Milestone #6 - Dissertation Proposal Approval

Dissertation Research Proposal Content

The Dissertation Research Proposal should be in the form of portions of a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (F31) proposal which includes specific aims (1 page, single spaced) and research strategy (6 pages, single spaced) and human subjects sections (unlimited length). The biosketch, investigator/team, facilities, and environment sections are not included. Students begin developing their Dissertation Research Proposal from the grant proposal developed for NURS 8173 if applicable but should be aware that final exam committee members may have substantial changes to the proposal. The finalization of the Dissertation Research Proposal is an iterative process between the student and his/her final exam committee members.

In the proposal, the student must address the following:

Specific Aims (think of as an abbreviated version of the full grant)

• Describe the research topic, what is known, gaps in knowledge and critical need.

• Introduce the proposed solution to address the research gap, a rationale, and how it will advance the science.

• Delineate aims (and hypotheses or research questions).

• Consider including long-term goals. What future research will be developed from this research?

• Provide a summary of why the proposed work is innovative and how it will impact the field.

Significance

• Explain the importance of the problem or critical barrier to progress that the proposed research addresses.

• Describe the scientific premise for the proposed research, including consideration of the strengths and weaknesses of published research or preliminary data crucial to the support of your proposal.

• Explain how the proposed research will improve scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice in nursing.

• Describe how the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field will be changed if the proposed aims are achieved.

Innovation

• Explain how the application challenges and seeks to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms.

• Describe any novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation or interventions to be developed or used, and any advantage over existing methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions.

• Explain any refinements, improvements, or new applications of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions.

Approach

• Describe the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses to be used to accomplish the specific aims of the project.

• Address the suitability (strengths and limitations) of a conceptual framework if relevant.

• Describe the study design and methods proposed and how they will achieve robust and unbiased results.

• Address how the data will be collected, analyzed, and interpreted.

• Discuss potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success anticipated to achieve the aims. If the project is in the early stages of development, describe any strategy to establish feasibility, and address the management of any high risk aspects of the proposed work.

Protections for Human Subjects

If the proposed project involves human subjects, propose protections from research risk relating to their participation according to the following five review criteria:

1. risk to subjects

2. adequacy of protection against risks

3. potential benefits to the subjects and others

4. importance of the knowledge to be gained

5. data and safety monitoring for clinical trials.

For research that involves human subjects and meets the criteria for one or more of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, evaluate:

1. the justification for the exemption

2. human subjects involvement and characteristics

3. sources of materials.

Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Children

• If the proposed project involves human subjects, describe plans for the inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals on the basis of sex/gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as the inclusion (or exclusion) of children to determine if it is justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed.

1. The student must draft the Dissertation Research Proposal following the guidelines described above. The student should first review and seek feedback about the proposal with their advisor. The student will then send the Dissertation Research Proposal via email to the Final Oral Exam Committee members (including external committee member).

2. The student will consult with final oral exam committee members to find a date for a meeting to discuss the proposal plan (at least two weeks after the student has provided the committee with the Dissertation Research Proposal). The meeting may be conducted virtually or in-person. If in person, the student schedules a meeting date/time and a meeting location through advisor’s co-operative unit to meet with the Final Exam Committee members. In communicating with the Cooperative staff to schedule the meeting the student will need to provide the following information: date/time, approximate number of attendees, A/V needs, and advisor's name. For the meeting,

3. At the meeting, the student should prepare a 10-15 minute presentation of their Dissertation Research Proposal content; PowerPoint presentations are recommended but optional. Final oral exam committee members are to provide input on the Dissertation Proposal. If all members believe they have enough detail about the proposed dissertation research for the student to begin an IRB application and proceed to complete the research, they may give their approval on the Dissertation Proposal Approval Form. If major changes are required for committee approval, committee members should not give approval for the Dissertation Proposal Approval Form at this initial meeting. The student will revise the Dissertation Research Proposal until all committee members agree that the student is ready to initiate an IRB application and begin dissertation research (this process can be done via email) and at this point all committee members should confirm approval of the Dissertation Proposal Approval Form through signature on the form or via email confirmation (see section below for guidance in collecting email approval). The student may not submit an IRB application for dissertation research or begin the research until all committee members have approved the proposal the Dissertation Research Proposal Approval Form and have received a copy of the final Dissertation Research Proposal.

4. The student and committee members should discuss whether the student will write a traditional dissertation or the multiple paper option. If the multiple paper option is selected, it may be a good idea to discuss authorship for potential publication of the papers at this point, time permitting. Not all committee members necessarily need to be considered as potential authors but it is good to start the discussion early.

5. The student makes copies of the signed Dissertation Research Proposal Approval Form for all Final Exam Committee members and submits the form and the approved Dissertation Research Proposal Approval Form using the online submission form.

Dissertation Approval Form Email Approval Procedure