WRITING YOUR PROPOSAL Laura E. Mitchell, PhD Associate Dean for Research

RESOURCES

RESEARCH OFFICE Rebecca Novak –x9055, W210 Peggy Weinshilboum –x9310, W212

Basic writing skills Scientific writing skills Electronic and library resources Generate and catalog ideas Read and attend lectures/seminars outside of class requirements! PREPARE

COMMITTEES Membership – Current students>Forms>Committee Forms PhD/DrPH: Doctoral Dissertation Committee Form Timing Roles – Student – Faculty

Meeting schedules Proposal format – Length, content, reference/bibliography style Writing schedule Proposal feedback and revisions PLAN

THE PROPOSAL Background/Introduction Public Health Significance Specific Aims/Hypotheses/Objectives Methods References/Bibliography Optional Sections Preliminary data Mock-up of results FEB2012.pdf FEB2012.pdf Background Public Health Significance Aims/Objectives Methods WRITEWRITE

BACKGROUND/INTRODUCTION Review relevant literature State problem/need/gap Argue importance (Rationale)

PUBLIC HEALTH SIGNFICANCE Of your project

SPECIFIC AIMS Questions that will be answered Needs that will be met Gaps that will be filled

METHODS All proposals require methods All aims require methods

METHODS Provide details required for someone else to replicate your study – what you will do and how you will do it Focus on methods not software Clearly distinguish what has been done from what will be done – Use past and future tense appropriately Contract with committee

OPTIONAL: PRELIMINARY DATA Projects that are largely complete or that have been completed prior to writing your proposal, including work that has been submitted for publication or previously published, may not be used for your WCE/thesis/dissertation.

OPTIONAL: PRELIMINARY DATA If you have done work in preparation for writing your proposal, for example as part of your practicum or as a graduate research assistant, you should include a summary of the work that has already been done, in past tense.

OPTIONAL: RESULTS If you include this section, it should provide an outline of how your results will be presented and mock-ups of the tables and/or figures that will be used to present your data.

FORMAT LENGTH

WHAT ELSE? Committee approval UTSPH forms complete Enroll for > 3 credits – semester in which the proposal is submitted and all subsequent semesters until project is completed – does not have to be thesis/dissertation credits

AND… Submit to UTSPH Office of Research Obtain Institutional approvals (e.g. CPHS) ADR approval – UTSPH turn-around < 2 weeks from submission of COMPLETE packet

IRB Human subject research – If in doubt, check! MUST have UTHSC CPHS approval – Others approvals may also be required Approval – Student protocol – Student added to UT faculty protocol

PROPOSAL DEADLINES Fall 2015 – Submission: October 23 – Approval: November 13 Spring 2016 – Submission: March 4 – Approval: April 1 Summer 2016 – Submission: June 24 – Approval: July 15

UTSPH - Not approved Insufficient methods Insufficient information about data sources – Questions about need for IRB review What has been done/what remains to be done not clear

Doctoral Dissertation Awards 5/year – Fall and Spring calls for proposals Deadlines 2-3 weeks after proposal approval deadline Fall 2015, 12/10 < $2000 / research related expenditures Requirements: – Passed preliminary/qualifying exam – Approved proposal