Study Objectives

The study objectives should describe the overall proposed project and specify the activities which involve recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules (r/sNA), biological toxins, and/or infectious agents for which IBC approval is required.

Please do not copy and paste out of grants. The IBC uses this section to understand the scope of the project and if the experimentation fulfilling the specific aims is in the application. Thus, SOPs for the experiments involved should fully cover the creation, use/handling and disposal/decontamination of agents that are under IBC purview. The wording and descriptions in the specific aims should be consistent with the detail you provide in the specific sections of the application. For example, if you describe working on three infectious agents, you should have at least three line items in the infectious agent section to account for those agents.

• Provide a brief explanation of your proposed project in section 1a).
• In section 1b), concisely describe the goals and/or specific aims of the activities involving r/sNA molecules, biological toxins, and/or infectious agents proposed in this application.
• Provide a description of how the work with r/sNA, biological toxins, and/or infectious agents will be performed from start to finish in support of your goals (i.e. describe the initial IBC related experiments, any downstream assays, through the decontamination/destruction of the r/sNA, biological toxins, and/or infectious agents).  
• For consistency, please make sure to describe how any cell lines or tissues listed in the “Activities Include” section will be used in the experimentation and/or to support these goals/aims.
• General guidelines to follow when completing the Study Objectives:
• Ensure that all experimental procedures involving r/sNA molecules, biological toxins, and infectious agents mentioned in the study objectives are expanded on in the appropriate sections of the application and in the attachments.
• Use language that is understandable to those with a general knowledge of biology.
• Define all acronyms.
• Do not include abstracts from grant applications in this section.  Instead, provide a brief explanation of the proposed project.  It is only necessary to include information in this section for research which is under IBC purview.