Working with Us
CCTS wants to make partnering with us an easy choice for UIC study teams. We strive to be transparent about timelines and fees, as well as aspirations and expectations around the nature of this partnership.
Please review the information below for clarification. Our Research Navigators are available to address any questions at ccts-services@uic.edu.
Requesting Services
Cost
Timelines
Authorship Guidelines
Citing the Grant
Requesting Support: What to Expect Heading link
The Research Ally portal provides a single, web-based platform to request and manage your CCTS consultations.
Our research navigators and peer scientists will work with you along the entire continuum of your project- from grant preparation, to conducting the research, to reporting and analysis, to close out. Our team of experts is here for you every step of the way.
STEP 1: Create a new project
We will ask you some basic questions about you, your team, and the project. You will select from a list of research needs that will help us prepare for our consultation with you.
STEP 2: Review project details with a CCTS research navigator
Your designated research navigator will reach out to gather and review some additional information prior to scheduling our first consultation. This navigator will be your primary point of contact for the entirety of the project.
STEP 3: Meet with our team of peer scientists
In the initial consultation, our peer scientists will listen to you and/or your team’s unique challenges and offer a range of solutions that can best address the specific needs of your project.
STEP 4: Choose your support
After the team consultation, we will present you with a list of support options for your review and approval, including any associated fees.
Note: Most CCTS support is freely available. If there is an associated cost, you will see clear details about the estimated hours and scope of work.
STEP 5: Let the collaboration begin!
With your approval, we will get to work! We will be in regular contact throughout this process. Should you ever feel like you need additional help, just add a new “request for consultation” to your project—there is never a fee or obligation for these meetings.
Costs Heading link
While many of our services are free of charge, there are hourly rates associated with some forms of support. For a list of project tasks and associated costs, please review the PDF document linked below. Our Research Navigators will provide a detailed breakdown of any service costs related to your project during the initial consultation. Rates may be subsidized depending on a PI’s source of funding.
Timelines Heading link
We encourage study teams to engage with Research Ally early in their project, ideally during the project planning stage. We recommend at least two weeks lead time for most services, including biostatistical and biomedical informatics support. PIs seeking insight from the Community Engagement Advisory Board should contact us at least a month prior to their deadline to allow adequate time for a representative panel to convene. Any timelines shorter than two weeks cannot be guaranteed until the initial consultation meeting.
Authorship Guidelines Heading link
CCTS hopes our campus study teams will formally recognize the value of our peer scientists’ scholarly contributions to a project. In addition to citing the CCTS grant, we encourage PIs to offer the opportunity to earn authorship to peer scientists who contribute substantially to study design, implementation, analysis and/or interpretation in accordance with ICMJE Authorship Guidelines.
Examples of consultative support that may warrant a conversation about authorship include, but are not limited to:
- Writing or contributing to the methods section of a paper
- Meaningful scientific and/or technical contributions, for example:
- Collaborative effort to define cohort and available data via multiple consultation efforts, cohort count refinements, and research into the data model
- Contributions of data model understanding leads to design to or changes in research scope or informatics methodology
- Development of implementation plans or recruitment strategies
- Manuscript preparation, review and/or revision
Citing the CCTS Heading link
All publications, posters, and conference presentations resulting from the utilization of any CCTS resources are required to credit the CTSA grant. This helps us demonstrate CCTS’s value and impact to our funders, partners, and collaborating institutions.
Detailed citation instructions and NIH Public Access Policy compliance guidelines can be accessed through the link below.