Roles and Responsibilities of PhenX Working Groups

A Working Group (WG) is composed of six to eight experts in a particular field of research. Each WG is tasked with recommending up to 15 measures for inclusion in a PhenX research domain that is selected by the Steering Committee (SC).  Each WG has a chair or co-chairs, a liaison from the SC, and is supported by an RTI WG Manager and Supervisor. WGs use a consensus process to deliver a set of high-priority measurement protocols for inclusion in the PhenX Toolkit.

Review Existing Measures

  • Review measures in the PhenX Toolkit to ensure that new measures complement existing Toolkit content
  • Identify protocols currently in use in the field
  • Assess diversity of data collection methods and applicability to a range of study designs

Select Measures

  • Use the criteria established by the PhenX SC to identify potential protocols
  • Select 12-18 established data collection protocols for community outreach
  • Finalize 10- 15 protocols to include in the PhenX Toolkit

Communication

  • Identify colleagues and individuals in the research community to review and comment on preliminary measures via outreach
  • Work with RTI and NIH staff to evaluate input from the scientific community on preliminary measures and measurement protocols
  • Identify scientific journals and professional meetings or conferences to present and promote use of PhenX measures

All WG members are required to:

  • Attend one in-person WG meeting in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area
  • Participate in two to four WG teleconferences

Timeline

The timeline for a WG is as follows:

Month 1 

Participate in an introductory teleconference. 

Month 2 

Attend an in-person WG meeting in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. 

Month 3

Discuss potential measures and measurement protocols via conference calls and emails and obtain protocols for community outreach

Month 4 

Draft and review datasheets for Outreach. 

Month 5-6

Conduct outreach on proposed protocols and participate in a post-outreach teleconference. 

Month 7

Make final recommendations of priority protocols to the SC. 

Month 8

Review measurement protocols to be released into PhenX Toolkit.