The Protocol Review Process and
The Utilization Review Committee
at
The Research Imaging Center
Revised
September 12, 2005
Jean Hardies, Ph.D.
Protocol Review Secretary
The Purpose of the Protocol Review Process
The research imaging center (RIC) consists of state of the art imaging equipment, image processing equipment, a staff of experts, and an organizational structure designed to ensure that the entire center operates as a team. The RIC is truly a unique and outstanding facility that can provide research opportunities for everyone in the scientific community.
The purpose of the protocol review process is to ensure that resources at the RIC are used optimally. Specifically, the process ensures that :
1. the scientific questions being asked are appropriate for the RIC resources,
2. the experiments are designed to use the equipment optimally,
3. the data are analyzed using appropriate methods,
4. the RIC functions cooperatively.
The Protocol Review Process
The phases of the protocol review process are:
1. discuss the project with the senior scientists at the RIC to help in designing the project,
2. find a RIC senior scientist to sponsor the project,
3. present the proposal at a Friday afternoon seminar at the RIC if possible,
4. fill out the RIC Utilization Review Form or GCRC Form (see RIC Fees document),
5. present the Utilization Review Form to the appropriate RIC division chiefs and request sponsorship of your proposal,
6. submit the protocol to the protocol review secretary (currently Jean Hardies (hardiesl@uthscsa.edu), 567-8181 in room 2.532 McDermott Building),
7. the proposal is presented by the principal investigator and reviewed by the Utilization Review Committee,
8. get the protocol approved by other committees such as the Institutional Review Board (IRB), the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), and radiation safety.
This process gradually moves from the informal to the formal. The order of steps 1-3 can be interchanged.
The format of the Friday afternoon presentation is flexible. One hour is allotted for the presentation, but the presentation need not be an hour long. The presentation can range from a formal talk with questions at the end to an interactive brain storming session.
The time it takes for a protocol to be reviewed is highly variable. Currently, the Utilization Review Committee meets monthly. The amount of time for the protocol review process is on the order of one to two weeks. However, some protocols can take longer than this.
What a Protocol Should Contain
A protocol should contain all of the elements of a good scientific proposal. The scientific question should be well defined and the relevance of the question should be stated. The proposed methodology should be presented, with particular emphasis on how the resources of the RIC fit into this methodology. The quantity of RIC resources to be used, such as machine time, technician time etc. should be estimated. The Utilization Review Form will help you do this. The protocol should discuss funding of the project. The RIC does not have money to grant for projects, but it can give grants in the form of instrument/scan time, etc. If you would like such a grant you must request it in your proposal. Finally, if the protocol has other non-scientific objectives, such as teaching, this should be stated.
Warning: Existing funding for a protocol does not insure that the protocol will be approved by the Utilization Review Committee. Please get your protocol approved by the Utilization Review Committee before you apply for funding.
Who's Who:
RIC Utilization Review Committee
Peter Fox, Chairman
Jean Hardies, Secretary
Paul Jerabek
Jack Lancaster
Shalini Narayana
Duff Davis
Potential Protocol Sponsors:
PET protocols
Paul Jerabek, Chief
Peter Fox
Shalini Narayana
MRI protocols
John Li, Interim Chief
Peter Fox, Chief
Shalini Narayana
Biomedical Imaging Analysis protocols
Jack Lancaster, Chief
Angie Laird
James Bower
Nicole Wicha
Duff Davis, Chief
Peter Kochunov
Seong-Hwan Yee