Research Project Application
Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) welcomes applications from researchers to conduct research in the district. Applications for research will only be reviewed twice annually following the schedule below. Please note that the CPS Research Application portal will only be open during the submission months noted below (May and October).
Research Review Timeline (2 Periods Annually)
| Review Period | Submission Month | Review Period | Notification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Period 1 | May | June | July |
| Period 2 | October | November | December |
Research Review Criteria
The following criteria will be used to evaluate the quality of the research application and the likeliness that it will be approved.
- The application must be completed in full; this includes submitting instruments the researcher expects to use, consent forms, and IRB letters of approval. If the application is not completed in full, the researchers will receive notification of additional components needed for submission. This may delay research in the district, so please be sure to ensure only full applications are submitted.
- A staff sponsor has been identified and supports the application. We require that all researchers have a Cambridge Public Schools office department leader, executive-level district sponsor, or school-based sponsor for each research project. Sponsors also serve as the local "owner" of the research. If you need help identifying or connecting with a staff sponsor, please contact Jennifer Amigone, Director of Data, Assessment & Accountability at jamigone@cpsd.us within three weeks of the research submission deadline.
- The research approach is technically sound and follows federal and local guidelines regarding conducting research with human subjects in school settings (This includes consent forms for all research participants; assurance that student participants receive no incentives of monetary value and incentives for teachers do not exceed $50; and voluntary participation for all research subjects).
- In the normal course of conducting a study there are associations that might prevent a researcher from reporting research with complete objectivity. This “conflict of interest” describes a situation in which financial or other personal considerations have the potential to compromise or bias professional judgment. Sources of potential conflict of interests include, but are not limited, to:
- Recruiting research participants over whom you have supervisory, evaluative, classroom-based, or other authority.
- Obtaining any direct financial and/or business benefits from the results of this study.
- Having non-legitimate professional interests in the research being conducted.
Please disclose any potential sources of conflict of interest in your application. - If the research request is from a junior researcher such as a student or research assistant, the project proposal must be under the direction of a faculty advisor. The proposal must include a letter of support from the senior advisor.
- The research is not overly burdensome to classrooms.
- Once the research project is completed, the researcher must email a copy of the final report to Jennifer Amigone. Whenever feasible, the researcher should offer to explain findings to administrators and other school staff involved in the study. If the district is named in the study, approval must be granted by the Superintendent.