Expert users of the PhenX Toolkit will give workshop participants a tour of the Toolkit and share tips for effectively browsing, searching and designing a study that meets their research objectives. PhenX (consensus measures for Phenotypes and eXposure) is an NIH-funded initiative to promote the use of well-established measurement protocols for use in a variety of study types with human participants. To date, use of the PhenX Toolkit has been recommended in almost 600 Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs). The workshop will help participants utilize the Toolkit as a strategic component of their grant proposals. Participants will gain an understanding of how to use the PhenX Toolkit and give participants an opportunity to explore the Toolkit on their own with experts on site to address individual questions.

Case Study #1 reflects the perspective of a new investigator developing a grant proposal and will explore various funding opportunities that encourage the use of the PhenX Toolkit. We will also discuss the role of the PhenX Toolkit in reducing investigator burden when designing a study, carrying out the study, and sharing data with collaborators.

Case Study #2 will focus on how to add PhenX COVID-19 protocols to an existing study in REDCap. When designing COVID-19 studies, reproducibility and sharing of data is particularly important. The PhenX Toolkit is consistent with FAIR principles and will help investigators address the reproducibility crisis. Participants will also be guided through a hands-on demonstration of how to download data dictionaries for selected protocols. The PhenX Toolkit includes standard measurement protocols for a wide range of research domains and specialty collections which add depth to the Toolkit. The use of standard measurement protocols has the potential to increase the impact of individual studies by simplifying cross-study analyses.

Speakers:

Michelle Engle, Bioinformatic Scientist, PhenX Toolkit
Carol Hamilton, Principal Investigator, PhenX Toolkit