB of record which indicates that the study has been approved, dated less than one year ago. If IRB approval letter is dated more than one year ago, the most recent continuing review approval letter (not expired) is needed.

Exceptions

We do not request regulatory approval for Biostatistics Core purposes:

• If you are asking for us to propose methods and conduct power analysis or sample size calculation for grant proposals or IRB submissions

Hourly rates

• RUSH:  $170/ hour

For requests from within RUSH

The Biostatistics Core is required to cost recover work completed. Therefore, we must charge for our work. 

If you do not have funds available, please contact your department or division administration or your mentor to discuss project funding options and PI group(s)/AU(s). For internal biostatistical support, you may be eligible to receive funds from CTSA ITM BERD. Please contact John Burns, PhD, to find out more and obtain AU.

For assistance with grant applications, please submit a request as soon as you have developed your study aims. We require a month lead time for large grant applications, such as NIH R01, P30, P50 or U01 grants.

If you are seeking assistance from the Biostatistics Core as a student for your coursework (such as homework, tests, thesis, capstone projects and dissertations), we are unable to conduct biostatistical and bioinformatics analysis for you. However, we are able to guide/teach you as you conduct analysis and answer questions that arise on coursework, with the exception of tests.

What to expect after submitting your request:

• One of our statisticians will contact you within one to two days to indicate if any items are missing from your request and to schedule an initial meeting. 
• During the meeting, we will discuss study background and objectives to develop a statistical analysis plan. If applicable, we will walk through the data and discuss variable handling.
• We may propose methods, conduct analysis, or advise you to conduct analysis.
•  We will contact you for clarification and discuss alternative analysis methods as needed. 
• After delivering the results, we can also schedule another meeting to support the interpretation of results.

Before submitting a request for statistical support, please ensure that you provide the following information and documentation to help us process your request efficiently.

1. Project Information

• Study/Project Title
• Brief Description of the Study 
   

2. Research Objectives

• Primary Research Question(s) or Hypotheses
• Secondary Research Questions (if applicable)
   

3. Study Design

Type of study:

☐ Observational
☐ Prospective Cohort
☐ Case-Control
☐ Cross-Sectional
☐ Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
☐ Pilot/Feasibility Study
☐ Meta-analysis/Literature Review
☐ Other (please specify)
 

4. Variables

• Outcome/Response Variable(s): (e.g., binary, continuous, ordinal)
• Predictor/Explanatory Variable(s): Key explanatory variables of interest
• Covariates/Potential Confounders
• Coding of Categorical Variables (e.g., Sex coded as 0=Male, 1=Female)
• Units for Quantitative Variables
   

5. Dataset Information

• Data file available in CSV or Excel format
• Data Dictionary or Codebook provided, if necessary
• Missing data clearly coded and explained
• Abbreviations in data set defined
   

6. Regulatory / IRB Approval

Proof of regulatory review must be provided before we can conduct any statistical analysis involving human subjects data.

Accepted forms of documentation include:

☐ Form 118 Non-Human Subjects Determination Notice (if applicable)
☐ Initial IRB Approval Letter (Exempt or Expedited) dated within the last 2 years
☐ For full board studies, Initial IRB Approval Letter dated within the last year OR most recent continuing review approval letter (if study is ongoing)
☐ IRB Amendment Approval Letter (If initial exemption or expedited approval letter is dated two years ago or more)

• If unsure about your regulatory status, contact the Office of Research Affairs.
• Exceptions (No IRB approval required if):
  - Request is for power analysis/sample size for grant proposals or IRB submissions
  - Data does not involve human subjects
   

7. Timeline & Deadlines

• Deadline for Abstract / Manuscript Submission (if applicable)
• Internal deadlines (e.g., drafts for collaborators)
• Please provide reasonable deadlines. Statistical analyses may take longer than anticipated, especially for complex data/projects.
   

8. Funding

Hourly rates:

• RUSH: $100/hour
• Public or governmental institutions and nonprofit organizations: $110/ hour
• Private companies or organizations: $125/ hour
   

For requests within Rush:

If you do not have funds available: 

• Please contact your department or division administration or your mentor to discuss project funding options and PI group(s)/AU(s).
• For internal biostatistical support, you may be eligible to receive funds from CTSA ITM BERD.
   

If you need assistance completing this checklist or are unsure about any part of your submission, please contact us!