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.
Contact Vicki Alger (va22@rice.edu) for a cost estimate.
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. Successful renewals require empirical evidence that your program is not static, but rather a responsive, evolving ecosystem that actively addresses the diverse and changing needs of its trainees.
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:NIH Training Program EvaluationNIH PA-25-168
- 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.
Using the Kirkpatrick Model for survey and data analysis allows grant reviewers to see that you are measuring more than whether the trainees “liked” the program (Level 1 Reaction). You are systematically tracking if they learned (Level 2 Learning), how they applied it to their careers (Level 3 Behavior), and how it benefited the research community (Level 4 Results).
| Evaluation Level | Project Phase & Workstep | Description & Deliverables |
| SYSTEM SETUP
(Pre-Evaluation) |
Survey & Grant Review | Review grant goals, components, outcomes, and past survey results to map program objectives directly to Level 1–4 evaluation metrics. |
| Evaluation & Mentoring Plans
(Add-on) |
Write formal evaluation and mentoring plans (2 rounds of edits) for grant renewals, defining how Levels 1–4 will be measured. | |
| LEVEL 1: REACTION
Program Satisfaction |
Survey Construction & Admin
(Trainees and Mentors) |
Draft and administer tailored survey questions to current trainees (~100% response rate goal) to assess satisfaction, program engagement, and perceived curriculum relevance. Assess mentors’ satisfaction and self-efficacy with regard to mentoring. |
| LEVEL 2: LEARNING
Skills & Knowledge |
Survey Construction & Admin
(Trainees and Mentors) |
Gather quantitative and qualitative self-assessments from current trainees to measure skill acquisition, competency gains, and core objective mastery. Mentor feedback on trainee skills and knowledge and mentor self-assessment. |
| LEVEL 3: BEHAVIOR
Short-term Outcomes |
Alumni Surveying
(Alumni) |
Survey program alumni up to 3 years post-program (~50% response rate goal) to track short-term behavior change and to determine how training is actively being applied. |
| Mentoring Evaluation
(Alumni and Mentors) |
Assess program faculty and alumni to determine the behavioral effectiveness of active mentoring relationships. | |
| LEVEL 4: RESULTS
Long-term Outcomes |
Data Analysis & Report | Analyze aggregate data (Level 1–3 inputs) to measure overall program impact. Develop a joint action plan with the Program Director and Steering Committee for grant renewals. |
| Interim Evaluation
(Add-on) |
Scaled evaluation conducted every 2 to 3 years to track systemic program outcomes and make mid-course corrections to maximize long-term impact. |
Optional addition:
Interactive Focus Groups
As an external evaluator, GCC will conduct Interactive Focus Groups with program participants, recent alumni and/or mentors to get feedback regarding their experience in the program. These facilitated group discussions, conducted by an objective third party, are an opportunity for participants to provide their feedback as well as interact with their colleagues. Includes data analysis and report
Process
- Small groups of participants will meet for 45 minutes online with Vicki Alger, Associate Director of Training and Evaluation at the GCC.
- During this session, trainees will have the opportunity to share feedback through a variety of means including verbal discussion, Zoom chat function, anonymous polls, and forms.
- Providing multiple formats will encourage participation as well as the ability to gather some quantitative and qualitative data from each session.
Logistics
- All participants (including faculty, if applicable) will be invited to participate.
- Participant small groups will meet separately from faculty/mentor groups.
- Focus groups will be conducted online over a 45-min period
- A variety of time slots will be available.
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 is currently the Associate Director for Training and Evaluation with the Gulf Coast Consortia (GCC). Since June 2023, she has been gaining valuable hands-on experience administrating T32 grants. During her time at the GCC, she has facilitated the program evaluation process for T32 grants administered by the GCC. She has created, executed, and analyzed surveys for GCC workshops and seminars, providing reports to program facilitators, 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 BCM Training Programs Modules. Additionally, she is a certified facilitator for both CIMER (Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research) and SCOARE (Scientific Communication Advances Research Excellence) and has completed training for Mentoring Graduate Students, Post Docs & Early Career Faculty through NRMN (National Research Mentoring Network). Ms. Alger has developed, organized, and facilitated several mentoring workshops for PhD students, postdocs and faculty. Ms. Alger brings her background as a former Assistant Professor of Psychology for over 15 years and her experience in evaluating program effectiveness for accreditation through SACSCOC. Her extensive background in developing, implementing, and evaluating curriculum and programs for a variety of ages and diverse backgrounds provides a wide knowledge base of effective educational and evaluative strategies. Her strong academic 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).
