The PPsC Portal
By Melissa Simon and Gerald Bempong
The PPsC Portal is a one-stop place for researchers to access a number of resources and other tools as they begin to write proposals for publications using Diversity Program Consortium data. While the PPsC portal already provides a style guide, indices of current publications and a master list of approved proposals, it also has several resources designed to make the submission process stress free. Keep reading for details.
Data Cart & Hallmarks Browser
Most recently, the DPC’s Coordination and Evaluation Center in conjunction with the Publications and Presentations Subcommittee (PPsC) launched the Data Cart and Hallmarks Browser to streamline the variable selection and data request associated with the publication proposal process.
A part of each proposal submission is a list of variables requested, and the Data Cart allows researchers to browse and select variables via the Hallmarks Browser (for variables mapped to Hallmarks), the Enhanced Diversity Surveys and Assessments (for survey specific variables) or both. The hallmarks identify student, faculty and institutional changes that are measured via CEC surveys, participation rosters and Institutional Records data for participating students and faculty at the BUILD institutions.
Once a Writing Group selects their variables of interest, they will be able to download the contents of the cart directly to a desktop and upload the list with their proposal when they are ready to make a submission. A detailed guide on how to use the Data Cart is available here.
Choosing a Writing/Research Topic
Before settling on a topic, Writing Groups are encouraged to visit the PPsC Portal and look through the DPC Master List of Publication and Research Titles, which includes all current proposals from other Writing Groups. The list outlines submitted data briefs, exploratory analyses, manuscripts, dissertations and technical reports – all of which may help guide a new research topic. There are also some suggested DPC topics, should a writing group need some inspiration.
Once a group has decided on their topic, variables of interest and selected a team leader, they are ready to begin the proposal process through the PPsC Portal by submitting a manuscript proposal and data request through the Proposal Submission tab. A systematic description of this process is provided on the submission page. A video tutorial on the process is also available on the Tutorials page.
Once the group is ready to begin the proposal process, the team leader can contact the PPsC Coordinator at publications@diversityprogramconsortium.org to request a DPC Intranet account, which is required to submit a proposal.
Additional Resources
The PPsC Portal outlines important dates and submission deadlines, publication proposals under review, recently approved proposals and recent publications using DPC data. It also has links to a style guide, indices of current publications and a master list of proposals already submitted.
DPC Style Guide: The guide, which can be accessed here, provides suggested language for describing the consortium, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the CEC and other terms associated with the DPC. The document is organized by topic and may have background, sample text and suggested information to include or exclude in proposals, publications or presentations.
Indices of Current Publications: Researchers have access to several publications resources like the Journal/Author Name Estimator (JANE) to help writing groups develop a title for their proposal. Other resources include links to CEC-related publications such as Limited Literature Reviews that provide background information on hallmarks, or the defined list of biomedical majors approved by the DPC.
Proposal Forms & Checklists: Also available on the proposal submission page are forms for the various types of proposals and checklists for both proposal submitters and reviewers.
DPC Participants List: This list is a roster of all professionals who have participated in the consortium-wide effort for at least one year. Per DPC guidelines, this list should be acknowledged in all publications using Consortium data.
For more information, contact the PPsC Coordinator at publications@diversityprogramconsortium.org
A special thank you to Drs. Cynthia Joseph, Heather McCreath and
Teresa Seeman for their invaluable contributions to this article.
The Diversity Program Consortium Coordination and Evaluation Center at UCLA is supported by Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health / National Institutes of General Medical Sciences under award number U54GM119024.
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