Proposal Development and Study Design

Catalog description

This course has two primary areas of focus: (i) proposal development and enhancement; and (ii) a focus on research and study design. (i) Proposal Development and Enhancement: Students apply foundational concepts by revising and refining their written proposal and presenting their research project throughout the course. Students receive an overview of approaches to developing an effective proposal; and guidance on how to write and present their hypothesis, specific aims, research strategy, significance, innovation, and approach using the general NIH application format. (ii) Research and Study Design: Students receive an overview of translational research principals and clinical study design approaches relevant to thesis projects designed to probe mechanisms of disease and translate results in basic research into investigations in humans. Topics include clinical and translational research methods, and study design and execution. Students are introduced to these topics through asynchronous and synchronous learning environments. At the end of the course, each student submits and presents their written proposal to their peers and a panel of reviewers for critique and feedback. Members of the panel include the students’ research mentor(s), program mentor, and thesis committee. The panel provides feedback on the proposal which the student will then incorporate into the written proposal. Students submit their final revised proposal to be reviewed and graded by their program mentor.