The comprehensive examination is intended to determine whether you possess the knowledge and skills required to successfully complete doctoral-level research. 

The following learning objectives will be tested at the time of the submission of the written report and at the oral exam: 

• General and project-specific scientific knowledge
• Knowledge of the scientific literature in the proposed field of study
• Ability to generate a research question and to propose an experimental plan
• Ability to use research methodologies and to interpret results (generated during the first year of studies)
• Ability to communicate science both written and orally
• Ability to put the proposed work in the context of the broader field of research
• Potential to identify limitations of their chosen approaches and make informed judgments in their specific field of research

Preparing your research proposal will help you:

• Strengthen your scientific writing skills
• Develop critical thinking skills
• Enhance scientific creativity
• Expand your knowledge of your research field
• Build experience designing and defending a research program 

Additional Learning Objectives for CTM Students

Knowledge of Your Research Area

You will be expected to:

• Demonstrate deep understanding of the theoretical framework and methodologies relevant to their specific research area
• Critically analyze and synthesize existing literature to identify gaps and propose novel research questions.
• Apply advanced research techniques and tools to conduct independent research.
• Communicate research findings effectively through written and oral presentations.

Clinical Aspects

You should be able to:

• Understand the clinical implications of their research and how it can be translated into practice.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of clinical interventions and treatments related to their research.
• Integrate patient-centered care principles into their research design and implementation.

Foundational Aspects

You should be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge of foundational concepts in translational medicine, including molecular biology, pharmacology, and biostatistics. Understand the regulatory and ethical considerations in clinical research.
• Apply foundational scientific principles to design robust and reproducible experiments.
• Critically evaluate the potential for translational research to impact public health and policy.

Purpose

Your research proposal is a formal document that outlines the research program you plan to pursue through completion of your PhD. It should demonstrate your understanding of the field, your ability to identify important scientific questions, and your capacity to develop a feasible research plan. 

Your proposal should not be:

• A TAC report
• A resubmission of your supervisor's grant application

Instead, it should reflect your own understanding of the literature, your research progress to date, and your proposed plan moving forward. 

CTM Students

Because CTM emphasizes translational research, projects may be developed anywhere along the pre-clinical to clinical research spectrum. However, all research proposals must balance foundational/basic science and translational/clinical research to demonstrate appropriate scope and depth of knowledge. You must include relevant papers from both foundational and clinical perspectives and be prepared to discuss and defend them at the oral exam.

Required Sections

1. Title Page

Include:

• Proposal title
• Your name and student number
• Supervisor's name
• Date you entered the PhD program
• Submission date
• Statement: "Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Comprehensive Exam." 

2. Abstract (Maximum 350 Words)

Your abstract should include:

• Statement of the problem
• Rationale for the research
• Hypothesis and experimental aims
• Brief description of the experimental plan
• Statement about the significance and/or implications of the proposed work

3. Introduction

Provide sufficient background to explain:

• The scientific context
• Current knowledge in the field
• Relevant literature
• Your progress to date
• The significance of the research area

CTM

It is essential to balance both the foundational science and the clinical relevance. 

• If the project is more pre-clinical in nature, the literature must emphasize the clinical problem that the work is aiming to address. 
• If the project is more clinical in nature, the foundational problem must be clearly described as well as the relevant pre-clinical literature.

4. Rationale and Hypothesis

Briefly summarize theknown information that serves as the foundation for your research question, followed by your specific (and testable hypothesis). This section should generally be no longer than one paragraph. 

5. Experimental Aims and Methods

Describe two to three specific aims that will test your hypothesis.These aims can be formulated as smaller research questions (eg. Is protein X necessary for process Y?).  For each aim,you will develop an experimental approach that is modern and feasible, and that will answer your research question. There should be sufficient detail to allow an independent researcher to complete the work. Also, it is best to think of multiple ways to validate your findings and to test your hypothesis to demonstrate scientific rigor. Ask yourself, “If I do experiment A and get result B, what else, other than a correct hypothesis, could cause this result?” Asking yourself this question will reveal important control experiments that will make your approach more comprehensive.

In this section, you should also summarize for the reader what results you expect to see based on your hypothesis and literature review. While this section will cover the experimental approach that you think is ideal for answering your question, it is possible, perhaps even likely, that you will have to find another strategy to address your hypothesis. Also use this section to briefly point out pitfalls to your approach and to suggest alternative ways to answer your research questions.

Additional Expectations for CTM Students

Central to ensuring the research findings are translatable, consider the end users of the data, and the validity of the animal models/populations you will be using in your study. Justify the choices.

6. Significance

Use this section to convince your reader of the potential impact of your research. It should be brief, but should put your expected findings into the broader context of the field of research you work in.

Knowledge Translation Plan (CTM Only)

Ultimately, to have impact, the findings should be shared. While it is expected that you will produce a thesis that will be publicly available, and you will likely generate published manuscripts, how will you ensure that the end users of the data will be made aware of the findings? Are there critical partnerships that you should consider?

7. References

References should:

• Be numbered sequentially in the order cited
• Numbers should be placed in the text as a superscript
• Follow the formatting style used by Nature journal, as shown below:

39.Schmidt, D., del Marmol, J. & MacKinnon, R. Mechanistic basis for low threshold mechanosensitivity in voltage-dependent K+ channels. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A109, 10352-7 (2012).

Research Proposal Formatting Requirements

Length and Margins

• Maximum 15 typed pages, including figures
• References are not included in the page limit
• Minimum 1-inch (2.54 cm) margins throughout

Font and Spacing

• Times New Roman
• 12-point font
• Single-spaced text 

Figures

Figures should:

• Be created using PowerPoint, Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator
• Be inserted as image files (jpg, tif)
• Use tight text wrapping
• Use a minimum Arial 10-point font size
• Include concise figure legends
• Be integrated throughout the document or included at the end
• Meet all formatting requirements