Step One: Choose a Project and Faculty Advisor
Faculty Advisor: Students choosing Selectives 1 or 2 will work with a faculty advisor who is affiliated with the WWAMI Program. Faculty advisor responsibilities are to guide the student throughout the process of their research project, including evaluating the plan, signing the proposal, critiquing and approving the final product.
Faculty advisors need to be:
- Interested in your topic (though not necessarily expert in it)
- Available to you through phone, email, and scheduled meetings
The ideal faculty advisor will also be:
- A role model for qualities you seek to emulate in your professional development
- Enthusiastic about working with you
- Experienced with the clinical problem, scientific question, or policy issue you will be studying
- Someone with skills and knowledge that complement those you bring to the project
In your search for your faculty advisor, start with the III Departmental Coordinator from the department in which your topic falls. You may ask the III Departmental Coordinator for suggestions of faculty who may be interested in serving as faculty advisor for your III project. You might also consult departmental websites and faculty interest databases such as the Community of Science (COS).
Step Two: Submit your proposal
For selectives 1 and 2, submit a III Proposal for approval by the III Approval Committee. All proposals must be accompanied by a signed proposal form. The faculty sponsor/advisor proposal coversheet requires your faculty research advisor's signature. We no longer require the III Departmental Coordinator signature. For Selective 1, if working with human subjects/patient data/tissue samples, a copy of the Collaborative IRB Training Institute (CITI) student-training certificate. You are also required to fill out an IRB required questionnaire and submit it to Geri Faris in the Human Subjects Division. You will then contact Geri Faris to determine which IRB forms need to be completed. This applies even if your research is not occurring at the UW. For Selective 2, a preliminary literature search must accompany the proposal to demonstrate that there are sufficient published studies to proceed with the literature review. Only proposals that are complete will be sent to the III Approval Committee. Proposals must be approved by the III Approval Committee prior to initiation of the project. A notification will be sent to you when the III Committee approves your proposed project. You will also be notified should the committee request changes to the proposals. When the revised proposal is approved, you will receive a letter of approval from the III Approval Committee. A proposal is required to be submitted by March, Year 1.
Note: Students accepted in the MSRTP or R/UOP programs are not required to submit a separate III proposal to the III Approval Committee. Your MSRTP and R/UOP applications are your proposals.
Step Three: Final Faculty Evaluation Form
Selectives 1 and 2: Submit your final paper along with a signed III Final Faculty Evaluation Form to the Curriculum Office no later than the end of January of the 2nd year.
Final Product: For Selectives 1 and 2, the student must write a paper related to the investigation. Specific paper guidelines and evaluation criteria differ for each selective and are described in guidelines available online, or from Michelle Fleming in the Curriculum Office. Writing the paper is an essential component of the Independent Investigative Inquiry requirement, so the student must be the sole author of the paper, even if the student has collaborated with another student, faculty member, or plans to submit the paper for publication under joint authorship. Papers used to fulfill requirements for other courses are not acceptable.