SIBS WILL BE OFFERED AGAIN JUNE 8 - JULY 17,
2009. APPLICATIONS FOR 2009 WILL BE ACCEPTED STARTING DECEMBER 1,
2008.
Biostatistics is the exciting field that applies statistics to
medical and public health research.
Biostatisticians work closely with experts from other fields in
research teams. Together they seek to answer serious and important
questions that affect human health and well being.
The demand for biostatisticians TODAY is greater than ever before,
and it is expected to INCREASE in the near future.
The Summer Institute for Training in Biostatistics (SIBS), sponsored
by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, is a 6-week program
to give undergraduate students majoring in the quantitative sciences
the opportunity to explore a career in biostatistics. (program
flyer in pdf format)
The Program has been offered in the Summers of 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007,
and 2008. All programs were a great success, and the Summer 2009
program promises to be just as exciting! (Highlights from past programs),
The Summer 2008 Program took place June 9 - July 18,
2008.
Sponsored by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute
The program features...
- Six weeks living and studying on the campus of North Carolina State University
- No fees - all expenses covered (see below)
- College credit that can transfer back to participants' home institutions
- Training with top researchers from the Department of Statistics at North Carolina State University, one of the largest departments of statistics and biostatistics in the country, and Duke Clinical Research Institute, one of the leading cardiovascular disease research institutes in the world.
Participants in the six-week program will...
- Learn the principles of applied biostatistics
from recognized experts in the field
- Meet practicing biostatisticians and physicians
engaged in medical research and learn about
their work
- Gain hands-on experience working with actual
data collected in internationally recognized
studies that have been conducted at DCRI
- Learn about opportunities for graduate study
and additional training
A typical day at the Institute will involve classroom instruction in the morning and exposure to analyzing data from clinical trials and observational studies using advanced computer software. See the syllabus for details.
Who is eligible?
Undergraduates majoring in mathematics, science or other quantitatively oriented areas of study are eligible. Applicants must be American citizens or permanent residents of the United States. The program is limited to 25 participants.
Financial Support
There are no fees or tuition costs associated with participation in the Summer Institute for Training in Biostatistics. Housing, meals, travel expenses to and from the program, and some extracurricular activities are covered. Participants will earn college credits and have access to university computing systems, libraries and other facilities.
What is Biostatistics, and what do Biostatisticians do?
Almost daily, the popular media report new research findings related to human health.
- A new treatment for HIV disease works better
than current therapies.
- High blood pressure is demonstrated to be
associated with heart disease.
- A study suggests that a certain pollutant may be
harmful to humans.
- Hormone replacement therapy is determined to
carry increased risk of certain types of cancer
(and the evidence is so compelling that the
study is stopped earlier than planned).
Such results are the work of multidisciplinary teams of researchers, including physicians, public and environmental health specialists, and BIOSTATISTICIANS. Biostatisticians play essential roles in designing the studies, analyzing the data, and creating new methods for addressing these problems.
THERE IS A CRITICAL SHORTAGE OF BIOSTATISTICIANS WITH GRADUATE TRAINING, AND THEIR SKILLS ARE IN GREAT DEMAND.
