Find specifics regarding the policies and project requirements for CIBE investigators.
Grant percent effort
All investigators are expected to include CIBE personnel in grant and contract budgets at a minimum of 10% full-time equivalents (FTE) or greater based on the effort required.
- The degree of support is determined individually for each proposal and reflects the biostatistician’s duties and degree of involvement with the study. Biostatisticians reserve the right to decline participation in a grant if they are unable to negotiate a reasonable percent effort (%FTE).
- We generally recommend a minimum of 10% total effort per individual per grant period, with the annual percent effort typically not less than 10% when averaged over the project’s duration (e.g., 10% year 1, 5% years 2–3, 15% year 4, 20% year 5).
- For large and/or complex projects (e.g., program or center awards or multi-center studies), the typical effort commitment for CIBE support ranges from approximately 20% to 50% of FTE or more.
- For grants with limited budgets, we can negotiate the %FTE or agree on a specified contract amount for statistical collaboration.
- In addition to the percent effort for CIBE personnel, investigators are encouraged to include budgeted costs for essential software and travel in their grant proposals.
- In general, the likelihood of securing funding is enhanced when a biostatistician is involved in a proposal from the outset. Accordingly, a biostatistician must have actively contributed to the development of the proposal or formally reviewed the application before being listed as a key person on a grant.
Authorship
As per the ICMJE, biostatisticians (both PhD and MS) should be listed as co-authors when they have made a scientific or intellectual contribution to the work, such as study design, data acquisition, data analysis, or interpretation of results. In addition, the biostatistician should have participated in drafting or critically revising the manuscript; approved the final version; and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
- Assignment of authorship is a matter of scientific integrity and is independent of funding.
- If statistical analysis is a major part of the publication and the biostatistician performs the full statistical analysis and drafts the statistical methods and the results section, it is generally expected that he or she be listed as the second author.
Timing
High-quality statistical input requires sufficient time for the methodologist to thoughtfully develop and review key elements of a grant proposal or to draft/review the statistical methods and results sections of a manuscript or abstract. Early engagement with CIBE personnel increases the likelihood of successful outcomes and enables deeper collaboration on study design, analytic planning, and interpretation.
We strongly encourage investigators to involve CIBE as early as possible in the research process. For grant proposals, meaningful statistical collaboration is most effective when initiated well before the submission deadline — we recommend consultation at least 4–6 weeks in advance, with even more time for complex applications such as multi-project proposals. For manuscript preparation, a minimum of 4 weeks prior to submission is generally advised to allow for thorough analysis, writing, and review. As the deadline approaches, the ability to provide substantive support may be limited.
End of project requirements
We kindly ask that you notify us of any presentations, posters, papers, reports, or grant submissions that result from work supported by CIBE and inform us as soon as a grant is awarded. Timely notification helps us track the impact of our collaborations and ensure proper acknowledgment in accordance with funding agency and institutional practices.
Initial meetings
Once CIBE receives a request, we promptly contact the investigator to schedule an initial meeting to discuss the scientific background, aims, and scope of the project. At this first meeting, we encourage investigators to outline the type and level of statistical support needed, including anticipated deliverables, percent effort commitments, authorship expectations, and key deadlines. Effective communication during this early stage helps ensure a shared understanding of project goals, timelines, and roles, which is essential for successful collaboration and high-quality statistical contributions.
Policies and fee structure for outside MU projects: For investigators external to MU, CIBE support is provided on a fee-for-service basis at a standard rate of $100 per hour for consulting and analytical work. This fee-for-service model helps recover the operational costs of providing statistical and methodological support. Other policies and procedures, such as authorship and investigator expectations, apply equally to members of the MU scientific community and to external investigators engaged with CIBE.
Acknowledgement policies
If CIBE personnel are not included through percent effort or authorship, their contribution to the research should still be acknowledged. At a minimum, please include the following statement in all resulting presentations, posters, papers, reports, and grant proposals: “This work was supported by the Center for Integrated Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Department of Biomedical Informatics, Biostatistics and Medical Epidemiology, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri.”
