Date:         Wed, 9 Jul 2008 12:01:23 -0400
Reply-To:     Peter Flom <peterflomconsulting@mindspring.com>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Peter Flom <peterflomconsulting@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject:      Re: Is R overtaking SAS at universities and colleges?
Comments: To: Mary <mlhoward@avalon.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

Mary <mlhoward@AVALON.NET> wrotehe "NIH" in your name),
>
>Perhaps you could ask at the NIH for us!  It would seem that acceptance would come at the NIH before the FDA, since many NIH grants are to universities (I'm on an NIH grant), whereas the FDA more deals with pharmaceutical firms.
>
>Certainly, if people on NIH grants start publishing papers that have statistical analysis done in R, then that would "open the flood gates", as it were to more people using R to do their analysis.   I would think that the FDA would be more conservative in requiring the use of SAS for longer than the NIH would.  Many statistical analysts just coming out of college may get their first jobs on NIH grants at universities, and would naturally use R if that is what they've been trained in unless there's an NIH requirement prohibiting it; even if there is, they may still use R for exploratory work and switch over to SAS for formal work.
>
>Thus, Stuart, do you know anything about the NIH's feelings towards using R for statistical analysis?
>

I've done analysis for NIH grants using R, and I've included that in grant proposals.  I know other people who have done this, as well.  It was never raised as an issue that I am aware of, and some of the grant proposals were successful.

Peter

Peter L. Flom, PhD
Statistical Consultant
www DOT peterflom DOT com