Player scripts provide players with role-specific materials for playing the game.
A script is available for each of the roles - Lead Research Director, Contestant, Research Director, Judge, Ethics Board Reviewer, Grant Holder, and Secretariat Staff.
Scripts include practical materials such as a step-by-step timelines, samples, and fill-in forms.
Lead Research Director
The Lead Research Director can be an individual or a small group of Research Methods teachers who head up the entire Contest from start to finish.
- They are responsible for recruiting, setting timetables and deadlines and communicating information among players and the Secretariat Staff.
- They run an organized and professional Contest experience for all involved.
Contestant
A Contestant is a social science student who submits a Research Proposal to an external grants review, the Contest.
- The applicants with the best Research Proposals will be selected as Grant Holders and honoured with the Research Work of Outstanding Merit award.
- Research Proposals can be submitted by individuals or teams of up to five students.
- The Contestants are expected to have produced a Research Proposal in supervised course work, preferably in the TRC Fund$ Game and Research Institute scenarios.
- The application period runs for about two weeks at the end of the semester. Proposals are vetted by Research Directors, Judges and Ethics Board Reviewers.
Research Director
The Research Directors are teachers who supervise the production of Research Proposals as part of course work and who agree to sponsor student Contestants for the Contest.
- By signing entry forms for student Contestants, the Research Directors certify that they have supervised all or some of the proposal work and agree to sponsor the Contestant.
- The winners’ Research Directors will receive honourable mention on the TRC website.
- One or more Research Directors acting as Lead Research Director supervise the overall operations of the Contest.
Judge
The Judges are volunteers from a variety of sectors within the college – teachers, students, staff and administration.
- They set criteria and choose the winning proposal(s) from the Contestant submissions.
- The Judges will disband and the Contestant files will be deleted once a winner is selected.
Ethics Board Reviewer
The Ethics Board Reviewers are a few volunteer students, teachers, staff members or administrators.
- They are responsible for ensuring the proposals are aligned with relevant Ethical Codes of Conduct and Institutional Research Boards. The Contest proceedings operate according to Tri-Council Policy Statement 2 (TCPS 2) directives.
- The Reviewers:
- Complete an interactive online Tri-Council Policy Statement 2 (TCPS 2) Tutorial “Course on Research Ethics (CORE).”
- Evaluate short-listed proposals using an Ethical Evaluation Form and report the results to the Judges before the second reading.
Grant Holder
The Grant Holders are Contestants, either individuals or teams, who, after having entered the Collegiate Contest, are selected by the Judges and approved by the Ethics Board Reviewers to be the winner.
- The winners become Grant Holders once they sign the Grant Holder Agreement, indicating acceptance of the terms of publication on the website and the duties and obligations related to the Research Work of Outstanding Merit award.
- The Grant Holders will have their name, institutional affiliation, photo and proposal posted on the TRC website, with all the rights afforded an author.
- The Grant Holders may be presented with their Research Work of Outstanding Merit award at their convocation ceremonies.
Secretariat Staff
The Secretariat Staff is responsible for the publication of Collegiate Contest Grant Holders winning proposals.