Research Proposal Submission Guidelines

1. Submitting the Research Proposal

The research proposal, signed by the supervisor/s on the first page, must be submitted to the department committee of research students by email here, in ONE copy togehter with:

• Supervisor/s form 
• Conflict of interest form (currently available in Hebrew only)
• Ethical approval for working with animals/Helsinki/GCP for Health Services- only relevant for specific research

The proposal must be typed on A4-size paper (1.5 spacing or higher, font 12). The student must make sure that all documents are fully legable. 

2. Cover page

The cover page must note the date of submission, the student’s department, the topic of the research in both Hebrew and English, the student’s name, the student’s ID number, and the name/s and signature/s of the advisor/s (all advisors if more than one). See sample cover page at the bottom of this page.

In cases where a proposal is re-submitted after revisions, the cover page must note the submission dates of both the original and the revised proposals.

3. Scope

The proposal must be no longer than 10 pages (not including abstract, preliminary results, and bibliography). Preliminary results must be summarized in no more than five pages.

4. Structure

The proposal must include the following sections.

1. Abstract- a succinct summary of the research question, hypothesis (if any), research plan, and methodology
2. Introduction- a succinct, up-to-date description of the current state of research on the topic and the proposed contribution of the proposed research. The introduction must clarify:
   1. Proposed direction of research
   2. Expected contribution of the proposed research
3. Goals-
   1. Overall goal
   2. Particular goals
4. Experiments- The student must detail the proposed experiments, their rationale, and their expected contribution to the goals of the research. For each goal, the student must list the experiment procedures, the possible results, and the further alternative courses of action required by each. This description must take into account the time required to complete the suggested experiments, with the entire project taking no more than 2-3 years. The description must adhere to the same standards that apply to applications for external funding.
5. Methods-
   1. This section must describe all research methods, allowing the committee to evaluate the methods’ compatibility with the topic of the research. The student must also describe dependence on external factors such as equipment, materials, technical assistance, and expert testing or consultation.
   2. Data collection and analysis methods.
6. Location- The location/s in which the research will be conducted: department, laboratory, institute, etc.
7. Preliminary Results- Including diagrams, figures and tables. This section must discuss the meaning of the results and how they demonstrate the student’s ability to proceed with the study. This section must be no longer than five pages. A proposal submitted without preliminary results will not be read, and an advisory committee will not be approved.
8. Bibliography- The list of articles should follow this template:

• Salamero, J., Remy, J. J. and Charriere, J. (1985) Primary syngeneic sensitization on monolayers of thyroid epithelial cells. X. Inhibition of T-cell proliferative response by thyroglobulin-specific monoclonal antibodies. Clin. Immunol. Immunopathol. 43:34-47.
• Rose, M.R. and Mackay, I.R. Genetic predisposition to autoimmune diseases. In: Rose, N.R. and Mackay I.R., editors. The Autoimmune Diseases. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 1985, pp. 1-27.
• For other examples, consult www.tau.ac.il/medlib, under Electronic Resources > Internet Resources > Reference Resources > Citing and Style Manuals > Instructions to Authors > General Standards of Writing > Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts.

5. Ethics

If the proposed research involves animal testing or experiments involving humans or human-extracted materials, the proposal must include an appendix addressing the following four options:

1. If the student believes the research does not require approval by the Helsinki Committee, he must explain why in the appendix.
2. If the student believes that only informed consent is needed, he must proceed according to established procedures at the medical centers affiliated with the university, and report this in the appendix.
3. If the research requires approval by the Helsinki Committee, the student must present either such an approval, or an application to the Helsinki Committee at both the university and the medical center where all or some of the research is slated to take place.
4. If the research involves animal testing, the student must submit the approval of the Tel Aviv University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).

Research Proposal Sample Cover Page

The Committee for Research Students at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine

[Department Name]

Proposal for Research Towards the Ph.D.

Topic [Hebrew and English]

Submitted by [Student’s name]

ID number

I hereby confirm that I am willing to advise the student [Student’s name]

in her/his doctoral research and that I approve the research plan.

Advisor:  _____NAME_____

Signature

Date: ____________