3C Institute
NCRR
ID: 1R43RR030780-01
PI: MELISSA DEROSIER, PHD, REBECCA KAMENY, PHD, CHRIS HEHMAN, BS
TERM: 07/10 – 06/11
There is a critical need to develop well-tested, researcher-approved web-based tools that will support clinical, social, and behavioral scientists. This Research Implementation Management System (RIMS) will offer an integrated suite of tools for the many tasks required to conduct research with human participants, including recruitment, screening and randomization, human participant protections, measure construction, data collection and tracking, and database management.
Phase I of this project accomplished three specific aims: (1) conducted stakeholder workgroups with researchers (PIs, projects coordinators, and research assistants) to establish the features and functions to be included in RIMS; (2) created the RIMS prototype based on stakeholder recommendations and input from the Advisory Board members, and (3) field-tested the prototype through a second set of researchers, gathering quantitative and qualitative data assessing the value, innovation, feasibility, usability, and quality of the proposed product. Using Phase I as a foundation, Phase II will involve full development and testing of RIMS. Phase II field testing will be conducted with research teams across a broad range of fields to ensure the effectiveness and broad applicability of the RIMS product.
Dr. Childress obtained her PhD in psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to coming to 3C Institute, she served as a research associate and a postdoctoral fellow in the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill working on a longitudinal imaging study aimed at identifying the early markers of autism through behavioral and imaging methodologies. She has 19 years of autism research experience, during which she has examined the behavioral, personality, and cognitive characteristics of individuals with autism and their family members. Dr. Childress also has experience developing behavioral and parent report measurement tools, coordinating multi-site research studies, and collecting data from children and families. She has taught courses and seminars in general child development, autism, and cognitive development at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.