The biostatistician in medical research: allocating time and effort

Abstract

Biostatisticians in research juggle many responsibilities: short-term consulting; long-term collaboration; teaching/training, and statistical research. In an institutionally-supported service group, the biostatistician frequently faces allocation of limited resources (time and effort) over multiple projects, none of which individually supports the biostatistician. In addition to the level of support provided by a specific project, there are several major issues with resource allocation: the quality of the science and data in the project; the possibility that long-term support develops from the work; personal and institutional considerations that involve the specific investigator or project. In this paper, we discuss these considerations along with some examples. We present guidelines for making decisions about allocation of time and effort and the possible implications of setting such priorities.