IRSST
Research Protocol Writing Guide
Introduction
The protocol form is used to make a grant application under the Competitive Research Grant Program and the Collaborative Research Grant Program. In all cases, the protocol forms are peer-reviewed.
Requests for Information and Form
Requests for information can be submitted to the research management advisor for the research field to which the application pertains. A copy of the protocol form can be downloaded from the IRSST’s website.
Investigators are encouraged to contact the research field leader and the knowledge transfer advisor for the research field concerned as soon as they begin developing the research protocol (http://www.irsst.qc.ca/en/grants/contact-us).
Submitting the Protocol
If the principal investigator is affiliated with an external organization, the research protocol and appended documents must be emailed to the research management advisor for the research field to which the application pertains.
Principal investigators from the IRSST must email their research protocol and appended documents to their manager.
How to complete the form
Technical Information
Use a font equivalent to 12-point Times New Roman, single-spaced, to complete the document (with the exception of tables set in 11-point Times New Roman).
Definitions
· Principal investigator
The person who is responsible for the intellectual direction of the proposed research, assumes the administrative duties related to the grant and acts as the contact person with the IRSST. Only one person can play this role.
· Co-investigator
A person who makes a significant contribution to the project’s direction and running. There may be more than one.
· Collaborator
Any other person who brings specific expertise to the running of the project (another investigator, scientific professional, technician, knowledge transfer advisor, etc.).
· Workplaces and groups concerned
The workplaces and groups that will benefit from the knowledge generated by the research: professional associations and orders; employer associations; joint sector-based associations; union associations; the Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST); businesses and other organizations; educational institutions; government departments and other government bodies; the Réseau public québécois en santé au travail; etc.
· Follow-up committee
A group that makes its field expertise available to the investigators when defining, developing and performing research and when transferring and applying results in workplaces. It is recommended that a follow-up committee be formed whenever it’s appropriate for the planned research (action research, field research).
· Knowledge transfer advisor
An IRSST representative who provides support to the investigators to ensure, when necessary, that the research proposals are grounded in the needs and realities of the workplaces and groups concerned. The advisor facilitates these workplaces’ and groups’ contribution to the carrying out of the research and the transfer of knowledge, in particular by forming and leading follow-up committees. Through appropriate knowledge transfer strategies and means, the advisor ensures that the knowledge obtained is accessible.
· Financial and other partners
Government or granting organization, research centre or private company that contributes to the activity, either financially or by providing resources (personnel, equipment, etc.).
· Research management advisor
An IRSST representative who acts as a resource person for the principal investigator from the initial development of the research project through submission of the final deliverable(s). When the principal investigator is an IRSST investigator, this responsibility is assumed by his/her manager.
· Indirect costs of research (known by the French acronym FIR)
Conducting research activities results in many indirect costs for the institution where the research is being done. These are overhead costs common to a set of research activities. They include research space expenses and service fees. FIRs are expressed as a percentage of the direct costs of research.
The IRSST, as granting agency, agrees to cover FIRs for the projects it finances. In the case of co-financed projects, only the IRSST’s contribution to the project is taken into consideration in the calculation of FIRs paid by the Institute. Each of the other financial partners assumes its share of the FIRs. When transferring funds between institutions, as part of a grant, the grant-managing institution is responsible for transferring the amounts associated with FIRs.
FIRs must be calculated solely on direct research costs and must be requested when the grant application is initially submitted.
SUMMARY Section
The project summary must be:
1) written in French, using language that is simple and accessible to the general public, and
2) no longer than one page. This text will accompany the application throughout the review process.
· File number
Each grant application has an IRSST file number. If you know it, write it in the header; otherwise, contact the research management advisor for the research field concerned.
· Title
The title should clearly and concisely state the purpose of the project. Avoid using company or brand names in the title. Write out any scientific symbols. The title of the project will be used for publication purposes.
· Investigators/Organizations
Enter the name of the principal investigator and co-investigators, followed by the name of their institution. Do not enter the name of the department. The order of listing must be the same in all the relevant sections of the form.
· Amount/Duration (in months)
First, enter the total amount of the grant requested from the IRSST. Then enter the amount expected to be received from other organizations, if applicable. Lastly, enter the planned duration of the project (in months).
Example: $100,000 IRSST ($60,000 external,1 $40,000 internal2)3 + $30,000 (name of the partner organization).
¹ external: budget requested from the IRSST for external investigators, if applicable.
² internal: budget requested for the IRSST team, if applicable.
³ If the application is being submitted by an external research team only, add “external only” between parentheses. If the application is being submitted by an internal research team only, add “internal only” between parentheses.
· Date written (in the page footer)
Enter the date on which the document was written or updated.
SECTION 1 – General Information
· File number
Enter the file number in the header.
· Title
Enter the title. It must be identical to the title in the Summary.
· Principal investigator
Enter the name and complete contact information of the principal investigator.
· Co-investigators
Enter the name(s) and complete contact information of the co-investigator(s).
· Total duration (in months)
The number of months planned to complete the project, from the start date to the date on which the final deliverable (report and, if applicable, other deliverables) will be submitted to the IRSST.
· Ethics and follow-up committee
If the research project involves the participation of human subjects or a secondary use of identifiable information, tick the box provided for the purpose and ensure compliance with the IRSST’s Ethics Policy for Research Involving Humans. Note that the Institute wants to make investigators aware of the risks to health and physical integrity to which research personnel may be exposed when performing research work.
If the research project anticipates that a follow-up committee will be formed, tick the box provided for the purpose.
· Budget requested from the IRSST
- For external investigators, enter the total amount of the grant requested from the IRSST by the external research team.
- For IRSST investigators, enter the total budget requested for the internal research team.
· Contribution from partners
- Financial partners: enter the amount of the monetary contribution expected from the financial partner(s).
- Other partners: enter the dollar amount of the contribution of human and physical resources expected from other partner(s) involved in the research.
· Date written (in the page footer)
Enter the date on which the document was written or updated.
SECTION 2 – Occupational Health and Safety Issue
Explain the significance of the topic (e.g. types of employment injuries and risk factors, number of workers affected, seriousness of injuries, industry/business segment, costs, etc.).
Describe the origin of the research (needs identified by the investigator or expressed by workplaces or the OHS network and, if applicable, the actions taken with OHS partners to define the issue).
SECTION 3 – Review of Scientific and Technical Knowledge on the Topic
Explain the scientific or technical originality of the study with respect to existing knowledge; then the nature, scope and limitations of the proposed project.
SECTION 4 – Research Objectives and Hypotheses
Specify the project’s objectives and the research hypotheses. Differentiate the specific objectives from the general objective.
SECTION 5 – Research Methodology
Describe in detail the work planned to achieve the objectives:
1) steps and sub-steps and the order in which they will be carried out;
2) means, tools and/or models used (e.g. target population, sampling model, data collection, investigation, statistical analysis, functional analysis, value analysis, digital model, software);
3) measurable results for each step.
If applicable, describe the personal and collective protective equipment needed for members of the research team.
SECTION 6 – Timeline
Using a Gantt chart or a table, provide a timeline for the steps identified in Section 5 and include each step’s duration.
SECTION 7 – Anticipated Results (Anticipated Scientific or Technical Contribution)
Describe how the anticipated results:
1) contribute to the development of scientific knowledge and integrate existing knowledge; and
2) provide an original and functional solution to an existing problem.
SECTION 8 – Foreseeable impact
Name the workplaces and groups targeted by the results application.
Describe the effects anticipated from application in the workplaces concerned. Also, describe the possibilities for the results of this project to be extended to workplaces other than those directly concerned.
SECTION 9 – Anticipated Deliverables upon Completion of the Research
The IRSST requires that a final research report be submitted. List other deliverables, scientific or other, that will be presented to the IRSST upon completion of the research (e.g. guide, technical data sheet, training, prototype), if applicable.
Please note that only the deliverables submitted to the IRSST should be included in this section.
All deliverables must be written in French.
SECTION 10 – Knowledge transfer and promotion of results
The IRSST places high priority on knowledge transfer and promotion of the results of research it funds. The information gathered at the beginning of the project is preliminary and may be added to as the project progresses or at the end of the project, depending on the results obtained.
10.1 Relation to previous research
Enter the titles of any research projects and activities that are related to this application and have received funding from the IRSST (include the IRSST file number).
10.2 Knowledge transfer to the scientific community
1) Presentations: list the events (conferences, symposia, other activities) at which the research results will be presented.
2) Publications: list the magazines and journals in which the research results will be published.
3) Other: all other anticipated means for reaching the scientific community (e.g. seminars, audiovisual productions, etc.).
10.3 Knowledge transfer to the workplaces and groups concerned
The IRSST wants to maximize the transfer of its research results and their appropriation by the workplaces and groups concerned. To do so, the workplaces and groups concerned are involved with the research from the project development stage and help to identify and implement the appropriate strategies and means.
1) Name the workplaces and groups concerned;
2) Name the anticipated strategies and means, if known. Examples of strategies: consultation with the workplaces and groups concerned, creation of a follow-up committee, holding a conference or symposium to disseminate content. Examples of means (tools or activities): guides, utilities, websites, newsletter articles, workshops.
10.4 List of follow-up committee members
Enter the name and affiliation of each of the members of the follow-up committee. When completing this section, investigators are encouraged to contact the knowledge transfer advisor for the research field concerned.
SECTION 11 – Composition and Complementarity of the Research Team
11.1 Composition of the team
The team consists of the principal investigator, co-investigators and scientific and technical collaborators.
The order in which the research team members are listed is the order used by the IRSST when announcing the project (announcement of the grant through various channels such as its website and Prévention au travail magazine).
If the composition of the team changes before the project is completed, the principal investigator is responsible for notifying the IRSST’s research management advisor of the change.
11.2 Complementarity of the team members
Focus on the role and contribution of the principal investigator, co-investigators and collaborators, and explain how the complementary nature of their expertise promotes attainment of the project objectives.
SECTION 12 – Detailed External Budget
Complete one sheet per year and per institution; year 1 comprises the first 12 months of the project. Round off all figures to the nearest dollar.
Human resources
- Investigators’ and collaborators’ salaries are not eligible if they are already paid by their respective organizations.
- The salaries included in the budget must be determined in compliance with the respective standards of the home institutions.
- IRSST scholarship students cannot be remunerated for more than 150 hours per session.
- The IRSST authorizes the payment of allowances to students hired for a research project. The maximum amount is $13,500 per year at the master’s level, $17,600 per year at the doctoral level, and $28,500 per year at the post-doctoral level, in accordance with the federal Income Tax Act and the regulations in effect in the home institution. However, the recipients of such allowances are never considered as IRSST scholarship holders.
- When a task has not yet been assigned to a specific individual, use the job category (e.g. research assistant) instead of the name. In such cases, remember to inform the IRSST of the person’s name once it is known, so that the list of the research team members’ names can be completed.
Equipment purchase and leasing
- Equipment costing less than $10,000 belongs to the institution receiving the grant, unless there is a specific agreement to the contrary.
- Equipment costing more than $10,000 belongs to the IRSST, unless there is a specific agreement to the contrary. Describe and justify any equipment costing more than $10,000 and attach two price quotations.