Program Evaluations

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Program Evaluations

Bioscience Graduate and Training Program Evaluations

Provided by the Gulf Coast Consortia (GCC)

Training the next generation of bioscience researchers is a tremendously rewarding responsibility and an increasingly recognized challenge! Graduate schools are tasked with providing a stellar learning environment that is innovative, safe, inclusive, and collaborative, while nurturing and guiding young scientists through myriad opportunities for

  • personal and professional growth
  • advanced scientific knowledge
  • fulfillment of degree requirements.

Development in these areas better prepares trainees to excel in independent careers in academia, industry, government, not-for-profits, or other chosen fields.

GCC Program Evaluation assesses the quality and effectiveness
of your graduate programs, your T32, or other training program.

 

Essential items for students, program directors, and institutions:

  • Program Reputation: quality and responsiveness of faculty, staff and administration; student career outcomes; overall environment; support services
  • Educational Offerings: comprehensive didactic learning; hands-on lab experience; scientific collaborations; multi-disciplinary learning
  • Technical Skills: equipment; lab techniques; exposure to core facilities; computer/data science
  • Soft Skills: leadership; mentorship; poster and presentation skills; scientific writing
  • Career Opportunities: internships, career preparation; job centers; connection to program alums
Graduate Program Evaluation

By identifying your graduate program’s strengths as well as its opportunities for growth, graduate program directors and coordinators can make necessary adjustments to

  • maximize the potential of their programs and
  • have a greater impact on their trainees.

Our review process allows your academic programs to

  • assess student learning,
  • evaluate student career preparation,
  • reflect on the program’s achievements,
  • plan effectively for the future, and
  • ensure that your programs and related activities are aligned with your graduate school’s mission and strategic plan.
T32 and Other Training Program Evaluation

Training program evaluation is strongly recommended or required by various institutes within NIH as well as privately funded grants. Reporting back to your funding entity or NIH Program Official (via the RPPR) annually about trainee activities, enrichment and outcomes, and being responsive to trainee needs is essential for a successful program and for renewal of your training grants.

Our surveys will identify areas of accomplishments and areas needing improvement related to

  • Training environment (welcoming, inclusive, supportive)
  • Communication and openness within the program
  • Trainee growth in knowledge, confidence, professional skills, technical skills
  • Trainee aspirations and preparations for future careers
  • Mentoring relationships
  • Additional program or student needs.
Regular data collection is essential for a successful program!

An Evaluation Plan description to support your grant application, proposal, or renewal can be provided.

The GCC has the expertise to produce high quality analysis and reports. We provide assessments at an affordable rate to communicate results to program facilitators and other stakeholders.

Please contact us for further information, personal consultation and a customized evaluation plan and proposal. We look forward to learning about your program evaluation needs and how the GCC can be of assistance. Please contact Vicki Alger (va22@rice.edu) or Melissa Glueck (glueck@rice.edu).

Testimonials about GCC Evaluation Services:
  • “Entirety of the [evaluation] process has been well planned, executed and extremely valuable
  • “[Post-evaluation] workshops were well delivered and highly efficient.”
  • “Faculty and staff were all complementary of the [evaluation] process, … they valued the process they were undertaking to discover our strengths and weaknesses.”
  • “This speaks volumes to the high quality of the process [the GCC] delivered and the outcomes [the GCC] provided.”
The application should describe:
- How the proposed evaluation will assess the extent to which the overall program is effective in meeting its training goals and objectives, and whether the research training environment is supportive of trainee development .
- The program’s procedures for responding to program evaluation findings.NIH Training Program EvaluationNIH PA-25-168
Evaluation services offered by the GCC include:
Survey Development

Survey and Grant/Program Review

  • Review grant or program plan (goals, components, outcomes, etc.) and any previous surveys and results (if available).

Survey Construction

  • Customize survey to ensure quantitative and qualitative measures provide meaningful information.
  • Create survey variations to collect meaningful data from students, alumni, and faculty for comparison purposes.

Survey Administration includes: 

  • Administering to students, alumni, and faculty. Having an external evaluator ensures confidentiality.
  • Sending initial and numerous follow-up emails to achieve high response rates. Response rate goal ~50%.
Structured Interviews

Interview Types

  • Trainee/Student/Alumni Interviews (current and former up to 5 years)
    • Inclusivity of program
    • Impact on career choice
    • Supportive environment
    • Knowledge/learning
    • Productivity/publications
  • Faculty Interviews
    • Do the program structure and requirements meet goals/purposes?
    • Is there differential treatment of junior vs senior faculty?
  • Program Director/Coordinator Interviews
    • Assess impacts on program goals
    • Explore changes needed
    • Determine effectiveness of educational initiatives

Interview Administration includes:

  • Customized interview preparation
  • Confidential in-person or remote interviews
Evaluation report includes: 
Survey Results Report:

Data

  • Provide descriptive statistics of quantitative data.
  • Capture qualitative data to enhance quantitative data.
  • Identify program successes and needs for improvement.
  • Determine alignment with program goals.

Evaluation Report

  • Tailored to various stakeholders: steering committee, general public (for website), institutions, requirements of NIH or other funders.
  • Various formats provided (PowerPoint presentation, PDF report, Excel spreadsheet).

Communication

  • Participation in project related meetings.
  • Presentation of results to stakeholders.
Interview Results Report:

Data

  • Provide descriptive statistics of structured interviews.
  • Identify themes from interview responses.
  • Consolidate responses into a comprehensive analysis and overview.

Evaluation Report

  • Tailored to various stakeholders: steering committee, general public (for website), institutions, requirements of NIH or other funders.
  • Various formats provided (PowerPoint presentation, PDF report, Excel spreadsheet).

Communication

  • Participation in project related meetings.
  • Presention of results to stakeholders.
Meet our evaluators:

Vicki Alger, MA, has a specialized advanced graduate degree in School Psychology which focuses on evaluation and consultation, and is a former licensed Psychological Associate with the State of Texas. Ms. Alger has been a Training Administrator for the Gulf Coast Consortia (GCC) since June 2023 with valuable experience with T32 grants. During her time at the GCC, she has completed extensive program evaluations for graduate programs in biomedical sciences, created surveys and analyzed results for a wide variety of workshops and seminars, facilitated the collection of survey data, and produced reports to communicate results to stakeholders, including GCC leadership and the Keck Executive Committee.  She has completed the following evaluation courses: Training Program Evaluation Self-Paced Learning by Northwestern University, Introduction to Evaluation 101 through American Evaluation Association, and she has participated in the pilot program for Evaluation Capacity Building for Baylor College of Medicine Training Programs. Additionally, she is a Certified Facilitator for NIH-funded Entering Mentoring for CIMER (Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research), a Certified Facilitator for NIH-funded SCOARE (Scientific Communication Advances Research Excellence) Workshops, and has completed the training for Mentoring Graduate Students, Post Docs & Early Career Faculty through NIH-funded NRMN (National Research Mentoring Network).  Ms. Alger brings her background as a former Assistant Professor of Psychology of 15 years and her experience in evaluation to identify program effectiveness. Her extensive background in developing, implementing, and evaluating curriculum and programs for a variety of ages and backgrounds provides a wide knowledge base of effective educational and evaluative strategies. Her strong background in consultation strategies, evaluation and assessment techniques, and communication styles are coupled with valuable hands-on experience to provide a comprehensive evaluation tailored for your needs.

Karen Ethun

GCC/Keck Center training program experience since 2005:

  • Instituted an evidence-based evaluation process for the GCC NIH T32 training programs in 2019.
  • Participant/evaluator for pilot program for Evaluation Capacity Building for Baylor College of Medicine Training Programs.
  • Participated in the development, analysis, and reporting of GCC evaluations for graduate programs in biomedical sciences.
  • Oversees surveys for GCC workshops and seminars.
  • Initiated Research Mentor Training Workshop offerings at the GCC in 2010.
  • 20 years of experience with T32 program management and grant applications
  • Submitted 23 multi-institutional training grants/renewals, 2013-2022; awarded 15 @ $26,821,344
  • Submitted 5 multi-institutional training grants in 2025 (2 new, 3 renewal).