Orientation 1, Class of 2017
Discovery Director:
Maureen Powers, Ph.D
mpowers@emory.edu
Discovery Course Coordinator:
Sherice Allen-Henry, M.S.
sahenry@emory.edu
Orientation 1:
* Overview and Goals of Discovery
* Discovery projects
* Mentor Criteria
* Choosing a project
* Requirements and grading
* Discovery OASIS page
Orientation 2 (October 20, 2015):
* How to identify and work with a mentor
Dr. Valerie Biousse, Ophthalmology
* How to define a Hypothesis
* How to write a Research Proposal
For additional information:
Discovery main web page: https://secure.web.emory.edu/med/prod/FMA/
Discovery student web page:
https://secure.web.emory.edu/med/prod/FMA/index_stu.cfm
Who participates in Discovery?
* MD/PhD students do NOT do Discovery
* MD/MPH students do NOT do Discovery
* MD/MSCR students need to plan to do Discovery
Acceptance to the MSCR program is not decided until after
Discovery deadlines.
* Students who wish to do a 1 year fellowship or year of research
ARE considered to do “Extended Discovery”
If you will not know whether you are accepted to fellowship or program,
you need to plan for Discovery just in case
So what exactly is Discovery?
Discovery is 5 months of hypothesis-driven research or scholarly activity.
Discovery is most often biomedical research. This can be basic, translational or
clinical research.
Discovery is carried out under the direction of an experienced mentor.
Discovery can encompass alternative fields of research. Students can undertake
Projects in Creative Writing, Business, Law, Public Policy, Medical History, etc.
But projects MUST:
* have relevance to medicine.
* involve a scholarly undertaking and have scholarly outcome.
If you have an idea for an alternative project, contact Dr. Powers to discuss.
Goals of Discovery
Design and carry out a focused, hypothesis-driven study.
Work closely with a faculty mentor. Your mentor is key to your success.
Analyze data.
Report your findings in the form of a scientific/medical manuscript or appropriate
Scholarly work.
Present your work at Medical Student Research Day, either a talk or poster.
Gain an understanding of medical research and investigation.
Employ a different type of creativity and learning.
Discovery Scheduling
Discovery follows the Applications phase, starting in March 2016.
Discovery can be scheduled as either:
5 month continuous block of time OR
4 months followed by a final month at a later time to complete analysis .
Discovery can start in March, April, May, June or July of 2016. August only
With permission of the Director.
Discovery MUST be completed by December 31st, 2016.
Final papers will be due Thursday, January 12, 2017.
Medical Student Research Day will be held April 20, 2017.
Discovery Scheduling (continued)
Discovery mentors should be chosen by December 15, 2015 .
Depending on the start date, Research Proposals will be due mid-January
to the end of March.
You should have received from Sherice a Fall Checklist that covers all relevant dates
through December 2015, since these are the same for everyone.
Once you turn in your schedule request to Dr. Felner’s office in January, you will
get an individualized Spring Checklist based on your specific start date.
Discovery can be carried out:
* Here at Emory with a qualified Emory Mentor.
* At another US SOM or agency.
The Away Mentor must still meet the requirements for mentors. A local Emory
mentor will also be needed to interface with the website, facilitate paperwork etc.
This type of Emory mentor is not directing your research and so does not have
to meet the mentor requirements
* At an international site on a project directed by an Emory faculty member.
* At an international site with an international mentor. This can get complex so
plan ahead/talk to Dr. Powers. A local Emory mentor will be needed.
Discovery Mentor Qualifications
Faculty member (Emory or other institution).
At least 5 peer-reviewed research publications.
Status as PI on some form of peer-reviewed funding WITHIN PAST 3 YEARS.
(2013-2015).
Funding can be from a private foundation, a federal agency (NIH, NSF, CDC),
a pharmaceutical company, or internal Emory peer-reviewed grant.
It must be significant funding; a $2,000 grant that has supposedly been running
For 5 years does not cut it.
Signed student/Mentor contract.
Database of available projects
Potential projects from clinical and basic departments and SPH have been requested.
Will have all submissions reviewed and database will be opened next Monday or Tuesday.
Projects will continue to be added.
Projects will be accessible at the Discovery web site: http://med.emory.edu/FMA/index.cfm
Select Student page link and then “SEARCH RESEARCH PROJECTS>>” at the top
Can be searched by: Mentor name, Department/Division, Key word.
Can just browse through the full database if desired. “View full database”.
To be eligible for the Discovery Phase, a project must be approved and visible
in the Database. If you have identified a mentor independently, the mentor MUST submit
the project for approval. Keep in mind that there are requirements for serving as a mentor
that must be met by the faculty.
If you need to identify an Emory mentor for an off-site project or if you can’t find something
in the area you are interested in, we will work with you to help find an appropriate mentor.
Choosing a Discovery project
Find an area that excites you. There is more to this than just a letter for your
residency application
Find a mentor with whom you have some rapport– you will spend considerable time
working with this person and they can provide advice and opportunities.
Look for projects that are part of an ongoing, productive research environment.
A mentor who is experienced at research can provide the best guidance in research.
Meet with potential mentors to discuss projects and find the
best fit for you. Please do not request to work with a mentor you have not met.
Do be upfront with the mentors about where you are in your decision process so that
they can budget their time.
Part of the evaluation of your final paper will be whether it represents 5 months
of full time effort.
Once you have decided on a mentor and project…
From the Student page: https://secure.web.emory.edu/med/prod/FMA/index_stu.cfm
Search the database to find the page of the project you wish to work on.
At the bottom of the project page, there is a link “Select This Project”.
You will then be asked for your name, email and desired start date.
An email will then be sent to the mentor to notify her/him that you have asked
to be matched to that project.
Once the mentor responds affirmatively, you will both be sent an email that
confirms the match and spells out your responsibilities for the Discovery Phase.
You will each be asked to sign a Student/Mentor contract agreeing to these
responsibilities.
For all 2017 start dates, Mentor must be finalized by Tuesday, December 15, 2015.
Signed Student/Mentor Contracts are due by Friday, December 18, 2015.
Before you can start Discovery
You must submit a 2 page Discovery Research Proposal.
This will follow a fairly standard proposal format.
We will discuss the proposal in detail in the next Orientation session.
Once your project match is confirmed…
A two page (single spaced, Arial font, 11 pt or larger), not including the title page or
References, Research Proposal defining the Discovery Project is due in January/February.
For March, 2016 starts: 2 page proposals are due by Monday, January 12, 2016.
For April, 2016 starts: 2 page proposals are due by Thursday, January 28, 2016.
For May, 2016 starts: 2 page proposals are due by Thursday, February 25, 2016.
For June or later, 2016 starts: 2 page proposals are due by Thursday, March 31, 2016.
The research Mentor is expected to work closely with you on the development of the
Proposal and MUST review and APPROVE the proposal PRIOR to submission. Along with
your proposal you must submit a Proposal Approval form signed by your mentor.
Discovery is graded and late proposal submissions will impact your grade.
Every time your proposal must be revised, it will impact your grade.
Submitting your research proposal
Name the file “lastname proposal.doc”. IMPORTANT! Please use this format.
Be sure you accept all changes.
Discovery research proposals and other documents (Student contract, CITI certification,
final papers, etc) will be submitted via OASIS (more shortly).
When you log in to OASIS, under Announcements and then Academic History you will find
the Discovery Phase Panel.
Scroll down to find the appropriate place to edit or upload your document.
SUMMARY:
Discovery web site - find information, links to documents, browse and select
your project.
OASIS panel – This is your Discovery Dashboard. This is where we will go for
information on you. Where you will submit all documents, mentor information,
travel or contact information.
The OASIS Discovery page
The is the repository of all information and documents on your Discovery experience.
This is where we will go for information on you and your project so PLEASE keep it up
to date.
To reach your Discovery page:
Login to OASIS
Under Announcements, select View Academic History
Then select Discovery Phase Panel
Be sure to turn Edit On
Means Edit is On. Click to turn
Edit Off when you are done.
Before you can start Discovery
IRB If your project involves human subjects, or patient data you must have an
IRB approval letter.
Some studies may be exempt, but they still require a letter of exemption.
IRB approval is your MENTOR’s responsibility.
The IRB letter is due by about 1.5 weeks before your Discovery start date.
CITI Everyone must complete CITI training.
This is a brief online course on research regulation and ethics.
A link to the web site is on the Discovery Student page.
A Certificate of Completion is due by 1.5 weeks before your Discovery start
date.
IACUC If your project involves animals, you must complete IACUC training.
There is a link to the IACUC at the Discovery Student page.
The specific courses depend on the type of animal.
Planning an international project
At the Discovery Student web page
https://secure.web.emory.edu/med/prod/FMA/index_stu.cfm you will find links at the
bottom regarding international travel.
* See For projects involving international travel for more information and links.
* Enroll in International SOS (ISOS). You must also provide local contact information for reaching you. This can be done soon after you arrive.
*Attend an international travel workshop put on by the Rollins School of Public Health,
usually the first Saturday in April.
* You can apply for a travel award to help with the costs of international flights and housing.
To be considered you must be abroad for a major portion of your Discovery project. The
form to apply is at the web site. Complete and email to Sherice. Funds are not available
for domestic travel.
Discovery Checklists
Rather than send repeated reminder emails, we will be doing the following this year:
* Enrollment in Pre-Discovery will allow Sherice to post dates to your calendars.
?
* We have sent everyone the Fall Checklist with dates for all Discovery events and
due dates.
* Once your requested schedule is submitted and approved through Dr. Felner’s office,
we will send you a Checklist specific to your Discovery schedule. This will list all the
due dates for requirements/deliverables.
*We will send one reminder email about 2 weeks before a deadline.
After your proposal is submitted
The Project Proposals will be reviewed by 2 members of a Discovery Research
Committee of Emory faculty. The committee will return the proposal to the student
for modifications if deemed necessary.
Acceptance rate has been about 50% on first submission .
We will make every effort to return proposals needing changes to the student as
soon as possible.
Revised proposals must be resubmitted and accepted before the Discovery project
can start. See the Timeline at the web site and Checklist for due date of revision.
Revisions are not penalty free. Each time you must revise your score drops 10 pts
out of 100 (for the proposal portion of the grade)
Discovery Grading
Discovery is given a letter grade .
Discovery is a 5 month course and consequently counts for 5 X a 1 month rotation
in calculating your GPA. IN other words, this is your largest single grade in med
School.
Meeting deadlines is important and will count into your grade .
The final paper deadline is FIRM! No extension for this deadline (January 12, 2017) .
Discovery Grading breakdown
(this has changed slightly from prior years)
Final Paper
50% .
Mentor’s Evaluation
15%.
SoCRATES exam and participation
10%.
2 page Research Proposal
15%.
Timeliness/meeting deadlines
10%.
Each late submission will result in points deducted from Timeliness.
Each proposal revision will result in points deducted from the Proposal score.
Not finalized yet but mid-Discovery report will probably go under Proposal score.
Plus/minus letter grades will be given on the standard SOM scale.
SoCRATES
The first part of the SoCRATES course will be given at 5-7 pm, November 3, 2015.
This will cover basic statistical methods and sample size calculations. These will be
helpful in preparing research proposals. Attendance is MANDATORY.
The second part of SoCRATES will take place over 3 half days May 11-13, 2016.
Again, attendance is MANDATORY unless you are on a clerkship or out of town for
your Discovery project. Videotaped talks will be made available online for students
doing their research project away from Emory or in a clerkship.
An exam will be given at the completion of SoCRATES that contributes 10% of the
final grade
Your schedule during Discovery
You may spend up to one half day per week seeing patients in the clinic other than
for activities that are part of your Discovery project.
You have the option to split Discovery into 4 + 1 months HOWEVER, no schedules
other than 5 month or 4+1 months, and no start dates other than March-July will
be permitted without the consent of Dr. Powers. Discovery must be completed by
December 31, 2016 without exceptions.
Your mentor must be OK with your desired schedule, both start date and breakdown
of 5 months or 4 + 1.
The +1 month is not meant to be spent on residency interviews. You are given a month
of time for your interviews.
Two weeks of vacation may be taken during the 5 month Discovery Phase. This can
be at the beginning, the end or at some time during this period. The timing is to
be arranged with your Mentor.
Changes during Discovery
Things may change from your original plans. The most important thing is to let
us know of significant changes.
Your project may vary from your starting proposal. You do not need to let us know if
your research is taking a different direction from what was planned. We do not
compare your final paper to your proposal.
Other changes may be highly significant. If your mentor leaves Emory in the middle
of Discovery (this has happened) or something necessitates a change in mentor, you
MUST contact us. We will work with you in identifying a new qualified mentor.
If you change your Discovery schedule, you MUST contact us.
If you run into major or insurmountable problems with your mentor, contact Dr.
Powers. We can help in resolving them or help you find a new mentor.
If you decide you want to extend Discovery and do a year of research, please let us
know ASAP. You will do all parts of Discovery but you will submit your Final paper and
participate in Research Day with the 2018 class.
Discovery Evaluations
Approximately half way through Discovery we will send a very brief questionaire to
students and mentors to check in and see that things are proceeding well.
.
Starting this year, a mid-Discovery report will be required. More information and
examples will be provided as the time gets closer.
After the Discovery Phase, a final paper is due (January 12, 2017).
This is an 8-10 page paper in the format of a scientific/medical manuscript. A manuscript
on which the student is first author and was responsible for writing the manuscript is
acceptable. Case reports are NEVER permissable.
The paper should represent significant effort, commensurate with 5 month of work.
More information on final papers will be provided as the time gets closer.
At the end of the Discovery Phase the Mentor will submit an evaluation for
the student and students will be asked to evaluate their experience and their mentors.
All students will present their research as either a talk or a poster at Medical Student
Research Day, April 20, 2017. This will be part of the Capstone course. The 8 speakers
are chosen from outstanding final papers.
$$$$
$$$$
We don’t have any! Discovery has no budget other than to support Research Day.
There are some funds from the SOM to help with the costs of international travel
expenses for people doing international (not domestic) Discovery projects.
We have been created a list of organizations, foundations or societies that have
Fellowships for medical student research. These include: Global Health, ID, Aging,
Leukemia/Lymphoma, Urology, Pediatrics, Radiology. Also the ACTSI Technology
mini-grants.
Dr. Churchward has been able to facilitate printing of posters at below cost, about $10.
Unfortunately we can not provide funds to help defray the cost of travel to meetings
to present your findings.
ACTSI mini-grants
The ACTSI Center grant has funding for 5 mini-grants of $ 5K to Discovery students.
These grants are specifically to support new technology development. They should:
* Emphasize innovative technology
* Focus on translational and implementation research
* Be aligned with the ACTSI program goals (see actsi.org for more information).
Applications will have a limit of 6 pages and include:
* Cover letter
* Research proposal with references
* Letter of Support from Mentor
* Budget.
Deadline for submission is February, 2016. Grants will be awarded by April 1, 2016
and money needs to be spent by May 31, 2016.
Any questions?
Writing Discovery proposals and papers
Plagiarism
Final1:papers and Research Day
Orientation
Final Papers will be due January 14, 2016. This is a VERY hard deadline.
Final Papers will be reviewed by 2 members of the MSRC. You will receive
a numerical grade for your paper and 2 sets of comments. We make every
effort to get at least 1 of the reviewers from your field.
Medical Student Research Day will be April 21, 2016.
This is an all day affair with an eminent visiting Keynote speaker and presentations from all your classmates. Please do not commit to anything else before
6 PM on this date.
Choosing speakers – this is done from reviewers comments and suggestions,
and an attempt to create a balanced program.
The Research Proposal
Title page. Give the title of your project and list the investigators to be involved.
The title should succinctly describe the project. List as investigators yourself,
your Mentor(s), their Emory department Affiliation and, if the project is not to
be conducted at Emory, indicate the research site and affiliation.
Introduction/Background. Provide a description of the area or issue to be
investigated. This should contain sufficient information to allow your proposal
to be understood by a non-specialist in the field. Try to limit the amount of jargon.
Be sure to include the medical significance of the issue to be investigated.
Hypothesis: State in a sentence or two the specific hypothesis to be
tested. Typically a Null Hypothesis is not used.
Research Proposal continued:
Specific Aims: Enumerate the specific goals or testable questions to be addressed
in the project. There will likely be 2 to 3 of these; be reasonable about what can
be achieved in 5 months. To learn the literature or attend group meetings are
NOT specific aims.
Research Design: Describe how the project will be carried out. Include experimental methods, state how the resulting data will be analyzed including description
of statistical analyses if applicable. Briefly state the manner in which patient consent
and confidentiality will be addressed, if applicable. This should be the largest section
of the proposal. If you are doing clinical research you must include a sample size
calculation.
Student Role in project: State specifically what YOU will be doing.
Literature Cited: Give literature references for any papers cited. Use a format that
includes full article title and authors as well as the citation. References do not count
toward the 2 page limit for the proposal.
Writing Discovery proposals and papers
Plagiarism
Writing Discovery proposals and papers
Plagiarism
Any written work (ie Research Proposal, Final Paper) must be written in your own words.
You may (and are encouraged to) read any papers, grants, or other materials from
your mentor or research group in preparing your proposal or paper.
You may NOT copy them.
If you are continuing with a project initiated by a previous Discovery student, you must
still write your own proposal.
Plagiarism is subject to the Emory SOM Honor Council, is punished seriously and
can result in suspension or dismissal.