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Research Project Canvas: a secret tool for winning grant proposals

Research project funding allows you to pursue new ideas, hire help, buy equipment, and receive a salary. In a way, a research grant allows us to experience the academic freedom that most scientists crave. I want to offer you a secret weapon that I have used for many years to write winning research grant proposals. I call it the Research Project Canvas .

Before I show you what exactly Research Project Canvas is and how it helps to write better research grant proposals, I will tell you what is the exact problem it helps to solve.

Here is what you will learn in this article:

Why do scientists need the Research Project Canvas?

Considering the importance of research proposal writing, it is shocking how little training scientists get to learn grant writing skills. Let me tell you how I used to feel when faced with the task of writing a research proposal:

I stare at the blinking cursor on a computer screen, thinking of the profound magnitude of the task ahead of me – I need to write a research project proposal. I freeze. Not only do I have to come up with a research project idea with the potential to have a lasting impact in my field; I also need to develop scientific methodology, ensure the necessary resources and expertise are available, negotiate with prospective research partners, all while keeping the requirements of the research funder in mind. Then I had to explain the whole thing in a way that will convince the grant reviewers that my idea is better than any of the other great research proposals that they will read. 

Have you experienced something similar? In fact, I can guarantee that almost every scientist on the planet seeking research grant funding has felt this way.

What usually happens after this worrisome lull is that the looming deadline leaves us with no choice but to dive into the writing the research proposal. The chaos that follows involves scrambling for ideas, guessing at the costs, dumping some figures into a wall of text; then rewriting everything once we find that the co-authors don’t like it.

This misery usually ends with an all-nighter and a submission five minutes before the deadline. It is a formidable accomplishment if the correct file gets uploaded.

In an infomercial, a tired-looking scientist would say:

Project proposal writing is actually great

If you know how to do it, project proposal writing is actually an exciting thing to do. Just think about it. When preparing a grant application, you have the freedom to plan your own research, dream of the accomplishments that lie ahead, and imagine how they will change the world. So why is the reality of proposal writing so different from one’s aspirations?

The problem is that there is too wide of a gap between our research ideas and the full research proposal. It’s intimidating and unproductive to start writing with a blank page in front of you. You can solve this by using the Research Project Canvas.

What is t he Research Project Canvas ?

The Research Project Canvas is a one-page template that serves as the missing intermediate step that allows research grant seekers to efficiently turn their research ideas into a finished proposal.

The idea is that you would first fill the Research Project Canvas and only then you would turn to writing the full research proposal. Now, instead of staring into a blank screen, you have guideposts for writing the proposal.

With a prefilled Research Project Canvas in hand, the task of writing the proposal will not seem quite so intimidating since you will know exactly what to write within each section of your funding proposal.

You can use the Research Project Canvas to generate ideas, rate their potential, collaborate with partners, present, develop a storyline for your proposal and do many other things. You can learn all about writing a great research proposal in my book “ Write a Winning Research Proposal “

10 Building Blocks of the Research Project Canvas

The one-page Research Project Canvas template consists of ten building blocks that make up the key elements of any research project proposal. Each block provides questions that will help you to fill in the template.

The knowledge gap that should be filled

What real-world research problem are we solving?

Why should the problem be solved?

What is the specific knowledge gap that we will fill?

The research objectives that will help solve the identified problem

What main objective will move us toward solving the identified problem?

What are the specific sub-objectives of the research project?

Methodology

The approach that leads to reaching the research objectives

What methodology will allow us to reach our objective? 

What is the research hypothesis?

How should we divide the work into smaller units (work packages, tasks)?

What methods should we employ and what data should we collect?

How are the different parts interconnected?

The resources needed to accomplish the research objectives

What key resources does the research methodology require?

How do we access the required resources?

Participants

The research team’s qualification for implementing the research methodology and their complementary value

Which key participants will allow us to reach the research objective?

What are the strengths of each project participant?

What is each project partner going to do?

How will project partners complement each other?

Results and Impact

The new knowledge that will be created and what is its real-world impact

What new knowledge will be generated?

How will the research project impact your field and beyond?

Who benefits from the research project and in what way ?

Dissemination

The proper target audience and how you will reach them

Who is the target audience? 

How do we reach them?

Who and how will exploit the research results?

What knowledge can be shared?

What IP has to be protected?

The time required for performing each part of the research project

When are specific activities planned to occur?

How long will the research project take? 

When will we reach important milestones?

Who contributes what and when?

When does travel take place?

The major cost items and the distribution of funding between participants

What are the major expenses of the research project?

How much will the needed resources cost?

What is the budget of each partner?

Funder’s Requirements

The rules that govern the project’s contents

What requirements are set by the funding body?

Expected budget? Which costs can be funded?

Key criteria for project evaluation?

The Research Project Canvas Template

Now that you know the ten building blocks of the Research Project Canvas, go ahead and download the template. You can fill it directly in the PowerPoint or print it out and fill by hand. For a group brainstorming session, show it on a screen and use sticky notes to describe your ideas.

Filling the Research Project Canvas

First, think about and then fill in each of the Research Project Canvas blocks. Once all of the blocks have the required information, ensure they are well interconnected. The Project Canvas blocks are organized so that the most related aspects of a research project are laid out across four main axes .

The exercise of filling in the Research Project Canvas will force you to define the problem clearly, specify who cares about it, and explore how it could be solved. You will also be forced to think about practical aspects, like having the required expertise, tools, time, and funding to execute the research project. This process will help you generate new ideas and refine the existing ones. 

Using the Research Project Canvas to verify ideas

The Research Project Canvas consists of two distinct parts. Filling these contrasting sides will ensure that your research project is needed and you have the resources to successfully execute it.

Importantly, the Research Project Canvas will reveal if something isn’t going to work so that you don’t waste your time on a research proposal destined for failure. For example, it might be that you simply do not have the resources needed to deliver the anticipated results. Or that the project duration set by the funding agency is not enough time to solve the problem.

Finding dead ends right at the start is exactly what you want! It is better to find the challenges before you have invested days or weeks writing a full research proposal.

Since the Research Project Canvas only requires one page, you can come up with multiple variations in a couple of hours to help you decide which approach you like the best.

The left side of the Research Project Canvas covers the Reasons we Should do this:

• The research project is tackling an important problem.
• The project can reasonably be expected to deliver the anticipated results. 
• The results are going to impact the community, the sponsor, or science in general, and their dissemination will have an impact. 
• The proposed research project fulfills the funder’s requirements.

The right side of the Research Project Canvas deals with the aspect of Can we do this:

▪ The proposed methodology and available resources can achieve the defined objectives.

▪ You or your team are the right people to tackle the problem. 

▪ The proposed research project can be performed in a timely and cost-efficient manner.

Start writing the research proposal

Now that you have the Research Project Canvas and know how to fill it, go ahead and produce some ideas. Once you have selected the best idea and refined it, you are ready to start writing a full research proposal. Now this task will be much easier since you will already know what content should go into each part.

A Research Proposal Template with a Key Sentence Skeleton will be a further help for your writing process. You can read about it and download the template here . I even managed to set up ChatGPT that automatically converts the Research Project Canvas into a Proposal draft. See here how it works.

To get inspired by real-life winning research project examples, read this article .

The Research Project Canvas will help you to conceptualize research ideas and write a very good proposal. The problem is, there are a lot of “very good” grant proposals out there and to maximize your chances of being selected for funding, yours has to be more than very good . 

Your proposal has to stand out from other proposals that are equally worthy. Otherwise, you are at a risk of being one of the applicants that is given the most frustrating feedback of them all:

Your proposal received a high score but due to the unavailable funding, it can not be supported.

You can learn how to write a research proposal that stands out by reading my book “ Write a Winning Research Proposal “. It will show you how to write the proposal in a way that excites and convinces any reviewer . You will learn how to come up with Key Sentences, then expand upon them using Story Structure. You will see how to create convincing figures, improve readability, prepare supplementary documents, and learn a formula for pitching your proposal.

Birth of the Research Project Canvas

I was inspired to create the Research Project Canvas technique after reading the Business Model Generation . As described in the book, the Business Model Canvas provides a way to swiftly explore different business ideas and decide which ones to follow through with. The Business Model Canvas also serves as a means for communicating with business advisors, and it helps with writing a full-fledged business plan. 

I felt that this concept was similar to scientists validating research ideas, negotiating with partners, and writing a research project proposal, so I developed a canvas that would apply to the scientific field.

Hey! My name is Martins Zaumanis and I am a materials scientist in Switzerland ( Google Scholar ). As the first person in my family with a PhD, I have first-hand experience of the challenges starting scientists face in academia. With this blog, I want to help young researchers succeed in academia. I call the blog “Peer Recognized”, because peer recognition is what lifts academic careers and pushes science forward.

Besides this blog, I have written the Peer Recognized book series and created the Peer Recognized Academy offering interactive online courses.

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Please note you do not have access to teaching notes, the research design canvas: a tool for creating better studies.

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

ISBN : 978-1-78756-336-0 , eISBN : 978-1-78756-335-3

Publication date: 10 April 2019

Designing a top-quality research study is a complex challenge. We introduce the research design canvas as a tool to help researchers manage this complexity and create better studies. Completing a research design canvas requires researchers to a priori articulate one or more research questions, identify a gap in the literature in need of closing, select a guiding theory or theories, construct hypotheses, choose a sample, select measures, recognize boundary conditions, plot a data analysis strategy, ascertain a study’s limitations, clarify the value added of key research partners, pinpoint a target journal for potential publication, and think ahead about their backup plans in case the research process goes awry. Many studies are doomed to bad fates by poor decisions about these elements. Using the research design canvas can help researchers ensure that they have selected a valid approach to each element, reason through the interrelationships among each decision point within the canvas to ensure that there is consistency among them, and critically assess whether the design as a whole provides the basis for a new advance. By doing so, scholars may be able to improve their chances of defying the high rejection rates of leading journals.

• Research design
• Theory development
• Construct measurement
• Research questions
• Data analysis

Ketchen, D.J. , Bergh, D.D. and Boyd, B.K. (2019), "The Research Design Canvas: A Tool for Creating Better Studies", Standing on the Shoulders of Giants ( Research Methodology in Strategy and Management, Vol. 11 ), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 63-76. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-838720190000011006

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Using the Research Study Design Canvas: 9 Steps from Idea to Protocol

Aug. 5, 2021, 8 a.m..

Are you looking for an intuitive, social, and fun way to design a research project? Design canvases are a great way to develop a team-based and fluid plan. Thanks to Alexander Osterwalder who is credited with the inception of the Business Model Canvas in 2005, we now have a highly visual method to display our plans.

Getting Started

First, make sure you have a copy of the STAT59 Research Study Design Canvas . We prefer to print these out onto a 24 x 36 inch poster and hang it on the wall. Next, get a bunch of sticky notes. We usually use the small 2" x 2" notes. The idea here is to write each idea on its own sticky note so that they can be easily moved, replaced, deleted, or updated. Then, assemble your team. This may be you alone, or, it may be your research planning team. We prefer smaller, more agile teams at this stage, probably 8 people or fewer.

Hang the poster on the wall. Write a snazzy name for your project at the top.. Put your name in the Canvas Creator  box. Write the date at the bottom, and version if you like. Grab some pens, coffee, snacks if you are so inclined, and get ready to have some fun. Just follow these simple 9 steps to get your project rolling.

1. Objectives

This first step in using the Research Study Design Canvas is to think about the objectives of the study. This is often the most difficult piece of research design. The first question to ask yourself (and your team if you have one) is "What am I trying to prove?" Taking a few minutes here to carefully consider this question can be very enlightening. And, knowing what you are trying to prove will shape the rest of the canvas and your project.

On a sticky note writhe the single primary objective of the study. Remember that the best studies have a clear and focussed single primary objective. If you have carefully considered the "What am I trying to prove" question, this objective often is strikingly obvious.

• On one sticky note, write the research hypothesis.
• Write the null hypothesis on another note.
• Use a third note to write the alternative hypothesis

Finally, use another sticky note to describe any additional descriptive outcomes. These are outcomes that you will include in the results and discussion of your project, but that will not be part of formal hypothesis tests.

Having some trouble settling on the objectives? Make sure to take your time at this point. Getting the objectives correct is critical. Maybe the team needs a break? Maybe it is a good time to speak with some content experts? See our short YouTube Video on setting objectives for some inspiration.

Once you are sure your objectives are correct, you are ready to move on to the second step.

2. Audience

Defining the audience for your study is critical. The research team should carefully consider the question: "Who cares?"

Write a brief description of the target audience on a sticky note, and place it in on the research design canvas. If you are targeting several groups, use a separate note for each. Also, think about the channels you will use to reach the audience. A textbook? Journal Article? Blog post? Instagram? List each potential channel on its own sticky note.

3. Value proposition

The second part of the "Who cares?" question looks at the value the research project will provide for the target audience.

Think about why the findings of the study would be important to the audience and write it on a sticky note. If you have several reasons, use several sticky notes. What are the costs of not knowing the answer? What are the benefits to knowing the answer? Taking time early in the research study design process will ensure that the study remains focused on truly solving a problem. And, as a bonus, sorting this out here on the Research Study Design Canvas will make writing the discussion of your project a snap.

4. Background

Writing the background - or introduction - to a scientific paper, poster, abstract, or even LinkedIn article can be tricky. We want to make sure that we provide adequate but not excessive background. But how?

In this step, the team should consider the question, "Could this possibly be true?"

Start by writing a brief description of the mechanism of how your hypothesis could be true. Try, as much as possible, to rely on facts and principles rather than wild speculation.

Next, find at least three references that support your mechanism. It may be a good time to take a break here, and do a quick search on Medline, Google Scholar, or another academic database. Write a quick citation for these articles and place them on the canvas. These are the articles you will cite when you write the introduction to your project.

A quick pro-tip. Make sure to refer to the audience when thinking about the background. The level of explanation and the character of the reference articles must match the target audience.

5. Analysis

Setting the analysis - or study design- is next.

Choosing the methodology can be tricky. A useful paradigm is to aim as close to the top of the Evidence-Based pyramid as you can reasonably attain. It involves a careful balance of cost versus sophistication. Having trouble? Consider speaking to some members in the target audience, and ask them what level of evidence would be necessary for them to believe your hypothesis. Hint: If you are considering several options, our YouTube Channel has an introduction to many common study designs.

Next, write a brief description of the statistical plan. Get help if you need it. This is a great time to involve the statistician or analyst. It is much easier to ask for help now to plan a good design than to ask for help later to fix a bad design.

At this stage, it should be obvious what data will be needed. Look back at the analysis plan. A simple rule is to attain all the data needed to prove your hypothesis, and no more than that. Write a brief description of the data needed on a sticky note and apply it to the canvas.

Knowing what data you need, how will you get it? Where will the data come from? How will it be accessed? How will it be recorded?

Next, think carefully about permission. Do you have permission to use the data for research purposes? A common fallacy is assuming that having permission to see the data also gives you permission to use it for research. This, unfortunately, is not true. I have seen many student projects ruined when eager students planned fantastic designs, only to find that they did not have permission to use the data for research. Make sure the team has a plan to pursue the correct ethical and logistic permission for data access.

7. The Research Team

Write a sticky note for each team member. With a name and short list of responsibilities. And add the sticky notes to the canvas.

When thinking about the team construction, look  back at the research study Canvas so far and make sure your team is complete:

• Who will perform the analysis?
• Who will collect the data?
• Do we have a content expert who can write the background?

What are the costs of the study?

Write a sticky note for each cost category. This can include financial costs (money) or other costs (infrastructure, time, etc).

How will the costs of the study be addressed. Use the space on the canvas to list actual and potential funding sources. This is a great time to ask your friends, colleagues, and mentors about potential funding sources.

Am I Done Now?

Are you done? Not yet. One of the most important feature of design canvases is that they are fluid documents. The best way to keep your canvas up to date and relevant is to hang it in a place where all the team members can see it. It is common for research projects to change over time: new funding sources may become available, team members come and go, and data may not be available. With the Research Study Design Canvas, you can simply change the sticky notes as the project develops.

What about version control? How do you keep track of the changes? In most cases, the canvas is best thought of as the current best plan. Personally, I like to photograph the canvas before major changes are made, and the photographs serve as an archive.

Finally, the canvas is designed as a tool to aid your thinking. It is not a rigid protocol to be followed, but rather a suggested road map.

Are you using the canvas for your project? Have you found new ways to use the canvas? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. We would love to hear your thoughts.

By: Jeffrey Franc

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How Do I Make a Research Poster in Canva?

Creating a research poster is an essential task for many academics and professionals. It allows you to visually present your research findings in a concise and engaging way. Canva, the popular graphic design platform, offers an easy and intuitive way to create stunning research posters. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of making a research poster in Canva.

Choosing the Right Template

Canva provides a wide range of pre-designed templates for various purposes, including research posters. To get started, open Canva and sign in to your account (or create one if you don't have it already). Once you're logged in:

• Click on "Create a design" on the top right corner of the dashboard.
• In the search bar, type "research poster" and hit Enter.
• You'll see a variety of research poster templates. Browse through them and choose the one that best suits your needs.
• Select the template by clicking on it.

Customizing Your Poster

Now that you've selected your template, it's time to customize it according to your research requirements:

To modify the text in your poster:

• Click on any text element in the template.
• Type or paste your content directly into the text box provided.
• If needed, you can change the font style, size, color, alignment, and other formatting options using the toolbar at the top.

Add Images and Graphics

A picture is worth a thousand words! You can enhance your research poster by adding relevant images or graphics:

• Click on the "Elements" tab on the left sidebar.
• Choose from a variety of elements, such as images, shapes, charts, and icons.
• Drag and drop the selected element onto your poster.
• Resize and reposition it as needed.

Modify Colors and Background

To change the colors and background of your poster:

• Click on the "Background" tab on the left sidebar.
• Select a solid color or choose from various background patterns available.
• To use your own image as a background, click on the "+" button and upload your image.

Saving and Sharing Your Poster

Once you've finished customizing your research poster, it's time to save and share it with others:

Save Your Poster

• Click on the "Download" button located at the top right corner of Canva's interface.
• Select your preferred file format (e.g., PDF or JPEG) for downloading. Make sure to choose a high-resolution option for print purposes.
• Wait for Canva to generate your download file. Once ready, click on the download link to save it to your computer.

Share Your Poster

You can also share your research poster directly from Canva:

• Click on the "Share" button located next to the "Download" button in Canva's interface.
• Select whether you want to share a link or invite collaborators via email.
• Follow the prompts to finalize the sharing settings and share your poster.

That's it! You've successfully created a research poster in Canva. Remember to proofread your content and ensure that all visual elements align with your research objectives. With Canva's user-friendly interface and extensive customization options, you can easily create professional-looking research posters without any design skills.

About the author:

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Research Model Builder Canvas

Description

Developed by Dr.Benjamin Ellway, the Research Model Builder Canvas can be used to take apart journal articles and reassemble them to produce a one-page visual summary of what the specific research looks like in the topic area. The template has nine sections: Literature, Observations and Arguments, Research Questions and Hypotheses, Contributions, Sample/Context, Methodology/Design/Methods, Theory and Concepts, Problem / Phenomenon, and Philosophical Assumptions / Research Paradigm. Learn more about how to use this process in our article Build Research Models To Use As Blueprints For Your Academic Research Project

Concept Map

UX research canvas

This UX research card template can help you:

• Guide research efforts for your organization.
• Organize information gathered through research.
• Summarize your findings.

Open this template and add content to customize this UX research card diagram to your use case.

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Looking for more templates?

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Research Template

Keep all your user research in one place and collaborate with your team.

Trusted by 65M+ users and leading companies

About the Research Template

Teams can document findings from usability testing sessions and customer interviews into a systematic, flexible user research template. Collecting everyone’s observations into a centralized location makes it easier to share insights company-wide and suggest new features based on user needs. 

Keep reading to learn more about the Research Template.

What is a Research Template

Research templates can be adapted to work with different design methods or user research techniques. When it’s your job to ask questions, take notes, learn more about your user, and test iteratively, a Research Template can help you validate your assumptions, find similarities across different users, and articulate their mental models, needs, and goals. 

User research helps teams avoid designing for themselves, and instead turn their attention to who will actually use your product, in what context they’ll be using your product or service, and what they need or expect from your brand or organization. 

Research templates can be used to record two different types of data or observations:

Quantitative:  numbers-based research, or anything you can count. This includes the number of users and percentage changes. It helps teams understand what is happening on a website or app. 

Qualitative:  opinion-based research, or anything that can take place in the form of a question-and-answer format (closed questions), or conversational exchange (open questions). 

Whichever way you choose, a Research Template will help you keep your designs informed, contextual, and user-centric. 

When to use Research Templates

A Research Template can be used at any stage of the product or service design life cycle. 

Right now:  No time like the present. The earlier you start your research, the bigger the impact your research findings will have on your product or service. 

At every stage of the design process:  User research can reveal important findings that can be applied to your product or service. This increases its value.

In the earliest stage of the project:  Not every team can budget for research every step of the way. In that case, do the most research as early as possible in the project. Make sure to reserve some time and budget for conducting supplementary research later on in the process, too.

Create your own Research Template

Participating in user research efforts as a team is important. Everyone can get involved, better understand the user they’re designing for, and clarify why certain decisions are based on user research findings. 

Get started by selecting the Research Template, to make one of your own:

Record your observations and make revisions where needed.  Assemble a cross-functional team who can empathize with your users: designers, engineers, product managers, user researchers, marketers, and support team members will all have valuable input to contribute. Nominate someone in your group to facilitate. This person will lead the conversation with the user participant. Everyone else will listen and watch for potential roadblocks and epiphanies for the user.

Take notes.  The user research template’s columns and rows are customizable and can be renamed to record elements such as observational goals, tester details, and emotions that emerge during the conversation. These notes can also be useful for people unable to attend the session. 

Bring it all together.  After the user interview sessions are done, group similar notes into themed clusters. What are the pain points for the customer? Where were the opportunities for delight? Sometimes notes will come together into logical themed clusters, but sometimes you’ll have “odd one out” observations that don’t fit anywhere. You can gather these into a “basket” or collect them into a separate area in case they may become useful later.

Adapt as needed throughout the research and design process.  Ideally, this process will help you develop features side-by-side as a team, rather than go through a hand-off process with all the involved departments. The Research Template is flexible enough to be adapted to best serve your team’s needs.

Get started with this template right now.

Experience Mapping Template

Works best for:.

Desk Research, Mapping

Plan your product according to your customer’s needs and desires with the Experience Map Template. Bring a customer-centric approach to product development and branding.

Job Map Template

Design, Desk Research, Mapping

Want to truly understand your consumers’ mindset? Take a look at things from their perspective — by identifying the “jobs” they need to accomplish and exploring what would make them “hire” or “fire” a product or service like yours. Ideal for UX researchers, job mapping is a staged process that gives you that POV by breaking the “jobs” down step by step, so you can ultimately offer something unique, useful, and different from your competitors. This template makes it easy to create a detailed, comprehensive job map.

2x2 Prio Matrix Template

Understanding the balance between importance and difficulty is crucial for effective decision-making and progress. To aid in prioritization, a simple 2x2 matrix can map these factors on the x-axis and y-axis, respectively. This framework allows you to assess the trade-offs and tensions involved. The lower left quadrant represents quick wins, while the upper left quadrant consists of luxury items that may be costly with limited returns. The upper right quadrant contains strategic items that require significant investments for substantial results. Finally, the lower right quadrant houses the most valuable items, offering high impact at a lower cost.

Kano Model Template

Desk Research, Product Management, Prioritization

When it comes down to it, a product’s success is determined by the features it offers and the satisfaction it gives to customers. So which features matter most? The Kano model will help you decide. It’s a simple, powerful method for helping you prioritize all your features — by comparing how much satisfaction a feature will deliver to what it will cost to implement. This template lets you easily create a standard Kano model, with two axes (satisfaction and functionality) creating a quadrant with four values: attractive, performance, indifferent, and must-be.

Empathy Map Template

Market Research, User Experience, Mapping

Attracting new users, compelling them to try your product, and turning them into loyal customers—it all starts with understanding them. An empathy map is a tool that leads to that understanding, by giving you space to articulate everything you know about your customers, including their needs, expectations, and decision-making drivers. That way you’ll be able to challenge your assumptions and identify the gaps in your knowledge. Our template lets you easily create an empathy map divided into four key squares—what your customers Say, Think, Do, and Feel.

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How to Get Access to ISU Canvas

April 1, 2024

Everyone who will be using ISU Canvas should begin by requesting a sandbox .

The initial Sandbox in ISU Canvas is for you to utilize while you complete the ISU Canvas Faculty Essentials training. This initial sandbox course gives you a space to learn the nuanced differences between ISU Canvas and Moodle ISU without worrying about the effects on a specific class that will eventually have students in it—and will save you the frustration of having to undo the work of building a content course before learning how different Canvas will be and which new features you can use to your benefit.

After successful completion of the ISU Canvas Faculty Essentials course, additional  Sandbox courses may be requested to import, adapt, and modify specific courses. The additional sandbox courses can then be used as model courses to import into live courses, which will be available for teaching beginning in Spring 2025 (with all courses being taught in ISU Canvas in Fall 2025).

How many sandbox courses can I request?

After you have completed the ISU Canvas Faculty Essentials, you can request as many as you need.

What if I have used Canvas before?

While Canvas may be familiar to some, the ISU Canvas Faculty Essentials delves beyond the Canvas help documentation, providing a deeper understanding of ISU-specific resources. This training equips ISU faculty with the knowledge and tools necessary to effectively use ISU Canvas for diverse instructional needs. Your experience as a student in this course will also help you determine which ISU-specific course Framework and other templates you might choose to adopt for your courses.

If you’re a faculty member with previous experience using another instance of Canvas, you might approach the ISU Canvas Faculty Essentials training strategically and start by attempting the knowledge check quizzes. Once you’ve learned the specifics of how to migrate from Moodle ISU to our specific instance of Canvas, you’ll be able to request additional sandboxes where you can build your content courses.

You will want to pay special attention to Module 9 which focuses on preparing your Moodle ISU courses for importing into Canvas. 

For more information and FAQs about Canvas see the Canvas Transition website .

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UTMB student named All of Us Research Scholar

April 4, 2024 • 2:25 p.m.

Hannah Luk, a medical school student at the University of Texas Medical Branch John Sealy School of Medicine, has been selected to be a student researcher for the 2023-2024  All of Us Research Scholar Program.  

The  All of Us  Research Scholar Program pairs early-career investigators with health research professionals and gives students access to data and training in programming and using machine learning in research.  

“They match you with a mentor, and then you essentially carry out a research project, including a poster presentation or an oral presentation at the end,” Luk said. “What drew me to the program was its uniqueness in that it's really focused on precision medicine.” 

The program encourages use of National Institutes of Health’s  All of Us  Research Program’s Researcher Workbench, a dataset that includes study participants from communities that have been underrepresented in past health research.  

A main objective of the program is to include at least one million United States residents who reflect the diversity of the United States in a dataset that is broadly available for biomedical research.  

The precision medicine approach considers individual differences in patients' genes, environments, and lifestyles.  

Luk recently worked on a research project that looks at genetic resilience of type 2 diabetic nephropathy in self-reported Black/African Americans. She will now be able to continue this research. Type 2 diabetic nephropathy, also known as diabetic kidney disease, is a condition characterized by kidney damage resulting from chronic high blood sugar levels. While increased levels of glycated hemoglobin are indicative of poor blood sugar control and may contribute to the progression of end-stage renal disease.

“A lot of times diabetic nephropathy is talked about in the sense of comorbidities leading to chronic kidney disease, which is true,” Luk said. “But we're looking at a genomic component that is associated with type 2 diabetes actually being protective of diabetic neuropathy.” 

If a genetic difference causes type 2 diabetes to protect a patient from kidney disease rather than contribute to kidney disease, that finding would be important to a precision approach to treating specific patients.  

“If we're able to understand that protective level or protectiveness at the level of the gene, then a lot of treatment management and drug therapies can be altered to help mimic that,” Luk said.  

Luk, a first-year med student with a chemical engineering degree, worked as a reservoir engineer for seven years. She wanted to leverage the research experience she gained during that time by applying it to medicine.  

“The training I had and the resources I had just being at a corporation were pretty helpful and taught me how to answer questions,” Luk said. “I think just keeping up to date with research is something that won't ever go away for me. Whether I end up going into academics versus clinical medicine, I don't know yet.” 

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