The AHEAD Institute
The Advanced HEAlth Data (AHEAD) Institute at Saint Louis University School of Medicine conducts data-driven research to improve the health of individuals and populations.
The AHEAD Institute unites SLU investigators from various fields and disciplines to improve patient and population health, advance health care quality and decrease health care costs. Through collaborations with national research networks, the institute develops and manages data resources to provide multiple data sets that meet the needs of individual research.
Our expert faculty and staff advance research through the development and execution of novel analytic methods, predictive modeling and machine learning. We identify optimal data sources, design qualitative and quantitative studies, and build and implement REDCap surveys and databases. To utilize AHEAD services, please complete a service request.
Research Support Services
Pre-grant submission services include sample size and power analyses, feasibility assessments and research strategy writing for the successful completion of a grant application. Analyses for pilot studies are not included in these services.
Please submit your service request three months prior to the grant application due date.
Services are offered at no cost for up to ten hours.
Method guidance and project planning services include non-analytic assistance and protocol development prior to data collection activities (e.g., planning for primary data collection and Epic pull protocols for Institutional Review Board (IRB) submission).
Please note that all IRB submissions are the investigator's responsibility.
Services are offered at $150 per hour.
Biostatistics Core services include data procurement, analysis, validation and visualization for projects with defined research aims, as well as writing and revisions for the methods and results sections of abstracts and manuscripts.
Potential data sources for these projects include data supplied by the investigator, data warehoused by AHEAD, and publicly available data.
Services are offered at $150 per hour.
REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture) is a secure web application for building and managing online surveys and databases. For comprehensive details about REDCap's capabilities, please visit our REDCap webpage.
For any questions, contact redcap@health.slu.edu.
For survey design and implementation support, investigators should refer to REDCap's free training resources located on their website. Alternatively, AHEAD offers REDCap survey design, build and implementation services at $150 per hour.
AHEAD Services Workflow
- Submit a service request, and AHEAD personnel will contact you within ten business days.
- Attend a 1-hour virtual consultation with data managers, biostatisticians and faculty, as applicable. Introduce us to your project, clarify research questions, determine data needs and learn about our process.
- Review, sign and return the scope of work document, developed by AHEAD personnel.
- Ensure legal approvals with the SLU IRB and data use agreements. AHEAD personnel procure, analyze and validate data to execute your project.
- Discuss final deliverables, results tables and figures collaboratively with AHEAD personnel to ensure that research needs are met.
- Jointly write sections of abstracts and manuscripts. Abide by AHEAD’s publication policy for all scientific outputs.
Policies and Procedures
The scope of work is a signed agreement between the investigator and AHEAD personnel for a project’s deliverables. The typical scope of work document includes the following items: a service request summary, required data domains, required forms to be signed and completed (i.e. data use agreements and data use requests), estimated costs, timelines and delivery dates.
Following the complimentary consultation, AHEAD personnel will draft the scope of work and email it to the investigator. The investigator must review, sign and return the scope of work to AHEAD personnel before any work is performed. The investigator is responsible for notifying AHEAD personnel of all desired amendments to the scope of work, and amendments must be approved by AHEAD personnel.
The AHEAD Institute encourages all investigators to contact AHEAD early in the research process to ensure that the study design is feasible given available resources, data, regulatory requirements and timelines.
For all AHEAD services, investigators should anticipate two weeks between the date of the service request submission and the date of the initial consultation. Project timelines depend on the complexity of the request and the time required for certain activities such as data cleaning and statistical programming.
All timelines related to project deliverables and outcomes will be outlined in the scope of work by AHEAD personnel. Anticipated timelines are subject to change and will be actively discussed with investigators.
To ensure the integrity and accuracy of methodology, it is essential for investigators to include AHEAD biostatisticians as co-authors on publications and presentations involving their data science methods. All publications and presentations utilizing AHEAD resources must be submitted to AHEAD personnel included as co-authors for final review and approval.
AHEAD personnel reserve ten business days to review all materials prior to submission to journals or scientific conferences. All such materials must include the following acknowledgment: "This work is supported by resources from the Saint Louis University AHEAD Institute.”
Please send notification of all published works to aheadarchive@health.slu.edu.
Project data will be archived in a zipped folder for 24 months following project completion, or for a duration specified by the terms of a funding award. Investigators are responsible for notifying the AHEAD personnel of the need to store project data beyond the standard 24-month period and may also be responsible for the cost of extended data storage.
- AHEAD personnel will contact investigators within ten business days of receiving the service request.
- The investigator’s failure to respond to the initial email for consultation and subsequent emails for one month will result in the project’s closure.
- Throughout the project, AHEAD personnel will respond to emails within 48 business hours during regular working days.
- AHEAD personnel are not expected to work during university holidays and campus closures.
- If AHEAD personnel are on vacation, they will respond to emails upon their return.