The Group for Research and Consulting in Statistics

The Group for Research and Consulting in Statistics (GRCS) is located at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida. The GRCS, previously the Institute of Statistics, has been in operation since 1983.

 

We offer statistical support and expertise to regional businesses; to units of state, county and municipal government; to hospitals and other not-for-profit entities; to academic researchers, including both faculty and students, at the University of North Florida and at other institutions of higher education.

GRCS Information

• Mission Statement

  The Group for Research and Consulting in Statistics’ Mission is:

   

  To be a center for the dissemination of statistical knowledge and expertise throughout Northeast Florida by forming partnerships with and providing support to:

   

  • business enterprises;
  • organizations and departments connected to state, county, and city governments;
  • for profit and not-for-profit health organizations;
  • academic researchers and teachers within the University of North Florida and other institutions of higher education;
  • public service and charitable organizations;  

   

  To enhance and promote undergraduate and graduate education at all departments and colleges within the University of North Florida by:  

   

  • supporting graduate students in all departments in their research;
  • offering opportunities for students to participate in real life consulting projects;
  • offering opportunities for students to participate in academic research projects;
  • offering opportunities for faculty and students to collaborate on research and consulting projects;

   

  To be a center for research by: 

   

  • initiating research which will bring together faculty, student, and other researchers both from UNF and other research foci;
  • connecting researchers from within the Department of Mathematics and Statistics with researchers in other departments or organizations;
  • collaborating with other researchers by providing statistical and other expertise;
  • What story does my data have to tell?
• Staff

  Richard F. Patterson, Ph.D.

  Chair and Professor, Mathematics & Statistics Department

  (904) 620-1048

  rpatters@unf.edu

Services Available

• Research Support

  The GRCS supports research by:

   

  • providing statistical support to researchers, students, and teachers within the University of North Florida and other institutions of higher education;
  • participating as co-investigators in grant funded research with researchers, students, and teachers within the University of North Florida and other institutions of higher education;
  • initiating grant proposals and conducting research associated with these grants.
• Consulting

  The GRCS forms short term and long term contractual arrangements with individuals and organizations to provide consulting services. The GRCS offers consulting services to organizations such as:

   

  • industrial, commercial , financial, and other business enterprises;
  • organizations and departments connected to state, county, and city governments;
  • for profit and not-for-profit health organization including hospitals, HMOs, and physician’s groups;
  • public service and charitable organizations.

   

  The expertise of faculty, students, and consultants are available to help clients solve problems is areas such as:

   

  • data collection, organization, and analysis;

  • experimental design;

  • statistical quality control;

  • statistical and probabilistic modeling;

  • survey construction, design, and analysis.

   

  The GRCS can help clients in their quests to answer questions such as:

   

  • What story does my data have to tell?

  • How large a sample should I select? How should the items in the sample be selected?

  • Are key manufacturing, service or natural processes under statistical control? That is, are key processes behaving in a stable and predictable manner? What methods should I use to establish and maintain statistical control over key processes? How capable are key processes?

  • How can statistical methods be used to improve products and processes? How can statistical methods be used in product design and development?

  • What does the future hold? That is, how can statistical forecasting be used to make better business and organizational decisions?

• Continuing Education Activities

  The GRCS offers tailor-made statistical training and mini-courses, whose content will be developed to suit the needs of the client.
  
  In addition, the GRCS offers off-the-self courses, which can be taught to groups from local business and other organizations. the following courses will also be periodically offered by open enrollment at prescribed times (typically during the summer):  

   

   

  • Introductory and intermediate Quality Statistics
  • SPC Awareness for Managers
  • Statistical Process Control for Service Organizations (SPC)
  • Statistical Process Control for Manufacturing (SPC)
  • Design of Surveys and Analysis of Survey Data
  • Process and Product Improvement using Designed Experiments (DOE)
  • publishes a newsletter;
  • publishes and makes available technical reports;
  • maintains a web page. 
• Communications

  The GRCS operates as a communications center for research within the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and for other researchers engaged in projects with the GRCS; advertises the services and expertise of the faculty; contributes to the academic, business and government community’s understanding of the vital role that UNF researchers can and do play in Northeast Florida. To help support these activities the GRCS will:

   

  • publishes a newsletter;
  • publishes and makes available technical reports;
  • maintains a web page.