{"id":3190,"date":"2020-09-17T12:48:39","date_gmt":"2020-09-17T16:48:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/omsr\/?page_id=3190"},"modified":"2020-09-17T12:48:39","modified_gmt":"2020-09-17T16:48:39","slug":"how-to-develop-your-research-proposal-and-application","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/omsr\/resources-for-students\/research-resources\/how-to-develop-your-research-proposal-and-application\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Develop your Research Proposal and Application"},"content":{"rendered":"<div role=\"tablist\" class=\"panel-group yourcustomclass oscitas-bootstrap-container\" id=\"unc-accordion-0\">\n\n<div class=\"panel panel-default oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n    <div id=\"panel-heading-details-0-0\" class=\"panel-heading oscitas-bootstrap-container\" role=\"tab\">\n\n        <h4 class=\"panel-title oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n            <button class=\"accordion-toggle oscitas-bootstrap-container collapsed\" \n                id = \"button-details-0-0\"\n                data-toggle=\"collapse\"\n                data-parent=\"#unc-accordion-0\"    \n                aria-controls=\"#details-0-0\"  \n                aria-expanded=\"false\" \n                href=\"#details-0-0\">\n                Step 1: Investigate Research Opportunities            <\/button>\n\n        <\/h4>\n\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div id=\"details-0-0\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse  oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n        <div class=\"panel-body oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif\">Start early and know your deadlines!! (Give yourself plenty of time)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif\"><span style=\"color: inherit\">Utilize online resources:<br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: circle\">\n<li><span style=\"color: inherit;font-size: 10pt;font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif\">Office of Medical Student Research website<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: inherit;font-size: 10pt;font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif\">Office of Research Services website (research.unc.edu\/services)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: inherit;font-size: 10pt;font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif\">Departmental Websites (http:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/www\/about\/depts)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif\">Talk to other students:<\/span>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: circle\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif\">Graduate or MD\/PhD students may be able to direct your searches and recommend good mentors<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif\">The FAX Journal (www.med.unc.edu\/dms\/journal) publishes abstracts from previous Student Research Days<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n        \n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"panel panel-default oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n    <div id=\"panel-heading-details-0-1\" class=\"panel-heading oscitas-bootstrap-container\" role=\"tab\">\n\n        <h4 class=\"panel-title oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n            <button class=\"accordion-toggle oscitas-bootstrap-container collapsed\" \n                id = \"button-details-0-1\"\n                data-toggle=\"collapse\"\n                data-parent=\"#unc-accordion-0\"    \n                aria-controls=\"#details-0-1\"  \n                aria-expanded=\"false\" \n                href=\"#details-0-1\">\n                Step 2: Approach Prospective Mentors            <\/button>\n\n        <\/h4>\n\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div id=\"details-0-1\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse  oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n        <div class=\"panel-body oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\"><strong>Don&#8217;t limit yourself to one possibility; check out all research topics and mentors that interest you!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Email\/phone mentors to request a meeting<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Don&#8217;t get\u00a0frustrated if they do not respond to you right away; most researchers are very busy and it may take them a few days to get back to you<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">If you have difficulties, contact the department administrator<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Meet with your prospective mentor<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Bone up a little on the project\/research field before the meeting<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Read a recent publication or two from the mentor&#8217;s lab<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Read an article or two from the field for more background knowledge<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Be prepared to answer questions, like:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Why are you interested in my research project\/field?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">What do you want to get out of this experience?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">What are your prior experiences?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Ask questions, like:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">What is the expected duration of the project?<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Projects that can be finished in the allotted time are generally best<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Consider smaller portions of larger projects<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">What is the anticipated time commitment?<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Most grants require 40 hours per week, so make sure that the mentor&#8217;s expectations are similar (not more, not less)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Do I need any specialized knowledge or skills?<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">The project may require skill in a technique that takes a long time to adequately master, which will cut away from time you have to actually work on your project<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Is this project based on work that is yet to be done?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">How much contact will I have with you as a mentor?<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">You might learn you will have more interaction with a post-doc or graduate student than your mentor. If so, you will want to meet with that person to make sure they have the right attitude and are willing to mentor you<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">What are the overall expectations?<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Get as much information as you can about the research environment<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Establish your role early on<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Presentation?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Publication?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n        \n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"panel panel-default oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n    <div id=\"panel-heading-details-0-2\" class=\"panel-heading oscitas-bootstrap-container\" role=\"tab\">\n\n        <h4 class=\"panel-title oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n            <button class=\"accordion-toggle oscitas-bootstrap-container collapsed\" \n                id = \"button-details-0-2\"\n                data-toggle=\"collapse\"\n                data-parent=\"#unc-accordion-0\"    \n                aria-controls=\"#details-0-2\"  \n                aria-expanded=\"false\" \n                href=\"#details-0-2\">\n                Step 3: Apply            <\/button>\n\n        <\/h4>\n\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div id=\"details-0-2\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse  oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n        <div class=\"panel-body oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Your application will be comprised of\u00a0five items:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Application form<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Your biosketch<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Your mentor&#8217;s biosketch<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">A letter of support from your mentor<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">A written research proposal (2-3 pages)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Work with your mentor on your proposal<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Start early! You and your mentor are very busy and the deadline will &#8220;sneak up&#8221; on you.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Your proposal should be a product of your own work and not a &#8220;cut and paste&#8221; job from one your mentor&#8217;s grants &#8211; the review committee will be looking for this&#8230;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Ask for references and other materials to help get you started<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Gain an understanding of the format expected for the proposal<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Give your mentor and yourself enough time so revisions can be made.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Consider other possible application processes and their timelines:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/research.unc.edu\/human-research-ethics\/\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Internal Review Board (IRB)<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/research.unc.edu\/iacuc\/\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\">Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n        \n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":91957,"featured_media":0,"parent":83,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-3190","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","odd"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Develop your Research Proposal and Application | Office of Medical Student Research<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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