About U-SEEE PERRC
The University of Minnesota School of Public Health is one of nine accredited schools of public health funded by the CDC as a Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Center (PERRC). The PERRCs were established to conduct extramural research to investigate the structure, capabilities, and performance of public health systems for preparedness and emergency response activities in accordance with the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act of 2006.
Enhancing the Usefulness of Training
The nine PERRCs address various priority areas. U-SEEE is the only PERRC funded to address the priority area “Enhance the Usefulness of Training.” Within this priority area, U-SEEE has two focus areas:
- Research to assess the effectiveness of public health preparedness and response simulation games that are role-based and capability-linked to self-efficacy expectations, knowledge, skills, and/or response performance
- Research to determine whether training modalities and instructional methods (including electronic performance support tools) result in improved individual and system performance under response conditions.
Individual Research Projects
U-SEEE consists of four individual research projects:
- Retrospective Cohort Study of Responders Training and System Performance
- Effectiveness of Simulated Disaster Response Scenarios
- Creating High Reliability Teams for Public Health Preparedness
- Using Collaborative Virtual Environments in Preparedness and Emergency Response Planning(formerly PERUSE)
Goals & Objectives
The goal of U-SEEE is to develop a training model that builds system capacity while individuals apply knowledge to public health practice and demonstrate functional competency in planning for and responding to all public health threats. The specific aims (objectives) are to:
- Identify best practices (e.g. design, usability, modalities) for the conduct of training that incorporate experiential exercises, computer-based simulations and virtual environments that are role-based and capability-linked to demonstrate self-efficacy expectations, knowledge, skills and response performance
- Establish metrics for measuring effectiveness and efficiency in improving and sustaining high level performance of the public health preparedness system. A common conceptual model will be used to identify best practices across the center research activities.
U-SEEE Core
Based in the School of Public Health Centers for Public Health Education and Outreach (CPHEO), the U-SEEE Core coordinates and integrates the efforts of the Center overall.
Specifically, the Core:
- Administers the U-SEEE Pilot Research Program
- Administers the U-SEEE Fellows Program
- Provides oversight and support for the four individual research projects
- Coordinates the work of the U-SEEE Scientific Review Committee and Advisory Board
- Facilitates development and testing of a training model to build system capacity
- Develops strategies to translate and disseminate research findings from across the Center
U-SEEE Principal Investigator Debra K. Olson oversees the Core, with assistance from the U-SEEE Coordinator and the U-SEEE Assistant Scientist.
The PERRC awards are for a five-year project period that began on September 30, 2008, and ends on September 29, 2013.