Research Application

To request permission to conduct research at Merry Lea, please submit the following at least six weeks before proposed starting date of research:

  1. 1-2 page overview of the Research Proposal including: a) background and justification, including an explanation of how project meets at least one of Merry Lea’s research objectives; b) description of study design, including data collection methodologies and/or sampling techniques, specific project location, project timeline and anticipated outcomes; c) description of the number of personnel and field-days to be spent collecting data
  2. Copies of required permits, if applicable
  3. Signed Research Agreement Form (Appendix A, see below)
  4. Completed and signed Liability Waiver (Appendix C, see below)
  5. Curriculum Vitae of the Principal Investigator
  6. Approval from your Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or Institutional Review Board (IRB) committee, if required

All correspondence and questions about research should be directed to Freya Berntson, Natural Resources Manager (freyakb@goshen.edu). 

Evaluation

Eligibility to conduct research at Merry Lea will be determined by the quality of the study proposed, the extent to which the proposal addressed Merry Lea’s research objectives and philosophy, and the study’s impact on other on-going instructional and research projects. Activities that are likely to irreversibly harm ecosystem functionality and native biodiversity will not be approved.

Decision

Applicants will submit to the Merry Lea Research Oversight Committee a Research Application (on this webpage) and Liability Waiver (Appendix C), along with a copy of their Research Proposal. If approved without modification, principal investigators will be notified of their proposal’s acceptance within four weeks of submission. However, the committee may request changes in research design, clarification of objectives, explanation of ambiguous terms, etc. A final determination will be given to the P.I. within two weeks of the Research Oversight Committee receiving the amended proposal.