New Research Projects

Welcome to the Krasnow Institute’s MRI Suite! The neuroimaging resources are open to qualified users, so whether you arrived at this page because you are interested in collaborating with one of the neuroimaging core of the Krasnow Institute’s (NICKI) principal investigators on new or ongoing research, or you would like to apply the suite’s technology and resources to your own research program, this page will help you get started.

Steps

• Submit a proposal to NICKI (Proposal Application Form)
• Provide appropriate GMU HSRB and/or outside IRB documentation
• Complete human subject research education requirement
• Provide documentation of HIPAA certification (if applicable)
• Upon proposal approval, complete MRI safety training
• Request time on the calendar

Submitting a Proposal
New research projects using the MRI scanner are initiated with a research proposal to NICKI. New projects may already be funded, or the goal of the project may be to collect pilot data for a grant application. All proposals are reviewed and approved by NICKI based on:

• Scientific merit
• Feasibility of the research on existing equipment
• Availability of equipment

Approved proposals will be assigned resource time based on availability. Continued resource time will be based on the progress of the work and the ability to secure funding.

Guidelines for Pilot Proposals

• Applications for pilot experiments should follow the application steps listed above and must include results from the behavioral study if the experiment is for functional MRI and/or provide justification for structural applications if the study is MRI only.
• Pilot experiments that are accepted will be permitted a session with the MRI Technologist to work out their scanning protocol and to test with a phantom.
• Pilot experiments will be permitted to run 3 (if the study is on one population) and 6 (if the study includes more than one population of interest) subjects to collect data for the purposes of validating the task and protocol and collecting data for grant submission purposes (unfunded pilot studies will be charged a nominal rate to compensate the time of the MRI Technologist - see fees below).   

Language for use in all GMU HSRB protocols and consent forms involving the use of MRI (Template).

NOTE:  Only studies with approved GMU HSRB protocols will be considered by NICKI.  If an investigator is not a GMU faculty member, they will also need to provide IRB approval documentation from their home institution.

Imaging Fees

Pilot = 45.00/hr.
Grants funded by nonprofit and/or governmental sources = 557.00/hour
Grants funded by industry = 1114.00/hr

Letters of Support for Using the Krasnow MRI Suite

Principal investigators (PIs) should contact Dr. Layne Kalbfleisch, GMU Director of MRI Safety and Operations (email: mkalbfle@gmu.edu), to obtain a letter of support for the proposed use of the scanner facilities.  Please provide the grant title, deadline, names of collaborators to be listed as key personnel in the proposal, and your contact information including name, mailing address, phone, fax and email address.