Final Project: Research Strategy Proposal

In this final paper you will pull together all of the work you have done in the course toward developing a research concept. This assignment is based on the same guidelines (known as the SF424) you would use if you were to submit a research proposal to NIH or other federal HHS agency.

You can see the full SF 424 guidelines document here, including descriptions of each section starting on page 137:

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/forms-d/general-forms-d.pdf

In this assignment, you will only be writing specific aims and research strategy sections. Below is a simplified version of the SF424 guidelines. The list below includes all of the items that are required for your Research Strategy Proposal.

? Specific Aims (1 page)

? State concisely the goals of the proposed research and summarize the expected outcome(s), including the impact that the results of the proposed research will exert on the research field(s) involved.

? List succinctly the specific objectives of the research proposed, e.g., to test a stated hypothesis, create a novel design, solve a specific problem, challenge an existing paradigm or clinical practice, address a critical barrier to progress in the field, or develop new technology.

? Research Strategy (5 pages)

? Organize the Research Strategy in the specified order using the instructions provided below. Start each section with the appropriate section heading - Significance, Innovation, Approach. Cite published experimental details in the Research Strategy section and provide the full reference in the Bibliography.

¦ Significance

? Explain the importance of the problem or critical barrier in the field and how it is addressed in the proposed project.

? Explain how the proposed project will improve current scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice in one or more broad fields.

? 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 seek 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. Include how the data will be collected, analyzed, and interpreted as well as any resource sharing plans as appropriate.

? 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.

? If the research involves human subjects, comment on how data collected on subjects will be protected.

? If the research involves vulnerable populations, provide a justification as to why that is necessary.

? Appendix (optional, 1 page max.)

? Bibliography (no page limit)