This course is the first is a two-part scale development course series that introduces students to the systematic process of developing multi-item scale measures and survey instruments. Examples include measures of various social and psychological variables that might be assessed in health, medicine, journalism, or other related research areas. After a brief theoretical introduction to topics such as defining a construct and types of validity, we will turn to applied issues such as what is the optimal scale development process and how (and when) can you deviate from that process. We will also address practical issues around questionnaire design such as how to construct a “good” survey instrument that has a natural flow, minimizes participant burden, has appropriate response options and other common concerns in scale development and design. We will focus on real-life examples to demonstrate the scale development process. Although we will briefly discuss the kinds of quantitative techniques that are commonly used in the scale development process, this course will not cover the application of these methods. Quantitative methods for scale development will be covered in Part 2 of this course series.

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This online training session will provide an introduction to qualitative research methods. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and share experiences conducting qualitative research. Topics include: differences between quantitative and qualitative research, qualitative research methodologies, strategies for qualitative data collection, and methods of qualitative data analysis.

This event 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 email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Join us for a laptop-optional workshop to learn about using exploratory data analysis (EDA) as part of a data analysis plan for clinical research. Code samples will be provided in both R and Python.

In this workshop, you will learn how to:

• Rearticulate research question with respect to collected data
• Design and implement a data analysis plan
• Use appropriate exploratory data analysis (EDA) for variable and question types

Prerequisites: No prerequisite knowledge needed. Some exposure to data analysis in R and/or Python may be beneficial.

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This workshop is co-sponsored by the Data Science and AI Academy at NC State University and the Informatics and Data Science program at NC TraCS Institute.

Introduction to Survey Development

This online course introduces learners to the foundations of survey development for primary data collection. Students will learn fundamental practices in planning, designing, and conducting data collection using survey research best practices. Core topics covered include: sampling and outreach; questionnaire development (writing questions, response options, and question ordering); visual design considerations of electronic and paper surveys; and approaches for testing and monitoring. Participants will have the opportunity to draft and review survey questions, explore resources for existing survey questions, and review the strengths and limitations of various data collection modes.

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Using AI in Survey Research: Practices and Pitfalls

Discover how artificial intelligence can streamline workflows, uncover hidden patterns, and empower breakthroughs in your field. Learn practical applications of AI through Odum Institute AI in Research series that can revolutionize your research process.

This course offers an overview of how AI tools such as large language models (LLMS) can enhance early stages of the survey process, including item generation, questionnaire evaluation, and survey refinement. This session will highlight practical ways LLMs such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot can support researchers while also addressing common pitfalls. Participants will learn best practices for questionnaire design focusing on writing questions, response option development, and question ordering. Ideal for researchers seeking to incorporate AI thoughtfully and efficiently during survey development work. The first half of the session will provide structured lecture content, and the second half will offer time for participants to ask questions and discuss the specific projects they are working on.

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Integrated Mixed Methods

Mixed methods research (MMR) refers to research design and implementation that combines qualitative and quantitative data collection and/or analysis strategies. This seminar explores strategies for effectively designing, implementing, and integrating MMR. Through discussion of exemplars and theoretical frameworks, we will consider best practices for “mixing” methods and presenting integrated findings. Participants will gain practical skills for aligning methodological choices with research questions, implementing complementary qualitative and quantitative techniques, and articulating cohesive and rigorous mixed methods results.

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Preventing Vertical Transmission of HIV: Insights from Simulation Modeling

Join the Children's Research Institute for a seminar with Horacio A. Duarte, MD, MS, an assistant professor in the Division of Epidemiology & Community Health at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Duarte is a physician-scientist with clinical training in pediatric infectious diseases and research training in epidemiology, decision analysis, and health economics. His research focuses on developing computer-based simulation models to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of HIV treatment and prevention policies for adults and children in resource-limited settings.

Participate in the seminar at 3116 Mary Ellen Jones Building (with lunch provided). A zoom option is also available.

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Qualtrics is a powerful browser-based web-survey tool. It is available to UNC-Chapel Hill faculty, staff, and students, for UNC-related projects. Qualtrics allows users to build complex surveys, distribute them, and analyze the responses all from one place.

In this course, we will cover basic Qualtrics functions beginning with an overview of survey options and settings, followed by hands-on practice programming and distributing a survey and downloading results. We will program some of the most common question and response types, customize requirements and validation, and add display logic, skip logic, and basic branch logic in the “survey flow”. We will then create and upload a contact list and discuss advantages and disadvantages of distributing the survey with a single reusable link vs. the survey mailer. Finally, we will cover a basic overview of the Data & Analysis tab for viewing, editing, and exporting raw data into various formats including .csv, .tsv, .excel, and .spss. Other topics include project sharing/ collaboration, Groups and Libraries, and preventing fraudulent responses and bot activity.

This is an introductory course and will not cover use of the online analysis tools within Qualtrics. Please note, this is a hands-on course. All participants are required to create a Qualtrics account before the course.

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This course is the second in a two-part scale development course series on scale development. Part one of the series focused on the general theories and methods used in the scale development process. This second portion focuses on the analytic methods used to statistically test, refine, and validate scale data. These methods include Cronbach’s alpha, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and basic structural equation models testing for predictive validity.

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This interactive online workshop will focus on semi-structured interviewing, a data collection method used in qualitative research. Topics covered will include basics of semi-structured interviews, development of interview questions and probes, interviewing skills, and considerations for conducting virtual interviews. Participants will have the opportunity to practice developing interview questions and using interviewing skills.

This event 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 email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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When AI Fails in Health Research

Although powerful, AI tools and methods can still generate misleading results without proper implementation and supervision. In this seminar, JP Powers, PhD, will discuss some limitations and common pitfalls around using machine learning and large language models in research.

Speaker:
JP Powers, PhD
Research Data Scientist
TraCS Data Science Lab

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Seminars in the NC TraCS Data Science Lab Seminar Series cover a range of topics related to health care data science, clinical data, data engineering, and working in these areas at UNC-Chapel Hill. These hybrid seminars are usually held monthly on the third Tuesday of each month from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in the NC TraCS suite on the 2nd floor of Brinkhous-Bullitt or via Zoom.

Overview of 2026 NIH Requirements: Biosketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support

This session provides an overview of some of the upcoming changes to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant application requirements, including new Common Forms that will be required for due dates on or after January 25, 2026.

In particular, this presentation will focus on the Biosketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support forms, which will need to be completed using the SciENcv tool. It will include demonstrations of SciENcv as well as ORCID iD creation and linking steps. The presentation aims to prepare researchers for the new NIH requirements by providing detailed instructions and resources to ensure compliance.

This program is offered via Zoom by the Health Sciences Library and led by Katherine Howell, MSLIS.

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AI for Programming

Discover how artificial intelligence can streamline workflows, uncover hidden patterns, and empower breakthroughs in your field. Learn practical applications of AI through Odum Institute AI in Research series that can revolutionize your research process.

AI, for example ChatGPT, may be used to construct code for software packages and programming languages commonly used by social scientists. Examples include SAS, Stata and R. The quality of responses has varied to this point and may continue to at the time of the class. Examples will be given.

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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 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 email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Junior Faculty Research Frontiers in Health Sciences

Please join the Department of Health Sciences Office of Research & Scholarship for their February research forum. Bai Li, PhD, MLS (ASCP)CM SHCM, will present Community Health Monitoring Via Decoding Age-stratified Microbiome Signatures in Urban Wastewater; Hiral Master, PT, PhD, MPH, will present Innovating Rehabilitation Through Wearables and Large Data; and Shawn Luby MS, MLS(ASCP)CM, will present Considering Communications: An Examination of Clinical Laboratory Involvement in Patient Education.

The hybrid forum will take place in person (MacNider 321, LUNCH provided) and via Zoom. Please register to attend.

Questions? Contact the Department of Health Sciences Office of Research & Scholarship at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Community Engagement as Practice, Not Paperwork: A Grant Perspectives Workshop

More than ever, funders want to know that when you say “community engagement” you mean real, reciprocal, and respective relationships—not short-sighted connections, email agreements days before the deadline, or theoretical partnerships. But how do you make connections? How do you keep them? And what are community partners really hoping for when they let researchers and scholars in?

Learn about community needs around (1) listening-first communication; (2) sustainable time and money management; and (3) equitable collaboration. Join the Arts & Humanities Grant Studio for this look into how to foster community ties and communicate them to funders. All are welcome to register. Lunch provided!

Please register by Wednesday, February 11 to ensure your spot at the event. Special thanks to the Institute for the Arts & Humanities (IAH) for sponsoring this event. The workshop will be held in Hyde Hall in the Incubator Room at the IAH.

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The Good, the Bad, and the NTFs – the Role of Notes to File and Protocol Deviations in Audit Readiness

Join the UNC Network for Research Professionals (NRP) for a hybrid education session on the role of Notes to File and Protocol Deviations in audit readiness.

1. The purpose and intended use of Notes to File (NTFs)
2. What are considered deviations, and how to report deviations
3. Possible alternatives to NTFs
4. Best practices for NTF content

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Version Control with Git and GitHub

This 2-part (2/23/2026 and 2/25/2026) 5-hour course will be offered via Zoom. Attendance is required as the course will not be recorded.

In this course, participants will learn how to keep track of the code they use in their research using the version control system Git and the collaboration platform GitHub. Git allows you to keep track of changes to your code, easily revert to previous versions, and “tag” versions of code used in publications so that the exact code used can be retrieved at a later date. GitHub allows Git users to collaborate with each other on projects by managing simultaneous changes to the same files and allowing users to review and discuss each others’ code. Git and Github are applicable to any text-based programming or analysis language, including R, Python, Stata, Julia, and others.

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The New NIH Public Access Policy: What You Need to Know

The 2024 NIH Public Access Policy includes several significant changes from the previous policy, and applies to all NIH-funded manuscripts accepted for publication on or after July 1, 2025. Learn more about what has changed, how to comply, and what to expect going forward.

This program is offered via Zoom by the Health Sciences Library and the Scholarly Communications Office, and led by Collin Drummond and Katherine Howell.

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The Carolina Women's Health Research Network- Connecting for Discovery, Collaboration & Impact

Building on the momentum of past successes, NC TraCS and the Office of Research Development at UNC–Chapel Hill are excited to reconnect with researchers across campus. This in-person event is an opportunity to strengthen relationships, celebrate shared accomplishments, and explore new funding and collaborative possibilities.

Here's what we have planned:

• Lightning Talks from UNC Researchers
• TraCS Pilot Funding Updates
• Federal agency priority updates
• Networking time

This event will be held in room 219 on the second floor of the Brinkhous-Bullitt Building.

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Please register by February 20 to participate. If you are interested in presenting a lightning talk, please contact Kelley Cardone at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Introduction to Individual and Aggregate Data Network Models for Understanding Human Processes

This 2-day course (2/25/26 and 2/27/26) will be offered ONLINE. It will not be recorded as there are in-class activities.

With increased interest in person-centered interventions and treatments has come increased interest in understanding human processes as they unfold within individuals. Additionally, technological advances have made the collection of person-specific data easier and more cost-effective for researchers interested in studying human behavior within everyday contexts. This two-day course focuses on using two popular network models to explore research questions concerning within-person processes.

This course is intended for individuals with research questions that can be answered using multivariate time series data/intensive longitudinal data. Examples of such data include daily diary data; data collected via self-report through ecological momentary sampling (ESM); passive data from cell phones; and other psychophysiological data such as MRI data or heart rate data.

The two network modeling frameworks presented in this course are graphicalVAR (GVAR) and Group Iterative Multiple Model Estimation (GIMME). Both models can be used to explore processes as they unfold within individuals to obtain individual person-specific network models (idiographic analysis) or group/population level network models (nomothetic analysis). Differences between the modeling frameworks will be presented. Challenges and considerations for choosing between methods will be discussed.

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Accelerate your ideas through customer discovery and market opportunity validation!

KickStart Venture Services is recruiting community startups as well as faculty, post-doctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduate students with innovations and an interest in commercialization to participate in their virtual NSF I-Corps program. They will teach you the principles of customer discovery to help you better understand the market potential of your innovation!

The National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps Program (I-Corps) was launched in 2011 and has quickly become one of the world’s largest and most successful technology commercialization accelerators. The I-Corps regional program helps researchers and aspiring innovators determine if they are solving a real-world problem with true market opportunity. NSF’s I-Corps Program not only provides funding, mentoring, and networking opportunities to help commercialize promising technologies, it is offered at NO COST to the community.

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For more information about the I-Corps Program, visit KickStart Venture Services.

Version Control with Git and GitHub

This 2-part (2/23/2026 and 2/25/2026) 5-hour course will be offered via Zoom. Attendance is required as the course will not be recorded.

In this course, participants will learn how to keep track of the code they use in their research using the version control system Git and the collaboration platform GitHub. Git allows you to keep track of changes to your code, easily revert to previous versions, and “tag” versions of code used in publications so that the exact code used can be retrieved at a later date. GitHub allows Git users to collaborate with each other on projects by managing simultaneous changes to the same files and allowing users to review and discuss each others’ code. Git and Github are applicable to any text-based programming or analysis language, including R, Python, Stata, Julia, and others.

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The Penn State CTSI Community Engagement Team is pleased to host an educational workshop focused on conducting research in rural populations. Please join them in welcoming Kristina Brant, PhD, Assistant Professor of Rural Sociology and Social Science Research Institute Co-Funded Faculty Member, and Florence Becot, PhD, Nationwide Insurance Early Career Professor and Agricultural Safety and Health Program Lead. The speakers will share their expertise and firsthand experiences working with rural communities. During this session, participants will: explore the importance of research in rural communities; examine real-world examples of research conducted among rural populations; and discuss best practices and lessons learned from engaging with rural communities.

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Rare Disease Day at NIH

Rare Disease Day at NIH will be held on the NIH Main Campus at the Natcher Conference Center and also virtually. By shining a spotlight on rare diseases, Rare Disease Day at NIH encourages collaboration among patients, advocates, researchers and healthcare professionals, fostering innovation and driving progress toward better treatments and care.

The virtual livestream via NIH VideoCast will also be archived for replay afterward. The event agenda will feature panel discussions, rare diseases stories, in-person exhibitors and scientific posters, and an art exhibition. The event is free and open to the public.

Learn More

Introduction to Individual and Aggregate Data Network Models for Understanding Human Processes

This 2-day course (2/25/26 and 2/27/26) will be offered ONLINE. It will not be recorded as there are in-class activities.

With increased interest in person-centered interventions and treatments has come increased interest in understanding human processes as they unfold within individuals. Additionally, technological advances have made the collection of person-specific data easier and more cost-effective for researchers interested in studying human behavior within everyday contexts. This two-day course focuses on using two popular network models to explore research questions concerning within-person processes.

This course is intended for individuals with research questions that can be answered using multivariate time series data/intensive longitudinal data. Examples of such data include daily diary data; data collected via self-report through ecological momentary sampling (ESM); passive data from cell phones; and other psychophysiological data such as MRI data or heart rate data.

The two network modeling frameworks presented in this course are graphicalVAR (GVAR) and Group Iterative Multiple Model Estimation (GIMME). Both models can be used to explore processes as they unfold within individuals to obtain individual person-specific network models (idiographic analysis) or group/population level network models (nomothetic analysis). Differences between the modeling frameworks will be presented. Challenges and considerations for choosing between methods will be discussed.

Register