This interactive online workshop will provide an introduction to focus groups, a data collection method used in qualitative research. Topics covered will include focus group methodology, considerations for planning a focus group, development of focus group discussion guides, focus group facilitation skills, and tips for conducting virtual focus groups. Attendees will also observe or participate in a mini "mock" virtual focus group session.
This event is part of the NC TraCS Qualitative Research Training Series and may be recorded. Materials such as slides or handouts will be shared with documented attendees only.
Presenters:
MaryBeth Grewe, MPH
Program Manager, Qualitative Research Service
Research Specialist, Patient and Community Engagement in Research (PaCER) Program
Simone Frank, MPH
Senior Project Manager, Patient and Community Engagement in Research (PaCER) Program
Research Specialist, Qualitative Research Service
For questions about this training, please contact MaryBeth Grewe at
This online training will provide an introduction to qualitative data analysis, focusing on content/thematic analysis. The session will cover the basics of qualitative data analysis and steps in the analysis process, including transcribing, memoing, codebook development and coding, exploring content areas or themes, and interpreting and communicating findings. Participants will have the opportunity to practice developing and applying codes. Note that we will not be demonstrating how to use qualitative data analysis software during this session.
This event is part of the NC TraCS Qualitative Research Training Series and may be recorded. Materials such as slides or handouts will be shared with documented attendees only.
Presenters:
MaryBeth Grewe, MPH
Program Manager, Qualitative Research Service
Research Specialist, Patient and Community Engagement in Research (PaCER) Program
Simone Frank, MPH
Senior Project Manager, Patient and Community Engagement in Research (PaCER) Program
Research Specialist, Qualitative Research Service
For questions about this training, please contact MaryBeth Grewe at
The NC TraCS Biostatistics Seminar Series is appropriate for those with a basic familiarity with statistics. These seminars introduce topics not often included in STATS 101.
In this seminar Jeff Laux, PhD, will discuss the nature of power analyses and further topics.
You do not have to be affiliated with UNC-Chapel Hill or UNC Health to participate in this seminar. However, you must be affiliated with a university or health care organization and register using an affiliated email address.
Please note: This seminar will not be recorded and materials will be shared during the seminar or with documented attendees only. Attendance may be gathered from Zoom attendance reports.
In this session, participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and seek feedback on their qualitative analysis from facilitators and other attendees. To attend, participants must be working on a qualitative data analysis project and can seek feedback on any step in the process (e.g., coding; creating matrices, diagrams, or other products; developing categories or themes; summarizing data). They also must have attended an NC TraCS Introduction to Qualitative Data Analysis training (on September 30 or a previous session or recording).
This event is part of the NC TraCS Qualitative Research Training Series.
Please note: We will not be presenting information about qualitative analysis in this session; instead, we will ask participants to share where they are in their analysis process, ask questions about their analyses, and collectively discuss strategies for moving our analyses forward. This event will not be recorded.
Facilitators:
MaryBeth Grewe, MPH
Program Manager, Qualitative Research Service
Research Specialist, Patient and Community Engagement in Research (PaCER) Program
Simone Frank, MPH
Senior Project Manager, Patient and Community Engagement in Research (PaCER) Program
Research Specialist, Qualitative Research Service
Sharita Thomas, MPP
Research Specialist, Qualitative Research Service
For questions about this workshop, please contact MaryBeth Grewe at
Are you interested in learning about patient and community engagement and how it can benefit your research? Excited by the idea of engaging patient, community, or other partners in your research, but unsure about where to start? Want to know more about how to engage partners at different points throughout your study?
Engaging with patient and community partners who are impacted by your research can be instrumental to the success of your study. This online training will provide an overview of engagement in research, highlighting that engagement is not "all or nothing" or "one-size-fits-all", but instead encompasses a wide variety of low touch to high touch approaches that could be right for your study.
The session will cover common myths/misconceptions about engagement in research, benefits of and key considerations for engaging patient and community partners in research, and initial steps/existing resources you can leverage to begin engaging partners in your research.
Presenters:
Alicia Bilheimer, MPH - Director of Engaged Science, NC TraCS
Veronica Carlisle, MPH, CHES - Senior Community Health Educator, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center (LCCC)
Nisha Datta, MS - Senior Project Manager, NC TraCS
Simone Frank, MPH - Senior Project Manager, NC TraCS
Jennifer Potter, MPH, CHES - Senior Program Coordinator for Clinical Outreach, LCCC
Engaging Patient, Community, and Other Partners in Your Research is a multi-part online training series. You may register for the entire series OR any single training session. This training series was developed collaboratively with patient, community, and researcher partners and is co-sponsored by the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center's Office of Community Outreach and Engagement and the NC TraCS Institute’s Patient and Community Engagement in Research Program.
Ready to take your grant writing skills to the next level? Join us for Navigating the Grant Writing Journey: From Idea to Successful (Re)Submission.
This practical three-part workshop series covers all aspects of preparing applications for external funding, with a focus on NIH applications.
The three workshops will cover:
The three sessions are designed to build on one another and cover the grant writing process as a whole. We encourage you to register with attending all three sessions in mind.
10/14/2026 (2-5 p.m.): Effective Communication, General Grantsmanship, and Specific Aims
10/21/2026 (2-5 p.m.): Research Strategy, Supporting Documents, and Grant Review and Resubmissions
10/28/2026 (2-5 p.m.): Budgeting for Grand Proposals, Strategy & Grantsmanship, and Roundtable Discussion
Questions? Contact Amy Fry at
Presented by: Carolina Cancer Nanotechnology Training Program (C-CNTP) and the NC Translational and Clinical Sciences (NC TraCS) Institute
As part of UNC Research Week, join us in-person for a Qualitative Research Journal Club Coffee Hour!
This will be a chance to connect with others conducting qualitative research and discuss the following article: Jones, K. M. (2025). Generative AI in qualitative research and related transparency problems: A novel heuristic for disclosing uses of AI. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 24, 16094069251404329. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069251404329
Discussion Facilitators:
MaryBeth Grewe, MPH
Program Manager, Qualitative Research Service
Research Specialist, Patient and Community Engagement in Research (PaCER) Program
Simone Frank, MPH
Senior Project Manager, Patient and Community Engagement in Research (PaCER) Program
Research Specialist, Qualitative Research Service
Location: room 219, 2nd floor, Brinkhous-Bullitt Bldg. Coffee, tea, and pastries will be provided.
There is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to engaging patient, community, or other partners in your research. Rather, there are a variety of engagement methods to suit your study's needs, your research team's capacity, and your partners' interests.
This online training will describe three common approaches for working with patient, community, and other partners in your research: 1) consultative community feedback sessions; 2) advisory boards; and 3) sustained collaboration with partners as members of the research team.
The session will cover considerations for choosing these specific engagement methods, as well as concrete processes and steps for implementing each approach. Participation in our Engagement in Research 101 training is not required to attend this session; however, some knowledge of engagement, whether from prior training(s) or personal experience, may foster deeper understanding of the material in this session.
Presenters:
Alicia Bilheimer, MPH - Director of Engaged Science, NC TraCS
Veronica Carlisle, MPH, CHES - Senior Community Health Educator, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center (LCCC)
Nisha Datta, MS - Senior Project Manager, NC TraCS
Simone Frank, MPH - Senior Project Manager, NC TraCS
Jennifer Potter, MPH, CHES - Senior Program Coordinator for Clinical Outreach, LCCC
Engaging Patient, Community, and Other Partners in Your Research is a multi-part online training series. You may register for the entire series OR any single training session. This training series was developed collaboratively with patient, community, and researcher partners and is co-sponsored by the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center's Office of Community Outreach and Engagement and the NC TraCS Institute’s Patient and Community Engagement in Research Program.
Ready to take your grant writing skills to the next level? Join us for Navigating the Grant Writing Journey: From Idea to Successful (Re)Submission.
This practical three-part workshop series covers all aspects of preparing applications for external funding, with a focus on NIH applications.
The three workshops will cover:
The three sessions are designed to build on one another and cover the grant writing process as a whole. We encourage you to register with attending all three sessions in mind.
10/14/2026 (2-5 p.m.): Effective Communication, General Grantsmanship, and Specific Aims
10/21/2026 (2-5 p.m.): Research Strategy, Supporting Documents, and Grant Review and Resubmissions
10/28/2026 (2-5 p.m.): Budgeting for Grand Proposals, Strategy & Grantsmanship, and Roundtable Discussion
Questions? Contact Amy Fry at
Presented by: Carolina Cancer Nanotechnology Training Program (C-CNTP) and the NC Translational and Clinical Sciences (NC TraCS) Institute
Postdoctoral fellows who have secured a faculty position and junior faculty interested in applying for the NC TraCS K12 mentored career development program are invited to learn more about the program at an upcoming information session. This round of applications is for positions that would begin July 1, 2027.
The same information will be presented at each information session (October 23, 2026, 10-11 a.m. OR November 10, 2026, 2-3 p.m.) followed by time for questions and discussion. All sessions are in-person ONLY & held in Mary Ellen Jones 3116.
Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to attend one session to ask questions about the program overall as well as program eligibility. If you cannot attend an information session, please contact Kate Matthews at
Key Dates:
Letter of Intent deadline: January 8, 2027 by 12 p.m.
Application deadline: February 5, 2027 by 5 p.m.
Meaningful partnerships with patients, community members, or other collaborators involved in your research are invaluable. Projects are set up for success when care is intentionally given to developing and strengthening partnerships over time.
This online training will describe best practices for building mutually beneficial partnerships. The session will also cover common challenges that researchers and patient, community, and other partners experience when working together, along with suggested solutions.
Participation in our Engagement in Research 101 or Engagement in Research Nuts and Bolts trainings are not required to attend this session; however, some knowledge of engagement, whether from prior training(s) or personal experience, may foster deeper understanding of the material in this session.
Presenters:
Alicia Bilheimer, MPH - Director of Engaged Science, NC TraCS
Veronica Carlisle, MPH, CHES - Senior Community Health Educator, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center (LCCC)
Nisha Datta, MS - Senior Project Manager, NC TraCS
Simone Frank, MPH - Senior Project Manager, NC TraCS
Jennifer Potter, MPH, CHES - Senior Program Coordinator for Clinical Outreach, LCCC
Members of the NC TraCS Community and Patient Advisory Board and the UNC Lineberger Community Advisory Board
Engaging Patient, Community, and Other Partners in Your Research is a multi-part online training series. You may register for the entire series OR any single training session. This training series was developed collaboratively with patient, community, and researcher partners and is co-sponsored by the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center's Office of Community Outreach and Engagement and the NC TraCS Institute’s Patient and Community Engagement in Research Program.
Ready to take your grant writing skills to the next level? Join us for Navigating the Grant Writing Journey: From Idea to Successful (Re)Submission.
This practical three-part workshop series covers all aspects of preparing applications for external funding, with a focus on NIH applications.
The three workshops will cover:
The three sessions are designed to build on one another and cover the grant writing process as a whole. We encourage you to register with attending all three sessions in mind.
10/14/2026 (2-5 p.m.): Effective Communication, General Grantsmanship, and Specific Aims
10/21/2026 (2-5 p.m.): Research Strategy, Supporting Documents, and Grant Review and Resubmissions
10/28/2026 (2-5 p.m.): Budgeting for Grand Proposals, Strategy & Grantsmanship, and Roundtable Discussion
Questions? Contact Amy Fry at
Presented by: Carolina Cancer Nanotechnology Training Program (C-CNTP) and the NC Translational and Clinical Sciences (NC TraCS) Institute
The NC TraCS Biostatistics Seminar Series is appropriate for those with a basic familiarity with statistics. These seminars introduce topics not often included in STATS 101.
In this seminar Jeff Laux, PhD, will discuss how variables can be selected for inclusion in statistical models.
Please note: This seminar will not be recorded and materials will be shared during the seminar or with documented attendees only. Attendance may be gathered from Zoom attendance reports.
Postdoctoral fellows who have secured a faculty position and junior faculty interested in applying for the NC TraCS K12 mentored career development program are invited to learn more about the program at an upcoming information session. This round of applications is for positions that would begin July 1, 2027.
The same information will be presented at each information session (October 23, 2026, 10-11 a.m. OR November 10, 2026, 2-3 p.m.) followed by time for questions and discussion. All sessions are in-person ONLY & held in Mary Ellen Jones 3116.
Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to attend one session to ask questions about the program overall as well as program eligibility. If you cannot attend an information session, please contact Kate Matthews at
Key Dates:
Letter of Intent deadline: January 8, 2027 by 12 p.m.
Application deadline: February 5, 2027 by 5 p.m.
The NC TraCS Biostatistics Seminar Series is appropriate for those with a basic familiarity with statistics. These seminars introduce topics not often included in STATS 101.
In this seminar Beibo Zhao, PhD, will discuss the different kinds of observational designs that can be used for public health research, and their pros and cons.
Please note: This seminar will not be recorded and materials will be shared during the seminar or with documented attendees only. Attendance may be gathered from Zoom attendance reports.