Statistical consultancy at Department of Statistics

1. Statistical consultancy at Department of Statistics Dr. Gabriela Czanner, 30 November 2011 Web: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statistics/riscu Email: riscu@warwick.ac.uk

2. What is riscu • The Risk Initiative and Statistical Consultancy Unit (RISCU) • It is one of the foci for the application of statistical methods, risk and decision analysis and probability • It is an active unit at the Department of Statistics at the University of Warwick. • RISCU’s mission • Contributing to multi-disciplinary research projects with other University departments, • Supporting the application of probability, risk and statistical theory in other disciplines, • Executive and continued professional development, other knowledge transfer activities and the promotion of the Department's research and professional interests.

3. PEOPLE at RISCU Prof. Simon French Prof. Jim Smith Dr. Gabriela Czanner PEOPLE Involved on projects via RISCU Academics and students of Department of Statistics,and academics from University of Warwick

4. History • History of RISCU • Since 1985 the Statistics Department has had a statistical consulting service. • 1995 RISCU was founded by Professor Henry Wynn • Until June 2011 Dr John Fenlon is director of RISCU • Since August 2011 Professor Simon French is director of RISCU • Current ambitions of RISCU • RISCU is entering a period of growth which will see it expand its work in risk and decision analysis while maintaining its statistical consultancy activities. • We seek to build relationships with our clients that enable longer term knowledge transfer and professional development activities.

5. statistical expertise • RISCU’s expertise • Risk and decision analysis • Applied statistics • Use of statistical software • The expertise of individual staff of RISCU is on web page: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statistics/riscu • RISCU links the expertise of Department of Statistics • RISCU links to expertise of research centres: e.g. CRiSM • The expertise of individual research staff of Department of Statistics is on its web page: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statistics • Other academics from across the University as associate consultants

6. Internal consultancy • Contribution for research proposals • RISCU acts on research proposals and ethical approval applications. • RISCU as a point of contact to other academics at Department of Statistics • Club and forum • RISCU is currently developing a club and forum for stafff and research students from other Departments and clients of RISCU to provide general statistical, risk and decision analytic advice and introductions to key areas of statistics that they may need in their work. • We shall be arranging informal meetings to provide an opportunity for staff to meet, swap interests, learn what is new and meet some of the Statistics staff. • We also plan to develop an occasional seminar series in the Spring of 2012. • Statistical enquiries to RISCU • Examples: • Statistics questions of a PhD research project: student comes to us with his/her supervisor • Academics come to us with pilot studies that need to be analyzed as an input for grant applications. • HRI department hired us to run a statistics help desk on 7 Wednesdays in Summer 2010 • We may give advice or recommend other statistician from Dep. of Statistics. • However, please note that neither we nor others in the Department can offer unlimited statistical advice without funding.

7. External consultancy • Advisory Service • Help and guidance on all statistical matters • Statistical, risk and decision analysis • Sampling and experimental design • Statistical analysis of all forms of data • Modelling, statistical computing • Data visualisation and presentation • Data Analysis and Reporting • We can provide full statistical, risk and decision analytic analyses supported professional reports. • Research • We provide access to modern statistical, risk and decision analytic techniques and ideas that can enhance clients' projects and add considerable value to their businesses. • Proof of concepts for cutting edge methodology • RISCU often involves other academic from the Department and sometimes others from across the University as associate consultants.

8. External consultancy • RISCU provides statistical consultancy to clients with different needs • We have worked with small companies where short term guidance was needed. This has included advice on data management and on what basic statistical methods to use to best meet their goal. • Larger, national and international companies have come to us with projects involving analysis using classical or Bayesian methods for data analysis, software development for modern statistical methods, reporting. • Our past and recent clients include • PWC, RailTrack, The Home Office, the Forensic Science Service, Unilever, Metro Net, Pesticide Science Division, National Grid, Johnson-Matthey Ltd, NFU Mutual, Law Society, Fugro-Robertson, Noise.co.uk.

9. What to expect when you meet a statistician? • For effective collaboration the statistician will need to learn • If you need to design experiment or collected data already? • It is crucial that you come to statistician before you collect data! • “To consult the statistician after an experiment is finished is often merely to ask him to conduct a post mortem examination. He can perhaps say what the experiment died of.” (Ronald Fisher) • What are your goals or hypotheses? • Or if you want to do a descriptive exploratory study. • Statistician will need to learn about your subject • About your specific research area in physics, chemistry… • Sources of variability: bias, measurement errors, potential other factors… • Most of the real life statistical problems are much more complex than the textbook statistical examples. • The statistician will need to do his own research to see what statistical methods are most appropriate for your analysis. • Statisticians are trained to extend the existing statistical methods into new modern statistical methods that most effectively answer your research questions. • Ideally the best is to form a collaborative partnership with statistician

10. Thank you Contact Information: RISCU Department of StatisticsUniversity of WarwickCoventry, CV4 7AL, UK e: riscu@warwick.ac.ukt: +44-2476-524630 http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statistics/riscu/