Brown Virtual Lab
Research project management
Brown Virtual Lab

Reusable project pathways

One complete template can travel across many laboratories and people.

Illustrated pathway for this page

Every template carries a defined purpose, stage sequence, deliverables, readiness requirements, and stewardship frame.

Open the assignment workspace

Assignment model

A single action can create several distinct assignments.

01

Choose one template

Select a built-in pathway or a custom template created for a particular collaboration.

02

Select many recipients

Choose several group spaces, several labs, several individuals, or a combined recipient set.

03

Set shared parameters

Add the start date, due date, linked project, expectations, and stewardship notes once.

04

Preserve distinct records

Each recipient receives a separate assignment record that can progress, pause, complete, or connect with a formal project.

Complete library

Eight foundations for research, innovation, learning, and publication.

01Full scholarly project

Research Question to Publication

A complete pathway from a consequential question through readiness, methods, analysis, interpretation, writing, review, dissemination, and preservation.

12 to 36 weeks10 stages10 deliverables

Purpose

Coordinate a rigorous multi-hub project with explicit ownership, contribution evidence, decision history, and publication gates.

Stages

  1. Question and audience
  2. Evidence landscape
  3. Readiness and permissions
  4. Protocol and methods
  5. Data and analysis
  6. Interpretation
  7. Writing
  8. Internal review
  9. Submission and revision
  10. Public record and learning return

Deliverables

  • Project charter
  • Responsibility matrix
  • Protocol or analysis plan
  • Evidence map
  • Decision record
  • Contribution ledger
  • Claims matrix
  • Manuscript package
  • Dissemination record
  • Preservation summary

Readiness requirements

  • Named project lead and local stewards
  • Data ownership and access established
  • Institutional and ethics requirements resolved
  • Authorship process acknowledged
  • Secure working pathway identified
  • Review and release authority recorded
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02Evidence review

Evidence Synthesis and Literature Review

A reproducible pathway for scoping, narrative, rapid, systematic, or integrative evidence work across collaborating hubs.

6 to 20 weeks9 stages9 deliverables

Purpose

Turn a defined question into a traceable evidence landscape with transparent search, selection, extraction, synthesis, and interpretation.

Stages

  1. Review question
  2. Protocol
  3. Search strategy
  4. Screening
  5. Extraction
  6. Quality appraisal
  7. Synthesis
  8. Interpretation
  9. Writing and release

Deliverables

  • Review protocol
  • Search record
  • Eligibility guide
  • Screening log
  • Extraction form
  • Evidence table
  • Quality assessment
  • Synthesis memo
  • Manuscript or public brief

Readiness requirements

  • Question and review type selected
  • Database access confirmed
  • Reviewer roles assigned
  • Duplicate-screening plan recorded
  • Citation management pathway selected
  • Publication venue considered
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03Secondary or archival data project

Retrospective Data Analysis

A governed pathway for analysis of existing, archival, registry, operational, or secondary data with disciplined provenance and privacy controls.

10 to 32 weeks10 stages10 deliverables

Purpose

Coordinate a cross-hub analytic project while keeping data authority, definitions, transformations, limitations, and release decisions explicit.

Stages

  1. Question and cohort
  2. Data inventory
  3. Permissions
  4. Data dictionary
  5. Analysis plan
  6. Quality checks
  7. Analysis
  8. Interpretation
  9. Claims review
  10. Release

Deliverables

  • Data inventory
  • Permission record
  • Cohort definition
  • Data dictionary
  • Analysis plan
  • Code and version record
  • Quality report
  • Results tables
  • Claims matrix
  • Manuscript package

Readiness requirements

  • Data controller identified
  • Approved access pathway
  • Privacy and de-identification review
  • Outcome and denominator definitions
  • Analysis environment approved
  • Local authority for release documented
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04Methods and quality project

Data Quality and Validation

A focused template for assessing data completeness, consistency, validity, provenance, transformation, and fitness for a stated purpose.

4 to 16 weeks8 stages7 deliverables

Purpose

Create a shared quality language across hubs before analyses, models, manuscripts, or operational decisions rely on the data.

Stages

  1. Intended use
  2. Source map
  3. Field definitions
  4. Quality rules
  5. Validation sample
  6. Issue classification
  7. Remediation
  8. Fitness decision

Deliverables

  • Source and lineage map
  • Data dictionary
  • Quality rule set
  • Validation report
  • Issue register
  • Remediation record
  • Fitness-for-use decision

Readiness requirements

  • Authorized access
  • Named data steward
  • Purpose and risk level defined
  • Reference standard identified
  • Privacy controls active
  • Decision owner named
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05Innovation pilot

Research and Innovation Pilot

A bounded pilot for a new research workflow, educational method, digital tool, analytic process, or collaboration practice.

6 to 18 weeks8 stages8 deliverables

Purpose

Test a focused innovation with clear users, assumptions, safeguards, evidence thresholds, and a decision about continuation.

Stages

  1. Need and user
  2. Current process
  3. Pilot hypothesis
  4. Safety and governance
  5. Prototype or workflow
  6. Feasibility test
  7. Learning review
  8. Decision

Deliverables

  • Pilot charter
  • User and workflow map
  • Risk register
  • Test plan
  • Evidence capture form
  • Feasibility summary
  • Decision memo
  • Next-phase recommendation

Readiness requirements

  • Pilot boundary defined
  • User and stakeholder roles identified
  • Privacy and safety review complete
  • Success measures recorded
  • Stop criteria recorded
  • Decision owner named
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06Writing and publication project

Manuscript Development and Revision

A focused writing pathway for a new manuscript, stalled draft, internal review, journal revision, or coordinated response to reviewers.

4 to 14 weeks8 stages8 deliverables

Purpose

Move a manuscript through accountable writing, claims review, author review, revision, submission, and preservation.

Stages

  1. Manuscript diagnosis
  2. Audience and venue
  3. Contribution confirmation
  4. Outline and claims
  5. Draft integration
  6. Internal review
  7. Author review
  8. Submission or revision response

Deliverables

  • Manuscript brief
  • Author and contributor record
  • Claims matrix
  • Integrated draft
  • Internal review log
  • Author decisions
  • Response-to-reviewers matrix
  • Submission record

Readiness requirements

  • Manuscript owner named
  • Source files controlled
  • Contributions documented
  • Data and figure provenance available
  • Author review pathway established
  • Target venue requirements available
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07Public scholarship project

Community and Stakeholder Translation

A pathway for translating research into a responsible brief, visual explanation, workshop, presentation, conversation guide, or community resource.

4 to 12 weeks8 stages8 deliverables

Purpose

Carry evidence into public use while preserving context, uncertainty, accessibility, permissions, and audience dignity.

Stages

  1. Audience and need
  2. Evidence boundary
  3. Message map
  4. Format selection
  5. Draft or prototype
  6. Accessibility review
  7. Stakeholder review
  8. Release and learning

Deliverables

  • Audience brief
  • Evidence and claims map
  • Plain-language draft
  • Accessibility review
  • Stakeholder feedback record
  • Final resource
  • Release log
  • Learning summary

Readiness requirements

  • Audience partner identified
  • Claims approved for translation
  • Permissions and attribution clear
  • Accessibility needs considered
  • Feedback pathway defined
  • Release owner named
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08Education and learning project

Educational Resource Development

A pathway for creating a course module, case, assignment, guide, workshop, assessment, or mentor resource with evidence and learning alignment.

4 to 16 weeks8 stages9 deliverables

Purpose

Coordinate educational creation across hubs through shared objectives, source review, learner testing, accessibility, and version stewardship.

Stages

  1. Learner and purpose
  2. Objectives
  3. Evidence and source review
  4. Learning design
  5. Resource production
  6. Assessment
  7. Learner review
  8. Revision and release

Deliverables

  • Learning brief
  • Objectives map
  • Source register
  • Complete learning resource
  • Assessment and scoring guide
  • Accessibility review
  • Pilot feedback
  • Facilitator guidance
  • Version record

Readiness requirements

  • Learner group defined
  • Subject-matter reviewer named
  • Rights and source use cleared
  • Assessment purpose defined
  • Accessibility pathway selected
  • Release and update owner named
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PURPOSE IN PRACTICE

Develop people while developing evidence.

The laboratory joins rigorous inquiry, distributed leadership, peer learning, transparent contribution, mentorship, and scholarly work that prepares future researchers to serve well.

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