TU CASA Research

 

 

1. Summary of TU CASA

Transition University for Career Advancement and Successful Adulthood (TU CASA) is a post-secondary education model that was developed to address the critical needs in the community by establishing a sustainable program that: 
a. Provides 18 months fully inclusive PSE opportunities with access to typical and specialized A&M-SA services and supports. 
b. Offers a meaningful credential upon completion that addresses academic, employment, and independent living domains.
c. Utilizes a person-centered approach to meet unique student needs and enhance their quality of life.
d. Employs comprehensive program evaluation.
e. Includes a plan for replication on regional and state levels.

2. Goals & Objectives of TU CASA

The TU CASA program’s goals are designed around the development of an evidence-based, higher education transition program for students with Intellectual Disabilities (ID). The goals are as follows: 
a. Recruit and admit students.
b. Develop infrastructure and implement Person-Centered Planning.
c. Develop a plan for TU CASA students to efficiently utilize A&M-SA resources
d. Develop and integrate an inclusive higher education model.
e. Promote independent living and other critical skills.
f. Implement integrated work-based learning and career.
g. Support A&M-SA with training on inclusive PSE practices.
h. Overall effective project management.

3. Expectations

a. Opportunities for research are available within the TU CASA program and will be reviewed and approved by TU CASA program with student needs and program goals/outcomes in mind. Proposals aligned with TU CASA goals and objectives (provided above) will be prioritized based on availability and program bandwidth.
b. Consideration will be made to current research projects in progress to ensure TU CASA students, families, faculty, staff, and/or other stakeholders engaged in the program will not be overwhelmed with research responsibilities, which may affect overall program quality.
c. Applications for research will be reviewed with these (above) criteria in mind. Please address these needs explicitly within your proposal.


4. Submission and Review Process 

a. Process: Applicants should first submit a Letter of Interest addressing the components outlined below. If approved by TU CASA, the applicant(s) will be prompted to submit a full research proposal via the same portal below. If the research proposal is approved by TU CASA, the applicant(s) will be prompted to sign/agree to the TU CASA Research Partnership contract which will also be provided via the portal below.
b. Letters of Interest/Research Proposals should be completed and submitted via the submission portal (link below), on or before the 1st of the month if a review/decision is desired by the end of that given month.
c. Letters of Interest/Research Proposals will be reviewed once every month at the TU CASA program/board meeting. Applications submitted after the 1st of the month will be reviewed the following month. 
d. A Letter of Interest should be submitted prior to a full Research Proposal submission (which will only be available after Letter of Interest is approved).
e. Letter of Interest should address the following:
a. Brief overview of your proposed study:
i. Participants
ii. Method
iii. Goals/Outcomes
iv. Dissemination of results
b. How do your study’s research objectives align or support TU CASA program goals?
c. What will be the total amount of time required for TU CASA students, families, faculty, staff, and/or PIs? Please provide an estimated number of minutes/hours for each of the specific participant populations.

d. *Note: Letters will not be reviewed if they are missing any of the above components.

 

Click HERE to submit your letter of intent.