research project key role

• Research Process

Research Team Structure

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A scientific research team is a group of individuals, working to complete a research project successfully. When run well, the research team members work closely, and have clearly defined roles. Every team member should know their role, and how it plays into the project as a whole. Ultimately, the principal investigator is responsible for every aspect of the project.

In this article, we’ll review research team roles and responsibilities, and the typical structure of a scientific research team. If you are forming a research team, or are part of one, this information can help you ensure smooth operations and effective teamwork.

Team Members

A group of individuals working toward a common goal: that’s what a research team is all about. In this case, the shared goal between team members is the successful research, data analysis, publication and dissemination of meaningful findings. There are key roles that must be laid out BEFORE the project is started, and the “CEO” of the team, namely the Principal Investigator, must provide all the resources and training necessary for the team to successfully complete its mission.

Every research team is structured differently. However, there are five key roles in each scientific research team.

1. Principal Investigator (PI):

this is the person ultimately responsible for the research and overall project. Their role is to ensure that the team members have the information, resources and training they need to conduct the research. They are also the final decision maker on any issues related to the project. Some projects have more than one PI, so the designated individuals are known as Co-Principal Investigators.

PIs are also typically responsible for writing proposals and grant requests, and selecting the team members. They report to their employer, the funding organization, and other key stakeholders, including all legal as well as academic regulations. The final product of the research is the article, and the PI oversees the writing and publishing of articles to disseminate findings.

2. Project or Research Director:

This is the individual who is in charge of the day-to-day functions of the research project, including protocol for how research and data collection activities are completed. The Research Director works very closely with the Principal Investigator, and both (or all, if there are multiple PIs) report on the research.

Specifically, this individual designs all guidelines, refines and redirects any protocol as needed, acts as the manager of the team in regards to time and budget, and evaluates the progress of the project. The Research Director also makes sure that the project is in compliance with all guidelines, including federal and institutional review board regulations. They also usually assist the PI in writing the research articles related to the project, and report directly to the PI.

3. Project Coordinator or Research Associate:

This individual, or often multiple individuals, carry out the research and data collection, as directed by the Research Director and/or the Principal Investigator. But their role is to also evaluate and assess the project protocol, and suggest any changes that might be needed.

Project Coordinators or Research Associates also need to be monitoring any experiments regarding compliance with regulations and protocols, and they often help in reporting the research. They report to the Principal Investigator, Research Director, and sometimes the Statistician (see below).

4. Research Assistant:

This individual, or individuals, perform the day-to-day tasks of the project, including collecting data, maintaining equipment, ordering supplies, general clerical work, etc. Typically, the research assistant has the least amount of experience among the team members. Research Assistants usually report to the Research Associate/Project Coordinator, and sometimes the Statistician.

5. Statistician:

This is the individual who analyzes any data collected during the project. Sometimes they just analyze and report the data, and other times they are more involved in the organization and analysis of the research throughout the entire study. Their primary role is to make sure that the project produces reliable and valid data, and significant data via analysis methodology, sample size, etc. The Statistician reports both to the Principal Investigator and the Research Director.

Research teams may include people with different roles, such as clinical research specialists, interns, student researchers, lab technicians, grant administrators, and general administrative support staff. As mentioned, every role should be clearly defined by the team’s Principal Investigator. Obviously, the more complex the project, the more team members may be required. In such cases, it may be necessary to appoint several Principal Administrators and Research Directors to the research team.

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Home » Research Project – Definition, Writing Guide and Ideas

Research Project – Definition, Writing Guide and Ideas

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Research Project

Definition :

Research Project is a planned and systematic investigation into a specific area of interest or problem, with the goal of generating new knowledge, insights, or solutions. It typically involves identifying a research question or hypothesis, designing a study to test it, collecting and analyzing data, and drawing conclusions based on the findings.

Types of Research Project

Types of Research Projects are as follows:

Basic Research

This type of research focuses on advancing knowledge and understanding of a subject area or phenomenon, without any specific application or practical use in mind. The primary goal is to expand scientific or theoretical knowledge in a particular field.

Applied Research

Applied research is aimed at solving practical problems or addressing specific issues. This type of research seeks to develop solutions or improve existing products, services or processes.

Action Research

Action research is conducted by practitioners and aimed at solving specific problems or improving practices in a particular context. It involves collaboration between researchers and practitioners, and often involves iterative cycles of data collection and analysis, with the goal of improving practices.

Quantitative Research

This type of research uses numerical data to investigate relationships between variables or to test hypotheses. It typically involves large-scale data collection through surveys, experiments, or secondary data analysis.

Qualitative Research

Qualitative research focuses on understanding and interpreting phenomena from the perspective of the people involved. It involves collecting and analyzing data in the form of text, images, or other non-numerical forms.

Mixed Methods Research

Mixed methods research combines elements of both quantitative and qualitative research, using multiple data sources and methods to gain a more comprehensive understanding of a phenomenon.

Longitudinal Research

This type of research involves studying a group of individuals or phenomena over an extended period of time, often years or decades. It is useful for understanding changes and developments over time.

Case Study Research

Case study research involves in-depth investigation of a particular case or phenomenon, often within a specific context. It is useful for understanding complex phenomena in their real-life settings.

Participatory Research

Participatory research involves active involvement of the people or communities being studied in the research process. It emphasizes collaboration, empowerment, and the co-production of knowledge.

Research Project Methodology

Research Project Methodology refers to the process of conducting research in an organized and systematic manner to answer a specific research question or to test a hypothesis. A well-designed research project methodology ensures that the research is rigorous, valid, and reliable, and that the findings are meaningful and can be used to inform decision-making.

There are several steps involved in research project methodology, which are described below:

Define the Research Question

The first step in any research project is to clearly define the research question or problem. This involves identifying the purpose of the research, the scope of the research, and the key variables that will be studied.

Develop a Research Plan

Once the research question has been defined, the next step is to develop a research plan. This plan outlines the methodology that will be used to collect and analyze data, including the research design, sampling strategy, data collection methods, and data analysis techniques.

Collect Data

The data collection phase involves gathering information through various methods, such as surveys, interviews, observations, experiments, or secondary data analysis. The data collected should be relevant to the research question and should be of sufficient quantity and quality to enable meaningful analysis.

Analyze Data

Once the data has been collected, it is analyzed using appropriate statistical techniques or other methods. The analysis should be guided by the research question and should aim to identify patterns, trends, relationships, or other insights that can inform the research findings.

Interpret and Report Findings

The final step in the research project methodology is to interpret the findings and report them in a clear and concise manner. This involves summarizing the results, discussing their implications, and drawing conclusions that can be used to inform decision-making.

Research Project Writing Guide

Here are some guidelines to help you in writing a successful research project:

• Choose a topic: Choose a topic that you are interested in and that is relevant to your field of study. It is important to choose a topic that is specific and focused enough to allow for in-depth research and analysis.
• Conduct a literature review : Conduct a thorough review of the existing research on your topic. This will help you to identify gaps in the literature and to develop a research question or hypothesis.
• Develop a research question or hypothesis : Based on your literature review, develop a clear research question or hypothesis that you will investigate in your study.
• Design your study: Choose an appropriate research design and methodology to answer your research question or test your hypothesis. This may include choosing a sample, selecting measures or instruments, and determining data collection methods.
• Collect data: Collect data using your chosen methods and instruments. Be sure to follow ethical guidelines and obtain informed consent from participants if necessary.
• Analyze data: Analyze your data using appropriate statistical or qualitative methods. Be sure to clearly report your findings and provide interpretations based on your research question or hypothesis.
• Discuss your findings : Discuss your findings in the context of the existing literature and your research question or hypothesis. Identify any limitations or implications of your study and suggest directions for future research.
• Write your project: Write your research project in a clear and organized manner, following the appropriate format and style guidelines for your field of study. Be sure to include an introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion.
• Revise and edit: Revise and edit your project for clarity, coherence, and accuracy. Be sure to proofread for spelling, grammar, and formatting errors.
• Cite your sources: Cite your sources accurately and appropriately using the appropriate citation style for your field of study.

Examples of Research Projects

Some Examples of Research Projects are as follows:

• Investigating the effects of a new medication on patients with a particular disease or condition.
• Exploring the impact of exercise on mental health and well-being.
• Studying the effectiveness of a new teaching method in improving student learning outcomes.
• Examining the impact of social media on political participation and engagement.
• Investigating the efficacy of a new therapy for a specific mental health disorder.
• Exploring the use of renewable energy sources in reducing carbon emissions and mitigating climate change.
• Studying the effects of a new agricultural technique on crop yields and environmental sustainability.
• Investigating the effectiveness of a new technology in improving business productivity and efficiency.
• Examining the impact of a new public policy on social inequality and access to resources.
• Exploring the factors that influence consumer behavior in a specific market.

Characteristics of Research Project

Here are some of the characteristics that are often associated with research projects:

• Clear objective: A research project is designed to answer a specific question or solve a particular problem. The objective of the research should be clearly defined from the outset.
• Systematic approach: A research project is typically carried out using a structured and systematic approach that involves careful planning, data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
• Rigorous methodology: A research project should employ a rigorous methodology that is appropriate for the research question being investigated. This may involve the use of statistical analysis, surveys, experiments, or other methods.
• Data collection : A research project involves collecting data from a variety of sources, including primary sources (such as surveys or experiments) and secondary sources (such as published literature or databases).
• Analysis and interpretation : Once the data has been collected, it needs to be analyzed and interpreted. This involves using statistical techniques or other methods to identify patterns or relationships in the data.
• Conclusion and implications : A research project should lead to a clear conclusion that answers the research question. It should also identify the implications of the findings for future research or practice.
• Communication: The results of the research project should be communicated clearly and effectively, using appropriate language and visual aids, to a range of audiences, including peers, stakeholders, and the wider public.

Importance of Research Project

Research projects are an essential part of the process of generating new knowledge and advancing our understanding of various fields of study. Here are some of the key reasons why research projects are important:

• Advancing knowledge : Research projects are designed to generate new knowledge and insights into particular topics or questions. This knowledge can be used to inform policies, practices, and decision-making processes across a range of fields.
• Solving problems: Research projects can help to identify solutions to real-world problems by providing a better understanding of the causes and effects of particular issues.
• Developing new technologies: Research projects can lead to the development of new technologies or products that can improve people’s lives or address societal challenges.
• Improving health outcomes: Research projects can contribute to improving health outcomes by identifying new treatments, diagnostic tools, or preventive strategies.
• Enhancing education: Research projects can enhance education by providing new insights into teaching and learning methods, curriculum development, and student learning outcomes.
• Informing public policy : Research projects can inform public policy by providing evidence-based recommendations and guidance on issues related to health, education, environment, social justice, and other areas.
• Enhancing professional development : Research projects can enhance the professional development of researchers by providing opportunities to develop new skills, collaborate with colleagues, and share knowledge with others.

Research Project Ideas

Following are some Research Project Ideas:

Field: Psychology

• Investigating the impact of social support on coping strategies among individuals with chronic illnesses.
• Exploring the relationship between childhood trauma and adult attachment styles.
• Examining the effects of exercise on cognitive function and brain health in older adults.
• Investigating the impact of sleep deprivation on decision making and risk-taking behavior.
• Exploring the relationship between personality traits and leadership styles in the workplace.
• Examining the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for treating anxiety disorders.
• Investigating the relationship between social comparison and body dissatisfaction in young women.
• Exploring the impact of parenting styles on children’s emotional regulation and behavior.
• Investigating the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for treating depression.
• Examining the relationship between childhood adversity and later-life health outcomes.

Field: Economics

• Analyzing the impact of trade agreements on economic growth in developing countries.
• Examining the effects of tax policy on income distribution and poverty reduction.
• Investigating the relationship between foreign aid and economic development in low-income countries.
• Exploring the impact of globalization on labor markets and job displacement.
• Analyzing the impact of minimum wage laws on employment and income levels.
• Investigating the effectiveness of monetary policy in managing inflation and unemployment.
• Examining the relationship between economic freedom and entrepreneurship.
• Analyzing the impact of income inequality on social mobility and economic opportunity.
• Investigating the role of education in economic development.
• Examining the effectiveness of different healthcare financing systems in promoting health equity.

Field: Sociology

• Investigating the impact of social media on political polarization and civic engagement.
• Examining the effects of neighborhood characteristics on health outcomes.
• Analyzing the impact of immigration policies on social integration and cultural diversity.
• Investigating the relationship between social support and mental health outcomes in older adults.
• Exploring the impact of income inequality on social cohesion and trust.
• Analyzing the effects of gender and race discrimination on career advancement and pay equity.
• Investigating the relationship between social networks and health behaviors.
• Examining the effectiveness of community-based interventions for reducing crime and violence.
• Analyzing the impact of social class on cultural consumption and taste.
• Investigating the relationship between religious affiliation and social attitudes.

Field: Computer Science

• Developing an algorithm for detecting fake news on social media.
• Investigating the effectiveness of different machine learning algorithms for image recognition.
• Developing a natural language processing tool for sentiment analysis of customer reviews.
• Analyzing the security implications of blockchain technology for online transactions.
• Investigating the effectiveness of different recommendation algorithms for personalized advertising.
• Developing an artificial intelligence chatbot for mental health counseling.
• Investigating the effectiveness of different algorithms for optimizing online advertising campaigns.
• Developing a machine learning model for predicting consumer behavior in online marketplaces.
• Analyzing the privacy implications of different data sharing policies for online platforms.
• Investigating the effectiveness of different algorithms for predicting stock market trends.

Field: Education

• Investigating the impact of teacher-student relationships on academic achievement.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of different pedagogical approaches for promoting student engagement and motivation.
• Examining the effects of school choice policies on academic achievement and social mobility.
• Investigating the impact of technology on learning outcomes and academic achievement.
• Analyzing the effects of school funding disparities on educational equity and achievement gaps.
• Investigating the relationship between school climate and student mental health outcomes.
• Examining the effectiveness of different teaching strategies for promoting critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Investigating the impact of social-emotional learning programs on student behavior and academic achievement.
• Analyzing the effects of standardized testing on student motivation and academic achievement.

Field: Environmental Science

• Investigating the impact of climate change on species distribution and biodiversity.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of different renewable energy technologies in reducing carbon emissions.
• Examining the impact of air pollution on human health outcomes.
• Investigating the relationship between urbanization and deforestation in developing countries.
• Analyzing the effects of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems and biodiversity.
• Investigating the impact of land use change on soil fertility and ecosystem services.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of different conservation policies and programs for protecting endangered species and habitats.
• Investigating the relationship between climate change and water resources in arid regions.
• Examining the impact of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems and biodiversity.
• Investigating the effects of different agricultural practices on soil health and nutrient cycling.

Field: Linguistics

• Analyzing the impact of language diversity on social integration and cultural identity.
• Investigating the relationship between language and cognition in bilingual individuals.
• Examining the effects of language contact and language change on linguistic diversity.
• Investigating the role of language in shaping cultural norms and values.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of different language teaching methodologies for second language acquisition.
• Investigating the relationship between language proficiency and academic achievement.
• Examining the impact of language policy on language use and language attitudes.
• Investigating the role of language in shaping gender and social identities.
• Analyzing the effects of dialect contact on language variation and change.
• Investigating the relationship between language and emotion expression.

Field: Political Science

• Analyzing the impact of electoral systems on women’s political representation.
• Investigating the relationship between political ideology and attitudes towards immigration.
• Examining the effects of political polarization on democratic institutions and political stability.
• Investigating the impact of social media on political participation and civic engagement.
• Analyzing the effects of authoritarianism on human rights and civil liberties.
• Investigating the relationship between public opinion and foreign policy decisions.
• Examining the impact of international organizations on global governance and cooperation.
• Investigating the effectiveness of different conflict resolution strategies in resolving ethnic and religious conflicts.
• Analyzing the effects of corruption on economic development and political stability.
• Investigating the role of international law in regulating global governance and human rights.

Field: Medicine

• Investigating the impact of lifestyle factors on chronic disease risk and prevention.
• Examining the effectiveness of different treatment approaches for mental health disorders.
• Investigating the relationship between genetics and disease susceptibility.
• Analyzing the effects of social determinants of health on health outcomes and health disparities.
• Investigating the impact of different healthcare delivery models on patient outcomes and cost effectiveness.
• Examining the effectiveness of different prevention and treatment strategies for infectious diseases.
• Investigating the relationship between healthcare provider communication skills and patient satisfaction and outcomes.
• Analyzing the effects of medical error and patient safety on healthcare quality and outcomes.
• Investigating the impact of different pharmaceutical pricing policies on access to essential medicines.
• Examining the effectiveness of different rehabilitation approaches for improving function and quality of life in individuals with disabilities.

Field: Anthropology

• Analyzing the impact of colonialism on indigenous cultures and identities.
• Investigating the relationship between cultural practices and health outcomes in different populations.
• Examining the effects of globalization on cultural diversity and cultural exchange.
• Investigating the role of language in cultural transmission and preservation.
• Analyzing the effects of cultural contact on cultural change and adaptation.
• Investigating the impact of different migration policies on immigrant integration and acculturation.
• Examining the role of gender and sexuality in cultural norms and values.
• Investigating the impact of cultural heritage preservation on tourism and economic development.
• Analyzing the effects of cultural revitalization movements on indigenous communities.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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How to plan a research project

Whether for a paper or a thesis, define your question, review the work of others – and leave yourself open to discovery.

by Brooke Harrington   + BIO

is professor of sociology at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. Her research has won international awards both for scholarly quality and impact on public life. She has published dozens of articles and three books, most recently the bestseller Capital without Borders (2016), now translated into five languages.

Edited by Sam Haselby

Need to know

‘When curiosity turns to serious matters, it’s called research.’ – From Aphorisms (1880-1905) by Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach

Planning research projects is a time-honoured intellectual exercise: one that requires both creativity and sharp analytical skills. The purpose of this Guide is to make the process systematic and easy to understand. While there is a great deal of freedom and discovery involved – from the topics you choose, to the data and methods you apply – there are also some norms and constraints that obtain, no matter what your academic level or field of study. For those in high school through to doctoral students, and from art history to archaeology, research planning involves broadly similar steps, including: formulating a question, developing an argument or predictions based on previous research, then selecting the information needed to answer your question.

Some of this might sound self-evident but, as you’ll find, research requires a different way of approaching and using information than most of us are accustomed to in everyday life. That is why I include orienting yourself to knowledge-creation as an initial step in the process. This is a crucial and underappreciated phase in education, akin to making the transition from salaried employment to entrepreneurship: suddenly, you’re on your own, and that requires a new way of thinking about your work.

What follows is a distillation of what I’ve learned about this process over 27 years as a professional social scientist. It reflects the skills that my own professors imparted in the sociology doctoral programme at Harvard, as well as what I learned later on as a research supervisor for Ivy League PhD and MA students, and then as the author of award-winning scholarly books and articles. It can be adapted to the demands of both short projects (such as course term papers) and long ones, such as a thesis.

At its simplest, research planning involves the four distinct steps outlined below: orienting yourself to knowledge-creation; defining your research question; reviewing previous research on your question; and then choosing relevant data to formulate your own answers. Because the focus of this Guide is on planning a research project, as opposed to conducting a research project, this section won’t delve into the details of data-collection or analysis; those steps happen after you plan the project. In addition, the topic is vast: year-long doctoral courses are devoted to data and analysis. Instead, the fourth part of this section will outline some basic strategies you could use in planning a data-selection and analysis process appropriate to your research question.

Step 1: Orient yourself

Planning and conducting research requires you to make a transition, from thinking like a consumer of information to thinking like a producer of information. That sounds simple, but it’s actually a complex task. As a practical matter, this means putting aside the mindset of a student, which treats knowledge as something created by other people. As students, we are often passive receivers of knowledge: asked to do a specified set of readings, then graded on how well we reproduce what we’ve read.

Researchers, however, must take on an active role as knowledge producers . Doing research requires more of you than reading and absorbing what other people have written: you have to engage in a dialogue with it. That includes arguing with previous knowledge and perhaps trying to show that ideas we have accepted as given are actually wrong or incomplete. For example, rather than simply taking in the claims of an author you read, you’ll need to draw out the implications of those claims: if what the author is saying is true, what else does that suggest must be true? What predictions could you make based on the author’s claims?

In other words, rather than treating a reading as a source of truth – even if it comes from a revered source, such as Plato or Marie Curie – this orientation step asks you to treat the claims you read as provisional and subject to interrogation. That is one of the great pieces of wisdom that science and philosophy can teach us: that the biggest advances in human understanding have been made not by being correct about trivial things, but by being wrong in an interesting way . For example, Albert Einstein was wrong about quantum mechanics, but his arguments about it with his fellow physicist Niels Bohr have led to some of the biggest breakthroughs in science, even a century later.

Step 2: Define your research question

Students often give this step cursory attention, but experienced researchers know that formulating a good question is sometimes the most difficult part of the research planning process. That is because the precise language of the question frames the rest of the project. It’s therefore important to pose the question carefully, in a way that’s both possible to answer and likely to yield interesting results. Of course, you must choose a question that interests you, but that’s only the beginning of what’s likely to be an iterative process: most researchers come back to this step repeatedly, modifying their questions in light of previous research, resource limitations and other considerations.

Researchers face limits in terms of time and money. They, like everyone else, have to pose research questions that they can plausibly answer given the constraints they face. For example, it would be inadvisable to frame a project around the question ‘What are the roots of the Arab-Israeli conflict?’ if you have only a week to develop an answer and no background on that topic. That’s not to limit your imagination: you can come up with any question you’d like. But it typically does require some creativity to frame a question that you can answer well – that is, by investigating thoroughly and providing new insights – within the limits you face.

In addition to being interesting to you, and feasible within your resource constraints, the third and most important characteristic of a ‘good’ research topic is whether it allows you to create new knowledge. It might turn out that your question has already been asked and answered to your satisfaction: if so, you’ll find out in the next step of this process. On the other hand, you might come up with a research question that hasn’t been addressed previously. Before you get too excited about breaking uncharted ground, consider this: a lot of potentially researchable questions haven’t been studied for good reason ; they might have answers that are trivial or of very limited interest. This could include questions such as ‘Why does the area of a circle equal π r²?’ or ‘Did winter conditions affect Napoleon’s plans to invade Russia?’ Of course, you might be able to make the argument that a seemingly trivial question is actually vitally important, but you must be prepared to back that up with convincing evidence. The exercise in the ‘Learn More’ section below will help you think through some of these issues.

Finally, scholarly research questions must in some way lead to new and distinctive insights. For example, lots of people have studied gender roles in sports teams; what can you ask that hasn’t been asked before? Reinventing the wheel is the number-one no-no in this endeavour. That’s why the next step is so important: reviewing previous research on your topic. Depending on what you find in that step, you might need to revise your research question; iterating between your question and the existing literature is a normal process. But don’t worry: it doesn’t go on forever. In fact, the iterations taper off – and your research question stabilises – as you develop a firm grasp of the current state of knowledge on your topic.

Step 3: Review previous research

In academic research, from articles to books, it’s common to find a section called a ‘literature review’. The purpose of that section is to describe the state of the art in knowledge on the research question that a project has posed. It demonstrates that researchers have thoroughly and systematically reviewed the relevant findings of previous studies on their topic, and that they have something novel to contribute.

Your own research project should include something like this, even if it’s a high-school term paper. In the research planning process, you’ll want to list at least half a dozen bullet points stating the major findings on your topic by other people. In relation to those findings, you should be able to specify where your project could provide new and necessary insights. There are two basic rhetorical positions one can take in framing the novelty-plus-importance argument required of academic research:

• Position 1 requires you to build on or extend a set of existing ideas; that means saying something like: ‘Person A has argued that X is true about gender; this implies Y, which has not yet been tested. My project will test Y, and if I find evidence to support it, that will change the way we understand gender.’
• Position 2 is to argue that there is a gap in existing knowledge, either because previous research has reached conflicting conclusions or has failed to consider something important. For example, one could say that research on middle schoolers and gender has been limited by being conducted primarily in coeducational environments, and that findings might differ dramatically if research were conducted in more schools where the student body was all-male or all-female.

Your overall goal in this step of the process is to show that your research will be part of a larger conversation: that is, how your project flows from what’s already known, and how it advances, extends or challenges that existing body of knowledge. That will be the contribution of your project, and it constitutes the motivation for your research.

Two things are worth mentioning about your search for sources of relevant previous research. First, you needn’t look only at studies on your precise topic. For example, if you want to study gender-identity formation in schools, you shouldn’t restrict yourself to studies of schools; the empirical setting (schools) is secondary to the larger social process that interests you (how people form gender identity). That process occurs in many different settings, so cast a wide net. Second, be sure to use legitimate sources – meaning publications that have been through some sort of vetting process, whether that involves peer review (as with academic journal articles you might find via Google Scholar) or editorial review (as you’d find in well-known mass media publications, such as The Economist or The Washington Post ). What you’ll want to avoid is using unvetted sources such as personal blogs or Wikipedia. Why? Because anybody can write anything in those forums, and there is no way to know – unless you’re already an expert – if the claims you find there are accurate. Often, they’re not.

Step 4: Choose your data and methods

Whatever your research question is, eventually you’ll need to consider which data source and analytical strategy are most likely to provide the answers you’re seeking. One starting point is to consider whether your question would be best addressed by qualitative data (such as interviews, observations or historical records), quantitative data (such as surveys or census records) or some combination of both. Your ideas about data sources will, in turn, suggest options for analytical methods.

You might need to collect your own data, or you might find everything you need readily available in an existing dataset someone else has created. A great place to start is with a research librarian: university libraries always have them and, at public universities, those librarians can work with the public, including people who aren’t affiliated with the university. If you don’t happen to have a public university and its library close at hand, an ordinary public library can still be a good place to start: the librarians are often well versed in accessing data sources that might be relevant to your study, such as the census, or historical archives, or the Survey of Consumer Finances.

Because your task at this point is to plan research, rather than conduct it, the purpose of this step is not to commit you irrevocably to a course of action. Instead, your goal here is to think through a feasible approach to answering your research question. You’ll need to find out, for example, whether the data you want exist; if not, do you have a realistic chance of gathering the data yourself, or would it be better to modify your research question? In terms of analysis, would your strategy require you to apply statistical methods? If so, do you have those skills? If not, do you have time to learn them, or money to hire a research assistant to run the analysis for you?

Please be aware that qualitative methods in particular are not the casual undertaking they might appear to be. Many people make the mistake of thinking that only quantitative data and methods are scientific and systematic, while qualitative methods are just a fancy way of saying: ‘I talked to some people, read some old newspapers, and drew my own conclusions.’ Nothing could be further from the truth. In the final section of this guide, you’ll find some links to resources that will provide more insight on standards and procedures governing qualitative research, but suffice it to say: there are rules about what constitutes legitimate evidence and valid analytical procedure for qualitative data, just as there are for quantitative data.

Circle back and consider revising your initial plans

As you work through these four steps in planning your project, it’s perfectly normal to circle back and revise. Research planning is rarely a linear process. It’s also common for new and unexpected avenues to suggest themselves. As the sociologist Thorstein Veblen wrote in 1908 : ‘The outcome of any serious research can only be to make two questions grow where only one grew before.’ That’s as true of research planning as it is of a completed project. Try to enjoy the horizons that open up for you in this process, rather than becoming overwhelmed; the four steps, along with the two exercises that follow, will help you focus your plan and make it manageable.

Key points – How to plan a research project

• Planning a research project is essential no matter your academic level or field of study. There is no one ‘best’ way to design research, but there are certain guidelines that can be helpfully applied across disciplines.
• Orient yourself to knowledge-creation. Make the shift from being a consumer of information to being a producer of information.
• Define your research question. Your question frames the rest of your project, sets the scope, and determines the kinds of answers you can find.
• Review previous research on your question. Survey the existing body of relevant knowledge to ensure that your research will be part of a larger conversation.
• Choose your data and methods. For instance, will you be collecting qualitative data, via interviews, or numerical data, via surveys?
• Circle back and consider revising your initial plans. Expect your research question in particular to undergo multiple rounds of refinement as you learn more about your topic.

Good research questions tend to beget more questions. This can be frustrating for those who want to get down to business right away. Try to make room for the unexpected: this is usually how knowledge advances. Many of the most significant discoveries in human history have been made by people who were looking for something else entirely. There are ways to structure your research planning process without over-constraining yourself; the two exercises below are a start, and you can find further methods in the Links and Books section.

The following exercise provides a structured process for advancing your research project planning. After completing it, you’ll be able to do the following:

• describe clearly and concisely the question you’ve chosen to study
• summarise the state of the art in knowledge about the question, and where your project could contribute new insight
• identify the best strategy for gathering and analysing relevant data

In other words, the following provides a systematic means to establish the building blocks of your research project.

Exercise 1: Definition of research question and sources

This exercise prompts you to select and clarify your general interest area, develop a research question, and investigate sources of information. The annotated bibliography will also help you refine your research question so that you can begin the second assignment, a description of the phenomenon you wish to study.

Jot down a few bullet points in response to these two questions, with the understanding that you’ll probably go back and modify your answers as you begin reading other studies relevant to your topic:

• What will be the general topic of your paper?
• What will be the specific topic of your paper?

b) Research question(s)

Use the following guidelines to frame a research question – or questions – that will drive your analysis. As with Part 1 above, you’ll probably find it necessary to change or refine your research question(s) as you complete future assignments.

• Your question should be phrased so that it can’t be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
• Your question should have more than one plausible answer.
• Your question should draw relationships between two or more concepts; framing the question in terms of How? or What? often works better than asking Why ?

c) Annotated bibliography

Most or all of your background information should come from two sources: scholarly books and journals, or reputable mass media sources. You might be able to access journal articles electronically through your library, using search engines such as JSTOR and Google Scholar. This can save you a great deal of time compared with going to the library in person to search periodicals. General news sources, such as those accessible through LexisNexis, are acceptable, but should be cited sparingly, since they don’t carry the same level of credibility as scholarly sources. As discussed above, unvetted sources such as blogs and Wikipedia should be avoided, because the quality of the information they provide is unreliable and often misleading.

To create an annotated bibliography, provide the following information for at least 10 sources relevant to your specific topic, using the format suggested below.

Name of author(s):

Publication date:

Title of book, chapter, or article:

If a chapter or article, title of journal or book where they appear:

Brief description of this work, including main findings and methods ( c 75 words):

Summary of how this work contributes to your project ( c 75 words):

Brief description of the implications of this work ( c 25 words):

Identify any gap or controversy in knowledge this work points up, and how your project could address those problems ( c 50 words):

Exercise 2: Towards an analysis

Develop a short statement ( c 250 words) about the kind of data that would be useful to address your research question, and how you’d analyse it. Some questions to consider in writing this statement include:

• What are the central concepts or variables in your project? Offer a brief definition of each.
• Do any data sources exist on those concepts or variables, or would you need to collect data?
• Of the analytical strategies you could apply to that data, which would be the most appropriate to answer your question? Which would be the most feasible for you? Consider at least two methods, noting their advantages or disadvantages for your project.

Links & books

One of the best texts ever written about planning and executing research comes from a source that might be unexpected: a 60-year-old work on urban planning by a self-trained scholar. The classic book The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961) by Jane Jacobs (available complete and free of charge via this link ) is worth reading in its entirety just for the pleasure of it. But the final 20 pages – a concluding chapter titled ‘The Kind of Problem a City Is’ – are really about the process of thinking through and investigating a problem. Highly recommended as a window into the craft of research.

Jacobs’s text references an essay on advancing human knowledge by the mathematician Warren Weaver. At the time, Weaver was director of the Rockefeller Foundation, in charge of funding basic research in the natural and medical sciences. Although the essay is titled ‘A Quarter Century in the Natural Sciences’ (1960) and appears at first blush to be merely a summation of one man’s career, it turns out to be something much bigger and more interesting: a meditation on the history of human beings seeking answers to big questions about the world. Weaver goes back to the 17th century to trace the origins of systematic research thinking, with enthusiasm and vivid anecdotes that make the process come alive. The essay is worth reading in its entirety, and is available free of charge via this link .

For those seeking a more in-depth, professional-level discussion of the logic of research design, the political scientist Harvey Starr provides insight in a compact format in the article ‘Cumulation from Proper Specification: Theory, Logic, Research Design, and “Nice” Laws’ (2005). Starr reviews the ‘research triad’, consisting of the interlinked considerations of formulating a question, selecting relevant theories and applying appropriate methods. The full text of the article, published in the scholarly journal Conflict Management and Peace Science , is available, free of charge, via this link .

Finally, the book Getting What You Came For (1992) by Robert Peters is not only an outstanding guide for anyone contemplating graduate school – from the application process onward – but it also includes several excellent chapters on planning and executing research, applicable across a wide variety of subject areas. It was an invaluable resource for me 25 years ago, and it remains in print with good reason; I recommend it to all my students, particularly Chapter 16 (‘The Thesis Topic: Finding It’), Chapter 17 (‘The Thesis Proposal’) and Chapter 18 (‘The Thesis: Writing It’).

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Responsibilities of the Research Team

A research team is comprised of several key individuals., principal investigator (pi).

The Principal Investigator has the primary responsibility for ensuring the ethical conduct of the research study.  This includes protecting human subjects’ rights, safety and welfare, protocol compliance, and adherence to institutional, state and federal regulations and guidance. The PI is responsible for ensuring informed consent is appropriately obtained from each participant and for appropriately maintaining study records. The PI is also responsible for complying with the financial and administrative policies and regulations associated with the award, overall fiscal management of the project, and conflict of interest disclosure.  

• 1572 Statement of the Investigator
• 21 CFR 312.50: General Responsibilities of Investigators
• 21 CFR 812.100: Responsibilities of Investigators: Biologics
• 21 CFR 812.110: Responsibilities of Investigators: Devices
• DHHS: Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP): Frequently Asked Questions
• ICH E6: Good Clinical Practice
• OSU HRPP: PI Responsibilities at OSU

The PI oversees all aspects of a clinical trial from protocol design, recruitment, data collection, analysis and interpretation of results, but some tasks can be delegated to other research team members (Co-Investigators and Key Personnel).  The PI is responsible for ensuring that all research team members have appropriate education, training and qualifications to assume delegated study tests. All study team members are responsible for ensuring that the conduct of the study is compliant with institutional, state, federal and industry guidance and regulations.

Sub-Investigator (Sub-I) / Co-Investigator (Co-I)

The Sub-Investigator/Co-Investigator may perform all or some of the PI functions, but they do not accept primary responsibility for the research study.The sub-investigator/co-Investigator is under the supervision of the PI and is responsible for performing study–related procedures and /or to make important study-related decisions in compliance with the ethical conduct of the study.

Regulatory Coordinator

The Regulatory Coordinator is typically responsible for drafting or editing the protocol document and submitting new protocols, protocol amendments, continuing reviews and safety reports to the appropriate IRB for review. They are responsible for maintaining regulatory binders in accordance with sponsor specifications and general industry standards.  They often are the keepers of the delegation of authority log for key personnel involved in the study.

Data Coordinator

The Data Coordinator is responsible for the overall data management of a research study.  Data points for analysis must be extracted from multiple source documents and entered into specific databases.  Data coordinators ensure accurate and timely data entry in electronic databases, electronic case report forms (eCRFs) or paper case report forms (CRF). They work closely with sponsor monitors and resolve any data queries that may be generated. They also work closely with the research team in the study development process to identify key data points for collection and analysis for investigator initiated trials.

Research Coordinator/ Research Nurse

The Research Coordinator/Nurse oversees and coordinates the daily activities of clinical research studies. They work closely with the clinical teams and investigators to ensure that all protocol required procedures and visits occur according to protocol specified guidelines. Research Coordinators/ Research Nurses generally manage participant enrollment and ensure compliance with the protocol and other applicable regulations. This includes but is not limited to; participant recruitment, obtaining informed consent, educating participants on the details of the research study, assessing participant eligibility, facilitating participant care and follow-up per protocol, creating source documentation, assisting in the assessment of toxicities/adverse events and reporting serious adverse events per IRB and sponsor requirements.

If you have a disability and experience difficulty accessing this content, please submit an email to [email protected] for assistance.

• Principal Investigator

Principal Investigator (PI)

• OVERALL ROLE/RESPONSIBILITY
• ADMINISTRATION
• PROPOSALS & AWARDS
•  Pre-Award
•  Post-Award

Material Transfer Agreements (MTA)

•  Closeout
•  Effort Reporting
• RESEARCH CONDUCT
•  Human Research Participants

Clinical Trials

Animal subjects.

•  Research Safety
•  Research Integrity
•  Conflict of Interest
•  Patents and Inventions
•  Export Controls

Research Admin Units

• Center for Comparative Medicine (CCM)
• Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee Office (IACUC)
• Innovation and New Ventures Office (INVO)
• Institutional Review Board Office (IRB)

Export Controls & International Compliance

• Research Administrative Offices
• Research Communications
• Research Development (ORD)
• Research Financial Administration

Research Integrity

• Research IT

Research Safety

• Sponsored Research
• University Research Institutes and Center Administration (URICA)

Overall Role/Responsibility

Direct and oversee all research activities and foster a culture of research integrity. Responsible for fiscal and administrative management of research. Conduct research in an objective and unbiased manner in compliance with policies and regulations. While the PI may delegate responsibility for some project activity to others, the PI is ultimately responsible for compliance with all applicable regulations and policies and for ensuring a safe research environment, meaning one that is inclusive and free from any form of discrimination or harassment.

Northwestern University researchers can use this chart to pre-determine Principal Investigator eligibility to serve on an  IRB  protocol,  IACUC  protocol or a  Sponsored Research  proposal/award.

Administration

• Manage research staff, including co-investigators, post-doctoral trainees, fellows, students, technicians and lab managers
• Oversee the training and mentoring of post-doctoral trainees, fellows, and students
• Assure that all key research personnel have met training requirements
• Coordinate with school, department, and central administration to ensure that sponsored research activities are in accordance with all applicable regulations, policies, and procedures
• Ensure appropriate resources for research conduct
• Review, prepare, and submit results for publication and register publication, as required by sponsor

Proposals and Awards

Proposal submission.

• Review funding opportunity announcements
• Prepare technical and/or scientific proposal
• Develop and coordinate budgets, administrative elements, and materials, including materials for subcontracts
• Coordinate large proposals with the Office of Research Development (ORD)
• Understand and comply with institutional limited submission process
• Complete proposal application and submissions by required deadlines

Pre-Award Set-Up

• Ensure pre-spending (at-risk/advance) accounts are requested from Sponsored Research
• Complete “Just In Time” documentation requests from sponsor
• Provide estimate of sponsored project effort percentage
• Modify project scope and coordinate all administrative items, including budget, as necessary
• Direct all technical and administrative activities
• Review and confirm notice of award and award setup, including budget reconciliation
• Request issuance of subcontracts
• Review and approve any revisions to project scope, budget or changes in effort or other activities that may require prior approval from sponsor
• Monitor expenditures regularly to ensure that funds are managed in compliance with sponsor terms and conditions and only expended to directly support and benefit the project
• Ensure the accurate and timely submission of all required reports throughout the life of the award
• Confirm that all award records and data are maintained accurately and consistently over the award life cycle and through the sponsor and University’s records retention period
• Monitor subrecipient and consultant activity, including review and approval of invoices
• Responsible for deficits and disallowances incurred against an award
• Oversee confirmation and monitoring of program income
• Coordinate with the Accounting Services for Research and Sponsored Programs (ASRSP) office for all financial matters including fiscal compliance, cash application, financial audits, and effort reporting
• Communicate plans to transfer a grant to the sponsor, Sponsored Research, and other institutions
• Initiate a request to Sponsored Research for an MTA prior to any materials being sent to collaborators
• Review and approve all project expenses to ensure completion and compliance, including financial reports, final invoices, program income, and subrecipient performance
• Oversee completion of closeout documentation and ensure that all reporting requirements are met
• Confirm that all periodic and final technical and invention reports are submitted
• Work with ASRSP to resolve sponsored funds collection issues
• Certify budget statements at the end of the award

Effort Reporting

• Complete effort commitment profile
• Complete salary planning and distribution
• Disclose existence of appointments at other institutions to departmental chair
• Disclose and notify chair and dean when proposing cost share for proposal submission
• Fulfill and manage effort commitments of project members
• Certify effort by the required deadline
• Resolve effort discrepancies
• Ensure appropriate training of project staff

Research Conduct

Human research participants.

• Ensure the protection of the rights and welfare of human research participants
• Oversee submission to, and approval by, the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and confirm protocol/grant congruency
• Ensure the IRB approves the protocol prior to initiation
• Conduct all human participant research according to the approved protocol, relevant regulations, laws, institutional policies, and the Investigator Manual (HRP-103)
• Obtain IRB approval prior to the initiation of modifications to a study, except for those changes that are implemented to eliminate immediate hazards to participants
• Respond to all compliance issues, including participating in post-approval monitoring
• Confirm and monitor that the research team is trained and in compliance with IRB policies and procedures, federal and state regulations, and other relevant University policies
• Promptly suspend or terminate research, as appropriate, and submit reports of these actions and other reportable events to the IRB via Reportable New Information (RNIs) submissions
• Ensure clinical trials are conducted in accordance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
• Work with staff to prepare and submit case report forms for clinical trials
• Follow required closeout procedures (see ASRSP)
• Maintain current and accurate records in the Clinicaltrials.gov database
• Oversee animal study protocol submission to, and approval by, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and provide a full copy of grant for protocol/grant congruency
• Ensure that the animal study protocol is IACUC approved prior to implementing animal work and that all aspects of animal care and use are conducted according to the approved protocol
• Ensure each grant has a separate approved animal study protocol
• Review/confirm animal charges and reconcile with the Center for Comparative Medicine (CCM)
• Confirm and monitor that research team is trained and qualified for the procedures they will perform, including compliance with all Occupational Health and Safety enrollment requirements
• Comply with all federal, state and local regulatory and institutional inspections and compliance investigations
• Inform the IACUC Office when custom antibodies or tissues are obtained from a third party
• Notify the IACUC Office of external collaborations involving animal work
• Notify the IACUC Office of animal work supported by funds from another institution
• Participate in Post-Approval Monitoring (PAM) visits
• Model, demonstrate and enforce safety and health compliance
• Mentor trainees and lab staff in relation to safety issues
• Register lab with Research Safety and keep research profile current
• Ensure consistent use of proper protective clothing and usage of materials
• Report any incidents that occurred during the performance of laboratory work activities that resulted in or could have led to injury or damage to property.
• Ensure that all lab members leaving the lab have cleaned up their assigned spaces before they depart
• Conduct research in an ethical and compliant manner
• Ensure integrity of all research activities and data
• Uphold secure and ethical data use, data confidentiality, and compliant data management, sharing, ownership, and retention practices
• Supervise and ensure the integrity of the research of all trainees and research staff
• Ensure Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) training for NSF supported undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows as well as all trainees, participants, and scholars supported through applicable NIH awards
• Implement and follow responsible authorship practices, including adherence to discipline-specific guidelines

Conflict of Interest (COI)

• Meet initial and ongoing Conflict of Interest (COI) training and disclosure requirements
• Identify which individuals on the study team meet the definition of "investigator" and are subject to the COI requirements
• Adhere to the requirements of COI management plans
• Adhere to COI policies and processes and to all federal, state, and local regulations and sponsoring agency policies and procedures

Patents and Inventions

• Promptly disclose all inventions to the Innovation and New Ventures Office (INVO) using the on-line Inventor Portal must be completed at least 3-4 weeks prior to public disclosure)
• Provide accurate sources of funding on the Invention Disclosure form
• Communicate timely information to INVO, such as chartstring and/or account information, confidentiality agreements, technology development updates, etc.
• Adhere to Northwestern’s Export Control Compliance Policy and federal policies
• Adhere to federal regulations related to malign foreign talent programs
• Review and follow improper foreign interference guidelines
• Report potential research security issues to the Export Controls & International Compliance team

• Open access
• Published: 11 July 2018

How to engage stakeholders in research: design principles to support improvement

• Annette Boaz   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0557-1294 1 ,
• Stephen Hanney 2 ,
• Robert Borst 3 ,
• Alison O’Shea 1 &
• Maarten Kok 4  

Health Research Policy and Systems volume  16 , Article number:  60 ( 2018 ) Cite this article

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Closing the gap between research production and research use is a key challenge for the health research system. Stakeholder engagement is being increasingly promoted across the board by health research funding organisations, and indeed by many researchers themselves, as an important pathway to achieving impact. This opinion piece draws on a study of stakeholder engagement in research and a systematic literature search conducted as part of the study.

This paper provides a short conceptualisation of stakeholder engagement, followed by ‘design principles’ that we put forward based on a combination of existing literature and new empirical insights from our recently completed longitudinal study of stakeholder engagement. The design principles for stakeholder engagement are organised into three groups, namely organisational, values and practices. The organisational principles are to clarify the objectives of stakeholder engagement; embed stakeholder engagement in a framework or model of research use; identify the necessary resources for stakeholder engagement; put in place plans for organisational learning and rewarding of effective stakeholder engagement; and to recognise that some stakeholders have the potential to play a key role. The principles relating to values are to foster shared commitment to the values and objectives of stakeholder engagement in the project team; share understanding that stakeholder engagement is often about more than individuals; encourage individual stakeholders and their organisations to value engagement; recognise potential tension between productivity and inclusion; and to generate a shared commitment to sustained and continuous stakeholder engagement. Finally, in terms of practices, the principles suggest that it is important to plan stakeholder engagement activity as part of the research programme of work; build flexibility within the research process to accommodate engagement and the outcomes of engagement; consider how input from stakeholders can be gathered systematically to meet objectives; consider how input from stakeholders can be collated, analysed and used; and to recognise that identification and involvement of stakeholders is an iterative and ongoing process.

It is anticipated that the principles will be useful in planning stakeholder engagement activity within research programmes and in monitoring and evaluating stakeholder engagement. A next step will be to address the remaining gap in the stakeholder engagement literature concerned with how we assess the impact of stakeholder engagement on research use.

Peer Review reports

Closing the gap between research production and research use is a key challenge for the health research system. Stakeholder engagement is being increasingly promoted across the board by health research funding organisations, and indeed by many researchers themselves, as an important pathway to achieving impact [ 1 ]. The literature is diverse, with a rapidly expanding but still relatively small number of papers specifically referring to ‘stakeholder engagement’, and a larger number of publications discussing issues that at least partly overlap with stakeholder engagement. Several of the papers explicitly analysing stakeholder engagement come from the field of environmental research (e.g. Jolibert and Wesselink [ 2 ], Phillipson et al. [ 3 ]). However, stakeholder engagement is also gaining traction in the health field. A recent supplement in this journal consolidated learning relating to tools and approaches to stakeholder engagement within the United Kingdom Department for International Development’s Future Health Systems research consortium [ 4 ]. In particular, in health, there is an important stream of analysis from North America. A review for the United States Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality drew on papers from a range of fields [ 5 ].

This opinion piece provides a short conceptualisation of stakeholder engagement, followed by ‘design principles’ that we put forward based on a combination of existing literature and new empirical insights from our recently completed longitudinal study of stakeholder engagement in research. We have drawn on a systematic literature search conducted to inform the wider study and in particular to conceptualise stakeholder engagement (Additional file  1 ).

Literature review

Conceptualising stakeholder engagement: what does the literature say.

Stakeholders have been defined as “ individuals, organizations or communities that have a direct interest in the process and outcomes of a project, research or policy endeavor ” ([ 6 ], p. 5). In seeking to conceptualise stakeholders, Concannon et al. [ 7 ] developed the 7Ps Framework to identify stakeholders in Patient-Centered Outcomes Research and Comparative Effectiveness Research in the United States of America. The 7Ps are patients and the public, providers, purchasers, payers, public policy-makers and policy advocates working in the non-governmental sector, product makers, and principal investigators. The seven categories signal an overlap with the large literature on patient and public involvement (PPI) in research. However, our focus here is on multi-stakeholder engagement, where diverse groups of stakeholders take part in the research process. Deverka et al. [ 6 ] define engagement as “ an iterative process of actively soliciting the knowledge, experience, judgment and values of individuals selected to represent a broad range of direct interest in a particular issue, for the dual purposes of: creating a shared understanding; making relevant, transparent and effective decisions ” ([ 6 ], p. 5).

Roles, activities and phases of stakeholder engagement: What does the literature say?

There are additional issues about the definition of stakeholder engagement when the nature of the engagement activities is considered. For example, there are issues about how far co-creation/participatory action research approaches can be considered to be stakeholder engagement or something so far beyond the usual stakeholder engagement that they are really in a different category [ 8 ]. Similarly, there is a large and currently distinct literature on PPI in research [ 9 ], including the development of reporting guidelines such as GRIPP2 [ 10 ]. There are a number of parallels in the issues discussed in these literatures as well as some interesting differences (particularly in terms of power inequalities). However, herein, we conceptualise PPI as a subset of stakeholder engagement in-line with most of the literature, including Concannon et al. [ 7 ].

Most of the stakeholder engagement literature highlights the broad range of activities in which stakeholders can engage depending on their own skills and attributes and the capacity and wishes of the researchers conducting specific studies. At the broadest level of a research system, or research funding body, Lomas [ 11 ] claimed there were many activities in which stakeholders could be engaged in a ‘linkage and exchange’ approach for health services research. These were setting priorities, funding programmes, assessing applications, conducting research and communicating findings. The importance of engaging a wide range of stakeholders in priority-setting has often been emphasised. The pioneering study by Kogan and Henkel [ 12 ] analysed both the importance of engaging policy-makers in setting research agendas to meet their needs, and the obstacles to making the process work well. These obstacles included issues around how far the assessment of needs-based research should focus on the relevance and practical impact of the research as well as its scientific merit. Many of the more recent studies explicitly examining stakeholder engagement also set out a range of activities in which stakeholders may be involved. These are often related to phases of the research processes. Concannon et al. [ 7 ] provide a list of roles related to stages and used the identified roles in a subsequent review [ 13 ].

Knowledge translation (KT) is one of many terms used to describe efforts to ensure research evidence is used to inform decision-making [ 14 ]. Although the importance of engaging stakeholders in KT is recognised, it has been acknowledged that stakeholder engagement is often overlooked in favour of more conventional dissemination strategies [ 15 ]. Integrated KT has been developed as an approach to collaborative research in which researchers work with stakeholders who identify a problem and have the influence and sometimes authority to implement the knowledge generated through research [ 16 , 17 ]. Grimshaw et al. [ 14 ] argue that different groups of stakeholders are likely to be engaged depending on the type of research that is being translated.

Assessing the impact of stakeholder engagement: What does the literature say?

A final consideration about the nature of the body of literature specifically on stakeholder engagement is that not only is it still quite limited in total, but there are also notable areas where authors claim it is particularly sparse. In particular, Hinchcliff et al. [ 18 ] examined the literature on multi-stakeholder health services research collaborations in an attempt to address the question of whether it was worth investing in them. They identified very few studies (Harvey et al’s. [ 19 ] 2011 evaluation of a Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care being one exception) and concluded that their generalisability was questionable. They therefore suggested that “ The lack of reliable evidence compels implementers to rely largely on trial and error, risking variable success ” ([ 18 ], p. 124).

The nature of engagement activity is less contentious than the arguments about its potential impact. Research impacts on non-academic audiences are defined by the United Kingdom Higher Education Funding Council as: “ benefits to one or more areas of the economy, society, culture, public policy and services, health, production, environment, international development or quality of life, whether locally, regionally, nationally or internationally ” [ 20 ]. Various studies have attempted to assess a range of impacts of research (especially health research) and/or attempted to identify facilitators and barriers of research use in policy-making. There are also a growing number of reviews of such studies [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ]. While these are not explicitly studies of stakeholder engagement, many of them have identified some form of collaboration between researchers and users as one of the factors most likely to lead to the research making an impact. However, this wider range of literature does not go into detail in terms of analysing the nature of the processes of stakeholder engagement that leads to impact.

Studies specifically focusing on the impact of stakeholder engagement are less common, although it is a growing area of interest [ 28 , 29 ]. Jolibert and Wesselink [ 2 ] found a few examples of impact, but suggested ways to increase impact through what they describe as sustained interactions. Concannon et al. concluded that approximately 20% of their study participants “ reported that stakeholder engagement improved the relevance of research, increased stakeholder trust... enhanced mutual learning by stakeholders, and researchers about each other, or improved research adoption ” ([ 13 ], p. 1697), whereas 6% reported improved transparency and 9% increased understanding of research processes. Also, while Forsythe et al. referred to a lack of evidence about impact, they also observed that “ Commonly reported contributions included changes to project methods, outcomes or goals; improvement of measurement tools; and interpretation of qualitative data ” ([ 30 ], p. 13). In the United States, the Center for Medical Technology Policy website makes a strong statement about the impact of stakeholder engagement: “ Including the perspectives of all key stakeholders has powerful benefits, enhancing both the short- and long-term relevance of clinical research efforts ” [ 31 ].

Assessing the impact of stakeholder engagement: a new study

Given the diversity of stakeholder engagement and the thin evidence base for its impact, our study set out to identify a set of indicators that might be used to identify stakeholder engagement with potential for impact. We identified a study called the European study on Quantifying Utility of Investment in Protection from Tobacco (EQUIPT) and then conducted our own study, Stakeholder Engagement in EQUIPT (SEE-Impact) as a prospective study of stakeholder engagement running alongside. EQUIPT, a major European Commission (EC) – funded project, aimed to achieve impact through extensive stakeholder engagement. Both studies are briefly described in Box 1.

The results of the EQUIPT study have now been published [ 32 , 33 ] and a full account of the main methods from SEE-Impact have been submitted for publication. Papers on the full findings are being finalised. Herein, our aim is to address the statement in our original funding proposal in 2013 that it should be possible to identify aspects of the stakeholder engagement (and perhaps other features of the processes) that might be viewed as intermediate indicators of the eventual impact achieved.

Our analysis of the complex and nuanced process of stakeholder engagement has resulted not in a list of indicators, but in a set of design principles. We hope that these design principles will help to inform the future development of stakeholder engagement as a mechanism for promoting research impact. These principles, rooted in both the existing literature and in the findings from our prospective study of stakeholder engagement, are intended to inform the planning and delivery of stakeholder engagement activities. It is anticipated that they will also provide a structure for building a narrative account of stakeholder engagement as part of an evaluation of an individual project or programme. They might also provide a starting point for the development of future indicators.

Design principles for stakeholder engagement in research

The project team (comprising members of the SEE-Impact research team and collaborators from EQUIPT) met for a 2 day analysis workshop. One aim of the workshop was to begin to build a consensus among the team on what seemed to be the key design principles emerging from the SEE-Impact data and the on-going literature review. SEE-Impact data included observational data, interviews and document analysis. The research team continued to develop the principles through an ongoing period of deliberation, informed by the impact study and the literature. As part of this process, the principles were categorised into three groups, namely organisational, values and practices.

In this section, we first present empirical evidence from the SEE-Impact study that informed our development of the design principles. We then briefly summarise published evidence for each group of design principles in order to situate them in the wider literature.

Design principles and empirical evidence from the stakeholder engagement in EQUIPT for impact (SEE-impact) study

The stakeholder engagement study (SEE-Impact) and the project being studied (EQUIPT) are described in Box 1. In terms of the organisational level principles, the EQUIPT project objectives for stakeholder engagement were clear, as set out in the proposal, protocol and project documents [ 34 ]. The key aims of stakeholder engagement activity were to access the knowledge and skills (described in the protocol as co-creation innovation in the working space) and to increase influence and impact (described in the protocol as dissemination innovation in the transfer space through stakeholder engagement).

In terms of values, the commitment to stakeholder engagement was more clearly demonstrated by some of the EQUIPT project team members than others. For some team members, previous successful experience of an interactive form of working with stakeholders had built a commitment to this particular way of working. It also provided experience of practical elements of working with stakeholders, but perhaps most importantly lived experience of the practical benefits of engagement. For other members of the team, too, working with stakeholders fitted closely with their ethos and values. For example, the Hungarian team talked about their pragmatic approach to research and the need to conduct useful and usable research, with stakeholder engagement being a key component. However, a small group within the wider project team did not seem committed to ensuring stakeholder engagement remained a core element of the project. They favoured a particular, individualised approach to stakeholders and, over time, partially reshaped the stakeholder engagement activities to something more akin to research participation (that is, taking part in a research study as a means of generating specific data as determined by researchers, rather than as co-producers of research). Finally, not all stakeholders identified by the project team were interested in engaging with the project. In particular, the lack of policy priority given to smoking cessation (the focus of the return on investment (ROI) tool) made engagement of policy stakeholders in the Netherlands very difficult to achieve.

In terms of practices, while the EQUIPT project protocol did set out how the stakeholder engagement would operate [ 34 ], there was not as much flexibility as the investigators would have liked in terms of the project plan and this had an impact on the nature of the stakeholder engagement activities. In particular, time intensive methods of engagement originally proposed in the protocol (particularly the large number of face-to-face meetings) began to look unrealistic to members of the team. The lack of flexibility came in part from the funder. The EC told the project team at an early point that there was no scope for negotiation around the project end date. Thus, initial delays in the project put a strain on the project timetable and deliverables. Members of the team proposed a shift from face-to-face meetings with stakeholders to Skype meetings in an effort to ‘catch up’. The technical team producing the new version of the ROI tool for roll out in Europe added to a sense of urgency in ‘speeding up’ the stakeholder engagement work with their need for data to feed into their work. Nevertheless, despite the practical difficulties, in EQUIPT, a significant amount of consideration had been given to stakeholder engagement, including planning how the input provided by stakeholders might be gathered, collated, analysed and used. Vokó et al. highlight that it is important to “ fully analyse several aspects of stakeholder engagement in research ” ([ 32 ], p. 15) and note that there is a tendency to ignore the value of early stakeholder engagement when it comes to development and transferability in the work of economic evaluation. EQUIPT’s careful consideration and the methods adopted facilitated a much more rigorous approach to stakeholder engagement than is often experienced.

Design principles and supporting literature

The design principles for stakeholder engagement are organised into three groups, namely organisational, values and practices, albeit with some inevitable overlaps. We look at each category in turn, alongside a consideration of some of the relevant literature.

Organisational

Clarify the objectives of stakeholder engagement

Embed stakeholder engagement in a framework or model of research use

Identify the necessary resources for stakeholder engagement

Put in place plans for organisational learning and rewarding of effective stakeholder engagement

Recognise that some stakeholders have the potential to play a key role

Some examples from the literature

It is desirable to have a conceptual framework that situates stakeholder engagement as part of a plan for promoting research use in practice. Deverka et al. [ 6 ] proposed an ‘analytic-deliberative’ conceptual model for stakeholder engagement which “ illustrates the inputs, methods and outputs relevant to CER [comparative effectiveness research]. The model differentiates methods at each stage of the project; depicts the relationship between components; and identifies outcome measures for evaluation of the process ” ([ 6 ], p. 1). Furthermore, having a clear evaluation plan is considered critical. Concannon et al. recommended conducting “ evaluative research on the impact of stakeholder engagement on the relevance, transparency and adoption of research ” ([ 13 ], p. 1698). Esmail et al. argue that evaluations of stakeholder engagement should be “ designed a priori as an embedded component of the research process ” ([ 35 ], p. 142). They suggest that, where possible, evaluations should use predefined, validated tools. Jolibert and Wesselink [ 2 ] point out that linking stakeholders’ contributions with specific research objectives is important in order to establish when and how to engage and with whom. They argue that, at the recruitment stage, stakeholders should be made aware of, for example, their role/s, what they could contribute, costs in terms of time and effort, and benefits. Concannon et al. also conclude that funding is needed “ to account for the costs of implementing meaningful engagement activities ” ([ 7 ], p. 989).

In a Canadian study looking at stakeholder involvement in KT as a means of leading to more evidence-informed healthcare, Holmes et al. [ 36 ] identify a range of complexities which, they argue, need to be taken into account by funding schemes in order to meet funders’ and stakeholders’ expected ROI. Stakeholder involvement in research and implementing its findings is complex and time consuming, and the authors recommend an advocacy role where funders support a range of activities to address barriers to effective KT. These include carrying out an assessment of stakeholders’ KT needs “ to identify gaps and opportunities and avoid duplication of efforts ” ([ 36 ], p. 6). Kramer et al. [ 37 ] looked at the involvement of intermediary organisations as research partners on three interventions across four sectors, namely manufacturing, transportation, service and electrical utilities sectors. The authors describe the difficulties, benefits and challenges from the perspectives of both researchers and research partners and stress the importance of allowing the design of the protocol to be collaborative and flexible. Researchers need to honour, trust and respect their partners’ knowledge and expertise, and take into account their needs and priorities. Failure to meet these criteria will significantly dampen stakeholders’ enthusiasm. They also point out the importance of having a model of collaborative research with clear guidelines of how to conduct partnership research projects in order to further facilitate the use of research by practitioners. There would be an invested interest in “ the research question, design and findings, and this would prove to be very valuable as a knowledge transfer strategy ” ([ 37 ], p. 330).

The main literature on stakeholder analysis of policy-making is also useful for highlighting that some stakeholders have more potential to play a key role in the policy deliberations than others. For example, as part of their review of stakeholder analysis of health policy-making, Brugha and Varvasovszky [ 38 ] described an example in which the Hungarian Ministries of Finance and Industry were non-mobilised, high-influence, low-interest stakeholders in debates about public health interventions, but might, in some circumstances, become mobilised high-interest actors.

Foster shared commitment to the values and objectives of stakeholder engagement in the project team

Share understanding that stakeholder engagement is often about more than individuals

Encourage individual stakeholders and their organisations to value engagement

Recognise potential tension between productivity and inclusion

Generate a shared commitment to sustained and continuous stakeholder engagement

Concannon et al. [ 7 ] stress that researchers and stakeholders should be committed to the processes from the outset. Hinchcliff et al. [ 18 ] argue that it is important to define expectations and roles and provide time. Hering et al.’s [ 39 ] global study of water science and technology used stakeholder involvement in the objectives and approaches of the research for the co-production of knowledge as part of transdisciplinary research. Key aspects of particular value to the research included early identification and involvement of stakeholders, continuous engagement with stakeholders, and availability to stakeholders of supporting materials and in multiple languages. Mallery et al. recommend continuing to build trust with stakeholders “ throughout the engagement process ” ([ 5 ], p. 27).

Plan stakeholder engagement activity as part of the research programme of work

Build flexibility within the research process to accommodate engagement and the outcomes of engagement

Consider how input from stakeholders can be gathered systematically to meet objectives

Consider how input from stakeholders can be collated, analysed and used

Recognise identification and involvement of stakeholders is an iterative and ongoing process

Forsythe et al. [ 30 ] highlight the importance of careful and strategic selection of stakeholders. As part of evidence and experience-based guidance to researchers and practice personnel about forming and carrying out effective research partnerships, Ovretveit et al. [ 40 ] developed a guide to categorise and describe types of partnerships or approaches to collaborative working. The guide sets out a framework for the roles and tasks, and the allocation of responsibilities for each partner involved. Roles and tasks are assigned to three main categories, namely questions, design and data, reporting and dissemination, and implementation and integration into organisation or policy. Concannon et al. [ 13 ] suggest the need to develop (and validate) stakeholder engagement tools to support engagement work. Forsythe et al. also stress the importance of “ establishing ‘parameters and expectations for roles’, giving stakeholders guidance, and allowing time for stakeholders to ‘get comfortable with their roles’ as important tasks ” ([ 30 ], p. 19).

The review of methods of stakeholder engagement conducted by Mallery et al. [ 5 ] identified a range of innovative methods and stressed the potential for engaging stakeholders at different points in the research process. The five methods highlighted for consideration were online collaborative forums, product development challenge contests, online communities, grassroots community organising and collaborative research. Jolibert and Wesselink [ 2 ] explored levels and types of stakeholder engagement in 38 EC-funded biodiversity research projects and the impacts of collaborative research on policy, society and science. They looked at how and when stakeholders were involved and the roles played, and argue that greater engagement throughout the whole of the research process, rather than, for example, at the dissemination stage, tends to lead to improved assessment of environmental change and effective policy proposals. Jolibert and Wesselink suggest, following Huberman’s [ 41 ] work in education, that it is desirable to have ‘sustained interactivity’ between researchers and users. Concannon et al. suggest that “ General principles can be drawn from community-based participatory research, which underscores that engagement is a relationship-building process ” ([ 7 ], p. 988). They found that, if bi-directional relationships are sustained over time, stakeholders can serve as ambassadors for high-integrity evidence even where the findings are contrary to generally accepted beliefs. Hinchcliff et al. point to the importance of “ building respect and trust through ongoing interaction ” ([ 18 ], p. 125). Forsythe et al. flag up the importance of continuous involvement and using in-person contact to build relationships [ 30 ]. They also stress the value in having a flexible approach that can adapt to the practical needs of stakeholders. A recent supplement of this journal edited by Paina et al. [ 4 ] also highlighted the importance of flexibility in making space for stakeholder engagement in research processes.

Based on the literature and the application of initial principles to our study, we have developed the elaborated design principles presented in Box 2.

Conclusions

There is a growing interest in stakeholder engagement as a potentially promising approach to promoting research impact. There is also a developing literature mapping out who potential stakeholders might be (the ‘who’), considering approaches to stakeholder engagement (the ‘how’) and identifying rationales for stakeholder engagement (the ‘why’). In this paper, evidence from the literature around these dimensions has been combined with the findings from our study of stakeholder engagement in an EC-funded project to develop a set of design principles to inform future stakeholder engagement in research. The design principles encompass organisational factors, values and practices. We hope that the principles will be useful in planning stakeholder engagement activity within research programmes and in monitoring and evaluating stakeholder engagement. Active engagement of stakeholders may well shift our understanding of what research use looks like [ 39 ]. A next step will be to address the remaining gap in the stakeholder engagement literature concerned with how we assess the impact of stakeholder engagement on research use.

Box 1: Studying stakeholder engagement in tobacco control policy

EQUIPT: the European-study on Quantifying Utility of Investment in Protection from Tobacco

The EQUIPT study set out to work with stakeholders to develop a tool to help government officials, policy-makers and healthcare providers across Europe examine the cost effectiveness and impact of anti-smoking initiatives. The tool was developed as part of a €2 million European Commission grant. An earlier version had already been piloted with local authorities around the United Kingdom, with users able to draw on specific circumstances, statistics and data to predict the impact of tobacco control in their particular regions. The successful stakeholder engagement in the United Kingdom work encouraged the research team to fully integrate stakeholder engagement into the European study. In this study, the following stakeholders were identified: National and European stakeholders consisting of policy-makers, academics, health authorities, insurance companies, advocacy groups, ministries of finance, national committees, clinicians and health technology assessment (HTA) professionals, and experts on smoking cessation and HTA. Ninety three stakeholders took part. They were engaged in a variety of ways, including through one-to-one interviews, Skype meetings and events. Much of the engagement activity focused on the development of the return of investment tool for application in different countries.

SEE-Impact: Stakeholder Engagement in EQUIPT for Impact

SEE-IMPACT was a 3-year prospective study awarded £157,000 from the United Kingdom’s Medical Research Council funding as part of their joint Methodology Programme with the National Institute for Health Research, earmarked to boost understanding of the impact of health-related studies on society and the economy. The study compared and contrasted the way the EQUIPT decision support tool was taken up in a further four European countries – Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands and Spain. The SEE-Impact study focused in particular on the ways in which stakeholders were engaged throughout the EQUIPT study. The study used a range of methods including interviews, surveys, observations and reviews of documents to develop a detailed understanding of how stakeholder engagement might work as a mechanism for promoting impact. An initial literature review on stakeholder engagement was used to distil a set of propositions for testing. Further details about the project can be found on the website of the MRC (now under United Kingdom Research and Innovation).

Box 2 Design principles for stakeholder engagement

1) Clarify the objectives of stakeholder engagement

The objectives might be one or more of accessing knowledge and skills; supporting interpretation of the results and drafting recommendations; supporting future influence and impact on policy and practice; increasing recruitment/enabling research; supporting transferability. The objectives need to be shared then among all parties.

2) Embed stakeholder engagement in a framework or model of research use

There are a number of models and frameworks designed to show how stakeholders might be engaged in a way that helps increase the chances of research being used in policy and practice, for example, the linkage and exchange model [ 9 ]

3) Identify the necessary resources for stakeholder engagement

Resources to consider are budget, time, skills and competences to manage engagement

4) Put in place plans for organisational learning and rewarding of effective stakeholder engagement, for example, through appropriate evaluation of stakeholder engagement

5) Recognise that some stakeholders have the potential to play a key role

Identify those stakeholders who are particularly interested in being engaged and those who are likely to be influential. Depending on the objective of stakeholder engagement, they may provide the most useful input, and are most likely to play a key role in using the results; their engagement should be especially encouraged

6) Foster shared commitment to the values and objectives of stakeholder engagement in the project team

Ideally, make sure the commitment is there from the outset [ 6 ]

7) Share understanding that stakeholder engagement is often about more than individuals

Consideration needs to be given to stakeholders’ roles where they act as representatives – their power and influence within organisations and networks they represent and how these change over time

8) Encourage individual stakeholders and their organisations to value engagement

Support and build capacity for stakeholders and their organisations to engage

9) Recognise potential tension between productivity and inclusion

Engagement may lead to greater relevance and impact, but may have implications for productivity in meeting project objectives (for example, in a timely fashion). Engaging stakeholders, taking into account their needs and inputs and adjusting elements of the research project based on their feedback takes time and can slow down the research process

10) Generate a shared commitment to sustained and continuous stakeholder engagement

Project teams and stakeholders see the value of links between research producers and research users to build ongoing collaborations in order to meet the objectives

11) Plan stakeholder engagement activity as part of the research programme of work

This should be built into the project protocol or plan (see Pokhrel et al. [ 34 ])

12) Build flexibility within the research process to accommodate engagement and the outcomes of engagement

It will also be important to build in mechanisms to allow researchers to have the independence to articulate what is out of scope

13) Consider how input from stakeholders can be gathered systematically to meet objectives

The importance of some face-to-face contact and interactions should be considered

14) Consider how input from stakeholders can be collated, analysed and used

This important aspect of stakeholder engagement needs to be considered earlier than often happens

15) Recognising identification and involvement of stakeholders is an iterative and ongoing process

Ongoing interaction will be fostered by taking the time and creating the structures to build trustful relationships ([ 6 , 12 ])

Abbreviations

European Commission

European-study on Quantifying Utility of Investment in Protection from Tobacco

Knowledge translation

Patient and public involvement

Return on investment

Stakeholder Engagement in EQUIPT for Impact

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the contribution of the EQUIPT team, in particular, the Principal Investigator Subhash Pokhrel.

The SEE-Impact study (Stakeholder Engagement in EQUIPT for Impact), received funding from the United Kingdom Medical Research Council to explore the engagement of stakeholders in the EQUIPT project.

The funding body had no role in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript.

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AB and SH conceived of the study. All authors contributed to the design, data collection and analysis. An initial draft of the paper was produced by AB, with all authors contributing significantly to its development and revision. The final version has been approved by all authors.

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Boaz, A., Hanney, S., Borst, R. et al. How to engage stakeholders in research: design principles to support improvement. Health Res Policy Sys 16 , 60 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-018-0337-6

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• To be responsible for the completion of annual financial reports
• To set up reporting processes for partners, and set deadlines for interim meetings reports and collate these for circulation to partners
• To collate technical and management reports from partners, and ensure that they are processed by the required deadlines, by ensuring that partners are provided with the necessary information, guidance and support required in order for these deadlines to be met
• To monitor the budget and check all claims from project partners
• Organisation of and attendance at project meetings involving partners, presenting their work and take minutes at meetings
• To ensure that all records relating to the University and partners are maintained
• To act as main liaison point between the University and project partners in Ghana, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa
• To keep abreast of the rules and conditions of the Royal Society-DFID programme
• To advise on eligibility of all project expenditure, including requirements regarding supporting documentation
• To participate in the further development of quality systems within the University
• Must demonstrate effective communication, consulting, interpersonal and project management skills
• The ability to make contributions to research projects and strategic planning at a conceptual level
• Demonstrated ability to apply a broad and integrated perspective when planning, problem solving, and assessing impact across functional areas
• Bachelor of Arts or Sciences degree required, Master’s Degree preferred
• Clinical Research Certification (CCRC, CCRA or CCRP) preferred, or willing to obtain
• Analytical and detail oriented skills
• Project leadership - Leads local and cross-functional projects with limited complexity and or sub-project of a complex project as responsible for all elements of the projects
• Project execution and control - Manages the project team allocated to the project, defining, with key stakeholders, the scope of work, cost/budget, resources required, time schedule and detailed work allocation
• Manage uncertainties and risks - Identifies, contains and reduces risk
• Networking - Manages relationships with stakeholders, internal functions, other R&D teams in Technology Center and/or Corporate Research Centers and external relevant parties
• Producing/completing the bibliography on the subject
• Determining and contacting partners who may be able to support us with this project
• Setting up test protocols and validating them
• Putting forward potential plans for optimising home cooking
• Conduct team meetings with internal and external stakeholders
• Ensure project scope is clearly defined
• Analyzes staff performance
• Demonstrated experience applying multi-variate research techniques to decisions
• Minimum of 3 years project experience in assigned area which may include progressively responsible experience supporting a clinical system and/or data/financial analysis
• Must have normal or corrected vision and be able to clearly communicate verbally by phone or in person
• Ability to use statistical and web applications, such as ArcGIS, SPSS , ASP.net
• Provide support to project principal investigator
• Prepares internal, project-specific budgets to monitor cost and timeline performance
• Reports to company executives on status of projects and problems related to meeting performance goals
• Ensures tasks are completed on-time and work is of the highest quality possible
• Performs related duties as required to ensure successful management of ongoing projects
• Reviews scientific literature & evaluates & recommends applicable techniques & procedures
• Identifies funding opportunities and writes grant proposals in cooperation with principal investigators and university partners
• Convenes topic-focused faculty working groups and supports the work of multidisciplinary teams
• Engages and interacts with external institutions, agencies, and potential funders
• Works with the Director of Global Health and faculty on study design and development, and implementation of study protocols
• Develops objectives, methodology, evaluation, and budgets, and conducts research and analyses
• Experience developing and managing budgets, preferably research project budgets
• Ability and/or experience in developing and implementing research instruments
• Conducts and interprets quantitative and/ or qualitative analyses
• Ability and/or experience developing and implementing research instruments
• Prior experience as a Project Manager on at least four medium to large projects
• Leads and manages other professionals through influence and collaboration
• Create proposal specs and costs, and submit for review
• Act as operational liaison between internal client service teams (industry groups) and the qualitative team
• Provides strategic management and leadership support for Principal Investigator’s (PIs) research programs
• Establishes systems for the orderly functioning of the (PIs) projects
• Oversees completion of study activities per protocol and according to timeline
• Develops research designs for studies that involve quantitative data analysis, including for evaluating the effect of specific education and workforce programs on participants’ employment and earnings and future educational attainment
• Identifies and calculate appropriate performance measures for tracking the effectiveness of education and workforce programs
• Identifies and implement the most appropriate statistical models for conducting quantitative studies of data
• Devise and implement plan for a concept or technology
• Run data queries and data analysis reports to identify and ensure appropriate patient population for study design
• Formal Project qualifications PMI
• Attention to detail and demonstration of quick follow-up to client needs, commits to quality
• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in economics, social sciences, public policy, or related fields
• Master's level or equivalent degree or 4 years of relevant experience
• Experience developing and presenting professional reports and presentations to senior-level audiences
• Four years direct experience with Process Improvement and Project Management required
• Develops, manages, and maintains systems for collecting data important to central administration, school, and departmental administration, and faculty, in partnership with a team
• Delivers and maintain data reports, ensure data integrity, and reconcile data discrepancies
• Provides support for the Office’s data system operations
• Work closely with existing staff responsible for day-to-day operations of participant enrollment, tracking and follow-up biospecimen collection
• Design and implement models to forecast expenditures on existing projects and the likelihood of future funding via pending or planned research proposals
• Participate in the establishment of sales and service accounts to support department provision of scientific services to external clients
• In addition to highly sophisticated, non-routine analyses of data, and selection and interpretation of appropriate statistical modeling methods, provides training and direction as appropriate to graduate research assistants
• Develops and manages project plans and work plans for carrying out analyses of data
• Provides technical advice to faculty researchers
• Plans, coordinates and implements complex data analyses, works with research teams to implement analyses
• Minimum 1 year experience (2 or more years preferred) in project management for complex projects/business processes, preferably market research projects
• Strong attention to details, process oriented, and organized
• Highly adoptable to new business areas and fast-paced environment
• Superb documentation skills on MS Office, Confluence
• 5+ years’ experience managing research studies, preferably in a business setting including end-to-end project management experience
• Organizational skills including planning

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Five Critical Roles in Project Management

• HBR Editors

An overview of who’s who.

When you’re managing a project, To meet your project objectives, you need the right people on board—and they must have a clear understanding of their roles. Here’s a breakdown of who does what.

• This story is by the staff at Harvard Business Review.

Partner Center

• Clinical Research Coordinator Roles and Responsibilities

Position Role Sponsored Program Administration Financial Management Effort Reporting Conflicts of Interest Human Research Participant Protection Environmental Health and Safety Human Gene Transfer Export Controls

Position Role

The Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC) is a specialized research professional working with and under the direction of the clinical Principal Investigator (PI). While the Principal Investigator is primarily responsible for the overall design, conduct, and management of the clinical trial, the CRC supports, facilitates and coordinates the daily clinical trial activities and plays a critical role in the conduct of the study. By performing these duties, the CRC works with the PI, department, sponsor, and institution to support and provide guidance on the administration of the compliance, financial, personnel and other related aspects of the clinical study.

The clinical research coordinator reports primarily to the Principal Investigator with associated responsibilities to the department head, division administrator or program administrator.

Sponsored Program Administration

General administrative.

• Coordinates with Principal Investigator and school, department, and central administration to help ensure that clinical research and related activities are performed in accordance with federal regulations and university and sponsoring agency policies and procedures.
• Assists the PI in development of materials and tools necessary to appropriately train individuals involved in the conduct of the study around issues related to (but not limited to)  protocol requirements, schedule of visits, execution of research plan. Maintains documentation of training.
• Assists Principal Investigator to assure that all key personnel or persons ‘engaged’ in the research project have met training requirements in accordance with federal regulations and university and sponsoring agency policies and procedures.
• Cooperates with university compliance and monitoring efforts related to sponsored program administration and reports instances of noncompliance to the appropriate compliance office. Coordinates and facilitates monitoring and auditing visits. Notifies appropriate institutional officials of external audits by FDA and sponsors.
• Collaborates with PI and institution to respond to any audit findings and implement approved recommendations.
• Cooperates with university and sponsoring agency compliance and monitoring efforts related to human research participant protection and reports instances of noncompliance to the appropriate compliance office.

Preparation of Scientific Proposal

• Assists the PI in study feasibility assessments as requested.

Proposal Budget

• Collaborates with the PI and department to prepare a categorized budget and justification. Confirms accuracy and completeness of budgeted costs.

Protocol Preparation & Review

• Reviews and comprehends the protocol.
• Attends investigator meetings as required or requested by the PI.
• Collaborates with the PI to prepare IRB/HRPO and any other regulatory submission documents as required by the protocol.
• Prepares other study materials as requested by the PI. These study materials include, but are not limited to, the informed consent document, case report forms (CRFs), enrollment logs, and drug/device accountability logs.
• Establishes and organizes study files, including but not limited to, regulatory binders, study specific source documentation and other materials.

Award Acceptance (Terms & Conditions)

• Reviews and develops a familiarity with the contract or award terms and conditions. Works with the PI to assure that the study is in compliance with all terms and conditions, including but not limited to education, IRB (HRPO) approval, conflict of interest disclosure, health and safety protections for participants and staff and any financial terms or conditions.

Conduct of Research

• Reviews and develops a familiarity with the protocol, e.g., study proceedings and timelines, inclusion and exclusion criteria, confidentiality, privacy protections.
• Assists PI in communication of study requirements to all individuals involved in the study. Provides appropriate training and tools for study team members. Documents date of training and signatures of study personnel trained on study specific training log.
• Collects documents needed to initiate the study and submit to the sponsor (e.g., FDA Forms 1572, CVs, etc.).
• Works with the PI to develop and implement recruitment strategies in accordance with HRPO (IRB) requirements and approvals.
• Conducts or participates in the informed consent process including interactions with the HRPO (IRB) and discussions with research participants, including answering any questions related to the study. Obtains appropriate signatures and dates on forms in appropriate places. Assures that amended consent forms are appropriately implemented and signed.
• Screens subjects for eligibility using protocol specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, documenting each potential participant’s eligibility or exclusion.
• Registers participants to the appropriate coordinating center (if multi-site study).
• Registers each participant in the billing matrix to ensure billing of study procedures to the appropriate funding source.
• Coordinates participant tests and procedures.
• Collects data as required by the protocol. Assures timely completion of Case Report Forms.
• Maintains study timelines.
• Maintains adequate inventory of study supplies. If handling investigational drugs/devices, follows the sponsor protocol and/or Washington University Policy on Investigational Drug/Device Accountability.
• Completes study documentation and maintains study files in accordance with sponsor requirements and University policies and procedures including, but not limited to, consent forms, source documentation, narrative notes if applicable, case report forms, and investigational material accountability forms.
• Retains all study records in accordance with sponsor requirements and university policies and procedures.
• Maintains effective and ongoing communication with sponsor, research participants and PI during the course of the study.
• Assists PI in preparation of any modifications to the scientific protocol in accordance with federal regulations and university and sponsoring agency policies and procedures.
• Works with the PI to manage the day to day activities of the study including problem solving, communication and protocol management.
• Promotes the ethical conduct of research by reporting good faith suspicions of misconduct in research as defined within Washington University’s Research Integrity Policy and other misconduct as described in Washington University’s Code of Conduct.
• Assists Principal Investigator with scientific and compliance reporting requirements in accordance with Federal regulations and University and sponsoring agency policies and procedures. Assists in the registration (if required) of the study at ClinicalTrials.gov and maintains current information on the site.

Project Closeout

• Assists the Principal Investigator in submission of accurate and timely closeout documents to applicable federal agencies, university entities, and the sponsoring agency in accordance with federal regulations and university and sponsoring agency policies and procedures.
• Arranges secure storage of study documents that will be maintained according to university policy or for the contracted length of time, whichever is longer.

Financial Management

• Reviews and accepts/corrects the billing matrix as set up by the Center for Applied Research Science (CARS) to facilitate billing of study procedures to the appropriate research fund.
• Coordinates appropriate and timely payments to participants (if applicable) in accordance with university policies and procedures.

Effort Reporting

• Reviews, adjusts and legally certifies personnel activity reports if applicable. Completes effort reporting certification within the timeframe specified by Sponsored Project Accounting.

Conflicts of Interest

• Takes appropriate steps to avoid conflicts of interest, or the appearance of conflicts of interest, between financial or other personal interests and the goals and policies of the university.
• Complies with applicable school, university, and sponsoring agency conflict of interest policies and procedures. Discloses all financial conflicts of interest to the appropriate supervisor.
• Cooperates with university compliance and monitoring efforts related to conflicts of interest and reports instances of noncompliance to the appropriate compliance office.

Human Research Participant Protection

• Assists Principal Investigator in protection of the rights and welfare of all human research participants involved in research in accordance with federal regulations and university and sponsoring agency policies and procedures.
• Assists Principal Investigator in assuring that all key personnel involved in human research have completed the required education for the protection of human research participants in accordance with federal regulations and university and sponsoring agency policies and procedures. Maintains proof of all such education for all engaged members of the study team. Coordinates with Principal Investigator and school, department, and central administration to help ensure that clinical research and related activities are performed in accordance with Federal regulations and University and sponsoring agency policies and procedures.
• Assists the PI in development of materials and tools necessary to appropriately train individuals involved in the conduct of the study around issues related to (but not limited to) protocol requirements, schedule of visits, execution of research plan. Maintains documentation of training.
• Cooperates with university compliance and monitoring efforts related to sponsored program administration and reports instances of noncompliance to the appropriate compliance office. Coordinates and facilitates monitoring and auditing visits. Notifies appropriate institutional officials of external audits by FDA and/or sponsors.
• Collaborates with PI and institution to respond to any audit findings and implement approved recommendations. Cooperates with university and sponsoring agency compliance and monitoring efforts related to human research participant protection and reports instances of noncompliance to the appropriate compliance office.
• Collaborates with the PI to prepare IRB/HRPO and any other regulatory submission documents as required by the protocol. Prepares other study materials as requested by the PI. These study materials include but are not limited to the informed consent document, case report forms (CRFs), enrollment logs, and drug/device accountability logs.
• Establishes and organizes study files, including but not limited to, regulatory binders, case report forms, study specific source documentation.

Informed Consent

• Assists in preparation of all documents related to the informed consent process.
• Assists Principal Investigator in preparation and submission of informed consent documents to HRPO for review and approval.
• Collects documents needed to initiate the study for submission to the sponsor (e.g., FDA Forms 1572, CVs, etc.).
• Conducts or participates in the informed consent process including interactions with the HRPO (IRB), discussions with research participants, including answering any questions related to the protocol. Obtains appropriate signatures and dates on forms in appropriate places. Assures that amended consent forms are appropriately implemented and signed.
• Collects data as required by the protocol. Assures timely completion of Case Report Forms.
• Completes study documentation and maintains study files in accordance with sponsor requirements and University policies and procedures including, but not limited to, consent forms, source documentation, narrative notes if applicable, case report forms, and investigational material accountability forms, etc.
• Retains all study records in accordance with sponsor requirements and University policies and procedures.
• Assists PI in preparation and submission of any modifications to the scientific protocol in accordance with federal regulations and university and sponsoring agency policies and procedures.

Protected Health Information

• Adheres to and supports all Federal regulations and University policies and procedures instituted to safeguard protected health information (PHI).
• Completes the appropriate level of training regarding the access, use, and disclosure of PHI in accordance with Federal regulations and University and sponsoring agency policies and procedures. Assists PI to assure that all personnel complete appropriate training.
• Cooperates with University compliance and monitoring efforts regarding the access, use, and disclosure of PHI and reports instances of noncompliance to the appropriate compliance office.

Unanticipated Problems

• Assists the Principal Investigator in promptly reporting any unanticipated problems involving risks to research participants or others to the HRPO (Washington University’s IRB).
• Assists Principal Investigator with scientific and compliance reporting requirements in accordance with federal regulations and university and sponsoring agency policies and procedures.
• Assists in the registration (if required) of the study at ClinicalTrials.gov and maintains current information on the site.
• Arranges secure storage of study documents that will be maintained according to University policy or for the contracted length of time, whichever is longer.

Environmental Health and Safety

• Assists Principal Investigator in assuring that individuals handling hazardous or regulated materials are well trained in proper safety procedures and have completed required environmental health and safety training in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations and university and sponsoring agency policies and procedures.
• Works with Environmental Health and Safety to ensure that all facilities used are in compliance with all applicable regulations. Maintains copies of any applicable facility audits and equipment inspection/service reports.

Human Gene Transfer

• Assists Principal Investigator in assuring that all key personnel involved in human research have completed the required education for the protection of human research participants in accordance with Federal regulations and University and sponsoring agency policies and procedures. Maintains proof of all such education for all engaged members of the study team. Coordinates with Principal Investigator and school, department, and central administration to help ensure that clinical research and related activities are performed in accordance with Federal regulations and University and sponsoring agency policies and procedures.
• Assists the PI in development of materials and tools necessary to appropriately train individuals involved in the conduct of the study around issues related to (but not limited to)  protocol requirements, schedule of visits, execution of research plan. Maintains documentation of training.
• Cooperates with University compliance and monitoring efforts related to sponsored program administration and reports instances of noncompliance to the appropriate compliance office. Coordinates and facilitates monitoring and auditing visits. Notifies appropriate institutional officials of external audits by FDA and/or sponsors.
• Cooperates with University and sponsoring agency compliance and monitoring efforts related to human research participant protection and reports instances of noncompliance to the appropriate compliance office.
• Collaborates with the PI to prepare IRB/HRPO and any other regulatory submission documents as required by the protocol. Prepares other study materials as requested by the PI. These study materials include but are not limited to the informed consent documents, case report forms (CRFs), enrollment logs, and drug/device accountability logs.
• Engages participants in the informed consent process according to the HRPO approved process.

Award Acceptance (Terms & Conditions)

• Reviews and develops a familiarity with the contract or award terms and conditions.  Works with the PI to assure that the study is in compliance with all terms and conditions, including but not limited to education, IRB (HRPO) approval, conflict of interest disclosure, health and safety protections for participants and staff and any financial terms or conditions.
• Maintains adequate inventory of study supplies. If handling investigational drugs/devices, follows the sponsor and/or Washington University Policy on Investigational Drug/Device Accountability.
• Completes study documentation and maintains study files in accordance with sponsor requirements and university policies and procedures including, but not limited to, consent forms, source documentation, narrative notes if applicable, case report forms, and investigational material accountability forms, etc.
• Adheres to and supports all federal regulations and university policies and procedures instituted to safeguard protected health information (PHI).
• Completes the appropriate level of training regarding the access, use, and disclosure of PHI in accordance with federal regulations and university and sponsoring agency policies and procedures. Assists PI to assure that all personnel complete appropriate training.
• Cooperates with university compliance and monitoring efforts regarding the access, use, and disclosure of PHI and reports instances of noncompliance to the appropriate compliance office.
• Assists Principal Investigator with scientific and compliance reporting requirements in accordance with Federal regulations and University and sponsoring agency policies and procedures.

Export Controls

• Develops awareness of export control regulations and complies as appropriate.

Revised January 2009 | Created 2007

• Vice Chancellor for Research
• Annual Report & Metrics
• Faculty Resources
• Institutional Data
• Chancellor Roles and Responsibilities
• Dean Roles and Responsibilities
• Department Administrator Roles and Responsibilities
• Department Head/Chair Roles and Responsibilities
• Principal Investigator Roles and Responsibilities
• Vice Chancellor for Finance Roles and Responsibilities
• Vice Chancellor for Research Roles and Responsibilities
• Center for Applied Research Services Roles and Responsibilities
• Committee on Research Integrity Roles and Responsibilities
• Conflict of Interest Review Committee Roles and Responsibilities
• Division of Comparative Medicine Roles and Responsibilities
• Environmental Health and Safety Roles and Responsibilities
• Export Control Roles and Responsibilities
• HIPAA Roles and Responsibilities
• Human Research Protection Office Roles and Responsibilities
• Human Research QA/QI Roles and Responsibilities
• Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee Roles and Responsibilities
• Office of General Counsel Roles and Responsibilities
• Office of Sponsored Research Services Roles and Responsibilities
• Office of Technology Management Roles and Responsibilities
• Sponsored Projects Accounting Roles and Responsibilities
• University Compliance Office Roles and Responsibilities
• Ongoing Projects

Educational resources and simple solutions for your research journey

Roles and Responsibilities of a Researcher

A researcher’s job is to discover or confirm, in a responsible manner, evidence-based knowledge that can benefit society or the world. However, the role of a researcher is much wider than the job description and the responsibilities of a researcher are numerous. In this article, we will take a brief look at the many responsibilities a researcher that must be fulfilled to play this role effectively.

Varied roles of a researcher

A good researcher needs to be many things to many people; here are some researcher duties and responsibilities:

• Scientist – The primary role of a researcher is to conduct research, be that through experimental studies, literature reviews, or qualitative studies. This includes designing experiments and writing reports.
• Colleague/collaborator – Researcher duties and responsibilities often include collaborations with colleagues on scientific studies as well as review others’ work and provide feedback.
• Communicator – The role of a researcher includes communicating with various audiences about their work. Journal articles need to be written, grant applications completed, and presentations made to review boards and decision makers.
• Steward of the public trust – Many studies are funded with public resources, which come with the need for accountability. The responsibility of a researcher is to fulfill obligations required by the funding source, such as creating reports and presentations.
• Advocate – Researcher’s duties and responsibilities often include promoting their work to policymakers or others who can help apply the knowledge gained. They advocate for their work, their discipline, and sometimes even for science itself.

  Responsibilities of a researcher

As with the medical profession and its Hippocratic Oath, the main overarching responsibility of a researcher is to do no harm. This is especially important in today’s environment and encompasses a wider reach than simply ensuring the safety and well-being of research subjects, although that is vitally important. It means behaving in a proper manner rather than engaging in unacceptable behavior 1 .

Obviously, the primary role of a researcher is chasing knowledge and conducting studies. However, it is also essential that any conclusions reached through the research be evidence based. The results reported must be honest, objective, and scientifically supported. Here are some examples of ethical issues that a good researcher must consider when designing and conducting studies, reporting results, and drawing conclusions 2 :

• Over generalizing results – all studies have limitations. It is the responsibility of a researcher to openly reveal their limitations to ensure their work is useful and can be built on.
• Biased methodology or conclusions – this is especially important in qualitative studies. Researchers need to ask themselves if the survey questions are fair or if their own opinions are clouding the results.
• Correlation does not imply causation – a competent researcher will ensure they do not make this common mistake.
• Not considering other related factors – a researcher’s duties and responsibilities include being open to all possibilities and comprehensively consider them.
• Not understanding the data – the types and amount of data currently available are extremely vast and easy to misinterpret. Good researchers know exactly how their data were gathered and stored and will ask questions about the data’s validity and origin.

If you’re conducting your research in a university or commercial setting, most of these aspects will probably be regulated, well-known, and overseen by an advisor, supervisor, or institutional research board.

Ethical responsibilities of a researcher

In addition to the ethical responsibilities specific to scientific studies discussed above, an effective researcher’s duties and responsibilities mean adhering to some general ethical principles, including the following 1,2 .

• Honesty – report all data, results, and procedures honestly, without fabrication or misrepresentation.
• Objectivity – recognize and avoid bias in all aspects of research and behavior.
• Integrity – keep promises, behave consistently, always be sincere in your interactions, and respect intellectual property standards.
• Openness – practice transparency in all your professional activities, share ideas, data, results, and feedback. Be open to new ideas and criticism.
• Privacy and confidentiality – a key responsibility of a researcher would be to protect the privacy of research participants, safely maintain confidential documents, data, and trade secrets.
• Ethical treatment of research participants – one of the most important researcher duties and responsibilities is to treat research participants, both human and animal, respectfully and according to current guidelines.

No research is ever done in a vacuum, even if the study is being conducted by one person alone. In fact, all meaningful scientific research is built on a foundation laid by those who came before. So for good researchers, it’s all about the work – theirs and others. Thus, a take care to be ethical in their professional behavior and attitude and treat all colleagues fairly and respectfully.

Science has been getting some bad press lately; therefore, it is the responsibility of a researcher to behave ethically and model good scientific practice to the public. Instead of giving the public reasons to distrust your intelligence and knowledge, engage with them in an open and honest way, build trust with your audience, and let them see what effective research is about.

Finally, the role of a researcher is also have a social responsibility to ensure that their work is for the benefit of society, causes no harm to the environment or to others, and helps make the world a better place.

By demonstrating a willingness to shoulder these often unwritten responsibilities of a researcher, one can earn the respect of their colleagues, decision makers, and the public, which will ensure that their work will be respected as well.

Table of Contents

• Resnik, D.B. What Is Ethics in Research & Why Is It Important? U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. 23 December, 2020. https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/resources/bioethics/whatis/index.cfm .
• Purdue University. Common Pitfalls of Primary Research. Purdue Writing Lab. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/conducting_research/conducting_primary_research

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How to Define a Research Problem?

Research Process Steps: What Are They and How to Follow Them?

The Clinical Trials Team - Roles & Responsibilities

In a research study, a clinical trial tests a new medical treatment or a new way of using an existing treatment to see whether it will be a better way to avoid and screen for diagnosing or treating a disease. Purpose of clinical trial:

A research study that is performed on individuals for evaluation of a medical, surgical, or behavioral intervention.

Clinical Research Careers

Clinical Research Associate (CRA)

Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC)

Drug Safety Monitor (PV)

Clinical Trial Assistant (CTA)

Clinical Research Nurse (CRN)

Medical Monitor (MM)

Principal Investigator (PI)

All Research Professionals (ICH GCP)

Types of clinical trials:

Prevention trials

Screening trials

Case control studies

Cohort studies

Cross sectional studies

Figure no. 1: clinical trial team flowchart

Clinical research trial team:

The success of a quality clinical research program is essential for developing and maintaining an impeccable clinical research trial team. It is the main component of a research program because total time and effort for conducting a clinical trial; nurses and data managers each contribute more than 30%. On the other hand, physician’s contribution to clinical research is only 9%.

Roles and Responsibilities of clinical trial personnel

Clinical research team:

Participants are provided with information about the clinical trial.

The content of the informed consent is explained.

Reporting of adverse events or drug reactions.

report suspected misconduct.

Protect the integrity and confidentiality of records and data during the clinical study

Responsibilities:

Appropriate training

Following of GCP standard

Following required protocols

Investigator: 

• Following ethical principles.

• Provide education programs.

• Design and conduct clinical trials for policies and procedures.

• Refer to GCP course for training.

• Determines the scientific, technical, and administrative aspects of the research project.

Responsibilities: 

• Conduction of trial, statement, protocol, and applicable regulations.

• Protection of rights and welfare of participants.

• Obtaining informed consent.

• Maintenance of proper records.

• Management of all safety reports and financial disclosure reports.

Figure no. 2: Roles of clinical research controller.

Figure no. 3: Responsibilities of clinical research controller.

Figure no. 6: Responsibilities of data manager.

Sponsor: 

Selection of qualified investigators.

Ensures proper monitoring of the clinical trial.

References: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3092661/ - The Clinical Research Team https://clinicaltrialpodcast.com/clinical-research/ - 15 Clinical Research Job Roles & Responsibilities (2021) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3051859/ - Clinical Investigator Responsibilities https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6042393/ - How to engage stakeholders in research: design principles to support improvement

Efficacy Insight: Revealing its Meaning in Clinical Research

Good documentation in clinical trials.

Project team roles and responsibilities (with examples)

21 Mar 2023 By Jo Johansson

In this article 📖

Your project outcome is only going to be as good as the team behind it. There are no two ways about it—your project’s success depends on the skills, expertise, and experience of the project team you assemble.

That starts with an understanding of project team roles and responsibilities. 

And that’s exactly what we’re here to do today.

What is a project team?

A project team is a group of individuals brought together to work on a specific project or initiative. The team will include roles needed for project planning, development, and implementation.

The team members collaborate to achieve a set of predetermined goals as stated in the project scope . This could be the launch of a product or service, or delivering a new design or feature for a client. 

Each member of the team has a unique set of skills and responsibilities that contribute to the success of the project —ultimately, completing the project on schedule and on budget.  

Establishing a project team helps you ensure important projects have a dedicated group made up of various skills and experiences so the work can be completed as efficiently as possible. 

Team roles can be assigned to full-time or part-time employees, contractors, subject matter experts, or other external stakeholders.

Roles and responsibilities definition 

Roles and responsibilities are related concepts. This article will cover the roles of a project team (what specific positions and functions make up a project team), as well as the responsibilities (the duties and tasks tied to each specific role).

5 key project team roles and responsibilities

Every project has different requirements, so team structure can vary. But the five major roles in a project team are project sponsor, project manager, business analyst, resource manager, and project team member.  

Let’s dive into the roles and responsibilities of each, and how they work together.

1. Project sponsor: The person driving the vision

The sponsor is the in-house champion of a project, overseeing operations from a high level. This person works directly with the project manager, clearing any obstacles that threaten to stall the project and signing off on all major components. 

A member of senior management typically fills this role. A project sponsor’s responsibilities include the following: 

• Creating the project vision
• Earning buy-in from executive leadership
• Making critical decisions
• Approving the project budget 

2. Project manager (or leader): The person managing day-to-day operations

Project managers or leaders are responsible for day-to-day operations and ensuring the project is completed on time, on budget, and achieves its objectives. 

On a small project, the manager might oversee each team member. On a larger-scale project, they are more likely to oversee team leaders, who each manage their own group. 

The project manager is responsible for the following:

• Creating the project plan and schedule
• Recruiting project staff
• Managing the budget
• Managing the project schedule
• Delegating project tasks to team members
• Managing all project deliverables
• Communicating with upper management and other stakeholders

3. Resource manager: In charge of resource allocation and utilization

The resource manager is critical when putting together your project team. Now, if your project isn’t big enough to require a resource manager, you’ll simply have to act as one. So what does that mean exactly?

• Identify the right people for a project
• Match project team roles and skills with project needs
• Allocate and schedule the right resource within the project timeline and budget
• Stay on top of resource availability and utilization
• Monitor and optimize the use of resources throughout the course of the project to make sure it can be completed successfully

4. Business analyst: Makes sure you have the data you need

The business analyst is responsible for gathering and analyzing data related to the project. They help identify the project’s requirements and determine the best approach to achieve the project’s objectives. They work with stakeholders to ensure that the project’s deliverables meet the organization’s needs.

The business analyst ensures the project team has the technology and tools to do their jobs effectively. They might also recommend new tools for streamlining workflows and improving quality, such as resource scheduling software . 

A business analyst:

• Helps define the project and its goals
• Gathers technical requirements from team members
• Documents and analyzes project requirements
• Helps project team solve equipment management problems
• Tests solutions to ensure their effectiveness

5. Project team member (or project delivery team): Individual contributors assigned to different project tasks

Project delivery team responsibilities vary between projects and roles (which may include anything from developers and engineers, to designers and copywriters). 

At a high level, all project team members are assigned the tasks required to complete the project, and are responsible for: 

• Contributing to the project goals and objectives
• Completing individual tasks within the expected time frame
• Collaborating with other team members 
• Communicating with the project manager about roadblocks

Other roles in a project team

Some larger projects require additional project management roles and responsibilities to support the core project team. These may include: 

• An executive sponsor is a senior owner of the project (with more authority than the project sponsor) and the ultimate decision-maker
• A project owner is usually the person who proposed the project. They assist the project manager in ensuring successful implementation
• A project lead is someone who carries out a lot of the tasks of the project manager but doesn’t have as much experience or official qualifications
• A team leader is responsible for training team members and monitoring progress toward project objectives
• A functional manager’s responsibility can vary, but the primary function is to ensure the project team has the resources it needs, and address problems that slow down the project
• A program manager coordinates all projects related to a specific program and provides guidance to the project manager
• A subject matter expert (SME) has advanced knowledge of a specific area, practice, or process. They provide guidance and strategy to the project team
• A project coordinator or project management office (PMO) offers administrative support to the project team and establishes standards to ensure the team’s processes align with broader organizational goals
• Project stakeholders are people (internal or external to the project) who have an interest in and influence over the project. Their responsibilities and interests vary between (and even within) projects
• A steering committee includes senior-level stakeholders (such as the project sponsor) and company managers, and provides strategic support to help define business needs and achieve project outcomes

Project team roles and responsibilities example

Roles in a team project can get confusing (fast). So to demonstrate how project team roles work together, let’s use the example of an in-house marketing team undertaking a website redesign. 

Project sponsor: This is the person who “owns” the project. In this case, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) might decide the website needed an overhaul as part of a big rebranding initiative. For this project, the responsibilities of the project sponsor could look something like the following:

• Ensures the redesign aligns with strategic business goals 
• Assigns with the project manager
• Provides resources and support for the redesign
• Serves as an escalation point when problems arise

Project manager: This person oversees the execution of the project and manages the team. In this case, let’s say it’s the creative director. The project manager:

• Communicates with the sponsor and project team
• Sets milestones and deadlines
• Ensures the redesign stays on schedule and on budget
• Monitors the progress of the project

Resource manager: As the name implies, this person ensures the team has everything it needs to complete the redesign. In this case, let’s say it’s the chief information officer. 

• Identifies the best project team roles based on the project scope
• Plans and allocates people and resources ( meeting rooms , equipment , etc.)
• Monitors utilization throughout the project and tracks billable hours

Project team members: These are the folks responsible for executing the redesign. They report to the project manager. The following roles need to be assigned:

• Front-end and back-end engineers
• QA engineer
• UX/UI designer
• Visual designer

Project team role and responsibilities matrix

Because roles and responsibilities can vary between projects, it can be helpful to create a RACI project team matrix at the very beginning of the project to clarify the expectations of each position.

RACI stands for responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed. It helps define the roles within a project management team and then identifies who needs to be looped in or assigned to each task.

It’s simple really, if everyone knows their roles within a project team , your project is much more likely to run smoothly.

The project team roles and responsibilities table below shows an example RACI matrix for project sponsors, project managers, resource managers, and project team members, but can be expanded to include more roles and tasks.

Now that we know more about what project team roles to include in a project along with their different responsibilities, find out how you actually go about building your project team here.

Project team roles FAQs

How do you decide what roles are needed on a project team.

To define the team roles needed for your project, outline the goals and key deliverables of the project. Think about the skills you need to ensure those deliverables are high quality, and then match and assign team members accordingly.

What are the benefits of defining project team roles?

The benefits of clearly defined roles include: 

• Increase individual accountability 
• Reduce confusion and overlap
• Give team members a feeling of ownership and clarity around expectations
• Enable project managers to delegate tasks and assess team members’ performance
• Establish a structure for effective problem-solving and collaboration

Can required project roles vary from project to project?

They absolutely can, depending on the nature of the project, the team structure, and the availability of specific skills and expertise. What matters is that the responsibilities for each role are clearly defined before work begins on the project. 

What are the best practices when putting together a project team?

You’ll want to:

• Create a project scope
• Develop and follow a clear project plan 
• Identify the project team roles needed for your project, and schedule your resources
• Establish some core project team values 
• Encourage a collaborative project team culture 

What are the roles in a project team?

To summarize, the roles on a project team can include:

• Project sponsor 
• Executive sponsor 
• Project owner
• Project manager
• Project lead
• Team leader
• Project team member or project delivery team 
• Resource manager 
• Business analyst 
• Functional manager
• Program manager 
• Subject matter expert (SME) 
• Project coordinator or project management office (PMO)

Clearly defined project team roles mean a greater chance of project success

With the right project team, you’ve instantly increased the chances of project success (because let’s not forget— 70% of projects fail ). So you’ll want to invest in getting the right people on board from the get-go.

While it’s tempting to grab whoever’s available to get started faster and track against timelines, the wiser thing to do is to wait, assess, and carefully put together your team. As we said earlier—your project will be better for it.

Find the right people—faster—with Resource Guru

Whether you’re working with a big or small project team, resource management software can help find and allocate the right resources, monitor utilization, and create more accurate resource forecasting .

Try Resource Guru for free for 30 days . (No credit card required. No strings attached.)

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Jo Johansson

👋 I'm Jo, Senior Content Marketing Manager at Resource Guru. I spend my days creating educational content that helps people be more productive at work, so they can enjoy their time off work. Got any ideas or requests? Drop me a line at [email protected].

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15 Key Project Roles & Their Responsibilities

Managing a project is a team effort that involves several key project roles and each has its own responsibilities so everything can progress as smoothly as possible. Before you begin that project, take a moment to understand the project management roles and their responsibilities so you can assemble an effective project team.

Now let’s review 15 critical project roles and their responsibilities in the project life cycle. Some of these project management roles are individual roles and others involve multiple participants.

1. Project Sponsor

While there might be a superior position, like executive sponsor, for most projects there’s a project sponsor sitting on top of the project roles pyramid. This is the person who’s deeply invested in the project and its success.

The project sponsor is in direct communication with the stakeholders which is the reason the project has been initiated. They tend to monitor the budget and hold the purse strings of the project. They also have the final say in making any project decisions, which include resources.

The project manager reports to the project sponsor and helps with the project charter , which is a statement of scope, objectives and people involved in the project.

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Project Charter Template

Use this free Project Charter Template for Word to manage your projects better.

2. Project Manager

The project manager is the one who’s responsible for the project. They plan it, develop a schedule, assemble a project team and manage their workload throughout the project’s life cycle. Project managers are also responsible for managing risk and the budget.

The project manager is the one who drives the project forward, but they’re not working independently. They collaborate with multiple project roles and are also responsible for reporting on progress to the project sponsor and any stakeholders who also have a vested interest in the project.

The project manager is the point person for vendors and independent contractors, creating contracts and managing their services. You can think of the project manager as a bridge that connects the executives or clients to the project team working on the project deliverables.

3. Senior Project Manager

A senior project manager is an experienced professional in the project management field. Senior project managers are usually employed by large organizations that have an extense project portfolio. Senior project managers oversee the planning and execution of programs and large-scale initiatives that require the cross-functional collaboration of several departments of an organization.

Senior project managers may work in many different industries such as construction, manufacturing, retail or technology-related fields. It’s important that they demonstrate specific knowledge of their industry and years of experience proving their capability to deliver successful projects of that kind.

4. Project Coordinator

Often there’s a go-between that helps facilitate the project manager’s job in terms of project operations. They’ll work with the project team and are especially helpful when there are remote teams working in different time zones on the same project. The project coordinator helps to keep the operations running smoothly for the project manager and the project team.

5. Project Administrator

Project administrators support project managers, project coordinators and project analysts, so they’re usually employed by large organizations that have multiple project roles and a large project portfolio. Project administrators, as their name implies, are in charge of administrative tasks such as making reports, planning meetings and facilitating team collaboration activities.

6. Project Analyst

Project analysts act as support to project managers, program managers and PMOs. They’re responsible for gathering and analyzing data for project management decision-making. Project analysts facilitate the work of other project management roles by creating reports and project documentation, analyzing databases, doing quantitative and qualitative research, among other similar activities.

7. Project Director

Project directors lead project management teams and external parties such as contractors, sub-contractors and other individuals who participate in the execution of a project. In addition to this, they are the liaison between projects and key stakeholders in companies. Their scope is wider than project managers, as they can oversee multiple projects and are in charge of resource management decision-making. Project directors also oversee project managers and other project roles when it comes to areas such as quality management, performance reporting and budgeting.

8. Project Management Consultant

A project management consultant is a project management professional that offers services to external organizations and works for finite time periods that are defined by a contractual agreement. Project management consultants might be part of project management consulting firms or might work as a freelancer.

If you need to hire a project management consultant to manage a project or establish project management best practices in your organization, gather as many consulting proposals as possible so you can compare their approaches and determine who’s the best fit for your team.

9. Project Officer

This project management role is similar to that of a project coordinator, project administrator or project assistant. Project officers are in charge of administrative tasks and organizational aspects of running a project, such as creating and managing project documentation, scheduling project meetings, managing relationships with vendors and contractors, supporting project team members, among other duties.

10. Project Executive

Similar to a senior project manager, a project executive is an experienced project management professional who leads the project management efforts of an organization. They usually work for project-based organizations that have a project management office (PMO). They make high-level decisions related to staffing, purchasing and strategic planning and are responsible for the success of projects, programs and other large-scale initiatives.

11. Creative Project Manager

A creative project manager is a project manager who’s in charge of the planning, scheduling and tracking or creative projects in marketing and advertising. A creative project manager might be employed as an in-house project management expert to lead creative projects or can be part of a creative agency. Besides the traditional functions of a project manager, a creative project manager acts as the liaison between the creative team and the project stakeholders to deliver successful projects.

12. Change Control Board

A c hange control board or change review board is a group of project management team members who are in charge of approving changes to the project plan. This board is critical for filtering change requests because otherwise team members or stakeholders could make changes to the project plan, which if left unnoticed, could greatly affect the project schedule or budget. The project roles that can be part of this change control board can vary from one project to another, depending on the size of the organization.

13. Steering Committee

A steering committee is an advisory board that has governance over an organization or project. Steering committees are formed by a cross-functional team of executives. Steering committees oversee project management teams and ensure projects are aligned with their organization’s strategic goals and business objectives.

14. Project Management Office (PMO)

Sometimes an organization will have a segment devoted to developing a set of standards and policies to govern their project management and to make sure those standards and policies are being followed. This tends to occur only in larger organizations, which might not always apply.

However, if it does exist the project management office will decide on the processes used in a project and how to follow them. The PMO will also archive the project for historical data, collecting and analyzing its results. Project managers are supported by the PMO.

15. Project Owner

A project owner is a person within an organization who advocates for the initiation of a project and is held responsible for its success or failure. Project owners typically come up with the project vision, business case and help secure funding for the project from sponsors. Then, once the project gets approved, they work with project managers to make sure their vision guides the project planning and execution phases.

16. Project Leader

A project leader is a project management professional who excels at managing teams. The main responsibility of a project leader is to guide and support project team members to make sure they’re all working towards the same goal as they execute their tasks and produce deliverables.

This role is especially important in larger organizations where there are many employees from different departments working on projects and programs. While most of those employees have expertise in their respective fields, they’re typically not so well-versed in project management, which is where project leaders come into play.

17. PMO Director

A PMO director is an experienced project management professional who leads the efforts of a PMO office. The responsibilities of a PMO director include defining the project management best practices that will be followed by an organization, choosing project management methodologies and deciding how resources will be allocated across projects and programs.

18. Project Team Members

These are the people who execute the tasks assigned to them by the project manager. There can be a team lead, who manages the team, who the team reports to and who in turn reports their progress to the project manager. In general, all team members are on equal footing.

The project team members have skills relevant to the project and can work with varying degrees of autonomy depending on the project management methodology that’s used in the project. They’re responsible for executing their tasks and updating their statuses to the project manager to track the overall project progress.

More Project Management Templates

ProjectManager isn’t only one of the best project management software in the market, it’s a hub of project management templates , blogs, videos and guides. Here are a few free templates for anyone on the project management team.

Project Plan Template

While some members of the project management team are not involved in the process of creating a project plan, they’re all informed about it to some degree. This free project plan template is a great place to start creating a simple project plan anyone can understand.

Project Budget

The project budget is a key project management document that sets the limits for spending on a project. This free project budget template helps project managers create a project budget that can easily be shared with stakeholders and other project management roles.

Gantt Chart Template

Gantt chart templates are versatile tools that can be used by project managers, program managers, PMOs and team members. This free Gantt chart template for Excel is ideal for any of these project roles.

How ProjectManager Helps Everyone on Your Project Team

The project team needs project tools to help them work more effectively and track progress. ProjectManager is award-winning project management software that’s packed with features that help everyone working on the project.

Live Project Tracking Updates

Let’s start with the project sponsor. They’re interested in how the project is progressing against where it should be in the project plan. When team members update their statuses on ProjectManager, that data instantly reflects throughout the software. Project sponsors aren’t interested in the nitty-gritty, so a real-time dashboard gives them a bird’s-eye view of the project’s progress as it’s happening.

Gantt Charts for Project Planning & Scheduling

When it comes to planning and scheduling the project, project managers will find the online Gantt chart tool especially helpful. Task lists on spreadsheets are easy to upload and can open up in ProjectManager as a new project. Then just add the task duration and it populates a timeline. From here, the project manager can make milestones, assign team members tasks and even attach relevant documents and images for direction.

Resource Management Calendars

Of course, project managers need more than just tools to monitor the project. They need to reallocate resources to keep things moving smoothly. ProjectManager has tools to manage tasks and resources to see if team members have enough work. Reallocate their workload from the workload page.

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ProjectManager offers a wealth of resources for all roles in project management. We have hundreds of tutorial videos and blog posts that cover all aspects of project management.

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ProjectManager has tools for every project role. Online software means ProjectManager is reflecting the actual project as it’s happening, so better decisions can be made. No matter what your project role is, there are features that can help you do your job better. See for yourself by taking this free 30-day trial today.

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Professor Emeritus David Lanning, nuclear engineer and key contributor to the MIT Reactor, dies at 96

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David Lanning, MIT professor emeritus of nuclear science and engineering and a key contributor to the MIT Reactor project, passed away on April 26 at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Massachusetts, at the age of 96.

Born in Baker, Oregon, on March 30, 1928, Lanning graduated in 1951 from the University of Oregon with a BS in physics. While taking night classes in nuclear engineering, in lieu of an available degree program at the time, he started his career path working for General Electric in Richland, Washington. There he conducted critical-mass studies for handling and designing safe plutonium-bearing systems in separation plants at the Hanford Atomic Products Operation, making him a pioneer in nuclear fuel cycle management.

Lanning was then involved in the design, construction, and startup of the Physical Constants Testing Reactor (PCTR). As one of the few people qualified to operate the experimental reactor, he trained others to safely assess and handle its highly radioactive components.

Lanning supervised experiments at the PCTR to find the critical conditions of various lattices in a safe manner and conduct reactivity measurements to determine relative flux distributions. This primed him to be an indispensable asset to the MIT Reactor (MITR), which was being constructed on the opposite side of the country.

An early authority in nuclear engineering comes to MIT

Lanning came to MIT in 1957 to join what was being called the “MIT Reactor Project” after being recruited by the MITR’s designer and first director, Theos “Tommy” J. Thompson, to serve as one of the MITR’s first operating supervisors. With only a handful of people on the operations team at the time, Lanning also completed the emergency plan and startup procedures for the MITR, which achieved criticality on July 21, 1958.

In addition to becoming a faculty member in the Department of Nuclear Engineering in 1962, Lanning’s roles at the MITR went from reactor operations superintendent in the 1950s and early 1960s, to assistant director in 1962, and then acting director in 1963, when Thompson went on sabbatical.

In his faculty position, Lanning took responsibility for supervising lab subjects and research projects at the MITR, including the Heavy Water Lattice Project. This project supported the thesis work of more than 30 students doing experimental studies of sub-critical uranium fuel rods — including Lanning’s own thesis. He received his PhD in nuclear engineering from MIT in fall 1963.

Lanning decided to leave MIT in July 1965 and return to Hanford as the manager of their Reactor Neutronics Section. Despite not having plans to return to work for MIT, Lanning agreed when Thompson requested that he renew his MITR operator’s license shortly after leaving.

“Because of his thorough familiarity with our facility, it is anticipated that Dr. Lanning may be asked to return to MIT for temporary tours of duty at our reactor. It is always possible that there may be changes in the key personnel presently operating the MIT Reactor and the possible availability of Dr. Lanning to fill in, even temporarily, could be a very important factor in maintaining a high level of competence at the reactor during its continued operation,” Theos J. Thompson wrote in a letter to the Atomic Energy Commission on Sept. 21, 1965

One modification, many changes

This was an invaluable decision to continue the MITR’s success as a nuclear research facility. In 1969 Thompson accepted a two-year term appointment as a U.S. atomic energy commissioner and requested Lanning to return to MIT to take his place during his temporary absence. Thompson initiated feasibility studies for a new MITR core design and believed Lanning was the most capable person to continue the task of seeing the MITR redesign to fruition.

Lanning returned to MIT in July 1969 with a faculty appointment to take over the subjects Thompson was teaching, in addition to being co-director of the MITR with Lincoln Clark Jr. during the redesign. Tragically, Thompson was killed in a plane accident in November 1970, just one week after Lanning and his team submitted the application for the redesign’s construction permit.

Thompson’s death meant his responsibilities were now Lanning’s on a permanent basis. Lanning continued to completion the redesign of the MITR, known today as the MITR-II. The redesign increased the neutron flux level by a factor of three without changing its operating power — expanding the reactor’s research capabilities and refreshing its status as a premier research facility.

Construction and startup tests for the MITR-II were completed in 1975 and the MITR-II went critical on Aug. 14, 1975. Management of the MITR-II was transferred the following year from the Nuclear Engineering Department to its own interdepartmental research center, the Nuclear Reactor Laboratory , where Lanning continued to use the MITR-II for research.

Beyond the redesign

In 1970, Lanning combined two reactor design courses he inherited and introduced a new course in which he had students apply their knowledge and critique the design and economic considerations of a reactor presented by a student in a prior term. He taught these courses through the late 1990s, in addition to leading new courses with other faculty for industry professionals on reactor safety.

Co-author of over 70 papers , many on the forefront of nuclear engineering, Lanning’s research included studies to improve the efficiency, cycle management, and design of nuclear fuel, as well as making reactors safer and more economical to operate.

Lanning was part of an ongoing research project team that introduced and demonstrated digital control and automation in nuclear reactor control mechanisms before any of the sort were found in reactors in the United States. Their research improved the regulatory barriers preventing commercial plants from replacing aging analog reactor control components with digital ones. The project also demonstrated that reactor operations would be more reliable, safe, and economical by introducing automation in certain reactor control systems. This led to the MITR being one of the first reactors in the United States licensed to operate using digital technology to control reactor power.

Lanning became professor emeritus in May 1989 and retired in 1994, but continued his passion for teaching through the late 1990s as a thesis advisor and reader. His legacy lives on in the still-operational MITR-II, with his former students following in his footsteps by working on fuel studies for the next version of the MITR core. 

Lanning is predeceased by his wife of 60 years, Gloria Lanning, and is survived by his two children, a brother, and his many grandchildren .

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May 7, 2024

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Who rules the roost? Research reveals tots play key role in shaping the home environment

by University of York

In a study carried out by experts in child development at the University of York, researchers have found that pre-school children actively select, shape and create their own experiences to match their genetic tendencies.

The researchers looked at how genes and the environment work together to shape the brain development of children between the ages of two and four.

They found that rather than being passive recipients of the environment around them—such as the behavior and likes and dislikes of their parents—they also had a strong say in creating their own experiences based on their inherited preferences and character traits.

The researchers looked at early cognitive stimulation at home including talking, singing, nursery rhymes, books and engaging with toys and puzzles. They found that children drove decisions on which activities to focus on and how often to do them at least as much as their caregivers.

Professor Sophie von Stumm from the Department of Education at the University of York, said, "As many parents will know, small children are already very clear about what they do and don't like and this study cements the theory that, even at a young age, children are actively shaping their experiences at home.

"A child's preferences and differences in character will evoke distinct reactions from their caregivers. For example, if a child enjoys reading they will sit and focus on a book, which is likely to motivate caregivers to read with them more and provide more books.

"The debate over whether a child's character and abilities are down to nature or nurture is long-running, but our findings show how genes and the environment act as a combined force. Our study can also explain why even siblings growing up in the same house can differ so widely in their behavioral tendencies, emotional development , and learning abilities."

The research is the first systematic study of genetics and the environment and how they interplay in very young children. The report is titled "Gene-environment interplay in early life cognitive development."

The study used data from the Twins Early Development Study, which followed over 15,000 families with twins born between 1994 and 1996 in England and Wales. Over the course of this longitudinal study, twins' verbal and nonverbal cognitive development was assessed at different ages, including at two, three and four, via standardized testing and extensive parent and self-reports.

Lead author of the report, Dr. Alexandra Starr, a researcher in the Department of Education at the University of York, said, "We wanted to look at the early years because we know that children are already very different before they start school, and these differences in cognitive and socio-emotional development have important long-term consequences. Early differences grow and become greater as children get older, leading to a 'snowball effect."

"The early home environment is particularly important to brain development, we know so many outcomes in later life are related to this—from educational achievement, career success and income level to well-being and the ability to have stable relationships with others."

To tease apart the factors that aid children's development, the researchers used a powerful method called polygenic scores . Polygenic scores capture DNA variants that are passed on from parents to children and that can indicate how likely a person is to, for example, do well at school. The researchers tested interactions between polygenic scores for cognitive development and environmental factors.

"If we understand how children's differences come about in early life it could help to identify children in need of intervention as soon as possible," added Dr. Starr.

"For example, we could use DNA to identify children at genetic risk of developing reading problems, and offer them early intervention before maladaptive behaviors, like avoiding books, manifest. Preventive measures have a greater chance of being successful when implemented early in life.

"Polygenic scores are so powerful because they can predict traits at birth just as well as later in life, acting as an early warning system which could be of particular help for those children who are likely to struggle the most."

The study found that the early home environment contributes more to differences in children than genetic effects, but the researchers believe that in future even better genetic methods will be available. These will show that genetics and the environment contribute equally to the differences between children.

"People tend to be mistrustful of genetic testing because they fear it will result in discrimination," added Professor von Stumm. "Our study makes the case for more research on genetics, so that we can maximize the potential benefits of genetics and minimize their risks in the future, especially in the context of child development .

"Currently we tend to diagnose conditions like dyslexia and reading disorders when children are already struggling and have fallen behind. The latest advancements in genetic testing could mean we may one day be able to help children avoid reading difficulties altogether because we can support them effectively before they experience any of the struggles that are currently associated with dyslexia."

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Centre for Access to Justice

• Get Involved
• Current Pro Bono Opportunities
• CAJ Student Pro Bono Committee

Lawyers without Borders Student Division at UCL

Applications for Committee positions are now closed.

30 September 2023

About the project

Lawyers without Borders (LWOB) is an organisation that manages volunteering lawyers from around the world who offer pro bono services to international rule of law and human rights projects, capacity building and access to justice initiatives.

Their work helps to ensure just outcomes in controversial cases, provides much needed legal research and training in developing countries, and assists in holding governments and legal systems to account. Much of their work goes unpublicised due to its sensitive political nature in the countries in which they work. They have a network of Student Divisions all around the UK who help support their work through fundraising, research, and volunteering.

The Student Division at UCL is part of an established international network of volunteer lawyers and law students from all over the world who work on human rights and rule of law projects and access to justice initiatives as well as carrying out research and fundraising to support LWOB.

More information about Lawyers Without Borders as an organisation can be found on their  website , and on their blog which students are encouraged to sign up and write for: Lawyers Without Borders Blog .

LWOB Student Division at UCL Structure and Roles: 

The LWOB Student Division at UCL works on a wide range of Human Rights-related projects, including fundraising, organising debates and other events, running a mooting competition and carrying out research in order to support LWOB. In addition, the Division aims to raise awareness of poorly understood justice mechanisms by organising workshops, lectures and seminars on the rule of law.

The Division’s Structure

The LWOB Core Division consists of the LWOB Committee and members of the LWOB Subcommittees. There are 5 subgroups, each with its own remit, with the Committee providing overall oversight. The groups will of course interact and consult with each other, but have a large degree of independence to decide their own direction of travel.

LWOB Committee 

The President is responsible for overseeing the five different subcommittees at UCL LWOB. This involves coordinating and setting timelines for each team, liaising with the CAJ on events and fundraisers, and providing overall support to each of the teams.

The Publications team produces two main publications: a weekly blog, and a termly journal. By overseeing this team, you will be responsible for helping write, edit, and publish articles to raise awareness of key human rights issues.

The Head of Fundraising will assist the fundraising subcommittee organize events and produce creative methods to raise money for the division.

The Head of Social Media is responsible for managing UCL LWOB’s social media presence and delegating work to the subcommittee in ensuring timely updates for the division’s activities. This includes promoting our events and publications as well as communicating with external partners on our social media channels.

The Head of Events will oversee the organising of events to promote awareness of the division and engage students with topical human rights discussions. Events include panel talks, debates, and moots. 

The Head of Research will oversee the team conducting research into human rights and the rule of law, organise the UCL entry for the Rule of Law Innovation Challenge (ROLIC), and assist the committee with other research tasks.

Subcommittees

As a member of the Publications Subcommittee, you will take on a dual role in writing write to raise awareness about key human rights issues and conduct interviews with fellow students regarding LWOB events, while also contributing to shaping UCL LWOB’s print materials. In this dynamic position, you'll play a pivotal role in crafting engaging and informative publications on international rule of law and human rights in the form of articles and journal-style content. Collaboration with a diverse team and other societies is a key aspect of this role, and you'll be working on long-form articles during the term, typically with deadlines around reading weeks and before/after holidays.

As a member of the Fundraising Subcommittee, you will help organise events (previous events: bake sales, fun runs, reality shows) while considering the division of funds. You will help brainstorm creative ways to raise funds for LWOB and work alongside your peers in collaboration with other pro-bono groups, within and outside of UCL.

As a member of the Events Subcommittee, you will get hands-on experience in organising UCL LWOB’s wide range of activities. Previous events we have organised include human rights sharing panels with other student pro bono groups, mooting and debating competitions, and volunteering opportunities in collaboration with other LWOB student divisions.

As a member of the Social Media Subcommittee, you will help manage our posting schedule, design publicity materials and eye-catching graphics for our events and outreach activities and curate short-form content for our social media channels. You will also design publication posts for the articles posted by our Publications Subcommittee to engage readers and promote our UCL LWOB blog.

As a member of the Research Subcommittee, you will be part of the UCL team representing our student division in the annual LWOB Rule of Law Innovation Challenge (ROLIC). Together with your team, you will create a project to engage with one of the topics inspired by real-life work conducted by LWOB. Join us in this valuable opportunity to contribute and aid the development of innovative educational mechanisms to support the rule of law!

Membership of the division entails a high degree of responsibility. You will be expected to meet frequently, discuss ideas, and actively pursue targets, which will be overseen by the committee. You must also sign a Volunteer Agreement with the CAJ, which outlines your commitments and what is expected of you when taking part in this pro bono project.

How to apply

Key information

Deadline: CLOSED. Eligibility: All LLB and LLM students

Check out our Social Media and Publications

LWOB UCL Blog

LWOB UCL Online Journal

2024/25 Committee  

Contact the Committee at [email protected]  

President - Khushi Suri

Head of Social Media - Tassneem Mahdi 

Head of Digital Publications - Christopher Lim

Head of Fundraising - Tapiwa Juru

Head of Events - Geneva Chan

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University of York agrees partnership with U.S company to “revolutionise” MRI technology

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• Press Office contacts

Posted on 8 May 2024

The University of York is set to transform the landscape of MRI scans through a groundbreaking partnership with the innovative U.S-based tech company, Vizma.AI

Affordability

One of the key hurdles in commercialising hyperpolarised MRI has been the scalability and affordability of preparing these injectable contrast agents.

However, with this collaboration, there's a promise of overcoming these challenges, potentially driving down the costs associated and making them more accessible to a broader population.

Vizma.AI, a trailblazing technology company headquartered in North Carolina, is committed to integrating quantum-enhanced MRI hardware and software into clinical workflows.

Global scale

Dr Carlos Dedesma, CEO of Vizma.AI, welcomed the partnership. He said: "Our vision is to empower MRI facilities worldwide with cutting-edge technology that puts enhanced diagnostic capabilities at the forefront of patient care."

“Through this strategic partnership between the University of York and Vizma.AI, the future of MRI technology is poised for a paradigm shift, promising unparalleled advancements in medical imaging and diagnosis on a global scale.”

Further information:

The Centre for Hyperpolarisation in Magnetic Resonance (CHyM) is a joint research centre created by the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Psychology at the University of York. CHyM is associated with the Hull York Medical School , the York Neuroimaging Centre and the Department of Biology .

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