Purdue Statistics consulting service helps researchers strengthen studies and proposals

03-09-2026

Strong research begins with careful planning- developing clear, testable research questions, anticipating potential challenges, and selecting appropriate statistical analyses. At Purdue University, the Department of Statistics’ Statistical Consulting Service (SCS) helps researchers across campus design studies, analyze data and strengthen grant proposals.

The SCS offers free statistical consulting support to Purdue faculty, students and staff. Each year, the service assists with roughly 150 to 200 projects spanning a wide range of disciplines.

The consulting service has a long history at Purdue. The current version of the program was established by George McCabe in 1970, though earlier efforts date back to the late 1940s through the work of Carl Kossack and Virgil Anderson.

Today, the SCS supports projects at every stage of the research process. Researchers are encouraged to meet with consultants early in a project to refine research questions, strengthen study design, and identify appropriate statistical approaches, but the service also assists investigators with data analysis and interpretation on previously obtained data.  In addition, the SCS provides letters of support for grant submissions and statistical input during proposal development. More than half of the consultations take place before external funding is secured, reflecting the service’s role in supporting early-stage and exploratory research as well as grant proposals.

“Our goal is to work alongside researchers,” said Bruce Craig, professor of statistics and director of the service. “We provide statistical expertise and guidance while  the investigators remain actively involved throughout the analysis and interpretation of their work.”

Consultations typically begin with an initial meeting to understand the research goals and statistical needs. Graduate student consultants then work one-on-one with clients through the course of the project. The process benefits both researchers and student consultants: investigators gain statistical expertise, while student consultants gain hands-on experience collaborating on real-world research challenges.

The SCS also plays a role in training the next generation of statisticians. By working on active research projects, graduate students develop skills in communication, study design and collaborative problem-solving- experience that is difficult to replicate in the classroom alone.

As artificial intelligence tools become more common in research workflows, the consulting service is adapting its training and approach.  Given that AI can assist with tasks such as code generation or data restructuring, student consultants are increasingly focused on validating analytical approaches, evaluating study design, and thinking more deeply about the statistical questions underlying a project. Rather than simply implementing software solutions, consultants help ensure that models are appropriate and encourage researchers to consider critical questions that may not arise from automated tools alone. The SCS has also been developing their own Language Learning Model (LLM) to leverage years of sound statistical practice and modeling helping consultants develop probing questions that guide deeper discussions with researchers.

Through these collaborations, the SCS helps strengthen research quality across campus while serving as a training ground for students and a catalyst for interdisciplinary work.

Applications for the service can be submitted on the departmental website and questions can be directed to Bruce Craig or Tadd Colver.

 

About the Department of Statistics at Purdue University

Our mission is to advance the frontiers of statistical sciences and data science in both theory and applications; to provide learning environments that produce well-educated data scientists, statisticians, probabilists, and quantitatively literate people; and to join with others in bringing the strengths of the statistical sciences to address societal needs. The Department offers the degrees of Bachelor of Science, Graduate Certificate, Master of Science, Online Master of Applied Statistics, and Ph.D. in Statistics. Our programs prepare students for careers in both industry and academia and prepare them to be leaders in their fields. The Department of Statistics is part of the College of Science at Purdue University and is housed in the Mathematical Sciences Building in West Lafayette, Indiana. Learn more about the department at stat.purdue.edu.

 

Written by: Alisha Willett, Communications Specialist, amwillet@purdue.edu

Contributors: Bruce Craig, bacraig@purdue.edu

                        Tadd Colver, colvertn@purdue.edu