IGL Research, Project and/or Experiential Education Process

IGL Research, Project and/or Experiential Education Process

2019-2020

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Please note: The university is introducing a new travel system, which will streamline the application and forms process. It may be ready for spring applications. We will update this process if it is.

The following process is required of all students who plan to participate in an IGL-sponsored or funded research project or other project. Please read through the entire process.

Requirements for those conducting research:

  • All students planning to conduct research must complete and turn in a 10 page literature review two weeks before they leave.
  • All students planning to conduct research must have a faculty adviser who has completed his/her CITI training for the IRB.
  • All students planning to conduct research must have taken a research methodology course or have demonstrated experience conducting research with human subjects.

Step 1: Identify Topic and Location

Step 2: Research Proposal

  • Submit a 2-3 page write-up of what you want to research and the types of people you want to interview, along with dates for the trip.
  • Include an annotated bibliography of at least 10 sources.
  • Include an initial budget.
  • Submit to Associate Director (heather.barry@tufts.edu).

DUE DATE: FOR FALL: OCTOBER 11, 2019 / SPRING BREAK: DECEMBER 19, 2019 / SUMMER: FEBRUARY 28, 2020

STOP: Obtain approval from IGL before moving forward.

Step 3: IRB Form (for those conducting research only, not for projects)

  • Complete the IRB forms and send a draft to the Associate Director - all forms can be found here.

DUE DATE: FOR FALL: OCTOBER 18, 2019 / SPRING BREAK: JANUARY 18, 2020 / SUMMER: MARCH 6, 2020

Step 4: IRB (for those conducting research only, not for projects)

  • Once your IRB form is reviewed by the associate director, it must be reviewed and signed by your adviser and submitted to the IRB office (can be done online).
  • The IRB (Institutional Review Board) is a panel of Tufts’ faculty and staff that reviews all human subject research proposals to determine if they are assuring adequate protection of human participants. The composition and authority of this committee is established by the Code of Federal Regulations. Failure to obtain IRB approval or an exclusion prior to beginning human subject research is considered noncompliance and can put university federal funding in jeopardy.
  • You must respond as quickly as possible to the requests for edits/additional information from the IRB office.

Step 5: Country Travel Warning

  • Check the State Department web site to determine if there is a travel warning for the country you intend to go to.
  • If there is not, go to STEP 6.
  • If there is a travel warning, you need to have the trip reviewed by the university’s Review Committee for Inter national Travel Safety. The information you need to submit can be found at the Tufts Travel Portal and it should be submitted as soon as possible since the committee meets monthly.

STOP: Before you submit to the Travel Review Committee, review your materials with the IGL Associate Director

DUE DATE: FOR FALL: NOVEMBER 1, 2019 / SPRING BREAK: FEBRUARY 14, 2020 / SUMMER: MARCH 27, 2020

Step 6: Begin Gathering Contacts

  • Develop a list of potential contacts for your research or project and submit to Associate Director.

Step 7: Visas and Vaccines

  • Determine if you need a visa to the country you plan to travel to (or are transiting through); if you do, apply early unless it is one that you can easily get at the airport (you can do this by looking up the web site for the US embassy of the country you plan to go to).
  • Determine what vaccines you might need; make an appointment with Tufts Health Services -- provide the IGL with the information that you received or indicating that you don’t need any additional vaccines.

Step 8: Budget and Funding Form

  • Update your budget with researched/confirmed prices for specific places/dates.
  • Submit the budget with the IGL Funding Form (please make sure to fill out all parts of the form and save in Adobe Acrobat). The IGL will advise you of the final decision and amount it is able to fund.

Step 9: Travel Security

  • Attend a travel security meeting – this is mandatory, date and time TBD.
  • Call ISOS and speak with the desk person for the country you are traveling to, record name of the person you spoke to and case number/date (number and Tufts ID will be provided).
  • Print out or get a copy of the ISOS emergency contact information for Tufts.
  • Print out or get a copy of the IGL emergency contact information.

Step 10: Literature Review

  • Submit your 10- page literature review to the Associate Director.

DUE DATE: NO LATER THAN 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO YOUR DEPARTURE

Step 11: IGL and University Forms

  • Emergency Contact Form – email an electronic version to the IGL.
  • IGL/Tufts Release Form – if you are an undergraduate student, your parent or guardian must sign it.
  • Research Abroad Contract.
  • Copy of your Passport.
  • Travel itinerary with flights and accommodations.
  • Provide confirmation of your registration with the Tufts Travel Registry.
  • Provide confirmation of your registration with the US State Department.
  • Provide your IRB approval form (for research).

DUE DATE: FOR FALL: DECEMBER 6, 2019 / SPRING BREAK: MARCH 13, 2020 / SUMMER: APRIL 30, 2020

Step 12: Final Research Proposal

  • Submit updated contacts.

Step 13: Conduct Research/Project

  • Check-in with the IGL at specified intervals.

Step 14: Blog Posts for the IGL Site

  • Depending on length of trip, you will be asked to submit 1-3 blog posts with photos of you in the field for the IGL site; amount and due dates will be determined independently.

Step 15: Complete Final Paper or Project

  • Submit to IGL by agreed upon due date (set before the trip begins).

Step 16: Tufts Undergraduate Research Symposium

  • If you are an undergraduate, you will be required to present your research at the annual undergraduate research symposium.