Chapter 1 – General Administration

14020.8 Preparation of Proposals

• All research proposals submitted for departmental approval shall contain:

  • Introduction

    • Brief statement of the objectives of the proposed study; what questions are being asked or what hypotheses tested.

    • Specific values of the project with particular focus on administrative decisions to which the findings might be pertinent.

  • Methodology

    • A description of the research methods to be used (e.g., experimental-control group, matched comparisons, exploratory interviews) and the approach to be taken (e.g., descriptive, experimental hypotheses testing, or participant observation).

    • A description of the measuring devices to be used, (e.g., scales, tests, questionnaires). If measuring instruments are other than those routinely administered in the Department, a copy of the instruments shall be forwarded with the proposal. If they are to be developed as part of the project, a statement of their intended character and rationale shall be included.

    • The institution where the proponents intend to collect data.

  • Resources Required

    • Names and working titles of personnel involved (both employees of the Department and of other agencies), and their responsibilities in the project.

    • An estimate of departmental staff time to be devoted to the project.

    • Beginning and ending dates of the study.

    • Additional operating or equipment costs to the State, including alterations to or additions of space.

    • Demands on the time of inmate subjects and a plan for the compensation of the inmates.

    • Source of funding.

  • Other Required Documents

    • A copy of the informed consent form that shall be used in the project which shall include as a minimum those items listed in DOMDepartment Operations Manual 14020.6.

    • An up-to-date curriculum vitae (resume) for each professional staff member of the proposed project.

    • For student research projects, a letter from the student’s faculty advisor stating that the student will be working on the project under his/her supervision and that the project has the approval of the student’s college or university.

    • A privacy certification signed by the principal investigator of the project outlining procedures for protecting exempt personal information and certifying that these procedures shall be carried out.

    • For any proposal previously reviewed by a human subjects committee in a university or outside research organization, a copy of the record of the committee’s approval.