Module 2: Foundations of Program Evaluation for Institutional Research Training Programs

Program evaluation is essential for understanding, improving, and demonstrating the effectiveness of institutional research training programs. This module provides the foundation for building meaningful, evidence-based evaluation practices that align with NIH expectations and support continuous program improvement.

Learning Objectives: By the end of this module, learners will be able to: 

• Identify the four core principles for program evaluation and recognize how they work together to create credible, useful, and feasible evaluation plans. 

• Recognize when, where, and how to begin evaluation planning to ensure efforts are intentional, aligned, and sustainable.  

• Identify NIH requirements, review criteria, and institutional expectations for evaluation in institutional research training programs.  

• Describe the three pillars of the program evaluation framework and reflect on how this model can be used to enhance evaluation within their own programs.