Guidelines on Completing Research Applications
Please read the Rate Schedule and the RMBL Research Code in addition to completing the appropriate application. Email the Executive Director or Science Director before submitting an application for New Research. All researchers and their team members individually register in the RMBL Community portal. People are able to login to their account at any time, once they have set up their account.
- If you are a New Principal Investigator (PI), fill out a New/Renewal Application by Februray 1. This includes submitting a Project Description and CV. Instructions for Project Descriptions are HERE.
- If you are a Principal Investigator (PI) and your research approval has expired, fill out a New/Renewal Application by Februray 1. This includes submitting a Project Description and CV. Instructions for Project Descriptions are HERE.
- Collectors who are not otherwise doing research should fill out a Collection Application by February 1. This includes submitting a Project Description of your collecting plans and CV.
- If you have an approved research plan that is current, please submit Annual Research Questions (previously known as a Continuing Application) by April 1, to be prioritized for lab space and other facility and service needs.
- Members of a PI’s research team must have their own account and make their own housing and research visit reservations. EACH INDIVIDUAL AT RMBL WILL SET UP THEIR OWN ACCOUNT IN THE RMBL PORTAL. The only exception is for family members under the age of 18.
Contact the Science Director, if you don’t fit into one of these categories or have questions. Late applications can be accepted in most cases, though there is a late fee. Simple supplementary research projects can be added to an approved research plan by Feb.1 with no fee. After Feb.1, there is a fee to review supplementary research projects.
| APPLICATION NAME | DEADLINE | ADDITIONAL INFORMATION |
|---|---|---|
| Researcher Application | February 1 for New/Renewals and Collector Applications. Continuing researchers with approved plans submit annual updates by April 1. | 2023 Research applications and annual updates can be submitted at any time. |
| Animal Care Form | February 1 | 2023 form is posted. |
| Graduate Fellowship Form | February 15 | 2023 form is posted. |
| Research Fellowship for Scientists Form | February 15 | 2023 form is posted. |
| Returning_Student_Form | February 15 | 2023 form is posted. |
| Research Assistant | April 1 | Housing requests received by April 1 receive priority. We will accommodate later housing requests as we have space. |
| Visiting Scientist | April 1 | Housing requests received by April 1 receive priority. We will accommodate later housing requests as we have space. |
| Alumni/Guest Registration | none | |
RMBL Publications and Data
We ask that you provide citations to your recent RMBL publications and, whenever possible, datasets and metadata for research conducted at RMBL. Please contact the Science Director for more information.
Project Start Dates
Applications for New or Renewal of Research submitted before October 15th begin the year in which they were submitted while applications submitted after October 15th will begin the following year.
Project End Dates
Projects end April 15th in the year after they expire. In other words, if a research plan is submitted on Jan. 15, 2023 for five years, that project would become inactive as of April 15th, 2028.
RMBL Research Committee
The mission of the RMBL Research Committee is to review all proposed research and other projects with the goal of ensuring the long-term success of the RMBL as a world-class institution for research and education in field biology.
In collaboration with the RMBL Science Director, the Research Committee considers the best use of finite RMBL resources as it strives to facilitate and promote the work of all scientists. It considers scientific, educational, and other benefits of proposed activities, balances these against any possible negative impacts, and contemplates whether RMBL is the most appropriate place for the activities.
The Research Committee is especially interested in fostering the work of early career scientists, including undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, and beginning principal investigators.
The Science Director, Jennie Reithel, and any member of the Committee will be happy to discuss project ideas and designs and possible overlap with other RMBL projects with anyone interested in working at the Lab. The Research Committee is chaired by Ken Whitney; its members are RMBL PIs Nicolas Alexandre, Lauren Carley, Jessica Forrest, Hamish Greig, Rebecca Irwin, James Thomson, and Matthew Winnick, as well as Jen Darnell, a scientist on the RMBL Board and a member of the local community.
Genetic experiments that involve moving genetic material among organisms of different species, in a way that would not naturally occur, will be scrutinized carefully and may be denied in some cases. The risk that genes could escape and cause ecological disruption is weighed against the perceived scientific value of the proposed research. Scientists proposing this type of genetic experiment must submit a pre-proposal to the Science Director by October 1 or 7 months prior to initiation of the research, whichever comes first.