Slide 1 National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect Slide 2 Summer Research Institute: Overview and Guide to Applying This video was produced by the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN). Slide 3 What is the Summer Research Institute? The Summer Research Institute, often referred to as the SRI, is an online distance learning opportunity sponsored by the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN). The Institute is designed to promote use of Archive datasets, encourage publication of research findings, and foster an environment in which like-minded child maltreatment professionals are able to network and collaborate. NDACAN hosts the virtual SRI over the course of multiple successive days, typically in the month of June. The bulk of the time allocated for the Institute is geared towards participants working on their proposed research projects. Whenever possible, NDACAN hosts virtual presentations relating to topics of global interest to the group, during the course of the Institute. Slide 4 What are some of the potential benefits of attending the SRI? The SRI provides the opportunity to network and collaborate with fellow participants who are working on the same dataset or whose research focus is similar to your own. While attending the SRI participants will gain a greater familiarity with the dataset(s) of interest through online presentations and workgroups which provide opportunities for learning about use of NDACAN datasets and the appropriate application of analytic methods. Perhaps the best benefit is that participants will make progress on their proposed research project during the focused, independent working periods of the SRI. The Institute presents researchers with the unique opportunity to pursue their proposed research with almost immediate assistance available when they require it. Slide 5 How to apply to be a participant at the SRI? NDACAN encourages applications from advanced graduate students, post-docs, early-career faculty, and other researchers. Prospective SRI participants apply to attend to the Institute by completing the SRI application found on the NDACAN website (.. ). The application requires providing research background information and a description of the proposed research that is based on the analysis of one of the datasets from our holdings. Please note that the abbreviated research proposal and Research Background sections can each be no more that 800 words, not including the references. In addition to the completed application, applicants must also submit a copy of their Curriculum Vitae. All application materials must be submitted by the deadline posted on our website. Slide 6 What elements does a competitive application possess? Question 3, the Dataset Selection section of the SRI application, requires that you choose a dataset from the Archive’s Holdings. Visit the Datasets page of our website: .. to review a list of our available datasets. Peruse the listings and read the documentation found on the website to be certain that a specific dataset can answer your research questions. Be sure to explore the datasets listed in the application as being “especially encouraged.” If proposing to use more than one dataset, it is best if they are from the same dataset series, such as multiple years of the AFCARS data, or were designed to be merged onto other datasets because they contain the unique identifier variable necessary to perform the merge. An example of this would be when merging NCANDS Child File, AFCARS Foster Care, and NYTD datasets together. Each of those datasets contains an identifier that permits merging of the data from one or both of the other two datasets. Also, prospective applicants should consult the online searchable citations management database called the child abuse and neglect Digital Library or canDL for short, to see what research has already been published, based on the dataset(s) of interest, to avoid duplication of previous work. The canDL can be accessed from the Publications page of our website and is arranged in collections by dataset. Please remember that you will need to have received or applied to receive the dataset(s) you’ve selected before submitting your completed SRI application. Slide 7 What elements does a competitive application possess? Question 4, the Research Background section of the application, requires applicants to provide a summary of their research experiences. Applicants should: Provide clear and succinct background information which highlights their research experience, making sure to describe the role they have played in prior research projects. Build the case that your past research experience has prepared you well for taking on the research project described later in the application. Be sure to highlight prior experience using statistical software programs. Slide 8 What elements does a competitive application possess? Question 5, the research project description section of the application, requires applicants to describe the research project they wish to pursue while at the Institute. Applicants should… Provide the rationale for the research project. Remember to briefly summarize the research that has already been done, by yourself or others, related to your topic of interest. Clearly state the specific research questions you will plan to pursue. Discuss how you will approach the analyses. It is beneficial to describe which variables or instruments that will be used to answer the research questions you have proposed. Highlight the unique insights and contribution(s) your proposed research will provide to the child maltreatment research community. Acknowledge the strengthens and limitations of the study design, for the dataset being used, as it relates to being able to answer the proposed research questions. If the limitations cited will impact how you pursue answering you research questions, be certain to describe any planned work arounds. For example, if a specific construct was not measured during the course of the study, however, you plan to use a variable or set of variables as a proxy for that missing information, describe your intentions to do that. Slide 9 How selective is the competitive application process? Participants are selected on a competitive basis. NDACAN received and reviewed an average of 57 applications over the course 2014, 2015, and 2016 SRI’s. The Archive selects up to 20 participants to attend the SRI. The number of applicants selected varies based on the pool of quality proposals that complement each other either through use of the same dataset, interest in similar content area, or application of similar techniques. Successful applicants have represented a wide variety of disciplines including social work, psychology, sociology, medicine, public health, and nursing, to name a few. Slide 10 In summary, the SRI is designed to help you accomplish your research goals, as they related to your proposed research project. Good luck to you and we look forward to reviewing your SRI application. This concludes our video on applying for the SRI. If you have questions about the application process, please contact NDACAN@cornell.edu If you have questions about a dataset, please contact NDACANsupport@cornell.edu Slide 11 The National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect is a project of the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research at Cornell University. Funding for NDACAN is provided by the Children's Bureau.