Consultation Options and Rates
An initial consultation to determine the needs of the investigator is available at no charge. If the investigator wishes to utilize the statistical, programming, and data management support provided by the BCC after the initial consultation, the investigator can choose from the following options:
- Grant support
- Subscription
- Hourly rates
Grant support
An investigator within the university has the option to list our faculty biostatisticians and/or statistical analysts as personnel on their grant submission for ongoing collaboration. In this case, a percentage of the individual biostatistician’s salary (based on the effort required) including fringe benefits will be charged directly to the grant account during the project period.
Subscription
The subscription method is recommended for investigators requiring many hours of consultation for lengthy projects. Investigators can retain a percentage of an individual faculty and/or analyst time for a specified number of months. A minimum of 20% effort and 6 months duration is preferred for subscriptions. Subscription costs are calculated based on the individual biostatistician’s salary and the percent effort desired. The investigator is also responsible for fringe benefits and indirect costs (F&A) associated with carrying out the project. Therefore, salary, fringe benefits, and indirect costs determine the total cost. Estimates will be provided upon request. Payment schedules can be negotiated.
Hourly rates
The new Fiscal Year 2012 rates have been reviewed and approved by The Office of Cost Studies. All services rendered on or after 09/01/2011 will be billed at this hourly rate:
Statististical Consultation - $150 per hour (or $225 for non-NU clients*)
Epidemiology Consultation (as part of the NUCATS TRIP service) - $475 per hour. Please note that prior approval from NUCATS Administration is required for the epidemiology service.
Programming Consultation - $150 per hour (or $225 for non-NU clients*)
Data Management - $150 per hour (or $225 for non-NU clients*)
Once the details of the hourly rate charges have been agreed upon by the investigator and the BCC, the investigator will be billed on an hourly basis and billed monthly until the completion of the project. For internal clients (Northwestern University departments), a chartstring is required for payment via an internal sales journal (ISJ). With an ISJ, funds (payment) are transferred from your department account to the center’s account thereby eliminating the need for checks. For external clients or non-university departments, invoices will be sent electronically (or mail if preferred). Checks should be made payable to Northwestern University.
*Internal clients include Northwestern departments, centers, affiliates and anyone with Northwestern appointments.
