The principal investigator will be the primary individual communicating with the Scientific Review Committee (SRC) and the Data Coordinating Center (DCC) and submitting the research proposal form. The investigator team should begin the submission process by reviewing the Data Flow Chart for Research to understand the complete process and flow of a research project from inception to publication. All fields of the Research Proposal Form must be completed for the proposal to be considered. The proposal should be written with consideration to standard scientific methods and in complete sentences with clear rationale for each of the study aims. The principal investigator is encouraged to review completed Research Proposal Forms that have received approval from the SRC on SharePoint.
We encourage principal investigators to consider the potential role existing health inequities may play in the question to be studied. Currently, race, ethnicity, and gender are captured in the registry. Starting in the Spring of 2022, PC4, PAC3, and CNOC centers will have the opportunity to opt into a new “Health Equity Module.” This will include variables on language spoken, if an interpreter is needed, insurance type, a Community Deprivation Index score, and distance from home to hospital. Sarah Plummer and Mayte Figueroa, co-chairs of the Inclusion, Diversity and Health Equity Advocates (IDHEA) Committee are available as resources as you consider incorporating this important topic into your work.
After submission of the Research Proposal Form, the Scientific Review Committee Chair will assign review of the proposal to up to three Scientific Review Committee members. The principal investigator will receive a summary review from the Scientific Review Committee Chair within 4 weeks of submission. The review will indicate whether the proposal has been accepted with minor revisions, requires major revisions for reconsideration, or is rejected. The author may request a meeting with the Scientific Review Committee Chair to discuss the outcome of the proposal and how the proposal can be strengthened. The final revision of the Research Proposal Form must be submitted within six weeks of the review or meeting with the Scientific Review Committee Chair who will approve and then submit the proposal to the Data Coordinating Center for data acquisition. Investigators are encouraged to seek advice from the Scientific Review Committee Chair and/or the Data Coordinating Center Chair and refer to previously approved project Research Proposal Forms for guidance.