Neuroscience research proposal outline
Human Participants
Address the following points in the Participants section (using a numbered outline is okay but not required).
- Describe the characteristics of the subject population, including their anticipated number, age range, and health status.
- Identify the criteria for inclusion or exclusion of any subpopulation.
- Explain the rationale for the involvement of vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women, children, institutionalized individuals, or others who may be considered vulnerable populations.The inclusion of women and members of minority groups and their subpopulations must be addressed in developing a research design appropriate to the scientific objectives of the study.
- Describe the composition of the proposed study population in terms of sex/gender and racial/ethnic group, and provide a rationale for selection of such subjects. Such a plan should contain a description of the proposed outreach programs for recruiting women and minorities as participants.
- Describe any potential risks (physical, psychological, social, legal, or other) and assess their likelihood and seriousness to the subjects. Describe planned procedures for protecting against or minimizing potential risks, including risks to confidentiality. Where appropriate, discuss plans for ensuring necessary medical or professional intervention in the event of adverse effects to the subjects.
Animal Subjects
If using animal subjects, you should, in lieu of a Participants section, have a separate subsection titled Animal Subjects in which you address the following five points (using a numbered outline is okay but not required).
- Identify the species, strains, ages, sex, and numbers of animals to be used in the proposed work.
- Justify the use of animals, the choice of species, and the numbers to be used. If animals are in short supply, costly, or to be used in large numbers, provide an additional rationale for their selection and numbers.
Provide information on the veterinary care of the animals involved. - Describe the procedures for ensuring that discomfort, distress, pain, and injury will be limited to that which is unavoidable in the conduct of scientifically sound research. Describe the use of analgesic, anesthetic, and tranquilizing drugs and/or comfortable restraining devices, where appropriate, to minimize discomfort, distress, pain, and injury.
- Describe any method of euthanasia to be used and the reasons for its selection. State whether this method is consistent with the recommendations of the Panel on Euthanasia of the American Veterinary Medical Association. If not, present a justification for not following the recommendations. If the method was used by previous researchers, you may assume it is consistent with those recommendations.