MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University faculty have a new research tool available through the recently created Center for Methodology, Evaluation and Applied Statistics for University Research Education, or C-MEASURE.

Psychology professor James Houston has taken the helm as director of C-MEASURE, which is comprised of faculty members and staff with areas of expertise in research design, basic and advanced statistical techniques, grant writing, and research program evaluation.

“We are excited to have Dr. Houston take on the role,” Department of Psychology Chair Nancy Stone said. “He has the requisite research experience and dedication to the growth of scholarship and funded research to support researchers with various needs for expert methodology and data analysis for their research projects.”

The mission of the center is to promote and facilitate the research activities for MTSU faculty, staff and graduate students, with services able to be compensated for in a variety of ways.

“People can bring their research projects to us or request us to evaluate an existing program of research. We’ll sit down and see what they are trying to do and evaluate,” said Houston. “We have faculty with a wide range of expertise in methodology and applied sciences.”

C-MEASURE will provide consulting services in the area of study design, statistical analysis, manuscript support, grant proposal development and writing, and workshops on selected topics such as study design; quantitative/qualitative analysis for individual projects; dissemination support; research support for grant proposals; and training workshops.

‘Help everybody be more successful’

Currently C-MEASURE has 11 affiliate faculty, with hopes to triple the number, Houston said.

“It is our goal for affiliate faculty to have additional opportunities to collaborate with colleagues, increase their visibility, and further contribute to the advancement of research at our institution,” Houston said. “The purpose of this is to help everyone become more involved and help everybody be more successful.”

MTSU faculty, staff and graduate students will be able to utilize C-MEASURE services. Eventually, C-MEASURE will be available to the general public on a fee-for-service basis., with a potential of services being made available to the public on a fee-for-service basis.

While C-MEASURE services are provided at the discretion of the director and affiliate members, Houston said compensation for services can be provided through multiple means:

• For individual projects with intended dissemination, the center expects assisting C-MEASURE members will be awarded co-authorship in return for their provided expertise and efforts.

• For grant proposals, services may be compensated by the assignment of assisting C-MEASURE members to formal roles commensurate with services provided (e.g., collaborator, co-investigator). Grant proposals developed with the assistance of C-MEASURE should be submitted using the standard center indirect cost distribution. For more information, please see https://mtsu.edu/research/indirects.php.

• All C-MEASURE services may also be provided on a fee-for-service basis. The rate is determined by the scope of the requested services. Fees may be requested as an alternative, or in addition to other forms of compensation previously mentioned.

Those who request C-MEASURE services must complete the service request form on the website.

For additional information on services or to become an affiliate faculty member of C-MEASURE, email the center director at james.houston@mtsu.edu.

“The development of C-MEASURE is a huge asset to the university by addressing a great need across campus for our researchers,” Stone said.

— Nancy DeGennaro (Nancy.DeGennaro@mtsu.edu)