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Research Working Group Development & Research Project Proposal and Approval Process

This policy explains the process of creating a working group for the research arm and outlines the collaborative and supportive  approval process for research projects.

Rationale

The Exposure Therapy Consortium (ETC) is dedicated to advancing research and clinical applications of exposure-based treatments. To ensure that submitted studies align with the Consortium’s mission and meet rigorous ethical and scientific standards, all research proposals undergo a structured approval process. This process ensures that studies contribute meaningfully to the field, adhere to ethical guidelines, and maintain methodological rigor. Consortium projects are those that engage two or more sites within the Consortium. This process is designed to be a collaborative and supportive process to enhance the fit of the projects for the Consortium.

Overall Objective of Working Groups

ETC Research Working Groups (R-WGs) offer a collaborative platform for consortium members to design, implement, and publish research projects or develop grant proposals that align with the ETC's mission of improving exposure therapy effectiveness, reach and implementation. Projects can span from experimental studies in healthy individuals to clinical studies in patient populations. R-WGs can be formed to conduct two types of projects:

  1. Research Projects: These projects involve the collection and analysis of data to address specific research questions related to exposure therapy. The goal is to develop low- or no-cost proposals that can be completed by interested consortium sites without the need for funding.  

  2. Grant Proposals: R-WGs can collaborate to develop grant proposals for securing funding to support larger-scale exposure therapy research initiatives.

Steps for Developing a Research Working Group

  1. Idea Generation: Identify a research question or grant opportunity that aligns with the ETC's goals and is of interest to multiple consortium members.

  2. Team Formation: Assemble a team of ETC members with relevant expertise and shared interest in the proposed project or grant proposal. This team should include a designated chair to lead the group's efforts.

  3. Proposal Development: The R-WG develops a detailed proposal outlining the aims, hypotheses, methods, analysis plan, and publication strategy for the research project or grant proposal. Pilot testing of all study methods is strongly recommended before applying for ETC approval. Consultation with the ETC Rigor and Reproducibility Committee (RRC) can occur at any point in the protocol development process.​

Procedure for Secondary Analyses

Secondary analyses are subsequent studies that arise from the primary results or main manuscript of a study. These analyses may include sub-studies. The manuscript reporting on the primary analyses must be published before any secondary analyses or sub-studies are published. 

  1. Complete a pre-registration providing the following information:

    • Provide a brief rationale for the secondary analysis, explain how it's different from the primary outcome analyses

    • Sample: if you are not using the full sample, indicate what subsample will be used and provide a rationale

    • Hypotheses: List the hypotheses you are testing and provide an analytic plan for each hypothesis. Your analytic plan should state exactly which variables will be used, including covariates, time-points, and how you are handling missing data.

    • Disclose status of planned analyses in relation to this pre-registration (no access to data prior to pre-registration, data accessed but analyses not conducted, preliminary analyses conducted, proposed analyses conducted).

  2. Review and agree with the authorship guidelines for ETC secondary analyses. 

  3. Complete a submission through the Submissions Portal

  4. Work with the study PI to procure the dataset.

Approval Process

​1. Submission

The submissions portal is designed to initiate working group proposals and research projects, ensuring transparency, communication, and coordination across research and clinical efforts. It collects details on project title, description, involved members, timeline. This form ensures organized tracking of projects within the Exposure Therapy Consortium.

 

2. Review

Upon submission, proposals undergo review by the R-SC to confirm completeness and match with the ETC’s mission and standards for scientific rigor and reproducibility, in consultation with the RRC.

 

The committees, which include experts in exposure therapy and treatment outcome research, meet to discuss and assess the proposal based on the following criteria:

  • Scientific Merit: Does the study employ sound methodology and analytic plan that can be reproduced across sites?

  • Innovation: Does the study contribute new insights or address gaps in the field?

  • Feasibility: Is the study design practical and achievable?

  • Ethical Integrity: Does the study align with ethical research standards and protect participant welfare?

If concerns arise, the committee may request revisions and resubmission before proceeding.​

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3. Consortium Approval Decision

To maintain the ETC's dedication to advancing research of exposure-based treatments, the following decisions are possible after the review process. This process is designed to be a collaborative and supportive process to enhance the fit of the projects for the Consortium.

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Following review, the proposal will receive one of the following decisions:

  • Approved: The study meets all criteria and may proceed as planned.

  • Approved with Revisions: The study requires minor revisions before approval is granted.

  • Pending further review: Substantial changes are necessary, and the revised proposal must be resubmitted for review.

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