The challenge of providing research services in the changing world of the

social and behavioral sciences

Kurt Johnson, Ph.D.Director, Penn State Survey Research

Center

The ChallengeWhile it is always difficult to secure funding, it seems that

in recent years it has become even more competitive and the expectations for proposals are becoming more demanding.

Advances in technology translate to expectation that research will include approaches that may have at one time be inaccessible (e.g. bio-measures, geo-coding).

Technological advances also translate to rapid changes in methodology (e.g. cell phones, mobile devices).

Increased expectation that research will have a multi-disciplinary team.

The Challenge• Researchers across the experience continuum

may find that they lack the resources, tools or experience to cross the funding threshold.

• A system that helps by facilitating networking, providing seed funding, maintaining and developing research resources has the potential to greatly benefit researchers.

• This is what we have created at Penn State over the last 10 years.

The Penn State Institute Structure

The Social Science Research Institute

SSRI Mission and Infrastructure• Mission is to foster interdisciplinary

research that addresses critical human and social problems at the local, national and international levels.

• SSRI brings together researchers from a range of disciplinary perspectives around emerging areas of study, provides consultation, financial support, and infrastructure development and services to social scientists across PSU.

SSRI Research Infrastructure• Seed Funding

– Level 1 Grants – Provide interdisciplinary research teams with up to $5,000 for meetings, identifying research questions, literature reviews, and small pilot projects • Out of 204 Level 1 projects funded, 58 awards totaling

$277,000 led to 89 external grant proposals, of which 38 were funded in the amount of $24.3 million.

– Level 2 Grants – Provide up to $20,000 for graduate student support, SSRI services, and pilot research• Out of 117 Level 2 projects funded, 67 awards totaling

$1.4 million let to 102 external grant proposals, of which 33 were funded in the amount of $14.4 million.

SSRI Research Infrastructure• Facilitated Projects – Provide internal funding that exceeds

$20,000 to experienced researchers working on large-scale interdisciplinary research projects.– Out of 41 Facilitated Projects funded, 24 awards totaling $640,000

let to 36 external grant proposals of which 25 were funded in the amount of $41.1 million.

• Faculty Fellowships – SSRI will provide funds for two course releases across the academic year for Faculty Fellows to advance their knowledge and to expand into new disciplinary arenas.

• Co-funded Faculty – Through CYFC will support up to 50% of faculty start-up and salary for 5 years for those faculty (junior or senior) with demonstrated research expertise in CYFC strategic areas.

SSRI Research Infrastructure – Supported Services

• In addition to those mechanisms that are in place to support the development of research ideas and collaboration a key element of SSRI is the research service units.– Geographical Information Analysis Core

(GIA)– Social, Life & Engineering Sciences Imaging

Center (SLEIC)– Survey Research Center (SRC)

Geographic Information Analysis Core (GIA)

• Objective is to provide expertise, services, and research collaborations to allow PRI/SSRI researchers to incorporate geographic information and/or spatial analytic techniques into their research, with an emphasis on interdisciplinary studies.• Innovators in the collection, handling, and

utilization of various forms of geospatial data• Develop new spatial analysis techniques and

provide researchers sound advice and easy access to GIS analysts

Geographic Information Analysis Core (GIA)

• More research questions require analysis of complex patterns of both individual and environmental data.

• Advances in GIS and analytic approaches offer new opportunities to enhance understanding of social phenomena.

• GIA Core services allow researchers to take advantage of new data and tools to generate new knowledge.

Geographic Information Analysis Core (GIA)

The Social, Life, and Engineering Imaging Center (SLEIC)

• Added in 2009, SLEIC, which is co-supported through the Huck Life Sciences Institute and Hershey Medical Center, provides the Penn State research community with instrumentation, technological and substantive expertise, educational opportunities and funding support for conducting magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electrophysiology experiments (EEG) & (ERP)

The Social, Life, and Engineering Imaging Center (SLEIC)

Survey Research Center Provide survey services. Promote and contribute to the science of survey research

methodology. AAPOR/IFD&TC/AASRO Affiliate

Help investigators prepare effective proposals for external funding.

Educate the Penn State community about the best practices and emerging developments in survey research.

Graduate education (through our new certificate program).

Survey Research Center• Assist investigators with all aspects of the

survey process pre and post award.– Pre-Award

• Develop sampling designs, provide consultation on survey instruments, assist with protocol design, prepare cost estimates, and provide workshops and survey methods training.

– Post-Award• Develop and produce samples, instrument

development and evaluation, data collection, database preparation, and data analysis

Survey Research Center• Receive core support from SSRI to cover

administrative costs (Director and Admin Staff)

• Cost-center model that uses charge out rates as a means of cost recovery.

• Have grown over the 10 years from small center with few core staff to our current full-time staff of 22 and up to 75 wage payroll.

Services Purchased from the Survey Research Center

02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 10-110

500

1000

1500

2000

179

990

12401290 1335

1828

16281710 1740

FY 2002/02 to FY 2010/11 (in thousands of dollars)

The Challenge• A challenge for the SRC is keeping up

with rapidly changing technologies/methodologies related to survey data.

• SSRI supports developmental initiatives to develop and refine new approaches.

• Example of DREAM

DREAM Initiative• Dynamic Real-Time Ecological Ambulatory

Methodology– Real-time data collection techniques to assess

ongoing behavior, experiences, and environmental aspects of humans in their natural settings.

– Aims to understand processes as they naturally unfold in time and context

– Includes• Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA)• Experience Sampling• Daily Diaries• Ambulatory physiological assessment

Lessons LearnedWhat makes this work?

• A lot of what makes a supportive institute work are the same factors that make any successful business run.– Strong leadership

• At all levels of the organization– Open communication

• Between and within units• PR can be your friend or enemy

– Connection to the “outside” world• Monitor trends, changes, advances• Associations, national meetings.

– Strong “business” ethic• Realistic expectations• Have to say no sometimes.

– Core funding to support center/institute administration

Questions?

http://www.ssri.psu.edu/survey

Contact:Kurt Johnson, Ph.D., DirectorE-Mail: kdj11@psu.eduPhone: (814) 867-1290