Advancing rigor in research

Virginia Tech is playing a leading role in strengthening research rigor and reproducibility through the Community for Rigor Initiative, a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-supported effort to provide free, expert-developed educational modules aimed at closing critical training gaps.

Launched in 2022 by the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the initiative offers online resources that guide researchers in best practices related to study design, data analysis, and bias reduction — helping to enhance scientific integrity across disciplines, particularly in translational science.

At the Translational Science 2025 annual meeting in Washington, D.C. next month, Alexandra Hanlon, associate professor in the Department of Statistics and Director of the Center for Biostatistics and Health Data Science, will lead a panel discussion titled “Addressing Rigor and Reproducibility in Translational Science through the Community for Rigor Initiative.”  Hanlon serves as Co-Director of the Research Methods Core within the Integrated Translational Health Research Institute of Virginia, which is funded by an NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences Clinical and Translational Science Award.

Hanlon’s panel was developed in collaboration with colleagues from Mayo Clinic and the University of Pennsylvania, all of whom are also members of the Community for Rigor Initiative.

Virginia Tech secures prestigious NIH METER award

In August 2024, Virginia Tech solidified its role as a national leader in research rigor when Hanlon and her team — including Tanner Barbour, Christopher Grubb, Alicia Lozano, and Rachel Silverman — were awarded the only “Materials to Enhance Training in Experimental Rigor” (METER) award of the year.

This distinction places Virginia Tech among an elite group of institutions, including Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Washington, recognized for their contributions to improving experimental rigor in biomedical research.

As principal investigator, Hanlon and her team will develop three educational modules designed to provide researchers with foundational training in:

• Developing statistical analysis plans before research begins
• Understanding and minimizing selection bias
• Preventing measurement error in research studies

Expanding research rigor efforts in 2025

Hanlon’s leadership in this space will continue through her participation in the Society for Neuroscience 2025 annual meeting, where new educational modules developed through the award will be unveiled. These modules will serve as valuable resources for researchers and trainees committed to enhancing research rigor.

Virginia Tech’s contributions through these initiatives reflect the university’s ongoing commitment to improving the quality, integrity, and impact of translational research—ensuring that scientific discoveries are built on a foundation of rigorous and reproducible methods.