One subplot of the story detailed in when?… is the NIMH funding issue. In essence, the NIMH paid Dr. Gibbons around $5 M between 2002 and 2010 to develop his Computerized Adaptive Tests, some of which went for subcontracting with Dr. Kupfer’s Department of Psychiatry in Pittsburgh for the clinical testing. And then they formed a company to market their test as a commercial product as soon as the grant ran out [Gibbons, Kupfer, Frank, and Pilkonis]. I can’t see any way to look at that other than the NIMH providing the start-up capital for their entrepreneurial enterprise. Plus there’s the value-added ticket to the academic journals as a way of advertising their product. I guess we could throw in having the Chair of the DSM-5 Task Force listed as one of Our People as more value-added:
[from the NIH RePORTER]
Project Number: 1R01MH100155-01Contact PI / Project Leader: GIBBONS, ROBERT DAwardee Organization: UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGOTitle: A NEW STATISTICAL PARADIGM FOR MEASURING PSYCHOPATHOLOGY DIMENSIONS IN YOUTH DESCRIPTION:
We propose to develop, test, and apply a new computerized adaptive testing approach to measuring severity of depression, anxiety, mania, disruptive behavior, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders in children and adolescents (9-17 years). This proposal contributes both methodologically and scientifically to research on the assessment of pediatric psychopathology. The proposed work will advance mental health research and improve psychiatric screening and monitoring in primary care. The methodological work proposed in this application is driven by a fundamental scientific challenge that has limited progress in measuring psychopathology in pediatric populations. We need to understand how the measurement of psychopathology in youth changes from childhood through adolescence. Our proposed work includes new statistical methodology for a Computerized Adaptive Test (CAT) based on multidimensional Item Response Theory (IRT) that allows us to tailor the measurement process to each child’s developmental level (vertical scaling). The overarching aim of this application is to develop a CAT for children and adolescents that achieves the following goals…hat tip to jamzo…
These types of expensive favors are typical of an old boys’ network.
I’m sure Dr. Gibbons feels secure following the example of Alan Schatzberg and other silverbacks.
The Chicago Way is not what you know, but who you know, and using government dollars for personal gain is the goal.
Steve Lucas
Do you know if it’s possible to get access to the full grant document? The summary (just for the first item)
http://projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_results.cfm?aid=8482531&icde=18960181
doesn’t say anything about PAI or ATT. The organization is just University of Chicago.
I can’t find it either. I expect we have to write or do a FOIA request…
As if $744,688 in funding for this project in FY 2013 wasn’t enough, they applied for (and received) a $184,061 supplement.
http://projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_details.cfm?aid=8733940&icde=18950792