Evaluation Plan
The DPC is a national research project in which the NIH collaborates with institutions implementing interventions and evaluative practices designed to understand effective approaches to mentoring, student engagement, research capacity building, faculty development and infrastructure development. To guide this evaluation, the DPC produced the Arc of Success, mapping the biomedical research career path.
Moving Toward Success
The Arc of Success describes progressive stages for students and faculty in their career trajectory, and how these journeys impact institutional culture and policies, creating new leaders in the scientific workforce. Some may begin as undergraduate STEM students while others may be transitioning from a graduate degree to post-doctoral fellowships or into a faculty position. Research has shown that underrepresented groups are more likely to leave STEM majors and STEM careers at these transition points1.
The first step in a biomedical career journey is for institutions to NURTURE undergraduate students in Well and Underrepresented Groups (W/URGs) by mentoring and training them as they pursue a degree. Institutional leaders INSPIRE graduates to do research training and attend graduate school to continue their scientific training. However, obtaining a PhD is not the end of the journey. As post-doctoral fellows, researchers need to DEVELOP their skills, learn to write grants and submit publications. A key to early success is for them to ENGAGE in the scientific community, write grants for larger research projects and publish, which can lead to promotions as faculty members. Development of institutional systems and policies can support post-doctoral and faculty researchers as they REFINE their skills through training and mentoring, securing more grants, building professional networks and gaining leadership through publications and participation in professional organizations. They SUCCEED when they achieve tenure or non-tenure track positions and their research allows for membership in the NIH workforce and promotes sustained institutional change.
Mapping Hallmarks
Hallmarks along the Arc of Success can be used to describe and measure the impacts of training and mentoring initiatives or research and career development. They serve as potential predictors of success in biomedical research fields2. This list of majors defines what biomedical or health-related fields are included in the DPC initiative.
The current Hallmarks listed below and the original Hallmarks are both available in a downloadable PDF below.
DPC Hallmarks of Success:
Yr. 6-10
STU-1 | High academic self-efficacy
STU-2 | High self-efficacy as a researcher
STU-3 |High science identity
STU-4 | Satisfaction with quality of mentorship
STU-5 | Perceived sense of belonging within the university
STU-6 | Perceived sense of belonging within the research community
STU-7 | Intent to pursue a career in biomedical research
STU-8 | Entry into an undergraduate biomedical degree program
STU-9 | Persistence in biomedical degree or other formal research training program
STU-10 | Frequent receipt of mentoring to enhance success in the biomedical pathway
STU-11 | Participation in mentored or supervised biomedical research
STU-12 | Evidence of competitiveness for transitioning into the next phase in the biomedical career pathway
STU-13 | Participation in academic or professional organizations related to biomedical disciplines
STU-14 | Evidence of excelling in biomedical research and scholarship
STU-15 | Strong academic and professional networks
STU-16 | Completion of biomedical degree or other formal training program
STU-17 | Application and acceptance to a subsequent research training program in a biomedical discipline
STU-18 | Entrance into a subsequent research training program in a biomedical discipline
STU-1 |
High academic self-efficacy
STU-2 |
High self-efficacy as a researcher
STU-3 |
High science identity
STU-4 |
Satisfaction with quality of mentorship
STU-5 |
Perceived sense of belonging within the university
STU-6 |
Perceived sense of belonging within the research community
STU-7 |
Intent to pursue a career in biomedical research
STU-8 |
Entry into an undergraduate biomedical degree program
STU-9 |
Persistence in biomedical degree or other formal research training program
STU-10 |
Frequent receipt of mentoring to enhance success in the biomedical pathway
STU-11 |
Participation in mentored or supervised biomedical research
STU-12 |
Evidence of competitiveness for transitioning into the next phase in the biomedical career pathway
STU-13 |
Participation in academic or professional organizations related to biomedical disciplines
STU-14 |
Evidence of excelling in biomedical research and scholarship
STU-15 |
Strong academic and professional networks
STU-16 |
Completion of biomedical degree or other formal training program
STU-17 |
Application and acceptance to a subsequent research training program in a biomedical discipline
STU-18 |
Entrance into a subsequent research training program in a biomedical discipline
FAC-1 | High self-efficacy as an instructor in a biomedical field
FAC-2 | High self-efficacy as an instructor to a diverse group of biomedical students
FAC-3 | High self-efficacy as a mentor to biomedical research trainees
FAC-4 | High self-efficacy as a mentor to a diverse group of biomedical research trainees
FAC-5 | Frequently mentors students, post-docs, and/or more junior faculty on biomedical related issues
FAC-6 | High self-efficacy as an independent biomedical researcher
FAC-7 | High self-efficacy in the ability to secure external funding
FAC-8 | Engaged in activities to secure research or research training funding
FAC-9 | Securing research or research training funding
FAC-10 | Evidence of scholarly productivity
FAC-11 | Evidence of professional recognition and service
FAC-12 | Strong academic and professional networks
FAC-13 | Advancement to next career stage
FAC-1 |
High self-efficacy as an instructor in a biomedical field
FAC-2 |
High self-efficacy as an instructor to a diverse group of biomedical students
FAC-3 |
High self-efficacy as a mentor to biomedical research trainees
FAC-4 |
High self-efficacy as a mentor to a diverse group of biomedical research trainees
FAC-5 |
Frequently mentors students, post-docs, and/or more junior faculty on biomedical related issues
FAC-6 |
High self-efficacy as an independent biomedical researcher
FAC-7 |
High self-efficacy in the ability to secure external funding
FAC-8 |
Engaged in activities to secure research or research training funding
FAC-9 |
Securing research or research training funding
FAC-10 |
Evidence of scholarly productivity
FAC-11 |
Evidence of professional recognition and service
FAC-12 |
Strong academic and professional networks
FAC-13 |
Advancement to next career stage
FAC-14 |
Advancement to leadership positions in biomedical research and research training
FAC-15 |
Evidence of receiving training in areas to foster inclusive research training environments
FAC-16 |
Strong self-efficacy to act as a change agent to enhance diversity in biomedical research and research training environments
FAC-17 |
Uses evidence-based practices in teaching and mentoring
INST-1 | Commitment to efforts that create, enhance, and/or maintain diversity and inclusion at all levels of the institution
INST-2 | Evidence of creating, enhancing, and/or maintaining diverse, inclusive, and culturally appropriate research and research training environments
INST-3 | Demonstrated institutional commitment to creating, enhancing, and/or maintaining the diversity of the biomedical faculty on campus by recruiting a diverse pool of potential applicants
INST-4 | Implementation of sustainable institutionally supported intra-institutional activities to achieve positive outcomes related to biomedical research capacity building and faculty developmentTypography
INST-5 | Enhanced inter-institutional collaborations to achieve positive outcomes related to biomedical research, research training, and faculty development
INST-6 | Implementation of sustainable institutionally supported activities to achieve positive outcomes related to biomedical research training
INST-7 | Enhancing or maintaining the diversity of students, e.g. those from nationally underrepresented groups, who pursue degrees in biomedical fields
INST-8 | Demonstrated institutional commitment to efforts that sustain the interest of trainees from all backgrounds pursuing degrees in biomedical fields that increase persistence
INST-9 | Employs evidence-based approaches to establish and attain goals for graduation rates, time-to- degree, and the ability to transition to biomedical graduate and professional degree programs for students from all backgrounds
INST-10 | Demonstrated institutional commitment to implementing and sustaining mentoring practices that promote the development of research-oriented students from all backgrounds
INST-11 | Institutional infrastructure to track regular reporting of student demographics and outcomes with respect to biomedical fields
INST-1 |
Commitment to efforts that create, enhance, and/or maintain diversity and inclusion at all levels of the institution
INST-2 |
Evidence of creating, enhancing, and/or maintaining diverse, inclusive, and culturally appropriate research and research training environments
INST-3 |
Demonstrated institutional commitment to creating, enhancing, and/or maintaining the diversity of the biomedical faculty on campus by recruiting a diverse pool of potential applicants
INST-4 |
Implementation of sustainable institutionally supported intra-institutional activities to achieve positive outcomes related to biomedical research capacity building and faculty development
INST-5 |
Enhanced inter-institutional collaborations to achieve positive outcomes related to biomedical research, research training, and faculty development
INST-6 |
Implementation of sustainable institutionally supported activities to achieve positive outcomes related to biomedical research training
INST-7 |
Enhancing or maintaining the diversity of students, e.g. those from nationally underrepresented groups, who pursue degrees in biomedical fields
INST-8 |
Demonstrated institutional commitment to efforts that sustain the interest of trainees from all backgrounds pursuing degrees in biomedical fields that increase persistence
INST-9 |
Employs evidence-based approaches to establish and attain goals for graduation rates, time-to- degree, and the ability to transition to biomedical graduate and professional degree programs for students from all backgrounds
INST-10 |
Demonstrated institutional commitment to implementing and sustaining mentoring practices that promote the development of research-oriented students from all backgrounds
INST-11 |
Institutional infrastructure to track regular reporting of student demographics and outcomes with respect to biomedical fields
The Diversity Program Consortium Coordination and Evaluation Center at UCLA is supported by Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health / National Institutes of General Medical Sciences under award number U54GM119024.
Grow Together.