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ExpectMore.govExpectMore.gov home pageEXPECT FEDERAL PROGRAMS TO PERFORM WELL, AND BETTER EVERY YEAR.
 
Program Assessment

Program

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National Institutes of Health: Research Training

NIH's research training and career development programs build and maintain research capacity to help maintain diverse pools of highly trained scientists. NIH's research training mission is accomplished through three programs that facilitate scientific training to meet undergraduate, graduate, and career development needs.

Rating

What This Rating Means

PERFORMING
Effective

This is the highest rating a program can achieve. Programs rated Effective set ambitious goals, achieve results, are well-managed and improve efficiency.
  • The program is effective at training and retaining researchers in the biomedical research field. NIH provides support for the complete continuum of research training and career development across the biomedical, behavioral, and clinical sciences, which helps to increase the pool of diverse scientists and replenish the field.
  • The program successfully meets its ambitious long-term and annual goals. For the past two years the retention rate of former pre-doctoral trainees and fellows has exceeded relative comparison groups by 14 percent. Likewise, the proportion of postdoctoral trainees and fellows applying for and receiving subsequent NIH support has exceeded relevant comparison groups by 13 percent.
  • Independent evaluations of the program have been conducted since its inception in 1974. Evaluations found that NIH-funded research training and career development programs outperform their peers in the biomedical, behavioral, and clinical sciences on a variety of measures, including greater involvement in research and better track records in carrying out high-quality research.

Improvement Plan

About Improvement Plans

We are taking the following actions to improve the performance of the program:

  • Ensuring that the proportion of post-doctoral trainees and fellows applying for and receiving subsequent NIH support exceeds relevant comparison groups by 12 percent within 10 years of termination.
  • Ensuring that the proportion of pre-doctoral trainees and fellows applying for and receiving subsequent NIH support exceeds the relevant comparison groups by 12% within 10 years of graduation.
  • Ensuring that 25% of trainee appointment forms are processed electronically, to enhance program management.

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