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Consent to Participate in Online Surveys for Graduate Students

(Data Collection by the UNC Office of Graduate Education)

PURPOSE OF THE NIH BEST PROGRAM: Your institution has been awarded the NIH Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training (BEST) grant. The program is meant to complement and broaden both doctoral and postdoctoral traditional training experiences so that graduate students and postdoctoral scientists are better prepared for careers in a variety of venues. At your institution, the NIH BEST program is referred to as Training Initiatives in Biological and Biomedical Sciences (TIBBS)/Immersion Program to Advance Career Training (ImPACT). The NIH BEST program activities will vary by institution, but may generally include coursework, workshops, and/or hands-on training experiences.

PURPOSE OF THE NIH BEST EVALUATION STUDY: The study involves collecting data from BEST program participants and non-participants. The purpose is to assess three desired outcomes: (1) changes in understanding of career opportunities, confidence to make career decisions, and attitudes toward career opportunities; (2) reduced time to desired, non-training, non-terminal career opportunities and reduced time in postdoctoral positions; and (3) creation/further development of institutional infrastructure to continue BEST-like activities.

PROCEDURES:

These are the activities involved in the study:

  • You are asked to participate in the current online surveys administered by your institution, an interim survey during the middle of the NIH BEST program, an exit survey at the time of defense, or when you graduate, and post-exit surveys 2, 6, 10, and 15 years after you complete the exit survey. These surveys will include questions about the following areas: (1) demographic and background information, (2) details regarding your career plans, (3) participation in career information activities, (4) understanding of career opportunities, (5) confidence in career choice, (6) department and faculty support, (7) research productivity, and (8) employment status after graduation. Your institution and NIH will share the data from these survey questions with personally identifiable information removed.
  • If you will graduate after 2019, you will be asked to participate in an exit survey administered by NIH and provide your email address in the current survey.
  • In the exit survey at the time of defense, or when you graduate, you will be asked to provide your email address and participate in post-exit surveys.
  • If you choose to participate, the data from the survey administered by your institution and the surveys administered by NIH will be linked for data analysis purposes.

POTENTIAL RISKS AND DISCOMFORTS: Your responses will be kept private. Numerous precautions will be taken to ensure the privacy of survey responses. To maintain privacy and de-identify your responses, an ID code number will be assigned to you. All records will remain protected on a secure server to prevent disclosure.

ANTICIPATED BENEFITS TO PARTICIPANTS: The information you provide in the surveys could improve doctoral and postdoctoral training experiences within the biomedical science programs/departments at your institution. Your participation in the evaluation will enable NIH to disseminate successful models of training nationwide.

INCENTIVES FOR PARTICIPATION: As a token of appreciation for your time, you will be given the opportunity to participate in a raffle for various prizes. Participation in any survey throughout the year that is associated with the BEST Award, including the annual BEST Award Survey administered through agreement with NIH, will enter you in a raffle for a prize drawing each Fall and Spring. Any supplemental surveys associated with the BEST Award will be indicated as such, and completion of each will provide an additional chance for you to win prizes (each drawing will include all entries submitted since the previous raffle). Prizes for each semester will include: one First place ($100) winner, four Second place ($50) winners, and ten Third place ($25) winners. Winners will be announced via the TIBBS Listserv.  

PRIVACY: All information you provide in the evaluation is private. You will be assigned an ID code number, and all surveys will use this number. All the information you provide will remain protected on a secure server to prevent disclosure, and will only be disclosed to designated evaluation staff from Strategic Evaluation, Inc & Windrose Vision, the BEST Program staff at your institution, and the NIH BEST Program staff. In addition, when the results of the program are published or discussed in conferences, no information will be included that would reveal your identity. 

PARTICIPATION AND WITHDRAWAL: Your participation in the surveys is voluntary. You are free to withdraw your consent and discontinue participation without penalty at any time.

IDENTIFICATION OF STAFF: If you have any questions about the surveys, please contact Patrick Brandt (pdb@unc.edu).

ALTERNATIVES TO PARTICIPATION: The alternative to participating in the surveys is to not participate.