ITYC New Awardee Program: Synthesis of Participant Reflections

Download the Full Report

Synthesis Highlights

Participants in the ITYC New Awardee Program were asked to respond to three questions in an end-of-workshop reflection: (1) What did you get out of the program? (2) What did you contribute to the program? (3) What advice would you share with the next cohort of new ITYC awardees? Highlights from a synthesis of the 42 participant responses received are listed below. (Download the Full Report (Acrobat (PDF) 263kB Sep17 26)) Participant quotes are in italics.

Question 1. What did you get out of the New Awardee Program?

Participants expressed a wide variety of benefits from their participation in the program, including the value of a peer community, recognizing common challenges in 2YC projects, gaining practical grant management strategies and project ideas, and building confidence.

• I left more confident in my abilities, more grounded in the outcomes and impacts of my program, and more connected to a national network of peers who are navigating the same terrain.
  Peer community and connection: Building relationships with other ITYC awardees was consistently identified as one of the program's most valuable outcomes. Participants reported feeling less isolated and more connected to a national community of colleagues working in similar 2YC contexts.
• Recognizing common challenges in 2YC projects: The recognition that institutional delays, purchasing barriers, and project pivots are common across many 2YCs reduced participant anxiety and reframed obstacles as normal parts of managing a grant.
• Practical grant management strategies and expanding project vision: Participants valued learning about practical grant management strategies such as working effectively with grant evaluators, evaluative thinking, annual report expectations, the option of no-cost extensions, and other strategies that were shared by panelists and workshop leaders. Learning about the breadth of projects at other 2YCs inspired participants to reconsider and expand their own project ideas.
• Participating alongside both new and previously awarded investigators created a cross-generational exchange of knowledge that was, by turns, affirming, eye-opening, and genuinely inspiring.
  Participant confidence: Participants gained confidence in their ability to lead their projects, navigate institutional systems, and manage grant responsibilities. For some, hearing from peers provided important validation that their projects were on track and that the challenges they encountered were not unique.
• Other themes related to the participant responses to this first question included leadership and strategic mindsets, project expansion, and post-grant sustainability. 

Question 2: What did you contribute to the New Awardee Program?

Participants expressed that they learned more than they contributed; their reflections highlighted how they enriched the workshop through active participation, practical strategies and research, peer problem-solving, and diverse professional and institutional perspectives. Curiosity was also an important contribution, prompting participants to ask questions, listen, and learn from one another.

• I asked in depth questions of others to understand their experiences and their struggles.
  Active participation and community building. Participants strengthened discussions by asking questions, listening to colleagues' experiences, offering feedback, facilitating breakout groups, and serving as reporters or panelists; several brought project team members into the program.
• Practical strategies and resources. Participants shared project models (both what worked and what didn't), dissemination strategies, technology tools, and approaches to implementation that colleagues could adapt to their own projects (e.g., Faculty Learning Communities, student research showcases, lab design workshops, and approaches to documenting and promoting project activities.)
• I shared strategies on how to motivate students and help them to become more independent researchers.
  Peer problem-solving and sharing lessons learned. Participants drew on their prior grant and institutional experience to help colleagues navigate procurement, budgeting, release time, evaluation contracts, and other administrative challenges.
• Different professional and institutional perspectives. Department chairs, administrators, evaluators, student services professionals, and other team members brought a range of perspectives.
• I feel like I was able to be a good listener and ask questions to help others think about their projects. It was great to see how excited people are about their projects, and I enjoyed helping them refine their thinking. 
  Curiosity. Participants framed curiosity as a tangible value they brought to both individual learning and peer-to-peer exchange throughout the workshop. As one participant commented, "I brought a sense of curiosity, collaboration, and willingness to share openly with the [breakout groups]." 
  

Question 3: What advice would you share with the next cohort of new ITYC awardees?

When asked what advice they would give to the next cohort, participants shared both general advice about being a PI and specific advice for getting the most out of a program like the New Awardee Program.

• One of the most important pieces of advice we would share is to remain flexible and adaptable, as no project develops exactly as originally planned. Building strong relationships, maintaining open communication, and being willing to adjust processes are essential to long-term success.
  Advice that applies more generally to being a PI centered on being proactive and flexible in implementing projects by developing early and strong relationships with business and grants offices as well as other possible campus allies. Participants recognized that not every aspect of a project will proceed as planned. 

The cohort also provided the following advice to new awardees about getting the most out of a program like the New Awardee workshop.

• Embrace an open and active learner mindset. Participants encouraged future awardees to bring both successes and challenges to the program, ask questions—even questions they might consider basic—and be willing to acknowledge when they need help.
• Safeguard their time. Participants recommended blocking workshop dates on calendars well in advance and making attendance an integral part of grant implementation, not as an optional add-on.
• Build professional networks. Participants encouraged new awardees to exchange contact information, stay connected with cohort members, reach out to previous awardees, and use peers as sounding boards when questions or challenges arise.
• Involve members of your project teams. Find ways to share information with co-PIs, project coordinators, evaluators, or department chairs who may not have been able to attend the workshop. As one participant put it, "Do not come alone. The program is rich with professional development for the PI, but its value multiplies when you bring your team with you."