Clinical Research Challenge
DEADLINE: MONDAY 30 DECEMBER 2024 at 23:59 CET
The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) is excited to present the EAACI Annual Meeting Clinical Research Challenge (CRC). This unique competition is designed for medical students and early career researchers in the field of allergy and clinical immunology up to the age of 23 years. Critically evaluating and applying primary literature is an essential skill for clinical practitioners and researchers. This innovative competition offers teams of three participants the opportunity to engage in an EAACI online journal club, submit a letter of intent, and develop a clinical research proposal. Plan now to participate and showcase your expertise and creativity in advancing allergy and clinical immunology research. Don’t miss this chance to enhance your skills and make a significant impact in our field! See you in Glasgow 2025!
Rules and regulations EAACI Annual Meeting Clinical Research Challenge (CRC)
Eligibility and exclusion criteria
Participation in EAACI Annual Meeting Clinical Research Challenge (CRC) is voluntary and free of charge. This competition is open to medical and biomedical students or early career researchers up to the age of 23 years from accredited institutions all over the world and that are EAACI members. Each team will consist of three participants from the same institution.
Team Registration
A faculty member from the participating institution must complete the initial online registration form. Each team will select a team leader and provide the names and email addresses of each team member by the registration deadline, 30th December, 2024. Eligibility of all team members will be confirmed before the team can compete.
Competition Format
The Challenge will be conducted virtually and consists of three rounds:
Round 1: Online EAACI Journals Club Examination
- Teams will review a provided piece of literature from one of the EAACI journals (Allergy, Pediatric Allergy and Immunology or Clinical and Translational Allergy) and complete a set of online multiple-choice and true/false questions based on the material.
- Selection of articles of each journal and questions are prepared by EAACI JMAs members
- The examination portal will be open from 8:00 AM to midnight (CET) on the scheduled day.(Further information will be announced soon upon the specifications of the platform that will be used)
- Teams will complete a set of online multiple choice and true/false questions based on the provided literature on the scheduled examination date under the supervision of their registering faculty member or his/her designee. Potential question topics may include but are not limited to:
- Study Design/type of trial
- Null hypothesis
- Informed consent
- Inclusion/exclusion criteria
- Method(s) of randomization
- Data collection methods
- Definition and application of statistical tests
- Statistical Calculations
- Duration of treatment/length of follow up
- Primary and secondary outcome measures
- Adverse Drug Events
- Internal/External Validity
- Power
- Risk of Type I/ Type II Error
- Study strengths
- Potential bias/confounders
- Study limitations
- Impact on clinical practice
- Teams may refer to the text and figures contained in the selected Online Journal Club literature. If printed materials are used, only clean copies are permitted. Any documents with additional notations are prohibited. Again, each team is responsible for obtaining the chosen literature and obeying all copyright constraints. Only the three-member student team may confer and or discuss the item in formulating their answer. No student participant may use any additional outside text or electronic resource not previously specified and may not solicit input from any other individual. Students and/or institutions found in violation of this policy are subject to disqualification.
- A team must complete all the questions in the time of 30 minutes. Teams will NOT receive real time feedback if an answer to a given item is correct or incorrect. All items in the Online Round Journal Club are of equal value. Examinations will be scored by the percentage of items answered correctly.
- Teams achieving the top 20 scores will advance to Round 2: Letter of Intent Submission. In the event of a tie, the top 20 scores will be determined by the time required to complete the online journal club exam. All examinations will be time stamped. Time spent viewing instructional pages will NOT count toward examination time.
Round 2: Letter of Intent (LOI) Submission
- Teams will receive a clinically focused research question and will have 2 ½ weeks to develop and submit an LOI online.
- These research question will be provided by EAACI Annual meeting SPC members representing the EAACI sections.
- The LOI should include Background and Rationale, Hypothesis and Specific Aims, Innovation, Proposed Study Design and Methods, and Future Impact/Dissemination Plan.
- Teams achieving the top 10 scores after the LOI round will advance to Round 3.
A Letter of Intent (LOI) Submission refers to a preliminary proposal that outlines the team’s planned approach to a specific research question. The LOI serves as an initial step in the research proposal process and includes key elements that demonstrate the team’s understanding and plan for addressing the given research question. Here are the typical components and their significance:
Components of a Letter of Intent (LOI)
Background and Rationale:
Purpose: To provide context and justify why the research question is important.
Content: Briefly describe the current state of knowledge in the field, identify gaps that your research will address, and explain the significance of your proposed study.
Hypothesis and Specific Aims:
Purpose: To clearly state what you intend to investigate.
Content: Formulate a testable hypothesis and outline the specific objectives or goals of your research. These should be clear, concise, and directly related to your research question.
Innovation:
Purpose: To highlight what is novel about your proposed research.
Content: Explain how your study differs from existing research and what new insights or advancements it aims to provide.
Proposed Study Design and Methods:
Purpose: To describe how you will conduct the research.
Content: Outline the design of your study, including subject recruitment, inclusion/exclusion criteria, data collection methods, and statistical analyses. Address potential limitations and how you plan to mitigate them.
Future Impact/Dissemination Plan:
Purpose: To indicate the potential impact of your research and how you will share your findings.
Content: Discuss the broader implications of your study for the field of allergy and asthma and outline your plans for disseminating the results (e.g., publications, presentations).
Formatting Requirements
Font: Times New Roman, 12 points
Text Alignment: Left margin
Margins: 1 inch
Line Spacing: 1.5
Page Limit: 3 pages
Anonymity: Do not include identifying information (institution name, city, hospital identity, faculty or student names) in the proposal or the title of the uploaded file.
Submission Process
The LOI must be submitted online including a declaration acknowledging the submission is the original and independent work of the team.
Evaluation of LOI
The final score will be determined by calculating the mean of the ratings for each of the criteria listed below. The ratings will be conducted by the JMA representatives of the journals and the EAACI section members of the SPC.
Criteria:
Background and Rationale (15%),
Hypothesis and Specific Aims (20%),
Innovation (15%),
Proposed Study Design and Methods (35%),
Future Impact/Dissemination Plan (10%),
Adherence to Formatting Requirements (5%).
The top 10 LOIs will be selected to proceed to the next round based on these criteria.
Purpose of the LOI
Screening: To allow judges to evaluate the feasibility and significance of the proposed research before full proposals are developed.
Refinement: To help teams refine their ideas and receive feedback that can improve their final proposals.
Selection: To identify the most promising projects to advance to the full proposal stage.
In summary, the LOI is a crucial part of the Challenge that helps teams articulate their research plans clearly and concisely, demonstrating their project’s potential impact and feasibility.
Round 3: Research Protocol Development
- Teams will develop a complete research proposal based on the given criteria.
- Proposals must be submitted online by the deadline, 10 February, 2025.
- The top proposals will be evaluated and the winning teams will be announced by 10 April 2025.
Evaluation Criteria
Submissions will be evaluated on various criteria, including Background and Rationale, Hypothesis and Specific Aims, Innovation, Design and Methods, Timeline and Budget Adherence, Future Impact, and Overall Document Construction.
The final score will be determined by calculating the mean of the ratings for each of these criteria. The ratings will be conducted by the JMA representatives of the journals and the EAACI section members of the SPC, ensuring a fair and consistent evaluation process across all submissions.
Final Presentation
The top three teams will present their research designs during a poster session at the 2024 EAACI Annual Meeting. Each member of the winning teams will receive complimentary registration for the Annual Meeting and a cash prize.
Important Dates
- Registration Deadline: 30 December 2024
- Round 1 Examination: 10 January 2025
- LOI Submission Deadline: 10 February 2025
- Research Proposal Submission Deadline: 10 March 2025
- Winner Announcement: 10 April 2025
Prepare to showcase your research skills, gain valuable experience, and contribute to the advancement of allergy and asthma research. Join the EAACI Annual Meeting Clinical Research Challenge (CRC) and be part of this exciting journey!
Prizes:
Gold Team:
- Three complimentary full student registrations for the EAACI Annual Meeting and reimbursement of travel and accommodation costs up to…COMING SOON
- Invitation to present their research design at the Annual Meeting poster session
- Individual plaques and a team trophy
- An institutional award plaque to the institution of the winning team
Silver Team:
- Three complimentary full student registrations for the EAACI Annual Meeting and reimbursement of travel and accommodation costs up to…COMING SOON
- Invitation to present their research design at the Annual Meeting poster session
- Individual certificates suitable for framing
Bronze Team:
- Three complimentary full student registrations for the EAACI Annual Meeting and reimbursement of travel and accommodation costs up to…COMING SOON
- Invitation to present their research design at the Annual Meeting poster session
- Individual certificates suitable for framing