Here is a sample letter to help build your case to attend the RTI when requesting your supervisor’s approval. The letter describes potential benefits to your institution, the health sciences librarian profession, and to your professional development. Draw upon the bullet points below to tailor the letter to your situation.
Dear __:
I am writing to obtain your approval to attend the Medical Library Association’s Online Research Training Institute for Health Sciences Librarians (RTI) from June 1, 2025–June 2026. There are many benefits to [institution], the library profession, and my professional development should I be selected as an RTI participant. If you approve my request, please send me a letter on [institution] letterhead indicating your support, which I will submit with my application.
RTI training and support will equip me with a mastery of research and assessment skills that will enable me to provide advice and assistance to other members of my health care team, so that together we can use evidence-based solutions to improve quality, reduce costs, and improve patient satisfaction.
RTI training also will make me a more effective information provider to health care professionals, patients, and consumers, enabling me to execute strategies and best practices to disseminate and implement research findings, knowledge, and tools throughout the organization.
A unique feature of the RTI is that I will acquire skills to design and implement a research project that will greatly benefit our organization because [add explanation].
Best of all, the RTI is a great value. Registration fees for the online research training institute and follow-up support are $1,795, much lower than those for most educational programs of this caliber.
If you support my request, you can expect me to return from the RTI with new research and assessment skills, a research project plan that benefits service quality, and numerous practical ideas that will further organizational research, grants, and assessment opportunities that I can immediately apply.
Please let me know if you would like additional information, or feel free to check the RTI website for details about the institute and its activities.
Sincerely,
The benefits to your institution:
• I will be able to implement research and assessment ideas that transform our institution.
• I will be able to better assist physicians with their clinical research and evidence-based medicine processes to improve patient outcomes.
• I will be able to effectively assess physician, nurse, and staff needs for quality health information at our organization and enhance services to meet those needs.
• My role, status, and collaborative opportunities among health team members, educators, and researchers will be bolstered to improve patient outcomes.
• I will acquire research and assessment skills and knowledge that I can teach at our institution.
• My research project could improve health, education, and research outcomes at our organization.
• Our institution will receive attention and recognition because I was selected to be an RTI participant.
• Opportunities to publicly present my research will bring attention to our institution.
• I will acquire competencies identified as essential for all health sciences librarians.
The benefits to the library profession and to quality health care:
• I will contribute to the research base in the field by becoming part of a new cadre of librarians who conduct, lead, and publish research.
• I will be able to improve practices in the field by doing evidence-based practice research.
• I will help meet the need for high-quality, librarian-led research.
• I will help raise the awareness of librarian-led research and the status of the profession by doing high-quality research.
• I will assist in enhancing research support services and provide professional staff with advanced research and assessment skills and methods, best practices, and research resource materials.
The benefits to your professional growth:
• I will gain greater confidence and increased competencies in research and evidence-based practice.
• I will have personalized mentoring so I can successfully complete a research project.
• I will be able to present research findings and publish in peer-reviewed journals.
• I will gain access to high-quality research resources and tools.
• I will gain access to research sources that demonstrate the value, impact, and benefits of health sciences libraries and librarians.
• I will learn the latest information on grant and funding opportunities.
• I will gain awareness of the latest developments and trends in health information research and evidence-based librarianship.
• I will network and share my ideas with research experts, experienced researchers, and fellow practitioners.
For questions regarding the RTI, please contact Susan Lessick, AHIP, FMLA, RTI Founding Director.