Required Research Proposal Format

Students are expected to engage in question or hypothesis-driven research. The proposal for this research must be planned and written by the student with the advice of the research mentor. The proposal is to include the following required format and information.

Title Page

Abstract

Background and Rationale

Question(s) or Hypothesis(es)

Methods (including Statistical Analysis)

Possible Difficulties

Student’s Role In The Project

Timetable

References

General Information

1. Proposals, not including additional material, are generally fifteen to twenty pages in length, but there is no firm rule on length. The thoroughness and form will be judged carefully.

2. Be sure to follow the specific required research proposal format. The MSRC may delay considering your proposal until all the required information is provided.

3. Double space the text and include page numbers. Do not bind your proposal.

4. A letter of support from your faculty research mentor is required with your research proposal and reassures the Committee of your mentor’s commitment.

5. Include a signed Mentor Commitment Form (see Appendix B) with your proposal.

6. In addition, if you are working with someone outside of UNM/SOM, you will be required to have both an on-site UNMSOM mentor and an off-site mentor. Letters of support from both mentors are required. The off-site mentor must also provide written assurance that the student will master laboratory techniques/assays of relevance to the research.

7. Also required with your proposal is a signed Required Research Project Application (see Appendix C) signed by you, with the proposal. The application must display a strong commitment from and a closely supervised relationship involving an approved UNM/SOM faculty mentor. Projects will not be considered unless a mentor is available for day-to-day guidance and problem solving.

8. The required research proposal and its supporting documents must be submitted to the MSRC for approval before the research begins or before a significant amount of the research has been completed. You may request, in writing, an expedited review for those circumstances requiring the research to begin as early as possible.

9. Before you can begin your research involving human or animal subjects, you will need approval from HRRC or ARF, respectfully, or an exemption in writing. It is NOT necessary to have this approved before submitting your proposal to the MSRC. HRRC requires that the proposal be approved by the MSRC before their review. However, some research projects that you are joining may already be approved, and that fact should be noted in the application.

10. For those students doing research outside of the United States, a letter of commitment from the on-site mentor is required along with an International Research Form (Appendix D) signed by the medical student.

Background and Rationale

A critical discussion of the background knowledge and rationale for the research project, with appropriate references, and a discussion of the significance of the proposed research. A summary of pertinent information, including results of previous research in the field should also be included, and it should be made obvious how this information leads logically to your hypothesis. A statement of the relevance of the project will be included in the final paper. The aims of the project should also be specified in the proposal.

Question(s) or Hypothesis(es)

Some types of research may seek to answer a specific question. It should be obvious by the methodology that the research does not lead also to the testing of a hypothesis. Most studies will be hypothesis driven and the proposal should clearly state “the tentative assumption made in order to draw out and test its logical or empirical consequences” (Webster).

Methods (Including Statistical Analysis)

Succinctly define the research methods to be followed. This should include justification of sample sizes and analytic approaches to be used for the data analysis. Consulting a statistician prior to submitting the proposal is highly recommended.

Possible Difficulties

A statement concerning possible difficulties, including factors such as the reliability of the methods that may affect the interpretation of results, should be included in the proposal.

Student’s Role in the Project

A clear indication of the student’s role in the project is required. If more than one student is involved (limit 3) then the role of each student must be explained and a clear statement from the mentor should assure the MSRC that the research effort can accommodate multiple students. Students should demonstrate their involvement in each phase of the study: literature review; protocol development; data collection; data management; data analysis; and data presentation (manuscripts and abstracts).

Timetable

Proposals should include a timetable for projected completion of the project.

References

Any listed references must be clearly cited within the text of the proposal. Format your citations consistently. A good plan is to use the “instructions for authors” guidelines from the journal in which you plan to publish your work.