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Advice and support

Training

Advice and support

Here is an overview of the different support platforms and where and who you can ask for advice on different subjects.

A good place to start is the website of Amsterdam UMC research support.

Scientific integrity

For questions around scientific integrity consult the guideline: Research misbehaviour and Good Research Practices. Furthermore these links:

Privacy

Please refer to our guidline on Privacy in this Handbook. 

Research Data management

For more infromation also see: Research data management (amsterdamumc.org)

Choice of adequate measurement instruments

The Clinimetrics group can be approached for help with the choice of adequate (e.g. well validated) measurement instruments. This group also undertakes research in this field. Contact Dr. Wieneke Mokkink or Dr. Caroline Terwee regarding questions about the measurement properties of instruments. Also see Clinimetrics guidelines in this Handbook  

Statistical/methodological support and support for data analysis

EpidM offers a lot of methodological and statistical courses. In addition, the Department of Epidemiology and Data Science (EDS) offers methodological and statistical consultancy through their helpdesk EDS-Consult in all research phases. 

The contact at EDS-Consult can be approached for questions regarding:

  • Research design, including power and sample size calculations;
  • Statistics, including statistical modelling and data analysis, more specific questions about the use of statistical software, such as SPSS and S-Plus, multilevel analysis (MLwiN and GEE), (confirmative) factor analysis, etc.;
  • Help in interpreting output and reporting output in articles.

For more information on methodological and statistical support see this link: Methodological and statistical support (amsterdamumc.org).

Cost-effectiveness analysis

The APH Research Institute and the Institute of Health Sciences at the VU University contribute to Health Technology Assessment (HTA) unit, which provides support in cost-effectiveness analyses. Prof. dr. Maurits van Tulder is the head, who has a joint appointment with the APH Research Institute and Health Sciences.

Maurits van Tulder can be approached for formulating and planning cost-effectiveness analyses for grant applications (particularly ZONMW). In addition, this unit offers support in cost calculations, (statistical) cost comparisons between groups, calculating confidence intervals for cost-effectiveness ratios and acceptability curves. This HTA support is in principal not free of costs and should be included in the project’s budget.

Systematic review

There is no special unit that can be approached for advice regarding this topic. Refer to the Systematic review guideline for the design and creation of systematic reviews.

Should you be interested in working on a (Cochrane) diagnostic test accuracy systematic review, then you could contact Dr. Mariska Leeflang (m.m.leeflang@amsterdamumc.nl).

Furthermore, EpidM and the library of the VU University provide a course in conducting systematic reviews. Click here for the EpidM course. Click here for the VU library course.

Library websites:

Literature search

For more information see the guideline in this Handbook. For help and advice with literature searching:

Qualitative research

Please refer to our guidelines on qualitative research in this handbook. EpidM offers a basic course on qualitative research for researchers with little to no experience in qualitative research (in Dutch): ‘Cursus K78, Kwalitatief onderzoek in de praktijk van de gezondheidszorg’. 

Intersectionality

Please refer to our guidelines on intersectionality in this handbook. For more information on intersectionality or to enter the SharePoint platform, please contact Dr. Maaike Muntinga: m.muntinga@amsterdamumc.nl.

Grant support

See the guidelines in the phase Design, Plan & Propose for more information. 

See the Grant Support page for a list of external sponsor funding opportunity web pages. There are also internal funding opportunities to APH - External grants (amsterdamumc.org) 

    • Make sure you are enlisted to receive the APH newsletter for updates on internal funding opportunities. 
    • Yellow Pages: the weekly newsletter of the Amsterdam UMC and VU Grant Offices. It contains announcements about grant opportunities, deadlines to register for internal support, workshops, scientific meetings, a research agenda and other activities related to research.
Ethical review
Medical research involving human subjects, human material or laboratory animals has to be carried out according to national law and regulations. Dedicated ethical committees review research protocols to ensure human and animal safety, and research quality. Please see the guideline on Research protocols in this Handbook, and refer to this link: Ethical review (amsterdamumc.org)
Legal Affairs or Legal Councel

Also see the guidelines Law & regulations and Relationship with external funder in this Handbook. 

Clinical research monitoring

The clinical monitoring center (CMC) of Amsterdam UMC provides monitoring services and related consultation and education. Please refer to this link: Clinical research monitoring (amsterdamumc.org)

Implementation

See our implementation science hub website: Implementation science (amsterdamumc.org) 

Doctoral Training and Supervision 

Please see guidelines under Training and Supervision in this Handbook. 

Amtserdam UMC Doctoral School support and advice during PhD trajectory  for PhD candidates and their supervisors, click here. 

Medical devices

For advice on Medical device development please see here: Intranet VUmc - Medische hulpmiddelen

For more information on APH scientific quality or the Scientific Quality Committee please contact us!