Our lab operates in a team environment with an emphasis on collaboration rather than competition. We all benefit from the team and use each other for feedback on developing ideas, data analyses, manuscript preparation and revision, and presentations. New graduate students begin attending lab meetings immediately and learn to participate in the “soundboard” function. Gradually, each student progresses to managing his or her own group of undergraduate research assistants and taking the lead on their own research projects. All students participate in three kinds of research projects as part of their training.

A. Team Projects: Projects on which Chip is the initiator, and 2 or 3 students assist. Roles are negotiated as the work proceeds. Students need to be able to:

1. Write-up and submit IRB forms
2. Prepare questionnaires/Lab script
3. Recruit and train undergraduate RAs if needed
4. Collect the data/supervise data collection
5. Supervise data entry and proof for errors
6. Analyze data (with Chip’s help, and presentations to the Team).
7. Chip writes the paper (if there is one) or delegate portions to that project’s most involved and capable student.

B. Individual Projects: (e.g., Thesis/Dissertation) Students need to be able to:

1. Develop several potential ideas
2. Meet with Chip to choose one and develop further
3. Write proposal (several drafts)
4. Have defense
5. Write-up and submit IRB forms
6. Recruit and train undergraduate RAs if needed
7. Collect the data/supervise data collection
8. Supervise data entry and proof for errors
9. Analyze data with Chip’s help
10. Write results and discussion
11. Defend
12. Publish (if warranted) with the student as first author. If combined with other studies, the student might not be first author, but will be one of the primary co-authors.

C. Independent Projects:

1. Idea originates entirely from the student
2. Chip acts as a soundboard for design, analysis, write-up
3. Same duties as for Team projects except that the idea did not come from Chip, and the student(s) write(s) the paper, with his role being commentator and 2nd or 3rd author.

Minimum Research Expectations:

• The student will always be involved in one Team project
• The student will always be involved in one Individual project
• If the student has completed his or her 2nd year in the program (and is finished with or making good progress on the thesis), he or she will be involved in one independent project.

Thus, each student will always be involved in three research projects simultaneously if the student is meeting minimum lab expectations.