Required Paperwork

Please review the guidelines below to ensure you submit the appropriate paperwork for your research. If you have further questions, please contact us at msuetds.approval@grd.msu.edu.

Approval Form (Required)

All Plan A Master’s and all Doctoral students must turn in the Approval form.
The Approval form is taken as evidence that the document has been examined and approved by the major professor or thesis/dissertation director. It also serves to document compliance with the appropriate Institutional Review Board for the use of human and vertebrate animals for research.
Supplemental files may be included with the electronic submission of the thesis or dissertation in the student’s ProQuest account ONLY if the files have been approved by the faulty advisor/committee on the Approval Form.

Certain areas of research have unique considerations. Read the following information carefully to ensure that all paperwork is completed appropriately.

If human subjects were used in your research, the IRB letter (on letterhead from the Human Research Protection office) should be uploaded with your electronic Approval Form.

The IRB number that is to appear on your approval form is the “Approved” number on the IRB letter (e.g. STUDY00004871 or AMEND202100608), not the application number (e.g. i45603).

You will need to provide documentation that you are an approved researcher on the project. This can be done by either:

Sending a screenshot from the “CLICK” site where you are listed as a researcher (CLICK photo must start at the green box that says “APPROVED” and extend so it includes information in the “Contacts” tab below the flow chart) OR
Having your PI send an email to msuetds.approval@grd.msu.edu stating the IRB number, the project title, and that you are an approved researcher on the project. (If you used animal subjects, your name does not need to appear on the IACUC letter.)

Institutional Review Board Office Requirements

MSU IRB review and approval or an exempt determination is required for all projects that involve research or clinical investigations with human subjects conducted by faculty, staff, students, or agent of MSU before initiation of any human subject research activities.

For those projects that may qualify as exempt from IRB approval, an exempt determination must be obtained from the MSU IRB office prior to initiation of the human subject research. For those projects that do not qualify as exempt, IRB approval must be obtained prior to initiation of the human subject research.

Please note: your thesis or dissertation may be rejected if:

you did not obtain IRB approval prior to the start of your research
if your IRB request was backdated
if your review was denied by the Human Research Protection Office.

For further information, please see the Human Research Protection Program website at: hrpp.msu.edu.

Phone: 517-355-2180. Email: ORRS.IRB@msu.edu

Please complete this survey the semester that you plan to graduate. Only students who have applied for graduation will have access to this online survey.

The Graduate School uses data from this survey when reviewing graduate programs and to guide decisions about services and initiatives for graduate students.

The identity of all respondents will be kept confidential and only aggregate (group) information will be made available to faculty and administrators. It takes about 5-10 minutes to complete the online survey.

Please follow the steps outlined below:

Access the survey appropriate site.
Enter your MSU NetID and password.
Complete all items on survey. When finished, submit.
- If you cannot open the survey, please contact the Graduate School by email at survey@grd.msu.edu and include your name, student ID number, degree level (PhD, MA, MS, etc.), and semester of graduation.
- You will then be notified when you are able to access the survey.

If vertebrate animals were used in your research, the IACUC (AUF) letter (on letterhead from the Animal Care Program office) should be uploaded with your electronic Approval Form.

The IACUC (AUF) number that is to appear on your approval form is the “IACUC ID” number on the IACUC letter (i.e.: PROTO201800030).

Activities Needing Approval

Any ownership or use of animals for research, teaching, testing, or public outreach by or for MSU must be approved by the IACUC. Some activities are exempt but should be verified first.

Check with the IACUC before you take any of the following actions:

Breed, buy, or conduct research involving animals
Study wild animals
Conduct farming and food production with animals
Euthanize an animal
Import or export animals
Test products, procedures, or treatments on animals
Transport animals
Initiate a new project
Add a new procedure or controlled substance
Change your protocol
Change the breed you are using
Schedule a public performance or demonstration with animals

The laws and guidelines for using animals are numerous. Non-compliance can affect animal care and will be costly to the investigator and the University (such as damage to our reputation and funding). The IACUC committee and staff have up-to-date information on legislation and regulations and contacts with agencies providing guidelines for the care and use of animals.

Please note: your thesis or dissertation may be rejected if:

You did not obtain IACUC Approval prior to the start of your research
Your IACUC request was backdated
If your review request was denied by the Animal Care Program Office

For Further information, please see the Animal Care Program/IACUC website at: animalcare.msu.edu/iacuc/index.html.

Phone: 517-432-8103. Email: iacuc@msu.edu

The Survey of Earned Doctorates is the definitive source of information on the nation’s new research doctorates. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation and fine other federal agencies and conducted by the RTI, the SED is critical to the understanding in what specialty areas doctorates are produced and their post-graduation employment plans.

Results are used by government as well as academic institutions to make decisions about graduate education funding, developing new programs and supporting existing ones.

Michigan State University REQUIRES verification of completion of the survey. When you submit your survey, a notification of completion will automatically be sent to the Graduate School office. It is recommended that at the end of the survey, you also have a copy of the “certificate of completion” emailed to your personal email for your records.

Once you register for the SED, you will receive an email with a PIN and password as well as the URL to the survey.

Confidentiality Assurance: The information provided in the survey questionnaire remains confidential and is safeguarded in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 and the NSF Act of 1950, as amended. The survey data are reported only in aggregate form or in a manner that does not identify information about the individual.

Questions about the survey may be directed to RFI at sed@rti.org or at 1-877-256-8167.

Approval Form (Required)

Institutional Review Board Office Requirements

Surveys

Activities Needing Approval