For Researchers

This page provides information for those interested in using the SPGS Experimental Lab for their own research studies.

Submitting a Proposal

1. Who is eligible to submit a proposal?

Any faculty member, graduate student, undergraduate student (with faculty sponsor) or lecturer in SPGS can submit a proposal.

2. When is the deadline for submission of a proposal?

The deadline will be clearly listed in each email announcing the proposal competition. Typically, proposals are due a few weeks prior to the start of each semester.

3. How to submit a proposal?

All proposals must be emailed to Kim Fridkin at fridkin@asu.edu with the subject heading: experimental proposal.

4. How long should a proposal be?

Proposals should be a maximum of five pages (including references, tables, sample survey items).

Proposals should include the following:

A title
A description of the study design.
An explanation of the importance of the study.
Describe what the data will be used for and when it is needed. We encourage applicants to describe when the data is needed as some studies are more timely than others. Additionally, what the data will be used for, such as funding applications, publications, thesis/dissertation.
An explanation of the number of subjects needed for the experiment. We can usually provide researchers with about 30-50 subjects per condition, but this might differ depending on the number of conditions in the researcher’s design and the number of studies being conducted during the semester. We typically cannot provide more than 500 subjects for any one study.
A discussion of the length/duration of the experiment. Studies should not exceed 1 hour except for in special circumstances.
An approximate date when you will be ready to run your experiment (i.e. when do you expect IRB approval?).
An appendix with proposed questions and description of stimuli.
All studies utilizing the SPGS require IRB approval through ASU. IRB approval, however, does not need to be obtained until after the proposal has been accepted. http://researchintegrity.asu.edu/humans

The documents below are instructions for the various tasks necessary in order to run an experiment in the lab.

*If you have submitted a proposal in the past, please note we ask for more detail starting Fall 2024.

Researchers who win the proposal competition will be informed prior to the start of the semester. Researchers MUST have IRB approval before classes begin for the relevant semester. Researchers using the SPGS Experimental Lab will use specific language to communicate the study procedures in the IRB protocol form.

A new IRB Guide was created to help researchers complete an IRB application from start to finish.

*Please note the IRB protocol form changed in December 2023. The new form now includes a "conflict of interest" section.

Requesting Use

Requests for use of the lab and/or subjects are made directly to the SPGS Experimental Laboratory Director (Dr. Fridkin). Prior to the start of each semester, a proposal competition is held to evaluate the experiments for the next semester.

SPGS Lab Proposal Competition

During the summer (for experiments which will take place in the fall semester) and during the winter break (for experiments which will take place during the spring semester), an email is sent to faculty and graduate students in the School of Politics and Global Studies. Undergraduate students are also welcome to run experiments in the Lab with assistance from a faculty sponsor. Faculty are encouraged to spread the word of the proposal competition to their students.

Utilizing our large and representative undergraduate population is a perfect way to collect experimental data for your research!

The SPGS Experimental Lab can help researchers run on-campus and online experiments as well as focus group studies.

If you are interested in running an experiment for the upcoming semester in the SPGS Experimental Lab, we would like to encourage you to submit a proposal. The deadline for submission will be clearly listed in the invitation email. Proposals submitted by instructors who have helped build the student subject pool will be considered first. We expect that we will be able to run 3-4 experiments during each semester. Please see the proposal requirements below and if you have any questions, please email Dr. Fridkin (Fridkin@asu.edu).

IRB Protocol Example

Prototype Consent Form

Qualtrics Guide

Example of Successful Proposal

SPGS Experimental Lab IRB Guide

Requirements for Using the Lab

Arizona State University affiliation – At least one member of your research team must be affiliated with Arizona State University. If the principal investigator is not an Arizona State University faculty member, then there must be a faculty sponsor associated with your study.
IRB approval – All studies must be approved by the Institutional Review Board. Reviews are required for all proposed research involving human subjects to ensure that subjects are treated ethically and that their rights and welfare are adequately protected. ASU IRB has a great FAQ document (updated Jan 2024).
Lab use request – Requests for use of the lab and/or subjects are made directly to the Experimental Laboratory Director.
Pilot run/testing – Researchers are responsible for organizing a time to test or pilot their study in the lab space before running subjects.

Why Use The SPGS Lab?

There are many advantages to running studies through the SPGS Experimental Lab.

Our lab is free for ASU students and faculty to utilize.
Our average subject pool size is 1,500 students which ensures researchers are provided an adequate number of respondents.
97% of students report they are satisfied with their participation experience.
88% report that participating in research studies in the Lab has made them more interested in conducting their own research in the future.