Northwestern Institute for Comparative Effectiveness Research
The Northwestern Institute for Comparative Effectiveness Research (NICER) in Oncology represents a multidisciplinary collaboration between research programs that focuses on comparative effectiveness and health policy in oncology.
The comparative effectiveness initiatives compare two or more health interventions or treatment paradigms for cancer with priority given to malignancies that are the most common among us, those with the greatest morbidity and mortality, those with the greatest degree of variation in their care and those that are most costly to society. This research will help fill the knowledge gap left by clinical trials to assist patients and health care providers make more informed decisions. The institute also focuses on cancer care policy research to examine and improve the overall system of cancer care in the United States.
Work With Us
Lurie Cancer Center members are invited to submit proposals for comparative effectiveness studies and cancer health policy evaluations. There will be an annual call for proposals, but off-cycle proposals will also be reviewed. These projects would be done collaboratively with support from NICER investigators and staff.
NICER Comparative Effectiveness Research Course
The institute offers a one-day course for clinicians to gain exposure to various research designs and methodologies and to help develop research studies. The course includes didactic lectures, interactive sessions and work-in-progress sessions with experienced investigators.
Research Training
NICER offers a two-year postdoctoral fellowship geared to those individuals taking two years after or during residency to focus on developing a research career. We will consider physicians and postdoctoral fellows from any discipline, but the applicant must be available for two years full-time.
The goal of the research fellowship is to help prepare a fellow for a career in academic medicine and cancer health policy by developing an expertise in oncology comparative effectiveness, health services and outcomes research. All research fellows are expected to develop a research agenda that they can pursue after their training. Prior fellows have had productive research experiences and have been successful in finding subsequent fellowships, faculty positions and external funding. Fellows will also have the opportunity to earn a Master's degree that bests suits their needs through one of the six programs that Northwestern offers. Generally, our fellows have enrolled in the Health Services and Outcomes Research Master's program through Northwestern's Center for Healthcare Studies. Funding is arranged on a case-by-case basis. Contact Karl Bilimoria, MD MS with questions.