HEC Research Policy

Well-designed and implemented research is a priority of the UTMB Health Education Center (HEC). Regular evaluation of simulation and Interprofessional education and practice research activities is critical to maintaining a productive and efficient HEC Research Program. Any grants and proposed research activities conducted within the HEC, using HEC resources, and/or time of HEC staff must be reviewed and approved by the Vice President of Interprofessional Education and the Health Education Center, the HEC Education Assessment Specialist, and align with UTMB research standards, the HEC ethical research practices, and requires that all proposed research activities must either have IRB approval or be deemed exempt from IRB review. This process ensures that students, faculty, and staff conduct ethical research that complies with federal, state, and local regulations.

Procedure:

Researchers will submit a “Research Approval Form” .

VP of IPE and HEC and the HEC Education Assessment Specialist will review the merits of the proposed simulation-based research projects and make suggestions regarding protocol amendments.

The UTMB HEC will support research as needed by assisting with the submission, implementation of the study, data collection, and presentation of research conducted at the HEC at local, regional, national and/or international conferences/forms and with the preparation and submission of manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication.

 

HEC Research Mentoring Program:

The HEC Research Mentoring Program is full for Fall semester 2024. If you are interested in joining the Program for Winter 2025 or Spring/Summer 2025 semester please submit a interest form below.

  • Target Audience: Open to UTMB faculty, staff and students interested in conducting IPE or simulation-based research that are novice researchers.
  • When: The HEC Research Mentoring Program is offered three times per year (fall, winter, spring/summer).
  • Length of Program: 16 weeks
  • Commitment: 1 hour per week, attendance and active participation, literature review assignment.
  • Location: online or in-person
  • Led by: Dr. Kelly Grace, PhD, Education Assessment Specialist
  • Cost: Free

Program Objectives: The HEC Research Mentoring Program is designed to provide participants with an introductory understanding of the research process for conducting IPE or simulation-based research, from formulating research questions to presenting findings. By the end of this program, learners will be able to:

  1. Understand the fundamentals of research design and methodology.
  2. Develop a research proposal, including a literature review and research question formulation.
  3. Critically evaluate existing research and identify gaps in the literature.
  4. Complete the UTMB Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) program for research ethics.
  5. Learn how to collect data using informed consent procedures, respect for confidentiality, security of data storage, and how to analyze the data using appropriate tools and techniques.
  6. Learn about and review ethical considerations in research, respect of intellectual property, and the integration of the Society for Simulation Code of Ethics in simulation research. 

Course Outline:

Week 1-2: Introduction to Research and Formulating Research Questions

Week 3-4: Research Design and Methodology

Week 5-8: CITI Training – Self Study

Week 9-10: Data Collection and Analysis

Week 11-12: Interpreting and Presenting Research Findings

Week 13-14: Critical Evaluation of Research

Week 15-16: Final Project Review and Course Wrap-Up

 

Research Mentoring Program Interest Form
UTMB Affiliation

UTMB School/Program Affiliation

What upcoming semester are you interested in participating in the HEC Research Mentoring Program