1. AEA Annual Meeting November 13, 2015
Evaluation of the National Cancer Institute’s Intramural Training Program: Experience, Satisfaction and Diversity
AEA Annual Meeting
November 13, 2015
Julie L. Mason, Ph.D.
Center for Cancer Training

2. NCI Center for Cancer Research Training
1-5 year predoctoral, postdoctoral, clinical fellowships & student internships
2 campuses plus satellite locations
>30 professional and scientific skills workshops
>250 principal investigators
850 foreign and domestic trainees
>50 laboratories and branches

3. NCI Trainee Survey Objectives
To understand training experiences
To assess trends in workforce
To highlight opportunities for program enhancement

4. Survey Overview
Survey re-design team
382 (45%)
329 (13% dropout)

5. Outline of Findings Demographics Satisfaction and training experience
PI-trainee relationship
Work/life balance
Career planning

6. Demographics

7. Respondent Demographics
Length of time as a trainee
54% Non-U.S. citizens
53%
33%

8. Race and Ethnicity
Do you consider yourself Hispanic or Latino?
Race

9. Satisfaction and Training Experience

10. Overall Satisfaction
I would recommend the training in my lab to a colleague
Strongly agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly disagree

11. Overall Satisfaction 80%
I would recommend the training in my lab to a colleague
Strongly agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly disagree
31%
80%
49%
14% 6%

12. What Trainees Like About Their Fellowship

13. PI-Trainee Relationship

14. Agreement with the following statements
PI as a Mentor
Agreement with the following statements

15. Research Project Discussions
Frequency of research project discussions with PI
78%
Perception of research project discussion occurrence
Too frequent
Often enough
Not frequent enough

16. Research Project Discussions
Frequency of research project discussions with PI
78%
Perception of research project discussion occurrence
Too frequent
Often enough
Not frequent enough
12%
74%
14%

17. Work/Life Balance

18. “Just work till midnight, you need to relax too”

19. Satisfaction with Work/Life Balance
To what extent are you satisfied with your work/life balance?
Extremely satisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Dissatisfied
Extremely dissatisfied

20. Satisfaction with Work/Life Balance
To what extent are you satisfied with your work/life balance?
Extremely satisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Dissatisfied
Extremely dissatisfied
23%
82%
59%
14% 4%

21. Hours Worked Per Week by Parental Status*
*denotes significance at p < 0.05

22. Career Planning

23. Individual Development Plan (IDP)
Opportunity for improvement
Individual Development Plan (IDP)
Did you complete an individual development plan (IDP) upon arrival at the NCI?
Of those who completed it, >70% found the IDP helped them to:
Think about next steps in research
Develop scientific skills
Prepare for future career

24. Career Planning Discussions
Frequency of career development discussions with PI

25. Career Planning Discussions
Frequency of career development discussions with PI
68%
Perception of career development discussion occurrence
Too frequent
Often enough
Not frequent enough

26. Career Planning Discussions
Opportunity for improvement
Career Planning Discussions
Frequency of career development discussions with PI
68%
Perception of career development discussion occurrence
Too frequent
Often enough
Not frequent enough 0%
44%
56%

27. Preferred Areas of Future Employment

28. Future Position Trainees Want to Obtain
What position type would you like to obtain?
Tenure track faculty (PI)
Scientific review officer or program manager
Analyst, advisor, or consultant
Patent examiner, lawyer, or technology transfer specialist
Clinical staff/ private practice
Writer, editor
Entrepreneur
Other
Faculty (other)
Research or staff scientist
Instructor

29. Future Position Trainees Want to Obtain

30. Conclusions
NCI trainees are largely satisfied with their training experience and work/life balance
Majority consider their PI to be their primary mentor and regularly and productively discuss their research
Opportunities exist to encourage greater communication between trainees and PIs (or others) about career planning
Opportunities exist for additional implementation and usage of IDPs

31. Continuing Challenges
How to encourage greater participation in scientific and career development training opportunities?
How to stimulate greater survey participation from trainees?
How to minimize survey exhaustion?

32. Acknowledgements
Kristin Sachi Mendoza, AEA Graduate Education Diversity Intern, NIH
Erica Blue Roberts, AEA Graduate Education Diversity Intern, NIH
Larry Solomon, NIH
James Corrigan, NIH
Jonathan Wiest, NIH
Additional NIH contributors:
Yang Zhou
Nadia Castro
Rami Doueiri
Barbara Rath
Brid Ryan
Kenneth Gibbs, Jr.
Danielle Daee
Elizabeth Hsu
Vivian Horovitch-Kelly