Mandel researchers,
I hope all are healthy and doing well. In these difficult times, I think it’s ever more important that we pull together to ensure we all have the information we need to continue our research activities. If you come across resources that you think might be helpful for others, please let me know. I’m happy to share through email and on the R and T website.
Today I am writing to bring your attention to:
- The Economic Development Administration (under DOCommerce) awards announced last week. If this is something of interest to you, please let me know as the Institute for Smart, Secure and Connected Systems (ISSACS) at Case has asked and there may be an opportunity to work across disciplines.
- CWRU (out of the School of Medicine) has convened interdisciplinary COVID-19 research working groups. They are looking at COVID-19 funding opportunities, and ways to collaborate on COVID-19 research at CWRU. An example of this is that on Monday there was a special call to discuss convening a group to examine neighborhood issues. Other groups are examining the drivers and impact issues of the pandemic, with a focus behavioral health. This seems like an area where Mandel researchers are uniquely qualified to add to the work of these teams. The Mandel School has some representatives on these workgroups. Please let me know if you want additional information.
- NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) recently sent an email regarding a trans-NIH working group co-led by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the OBSSR to make existing COVID-19 survey items and investigator contact information available in a survey item repository. They provided the following information:
- NIH Public Health Emergency and Disaster Research Response (DR2): The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Library of Medicine (NLM) host the DR2 site which now includes a list of COVID-19 surveys and the domains assessed in the surveys. In addition to this COVID-19 list, DR2 provides a wide array of data collection tools and resources used in other public health emergencies and disasters, providing researchers with a rich repository of survey and other measurement tools that are applicable to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- PhenX Toolkit: The PhenX Toolkit now includes a list of COVID-19 related measurement protocols drawn from the surveys listed in DR2. These COVID-19 survey protocols have not been vetted as per the PhenX consensus process but are made available for other researchers to consider, and to test as needed, before incorporating in their research studies. The PhenX Toolkit, funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and other NIH Institutes and Centers (see list here), has a large collection of well-established and vetted measurement protocols suitable to incorporate into studies involving COVID-19.
Thanks,
Nancy Rolock
Henry L. Zucker Associate Professor of Social Work Practice
Associate Dean of Research and Training
Jack, Joseph & Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences