phd research consent form

Sample consent and permission forms

General consent form to participate in research (DOC)

Two stage project consent form (DOC)

Parent permission form for research with child (DOC)

Child assent form (DOC)

Multiple consent form including audio-recording and quotations (DOC)

Photo and video consent form (DOC)

Video-recording consent form (DOC)

Re-contact agreement form (DOC)

Post-debriefing consent form (DOC)

Sample Consent Forms

Consent form templates.

These consent form templates have been posted for your reference.  When completing and IRB submission in IRBIS, please fill in the application and use the consent form builder specific to your project.  For more information, please find instructions here .

Summary of Changes to the Regulations for Informed Consent:  Revised Common Rule Changes to Informed Consent and Waiver Requirements

Summary of Changes to Consent Documents:

• Informed Consent Documents – Version 2.0 Summary of Changes
• Informed Consent Documents – Version 2.1 Summary of Changes
• Informed Consent Documents – 10/26/2020 Summary of Changes
• Informed Consent Documents – 4/10/2023 Summary of Changes

Concise Summary examples can be found here .

Guidance on the use of plain language in consent forms:

• Clinical Research Glossary
• Webinar: The Promise of Plain Language: Launching a Glossary to Support Participant Understanding of Clinical Research – Recording & Slides

There are a few additional forms that are not provided online and may be accessed below.  As needed, these should be completed and uploaded to your IRB application.

Foreign Language Consent Forms

COVID-19 Related Forms:

• Spanish-IRB-COVID Information Sheet
• Spanish COVID Consent Letter v2
• Spanish COVID Informational Sheet Translation Certificate

Informed Consent Short Form (for a single subject who may be illiterate, or otherwise unable to read the consent form — used when full consent form has to be read or translated for subject).

• Informed Consent Short Form Guidance
• Simplified Chinese

HIPAA Templates

• Sample HIPAA Authorization Template
• Sample HIPAA Authorization Template in Spanish ( Certification )

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IRB Consent Form Templates

A collection of informed consent, assent, and debriefing templates that can be used for your human participant research study.

General Consent Form Templates

Social and Behavioral Research Projects (last updated 03/16/2023)

Biomedical Research Projects (last updated 07/18/2022)

Consent Form Templates for Specific Biomedical Procedures

MRI and fMRI

Blood Collection by Finger Stick

Blood Collection by Venipuncture

Oral Consent Template

Guidance for Protocols Involving Oral Consent

Debriefing Template

Guidance and Template for Debriefing Participants

Studies Involving Children (Assent/Permission Forms)

Parent-Guardian Permission for Studies Involving Children

Sample Parental Notification Form

Sample Child Assent Form

Performance Release for Minors

Performance Releases

Performance Release for Adults

Template participant consent form and participant information sheet

Providing information about the research to participants, and gaining consent from participants before their involvement is a critical part of conducting ethical research.

Participant information sheet

All participants need to be provided access to an information sheet, and to understand the full details of the research, and how they will be involved. Please use the following template:

• Template participant information sheet
• Template participant information sheet veterinary research

Participant consent form

Before research begins, it is important to first obtain participant’s consent on the basis of their full and proven understanding of what the research will entail. Please use the following template:

• Template participant consent form

These templates should be followed as far as possible, as these have been developed using national guidance and expert input from Committee members and Lay Members. However, there may be times when it is appropriate to deviate from the templates in order to meet the needs of a specific research population.

The  Health Research Authority  and  UK Research and Innovation  webpages contain further guidance and templates on good practice when consenting participants.

Good practice in consenting participants

You should consider innovative ways of providing consent that are appropriate to your research population, for example, in addition to participant information and consent forms, could you provide the information using visual methods, such as a recorded video, or a study leaflet. Could you develop your forms in partnership with the communities who will take part in the study? Please see the 'informed consent' section of the  research ethics handbook for further guidance.

Back to: Research

UCL Research Ethics

Producing participant recruitment documents

Recruitment documents help people make informed choices about whether to participate in a research study. Find out how to write a Participant Information Sheet, example forms and further guidance.

Writing a Participant Information Sheet

Participant Information Sheets must be designed to assist participants to make informed choices. Potential recruits must be given sufficient information to allow them to decide whether or not they want to take part. The process of obtaining consent and the accompanying documentation must be approved by a research ethics committee and, where only verbal consent to research is contemplated include consideration of an appropriate process for witnessing the consent.

Researchers must take the steps necessary to ensure that all participants in the research understand the process in which they are to be engaged, including why their participation is necessary, how it will be used, and how and to whom it will be reported so that the prospective participant can make an informed decision about whether they really do want to take part.

It is highly recommended that the information provided is presented on headed paper and is accurate, clear and simple so that someone with a reading age of 8 would understand the contents (use short words, sentences and paragraphs). The information should be specific to the proposed research and appropriate for the social and cultural context in which is it being given. It is important to avoid technical terms, jargon and abbreviations, bias, coercion or any inappropriate inducements.

What should the Participant Information Sheet include?

• A friendly invitation to participate.
• A brief and simple explanation of the purposes of the research and a statement explaining how the participant was chosen and how many other participants will be involved in the study.
• A statement that participation is voluntary; refusal to participate will involve no penalty or loss of benefits to which the participant is otherwise entitled; and the participant may discontinue participation at any time without penalty or loss of benefits.
• A thorough explanation of the expected duration of participation in the research and the procedures to be followed.
• A description of any reasonably foreseeable risks or discomforts and any benefits to the participant. For research involving more than minimal risk, an explanation as to whether any compensation or any medical treatments are available if injury occurs and, if so, what they consist of, or where further information may be obtained.
• A statement describing the extent, if any, to which confidentiality of records identifying the participant will be maintained.
• It is considered good practice for researchers to debrief participants at the conclusion of the research and to provide them with copies of any reports or other publications arising from their participation.
• If appropriate, a statement indicating that the data might be used for additional or subsequent research.
• An explanation of who to contact for answers to pertinent questions about the research and the rights of the participant and who to contact in the event of a research-related injury to the participant.
• If applicable, a statement declaring that each researcher who may have access to children (aged under 18) or vulnerable adults has undergone a satisfactory criminal records check.
• Remember to thank your participant for considering taking part in the study and include a statement indicating that the research study has been approved by a UCL Research Ethics Committee.

Language and layout

It is highly recommended that the information provided is presented on headed paper and is accurate, clear, and simple. The information should be specific to the proposed research and appropriate for the social and cultural context in which is it being given. It is important to avoid technical terms, jargon, and abbreviations, bias, coercion, or any inappropriate inducements.

The following points should be considered when writing an information sheet:

• Use clear, non-technical language. We recommend that you refer to the  Plain English Campaign
• Use appropriate language for the target audience. For example, consider the different ways needed to communicate with primary school children as opposed to their teachers, or people with expertise in the area of study as opposed to people with no such knowledge
• Divide the text into paragraphs for ease of reading
• Consider using sub-headings for clarity, such as questions and answers
• Make sure the font and font size are legible.

Ask someone else to review your information sheet before it is circulated.

Recruitment documents i.e., invitation letters/ emails, recruitment posters etc 

In your ethics application, you will need to upload any materials that you plan to use to advertise your study and invite potential participants. Examples include: invitation letters or emails to gatekeeper organizations or potential participants, sample social media advertisement posts, recruitment posters or leaflets. Please ensure your materials include the following information:  

• Clearly state that this is a UCL research project, and that it is a PhD/master’s project (where relevant). 
• Provide a clear overview of the project’s background.
• Outline what will be expected of the participants and what the inclusion/exclusion criteria are. 
• Specify whether you plan to compensate the participants for the time, and/or whether you plan to pay for travel expenses (where relevant). 

If you plan to post in any online groups, pages, or forums, please ensure you obtain permission from the admins or owners before posting.

Further guidance

• Guidance on obtaining consent from research participants online (for online and in-person study designs) , Authors: Dr Pippa Lally, Behavioural Science and Health, and Jack Hindley, Information Services Division, UCL
• Recording & Obtaining Consent , UCL Research Ethics Committee Guidance Note 2: Extract from Nuffield Council on Bioethics website

Example forms (annotated)

• Template Participant Information Sheet  (Word)
• Template Consent Form  (Word)

Page last updated: August 2024

Informed Consent and Consent Forms for Research Participants

Informed consent is a communication process by which researchers reach agreement with people about whether they wish to participate in research. Confusing informed consent with a signed consent form may violate the ethical intent of informed consent, which is to communicate clearly and respectfully, to foster trust, comprehension, and good decision making, and to ensure that participation is voluntary.

Consent forms are often written in “legalese” and are long, complex, and often inappropriate to the culture or language of the potential subject, insulting, and virtually impossible for most people to comprehend. They convey to some the impression that signing such a formal-looking document commits them to participation. Among subjects who willingly sign documents, most sign the consent form without reading it.

How has this come to pass? Early concern with ethics of human research was about biomedical research and focused on the necessity of obtaining informed consent. Over the decades, the elements of informed consent have grown in number, as has the idea that informed consent is a form that is to be signed by the subject. According to the Federal Regulation of Human Research 46.117(a):

Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, informed consent shall be documented by the use of a written consent form approved by the IRB and signed by the subject or the subject’s legally authorized representative. A copy shall be given to the person signing the form.

However, many researchers and the Institutional Review Boards that govern their research fail to recognize that 46.117(c) provides for a waiver of signed consent forms:

(c) An IRB may waive the requirement for the investigator to obtain a signed consent form for some or all subjects if it finds either: (1) That the only record linking the subject and the research would be the consent document and the principal risk would be potential harm resulting from a breach of confidentiality. Each subject will be asked whether the subject wants documentation linking the subject with the research, and the subject’s wishes will govern, or (2) That the research presents no more than minimal risk of harm to subjects and involves no procedures for which written consent is normally required outside of the research context.

The reason for obtaining a signed consent form has always been much more to protect the researcher and the institution than to serve the interests of the research subject. In case the subject claims later that consent was inadequate or omitted, the researcher can counter by showing the form. Recently, the Office of Human Research Protection has imposed highly publicized and costly sanctions against a few research institutions. Understandably, IRBs and research administrators consider it in their self-interest to make highly conservative decisions. Since IRBs must take steps to justify waiving documentation of informed consent by deeming the research to be minimal risk, many consider it safer not to do so, fearing that such an action might leave them open to questions by the OHRP. Thus, the reason for obtaining a signed consent form is typically to protect the institution, not the subject. Researchers, science, institutions, subjects, and IRBs would all be better off if they made intelligent interpretations of the requirements of the Common Rule.

The Social and Behavioral Sciences Working Group has made various recommendations based on the Common Rule, designed to guide social and behavioral researchers and IRBs out of such conundrums. The authors, both members of the Working Group, developed recommendations concerning informed consent, some of which are summarized here:

1. Informed consent should take the form of an open, easily understood communication process. Typically, this means a friendly verbal exchange between researcher and subject, with a written summary of the information for the subject to keep, as appropriate. (The copy for the subject to keep would be inappropriate if the written record of the subject’s participation could be damaging to the subject, as when the research is about domestic violence, or illegal behavior). Both the verbal and written discussion should be brief, and simply phrased at such a level that all of the subjects can understand it.

2. Subjects must receive enough easily understood, accurate information to judge whether the risk or inconvenience involved is at a level they can accept. The responsibility rests with the investigator to describe any risks accurately and understandably. There are many kinds of minor or everyday risks or inconveniences that most persons would gladly undertake if it were their choice to do so, but which they would not wish to have imposed upon them unilaterally. However, some may make a rational decision that the experience would be too stressful, risky, or unpleasant for some idiosyncratic reason that applies to them and not to other subjects.

3. Especially when the research procedure is long and complex, the researcher must make it quite clear that the subject is free to ask questions at any time. Informed consent, as a conversation (not a form), needs to be available throughout the research, as subjects do not necessarily develop questions or concerns about their participation until they are well into the research experience. For example, a discussion of confidentiality may not capture subjects’ attention or comprehension until they are asked some quite personal questions in the ensuing research experience.

4. When subjects can readily refuse to participate by hanging up the phone or tossing out a mailed survey, the informed consent can be extremely brief (a sentence or two). Courtesy and professionalism require that the identity of the researcher and research institution be mentioned, along with the nature and purpose of the research. However, if there are no risks, benefits, or confidentiality issues involved, these topics and the right to refuse to participate need not be mentioned, as such details would be gratuitous and might decrease participation by implying greater risk that actually exists. If the researcher has any connection with the institution at which the subjects receive health care or other essential services, it is necessary to mention the right of the research subject to refuse or withdraw without prejudice. Such rights may be honored implicitly by making it clear that you are asking their permission to involve them as research subjects.

5. Verbal informed consent need not be detailed and written consent is not appropriate when the research is not concerned with sensitive personal information and when subjects are peers or superiors of the researcher.

6. The cultural norms and life-styles of subjects should be considered when deciding how to approach informed consent. For example, research on homeless injection drug users should probably be preceded by a several week-long process of “hanging out” and talking with them. The resulting informal communication will raise issues they wish to discuss with the researcher. The conditions under which the research is conducted can then be negotiated orally between the researcher and the community members, as appropriate. Written documents and signed forms would expose subjects to risk of arrest and serve no redeeming purpose.

7. A wide range of media are appropriate for administering informed consent. Video tapes, brochures, group discussions, web sites, community newsletters, and the “grape vine” can be more appropriate ways of communicating with potential subjects than the potentially confusing formal consent forms that often are used.

8. When written or signed consent places subjects at risk, it must be waived. There are times when the written record is the only evidence that the subject has participated in a study in which there is acknowledgement or appearance of situations that would place the subject at risk.

9. When it is important to have some record of the informed consent but when written or signed consent would place the subject at risk or be difficult for the subject to read, one useful procedure is to have a trusted colleague witness the verbal consent.

10. Community consultation, or meeting with community leaders of the potential subjects, is a useful way to plan research that is likely to raise sensitive questions among those to be studied and members of their community. This is not a substitute for individual informed consent, but often clears the way for potential subjects to be ready to decide whether to participate.

11. In certain circumstances, persons are not in a position to decide whether to consent until immediately after their participation, e.g., in brief sidewalk interviews, which persons are likely to welcome.

12. Some research cannot validly be conducted if all details are disclosed at the outset. The alternatives to outright deception of subjects are to a) obtain permission to provide only a description of what the subject will experience, with an agreement that the full details of the study will be disclosed afterward; b) obtain permission to engage in concealment or deception with the understanding that pilot research has shown that peers of the subject do not find such concealment or deception objectionable and that a full explanation will follow their participation, c) explain that the subject might be enrolled in one of several possible conditions and to gain permission to disclose in which of these the subject was actually enrolled after his or her participation is completed.

Author’s Note: The Social and Behavioral Sciences Working Group (formerly a part of the National Human Research Protections Advisory Council but now an independent body) chaired by Felice Levine helped to develop these ideas.

Reference Melton, G., Levine, R. J., Koocher, G., Rosethal, R., & Thompson, W. (1988). Community Consultation in Socially Sensitive Research: Lessons from Clinical Trials on Treatments for AIDS. American Psychologist , 43, 573-581.

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About the Authors

Joan Sieber is professor of psychology at California State University, Hayward. She received her bachelor's, master's, and doctorate from the University of Delaware. Robert J. Levine is professor of medicine and co-chair of the interdisciplinary bioethics project at Yale University. He is also the founding editor of IRB: A Review of Human Subjects Research.

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• Consent Form Templates

Human Research Protections Office

[email protected]

620 W. Lexington St. Second Floor Baltimore, MD 21201

P 410-706-5037

Office hours are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

* The Human Research Protections Office is working remotely and is ready to assist our community during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, we request you contact us via email to promote a prompt response. With apologies, currently voicemail messages may be delayed in reaching us and cause a longer wait time for us to respond to your requests. We thank you for your patience and look forward to assisting you.  

* Only the UMB IRB approved consent/assent templates (with the UMB logo) will be accepted when UMB IRB is the IRB of record

** Effective December 4th, 2023, the University of Maryland Baltimore Human Research Protections Program (HRPO) will adopt a revised version of the informed consent document (ICF) template. This announcement applies to new studies only that submit their application in CICERO after December 4th, 2023.

Consent and Assent Form Templates

• Informed Consent and HIPAA Authorization Form Template (Post 12-4-2023) : This template should be used as the consent document guide for all new research studies, including parental and LAR permission (consent) forms, submitted for IRB review on or after December 4th, 2023. 
• Informed Consent and HIPAA Authorization Form Template (Pre 12-4-2023) : This template should be used as the consent document guide for all research studies, including parental and LAR permission (consent) forms, submitted for IRB review before December 4th, 2023.   ( Informed Consent Concise Summary Examples 2019 )
• Assent Form Template : This template should be used to assent participants ages 13-17 and, if applicable to your study, cognitively impaired participants.
• HIPAA Authorization Form : All Non-VA uses.
• UM Dental School additional Consent Form Template : If you are conducting business through the School of Dentistry, add this paragraph.
• VA Informed Consent and HIPAA Authorization Form Template : This template should be used as a guide if your study is being conducted at the Baltimore VA. ( VA IC and HIPAA Guidelines ) 
• Revocation of HIPAA authorization (VA Form 10-10116)
• VA HIPAA Waiver Request (VA Form 10-0521)

Informed consent is required to be presented in language understandable to potential participants. The HSHSL Health Literacy guide contains a list of Plain Language resources .

The Health Sciences and Human Services Library offers a Research Consent Form Review service to improve consent form readability. Library staff will review your consent form and suggest changes that will help simplify the language, lower the reading grade level, and make the consent form more understandable to potential participants. * As a free service to all UMB faculty, researchers are strongly encouraged to use this service.

Click Here To Request a Research Consent Form Review

The following basic elements of informed consent are required to be disclosed in all research consent forms pursuant to 45 CFR 46(a-b):

Basic elements of informed consent.

• A statement that the study involves research, an explanation of the purposes of the research and the expected duration of the subject's participation, a description of the procedures to be followed, and identification of any procedures that are experimental.
• A description of any reasonably foreseeable risks or discomforts to the subject.
• A description of any benefits to the subject or to others that may reasonably be expected from the research.
• A disclosure of appropriate alternative procedures or courses of treatment, if any, that might be advantageous to the subject.
• A statement describing the extent, if any, to which confidentiality of records identifying the subject will be maintained, including the possibility that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may inspect the records if applicable.
• For research involving more than minimal risk, an explanation as to whether any compensation and an explanation as to whether any medical treatments are available if injury occurs and, if so, what they consist of, or where further information may be obtained.
• An explanation of whom to contact for answers to pertinent questions about the research and research subjects' rights, and whom to contact in the event of a research-related injury to the subject.
• A statement that participation is voluntary, refusal to participate will involve no penalty or loss of benefits to which the subject is otherwise entitled, and the subject may discontinue participation at any time without penalty or loss of benefits to which the subject is otherwise entitled.

Additional elements of informed consent. When appropriate, one or more of the following elements of information shall also be provided to each subject:

• A statement that the particular treatment or procedure may involve risks to the subject (or to the embryo or fetus, if the subject is or may become pregnant) that are currently unforeseeable.
• Anticipated circumstances under which the subject's participation may be terminated by the investigator without regard to the subject's consent.
• Any additional costs to the subject that may result from participation in the research.
• The consequences of a subject's decision to withdraw from the research and procedures for orderly termination of participation by the subject.
• A statement that significant new findings developed during the course of the research that may relate to the subject's willingness to continue participation will be provided to the subject.
• The approximate number of subjects involved in the study.

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Templates for informed consent forms

Notes to researchers

The language used throughout form should be at the level of a local student of class 6th/8th

Please note that these are templates developed by the WHO ERC to assist the Principal Investigator in the design of their informed consent forms (ICF). It is important that Principal Investigators adapt their own ICFs to the outline and requirements of their particular study. The logo of the Institution must be used on the ICF and not the WHO logo.

The informed consent form consists of two parts: the information sheet and the consent certificate.

Do not be concerned by the length of these templates. They are long only because they contain guidance and explanations which are for you and which you will not include in the informed consent forms that you develop and provide to participants in your research.

These templates include examples of key questions that may be asked at the end of each section, that could ensure the understanding of the information being provided, especially if the research study is complex. These are just examples, and suggestions, and the investigators will have to modify the questions depending upon their study.

In these templates:

• square brackets indicate where specific information is to be inserted;
• bold lettering indicates sections or wording which should be included;
• standard lettering is used for explanations to researchers only and must not be included in your consent forms. The explanation is provided in black, and examples are provided in red in italics. Suggested questions to elucidate understanding are given in black in italics.

Download 'informed consent' form templates

• Informed consent for clinical studies
• Consent for storage and future use of unused samples
• Informed consent for qualitative studies
• Informed assent for children/minors
• Informed parental consent for research involving children (qualitative)
• Informed parental consent for research involving children (clinical)

University Ethics Committee Information sheet & consent form

The UEC has drafted templates for researchers to use as a starting point when developing a Participant Information Sheet and Consent Form for their projects.

It is important that you tailor the Participant Information Sheet and Consent Form for your participant group and project.  For example, use appropriate language for the age and understanding of your participant group, remove paragraphs related to risk where not relevant and only use the options on the Consent Form related to audio recording, human tissue etc., if these apply to your project.

If your project is within the remit of your Department or School Ehtics Committee you should use your Department or School Ethics Committee details as the contact point in the Participant Information Sheet and not the Secretary of the University Ethics Committee as set out in the template.

These templates will not be appropriate for NHS studies and the NHS template should be used if you are making an IRAS application. 

Download  PIS and Consent Form Template

Data protection 

In order to comply with its responsibilities under data protection legislation, the University of Strathclyde is also required to provide important information regarding how we use research participants’ personal information and their rights under the legislation.

Please ensure that whenever personal information is being processed for research purposes, each participant is provided with a Privacy Notice. This Privacy Notice should be used in conjunction with the above PIS consent form template, to ensure all necessary information is provided to participants.

Download the  Privacy Notice for Participants v0.8

University Branding

All participant documentation must have the correct University branding. 

View University branding guidelines

Digital Accessibility

Digital accessibility is about making sure that everyone can access our information. In order to have informed consent, it's important that online or digital content is developed in a way that allows people to use it no matter how they choose to access it (e.g. with assistive technologies). There are many helpful resources that can help you to make your participant documentation more accessible. 

• A guide to understanding what makes a typeface accessible – The Readability Group
• Captioning Key and Description Key – Described and Captioned Media Programme
• Making audio and video media accessible – W3C
• Create and verify PDF accessibility (Acrobat Pro) – Adobe
• PAC 2021 Free PDF Accessibility Checker – PDF/UA Foundation

The University also has guidance and training on digital accessibility:

• tips for creating accessible content .
• MyPlace course: Introduction to Digital Accessibility
• MyPlace course: Microsoft Office Accessibility

 Some additional links:

• Understanding the Web Accessibility Guidelines ( WCAG 2.2 )
• Accessibility Maze Game
• WebAIM Contrast Checker
• Tanaguru Contrast Finder
• Colour Contrast Matrix
• Dyslexia example page
• POET Alt Text training tool

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Meet your advisor.

Appointments are required to discuss the following:

• Review degree program requirements
• Track progress in the program
• Review graduation procedures and deadlines
• Clarify university and department policies and procedures
• Leave of absence

To schedule an appointment please email your academic advisor. 

Department Consent Form Use this form to request an override into PHY 792, 795, and/or 799. Please have the form signed by the professor who will be giving you a grade at the end of the semester. Submit the form to the Graduate Coordinator when complete.

Maintain Continuous Enrollment Form 

Use this form if you anticipate not enrolling for one or more semesters. Graduate students must have their leave of absence approved in advance. 

Supervisory Committee Nomination Form

Advisor must be chosen and committee must be formed no later than end of semester after oral comprehensive is passed or TA support is jeopardized.  

Report of Doctoral Comprehensive Exams This form is required on the day of your comprehensive exams. When complete, please submit to the Graduate Coordinator.  

Report of Dissertation Prospectus This form is required on the day you deliver your prospectus. When complete, please submit to the Graduate Coordinator.

Forms required by  Graduate Education  are found here: https://graduate.asu.edu/forms/index.html

Student Handbooks, Policies, and Procedures

Physics PhD Student Handbook

Graduate Policies and Procedures

Master of Natural Science (MNS) Graduate Student Handbook

ASU TA/RA Handbook

How to submit an iPOS

Teaching Assistant Application

The teaching assistant application is available ONLY for students enrolled in the Physics PhD program. Students will be notified by email when the application is available. Students seeking TA support must apply every fall, spring and summer semesters.

MNS Resources

Course descriptions.

MNS courses include Modeling Workshops, and are typically offered in summer sessions so as to be compatible with full-time appointments in the high school system nationwide. The program is designed for summer only attendance.

Download a detailed list of courses and descriptions  here . View the summer schedule at that same page. 

4-year course rotation (tentative)

Summer Housing 

Affordable housing is available! In 2019, it cost about $750 for 3 weeks, including about $25 for linens (optional) for a private bedroom and shared bath.

Please contact  Jane Jackson  for more information.

1. How many credit hours should I enroll in? Students enrolled in the Physics PhD program must enroll in a minimum of 9 credit hours every fall and spring semester. Per International Students & Scholar's Office, international students are required to enroll in 9 credit hours.

2. How do I enroll in research or dissertation credit? When enrolling in research or dissertation, students must submit a Department Consent Form. This form is found under the Forms section of this page. The instructor who you will enroll with (typically your research advisor) is required to sign this form. This helps the department keep track of who is involved in research, and with who.

3. How can I find deadlines for dropping and adding courses? All deadlines related to academics can be found of the  Academic Calendar .

4. What does it mean to Audit a course? Will an Audit course affect my GPA?

• Auditing a course is when a student registers for a course, but does not receive credit for the course, and receives a grade of “X.”
• An audit course will not go on your Plan of Study (iPOS), nor will it affect your GPA.
• You will choose to Audit a course when enrolling

5. What is a Plan of Study (iPOS)? The Plan of Study (iPOS) functions as a contract between the student, the academic unit, and Graduate Education.

• Students must submit thier iPOS by the time they have enrolled for 50 percent of the minimum credit hours required for the program.
• The iPOS contains degree requirements such as coursework, committee, comprehensive exams, graduation deadlin.
• An approved iPOS MUST be on file before a student can take the comprehensive exams
• A "How to Guide" for submitting the iPOS is found here  https://graduate.asu.edu/sites/default/files/how-to-ipos.pdf  

Engineering Tomorrow: Dr. Morris’s Path in STEM and Passion for Mentoring the Next Generation

FEATURE STORY

Like many engineers, ashley morris was born inquisitive..

Though she was born in Louisville, Ashley grew up on a small 5-acre farm in Shelbyville, Kentucky. Along with her parents and younger brother and sister, she spent her childhood exploring the outdoors. She loved fishing in their pond, touring the barns, climbing trees, and playing in their treehouse. Oftentimes you could find the siblings building makeshift climbing platforms from tobacco sticks in the barns, or utilizing ropes, pulleys, and other tools found around the farm to rig pulley systems in the trees. Here, Ashley was the lead engineer, carefully instructing her brother, Tyler, on where in the tree to climb and place a pulley. Their younger sister, Anna, often served as their test subject. Small enough to fit in a milk crate, Anna wore their father’s ironworker helmet as she was hoisted into the trees. It was in these childhood experiences that Ashley found her passion for designing, building, and discovery.

Fast forward to high school and Ashley was accepted into the Kentucky Governor’s Scholar Program (GSP) where she spent 5-weeks at Eastern Kentucky University studying her preferred program of engineering. Ashley still speaks fondly of GSP to this day and remembers crying when her parents came to pick her up at the end of the program because she simply did not want to leave. The GSP experience was an incredible opportunity for Ashley, where she formed new friendships and ideas, embraced her independence, honed her leadership skills, and nurtured her inquisitive spirit. This was also Ashley’s first formal introduction to the field of engineering. One of her favorite memories was working with a group of friends to design, build, and race a cardboard boat.

Unfortunately, Ashley struggled to relate to some of the engineers who were brought in to teach about the field. It was the early 2000s, and the field trips and engineering lectures were limited to one or two engineering disciplines. “We would take field trips and it was usually to mining or civil engineering firms. While I now understand those to be excellent career paths, at the time I couldn’t really see myself in either of those disciplines,” Ashley says. “I just didn’t know how multi-faceted the field of engineering could be or where I might fit”. In addition, the engineering lectures were presented as dry and boring, led primarily by much older men. Overall, Ashley feared engineering might not be the right fit for her after all.

Ashley attending the Kentucky Governor’s Scholar program while in High School

“I had discovered finance wasn’t for me, so I decided I really needed to revisit engineering. And I’m so thankful that I did!”

Ashley morris, principal research engineer.

After GSP, Ashley began her undergraduate studies at the University of Kentucky with a major in finance, unsure of her career goals. After some progression, Ashley realized she wasn’t passionate about the business field. Fortunately, Ashley stayed interested in the work of her friends, who were students in the College of Engineering.

“I had friends in the college of engineering who really enjoyed it, and I had discovered finance wasn’t for me, so I decided I really needed to revisit engineering,” Ashley says. “And I’m so thankful that I did!”

Ashley changed her major to mechanical engineering and began trying to catch up on her coursework. It was in 2007 that a friend approached her about a possible position at CAER. Dr. Matthew Weisenberger was finishing his PhD and needed an undergraduate student to assist him with tensile testing of carbon fibers. Ashley was hired and got to work assisting Matt in the lab. Ashley’s early days at the center allowed her to engage in hands-on research which subsequently laid the foundation for the advancements she’d soon make in the lab. As part of her undergraduate position, she assisted Matt in the development of CAER’s solution spinning line, used to produce carbon fiber precursors. The spinning line is now considered the largest solution spinning line at an academic institution in North America. She remained under Matt’s mentorship as she completed her BSc and MSc Mechanical Engineering degrees and was hired as a full-time engineer in the CAER Carbon Materials Group in 2011.

While working full-time at CAER, Ashley began coursework in 2015 toward her PhD in Materials Science and Engineering. In November 2021, she successfully defended her PhD while 7 months pregnant with her first child. She recalls writing her dissertation while pregnant: “Looking back, I don’t know how summoned the energy, while pregnant, to come home from a full day of work, go to my home office, and write for hours,” Ashley says. “I definitely would have preferred to nap!”

Dr. Ashley Morris defending her PhD in 2021

Currently, Ashley is a principal research engineer at CAER, a role she’s held since 2016. In addition to experimental work, the position includes responsibilities such as project management, funding acquisition through proposal writing, authorship of reports, presentations, and peer reviewed publications, and mentoring staff and students. In this position, Ashley doesn’t get to do as much hands-on material processing as she has in the past. However, she still tries to make time to get into the lab frequently to check on processes, perform materials characterizations, and help others, which makes those days in the office that much more exciting. One of her favorite parts about her work is the people she does it with. Ashley loves collaborating with her team.

Ashley is among a new generation of women engineers who are paving the way for women in science. According to the Society of Women Engineers, in 1980 only 20% of material scientists were women, compared presently to 36%. Progress is being made, slowly but steadily. In a field traditionally dominated by men, women in scientific research often face unique challenges.

Ashley’s daughter, Emma, is now 2.5 years old, and she and her husband, Jad, also welcomed a baby boy, William, in 2023. He is now a year old. Ashley loves her roles of being both an engineer and a mom. While it can be a lot to balance kids and work, Ashley has felt extremely supported by CAER and her boss, Matt Weisenberger, now CAER Associate Director.

“Matt has two kids of his own and he’s been through this. He understands the challenges that come with trying to balance work and family,” Ashley says. “Everyone, regardless of whether you have children or not, has a personal life they have to balance with the expectations of their career. As a supervisor and team member, it’s important to remember that and to be supportive of others.”

“Believe in yourself. Focus on what you want to do. Find encouraging mentors who cheer you on toward your goals, through all of the ups and downs you may encounter. Don’t let one bad experience derail you from pursuing what you love.”

There have been a lot of strong, intelligent scientists who have paved the way for people like Ashley; and have been wonderful examples of perseverance through the adversaries of a largely male-dominated field. Ashley strives to be a good example of work ethic and attitude to the younger scientists, engineers, and students who enter CAER. When asked what advice she would give to other young people, Ashley says:

There are many people (too many to name!) whom Ashley would like to thank for instilling a love of science in her and helping her realize her potential. She is grateful for her siblings and parents, who are always extremely supportive of any venture she chooses to take. Ashley specifically says that her mother has always been her inspiration and cheerleader and is the epitome of a strong woman. She is blessed by a family that has no shortage of independent, driven, and focused women. Her husband, Jad, has been by her side daily as she completed her degrees and continues to pursue her career ambitions. Ever supportive, and an amazing father to their children, she would not be where she is today without him. Ashley has been inspired by so many teachers throughout her life, but is particularly grateful for her middle school teacher, Ms. Dunn, who encouraged Ashley and helped her further cultivate her love of math. And, of course, she is thankful to CAER’s Dr. Matt Weisenberger for taking a chance on a new engineering student with zero experience, and for training her in how to think and work as an engineer. It is because of the support and encouragement of those around her that Dr. Ashley Morris is the engineer she is today. It isn’t easy balancing the multifaceted roles of being a mother, wife, and researcher, but the field is adapting to become more inclusive of ALL scientists. Dr. Morris hopes she can be a strong mentor to those who need guidance finding their place in the world of STEM.

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