PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS

Preconference Workshop Slides:

PC Workshop III: Participatory System Dynamics Modeling: Applications for Prevention Research (Download)

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The Society for Prevention Research provides training opportunities in prevention science during pre-conference workshops scheduled for Tuesday, May 29, 2012. All workshops require registration.

Pre-Conference #1
DATE: Tuesday, May 29, 2012, Hyatt Regency Washington, Washington, DC
TIME: 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM

How to Write a Research Grant Proposal to the Institute of Education Sciences: Bringing Prevention Science to Ideas to Education Research

Organizers and Presenters: Emily J. Doolittle, PhD and Jacquelyn A. Buckley, PhD, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education

Description: The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) has multiple funding opportunities for researchers from the multidisciplinary prevention research community to bring their knowledge of prevention science to bear on education practice. A number of SPR members are involved in prevention efforts in schools that promote the well-being of students and help to prevent and reduce problem behaviors and poor educational outcomes. This preconference workshop is designed to raise awareness of funding support for prevention scientists whose research questions are relevant to education research and to provide instruction on how to develop competitive grant applications for IES. The workshop will provide instruction and advice on writing a successful application to the Institute of Education Sciences’ Education Research Grants Program (84.305A) and Special Education Research Grants Program (84.324A). The workshop will focus on 1) the topics of interest in these two grant programs, highlighting particular topic areas that may be most relevant to prevention scientists; 2) the types of research questions that are supported by the IES goal structure; and 3) the four sections of the Research Narrative (Significance, Research Plan, Personnel, and Resources) that comprise the most important part of the grant application. Direct instruction on these topics will be accompanied by review of examples, relevance to each participant’s own work, and discussion.

Pre-conference Workshop #1: How to Write a Research Grant Proposal to the Institute of Education Sciences: Bringing Prevention Science Ideas to Education Research (PDF)

Pre-Conference #2
DATE: Tuesday, May 29, 2012, Hyatt Regency Washington, Washington, DC
TIME: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM

Small Sample Methodology: Tools for Conducting Intervention Research with Small Samples

Chairs: Kathy Etz, PhD, National Institute on Drug Abuse and David Henry, PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago

Presenters: David Henry, PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago, Donald Hedeker, PhD, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Linda Collins, PhD, Chapin Hall at The University of Chicago, and John Creswell, PhD, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Description: Although larger samples are desirable for reasons of statistical power, much prevention research is conducted in situations where organizational or cultural constraints make large sample sizes prohibitive. Because of the inherent challenges of prevention research with small samples, it is important to develop a body of methodological and statistical knowledge that is applicable to these situations.

This workshop will consider some of the issues involved in prevention research with small samples and will focus on four strategies to address the challenges. It will include both quantitative and qualitative approaches, as follows: address methods for increasing the sensitivity of a study and power for detecting true preventive effects, present a session on models for clustered, ordinal data, that may be more appropriate for prevention outcomes than are models that assume continuous measurement and multivariate normality, and will provide instruction on using simulations in power analysis.

Pre-Conference Workshop #2: Small Sample Methodology: Tools for Conducting Intervention Research with Small Samples (PDF)

Pre-Conference #3
DATE: Tuesday, May 29, 2012, Hyatt Regency Washington, Washington, DC
TIME: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM

Participatory System Dynamics Modeling: Applications for Prevention Research

Chairs: Elizabeth M. Ginexi, PhD, National Cancer Institute and Patricia Mabry, PhD, National Institutes of Health, Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research

Presenters: David Mendez, PhD, University of Michigan, Karen J. Minyard, PhD, Georgia State University, Imrana A. Umar, Powersim Solutions, Inc.

Description: This workshop will provide an introduction to System Dynamics (SD) modeling for prevention science researchers in greater depth than was possible during prior forums at the SPR Annual Meetings. Following a general introduction to SD methods, and a brief review of the historical context and the role of SD in the larger space of systems science methods, we will illustrate with in-depth case examples in public health research. Specifically, we will present an SD model examining the potential impact of one or more tobacco control policies under consideration by the FDA. We will also hear from a researcher who will describe how she has used SD to inform policy makers about the potential future impact of various health policies under consideration by a state legislature. We will next introduce software used in SD model building (Powersim), showcasing all of the basic features via public health examples. In this way, we will both be demonstrating the software, while at the same time, illustrating how the SD method works with relevant case examples. Next, we will engage the audience in a participatory model building exercise involving prevention science implementation research examples, so that audience members will have an opportunity for experiential learning. We will conclude with a 45 minute interactive session in which SD experts outline steps for building and using a model for problems selected by the audience. This final session is intended to help participants understand how they can implement an SD approach to address prevention science research questions and also gain an appreciation for the types of problems this tool is best suited for as well as its limits (i.e., in situations where a problem nominated might not be well suited for the SD method, an explanation for why would be provided). Each session will include facilitated, interactive discussion among session participants and workshop presenters, regarding how the methods might be used in prevention science research.

Pre-Conference Workshop #3: Participatory System Dynamics Modeling: Applications for Prevention Research (PDF)

Pre-Conference #4
DATE: Tuesday, May 29, 2012, Hyatt Regency Washington, Washington, DC
TIME: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Social Network Approaches for Evaluating Prevention Programs and Implementing Evidence Based Programs

Chair: Thomas Valente, PhD, University of Southern California

Presenters: Scott Gest, PhD, Pennsylvania State University, Peter Wyman, PhD, Rochester University, Sheppard Kellam, MD, Johns Hopkins University, and Hendricks Brown, PhD, University of Miami

Description: This workshop will introduce participants to the language, methodology, and theory of social network analysis. It will also discuss how network data can be collected efficiently and then analyzed and displayed using available programs. The workshop will then focus on how social network analysis can be used to 1) assess differential impact of interventions, 2) accelerate behavior change, and 3) accelerate the implementation of evidence based practices. We will review how SNA has been successfully used in previous prevention studies. Because many studies do not yet use SNA, we will also address barriers by examining case studies where the collection of such network data have been considered but not yet been attempted. We will close by having participants discuss their perspectives and interests in network theories, methodologies, field experiences and findings.

Pre-Conference Workshop #4: Social Network Approaches for Evaluating Prevention Programs and Implementing Evidence Based Programs (PDF)

Pre-Conference #5
DATE: Tuesday, May 29, 2012, Hyatt Regency Washington, Washington, DC

Using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for Prevention Research

Organizer and Presenter: Andra Tharp, PhD, Division of Violence Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Presenters: Jody Ranck, Public Health Institute, Megan Moreno, University of Wisconsin, Deepali Patel, Institute of Medicine, Erik Augustson, National Cancer Institute, Marc Zimmerman, Jose Bauermeister, Meagan Sinton, Audie Atienza, HHS/OS, William Riley, National Heart, Lung and Blood, Carrie Dewer, Ogilvy Public Relations, Eric Twombly, Kristen Holtz

Description: This workshop will provide an overview and specific examples of emerging technologies (e.g., text messaging, email communication, internet ‘blogs,’ web-based training and/or technical assistance, Internet-based social media sites) that are being used and/or have the potential to be used by prevention researchers in all stages of their work, including planning, implementing, and evaluating preventive interventions. Topics of discussion will also include the benefits and challenges (logistical, ethical, legal, etc.) of using emerging technologies to conduct prevention research, and how prevention researchers can effectively partner with technology/social media experts to incorporate technology into their prevention work. Attendees will have opportunities to discuss how they may incorporate communication technologies into their own current and/or planned projects.

Pre-Conference Workshop #5: Using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for Prevention Research. (PDF)

Pre-Conference #6
DATE: Tuesday, May 29, 2012, Hyatt Regency Washington, Washington, DC
TIME: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Emerging Principles of Drug Abuse Prevention: Program Delivery

Organizers and Presenters: Elizabeth Robertson, PhD, Belinda Sims, PhD, and Eve Reider, PhD, National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Moderator: Catherine Bradshaw, PhD, Johns Hopkins University

Discussants: Brian Bumbarger, PhD, Pennsylvania State University, Abby Fagan, PhD, University of South Carolina, Luanne Rohrbach, PhD, University of Southern California, and Lisa Saldana, PhD, Oregon Social Learning Center

Description: In 1997 the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) published the first edition of Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide, which has been often referred to as “The Red Book.” The Guide introduced the concept of “research-based prevention” with questions and answers on risk and protective factors, community planning and implementation, and 14 prevention principles derived from effective drug abuse prevention research. The purpose of the Guide was to help practitioners use the results of NIDA research in their efforts to promote healthy development through preventing the initiation and progression of drug abuse and associated problem behaviors among children and adolescents in communities across the country. The 2003 second edition was double the size of the first edition, reflecting NIDA’s expanded research program and knowledge base. It is almost ten years since the publication of the second edition and there has been a tremendous proliferation of knowledge from NIDA sponsored research on drug abuse prevention. This research has been reviewed and synthesized and a new set of emerging principles has been derived and organized. The emerging principles related to prevention program delivery are the focus of the proposed pre-conference workshop. These new principles build on the 2003 view that program delivery could be subdivided into three categories: structure, content and delivery.

The purpose of the workshop is: 1) to describe the process used in deriving principles; 2) to present the emerging principles regarding program delivery; and 3) to obtain feedback on the proposed principles from panelists and audience members toward further crystallizing them. The principles will be presented in three sections: 1) structure (how the program is organized and constructed), 2) content (the information, skills and strategies of the program), and 3) delivery (how the program is adapted, implemented and evaluated). There will be a discussion following each section to talk about the proposed principles including: the supporting research findings, alternate interpretations, and the choice of wording to describe the principles. The workshop will conclude with an open discussion aimed at solidifying thoughts from the prior discussions.

Pre-Conference Workshop #6: Emerging Principles of Drug Abuse Prevention: Program Delivery. (PDF)

Pre-Conference Forum
The Society for Prevention Research International Task Force will host the 4^rd International Networking Forum.

International Networking Forum
DATE: Tuesday, May 29, 2012, Hyatt Regency Washington, Washington, DC
TIME: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Related Pages

PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS