CCI Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Researcher Survey

Appendix C: CCI Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Researcher
Survey
Survey Invitation Email

Subject: Please share your experience with CCI!
Dear Dr. [LAST NAME OF GRADUATE STUDENT/POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER],
The National Science Foundation (NSF) seeks to understand your experiences related to your
participation in a Centers for Chemical Innovation (CCI) Program grant. Because you are listed as a
current or former [ROLE] of this program, NSF is requesting that you complete the [Survey Title].
Data from this survey will provide NSF with critical information about the CCI Program’s progress in
achieving its goals. These data will allow NSF to communicate the outcomes of the program to NSF
stakeholders and the broader Chemistry community. These data will inform improvements in the CCI
Program and may also inform Center-level design and operations.
1. Duration: The survey takes about [TIME] minutes to complete.
2. Your responses will be confidential: NSF has contracted with Abt Associates to conduct this
survey. Although Abt will collect names of organizations and your role within those
organizations, your responses will not be associated with you, your organization, or your grant
when aggregated results are reported to NSF. During the study, the data will be stored and
secured on a password-protected server. Your anonymity will be kept to the degree permitted by
the technology used.
3. Right to ask questions: Please contact Ellen Bobronnikov ([email protected]) or
Rebecca Kruse ([email protected]) with questions or concerns about this study.
4. Voluntary participation: Your decision to be included in this research study is voluntary. You
can stop at any time. You do not have to answer any questions you do not want to answer.
5. Deadline: Please complete your survey study by [MONTH, DAY, YEAR].
6. Next steps: When you click on this link, you will be directed to the [Survey Title].
Please print this form to keep for your records.

On behalf of NSF and the Abt Associates study team, thank you very much for your participation!
Sincerely,
Ellen Bobronnikov
CCI Study Director, Abt Associates

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Survey Initial Reminder Email

Subject: NSF needs your input!
Dear Dr. [LAST NAME OF GRADUATE STUDENT/POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER],
I am writing to follow up on our invitation for you to participate in a a survey we are administering to
current and former Centers for Chemical Innovation (CCI) [ROLE GROUP] on behalf of the National
Science Foundation (NSF). Your input will help NSF plan for the future of the CCI Program. Please
complete the confidential web survey by clicking on the link below.
LINK
If you are willing to complete the survey, we would appreciate if you could do so [enter date within 2
weeks]. If you have any questions regarding the study, e-mail Ellen Bobronnikov
([email protected]) or Rebecca Kruse ([email protected]). Thank you in advance for your
assistance!

Sincerely,
Ellen Bobronnikov
CCI Study Director, Abt Associates
Survey Final Reminder Email

Subject: Last chance to participate in pilot test of NSF survey!
Dear Dr. [LAST NAME OF GRADUATE STUDENT/POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER],
We are writing to follow up about an e-mail we sent you recently, inviting you to participate in a survey
about the Centers for Chemical Innovation (CCI) program. And as a current or past [ROLE GROUP] in a
CCI Center, your responses can provide valuable feedback that will help strengthen the design and
operation of the program.
You can access the confidential web survey by clicking on the link below.
LINK
If you choose to complete the survey, please do so by [enter date within 1 week]. If you would prefer not
to complete the survey, please also let us know so we can take you off of our list. If you have any
questions regarding the study, e-mail Ellen Bobronnikov ([email protected]) or Rebecca Kruse
([email protected]). Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Best,
Ellen Bobronnikov
CCI Study Director, Abt Associates

49

CCI Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Researcher Survey

The survey solicits responses from graduate students and postdocs who have participated or are currently
participating in the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Centers for Chemical Innovation (CCI)
Program. The survey is part of the external program evaluation, which aims to understand the role of the
CCIs in graduate and postdoctoral training and career development. All survey responses will be
aggregated to not reveal individual identities. The survey should take about 15 minutes to complete.

CONSENT
Participation in the survey is voluntary, and nonparticipation, discontinuing the survey, or skipping
questions will have no impact on you. All information that would permit identification of an individual
respondent will be held in confidence, will be used by only persons engaged in and for the purpose of the
survey, and will not be disclosed or released to others for any purpose except as required by
law. Information from the survey will only be reported in the aggregate at the program level, combined
with other responses. While there are no direct benefits of your participation in this survey, your frank
and open responses will help the National Science Foundation to strengthen the design and operation of
the program. The evaluation will also communicate the outcomes of the CCI Program to the chemistry
community. Hence, we encourage you to respond candidly about your experiences. We anticipate that the
survey will take about 15 minutes to complete.

INSTRUCTIONS
•
•
•

•

Please use the survey's navigation buttons (“Back” and “Next”) to move through the questionnaire.
You may exit the survey at any time by pressing the “save and continue later” button. When you reopen the survey, you will be able to continue where you left off.
Once you reach the last question in the survey, you will see a “submit” button. After clicking this
button, your survey will be complete and you may close your browser. Once submitted, you will not
be able to return to the survey without contacting our team.
If you have any questions regarding the survey, you can contact us at [email protected].

The OMB control number for this project is 3145-NEW. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is
estimated to average 15 minutes per respondent, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing
data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of
information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspects of this collection of information,
including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, National
Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Ave, Alexandria, VA 22314 or send e-mail to [email protected].

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[Verification]
Past and current:
1. Is your name: [First Name, Middle Name/Initial, Last Name]?

□
□
□

Yes, this is correct
No, my name has changed or is misspelled. My name is: _________
No, I am not the person named above  Exit the survey

Past and current:
2. All of the questions in the survey refer to your participation in the following NSF Center for
Chemical Innovation (CCI): [CCI name]
Please note that when first established, the program was called the Chemical Bonding
Centers. 13

□
□

I have participated/am still participating in this CCI  3

I have not participated/am not participating in this CCI, but I have participated/am still
participating in a different CCI  A

□

I have not participated in the CCI program  Exit the survey

A. Please select from the list of options
If you participated in more than one CCI, please select the CCI with which you have
been most extensively involved and limit your answers to this CCI only.
[pull-down menu of CCIs]  3
Past and current:
3. Are you still part of this CCI? Select one.

□
□

Yes  current
No  past

Past and current:
4. For how long [current: have you been / past: were you] associated with the CCI program? 14

□
□
□
□
□
□
□

<3 months
3 to 6 months
7 to 11 months
1 to 2 years
2 to 3 years
4 or more years
Uncertain/do not recall

13

Adapted from STC Current Student Survey, item 1b14

14

Adapted from STC Current Student Survey, item 1

Adapted from STC Current Student Survey, item 1

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Past only:
5. Why are you no longer participating in CCI? Select all that apply.

□
□

Graduated/completed postdoctoral training  6
Left for another reason  A  6

A. Please indicate all reasons that apply.

□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□

Insufficient funding
Advisor left the CCI
Completed CCI-related project and moved on to a project not related to CCI
Was assigned to a different project
Was not interested in research being conducted
Did not get along with advisor/inadequate mentoring
Did not get along with people in the center
Did not get resources I needed
Decided to pursue another career path
Did not like being part of a center
Left graduate/postdoctoral program before completion
Personal/family reason or change in life circumstances
Other, please explain: ____________

[Career status and plans]
Past only:
6. During your final year at CCI, were you: 15

□
□
□
□

A terminal masters student
A doctoral student
A postdoctoral scholar
Other, please explain: _______________

Past only:
7. How many people served as mentors to you (either formally or informally), providing guidance,
feedback, and support for your development and research? Select one.

□
□
□
□
□

15

I had a single mentor who participated in CCI
I had a single mentor who did not participate in CCI
I had multiple mentors who all participated in CCI
I had multiple mentors, but not all of them participated in CCI
I did not have any mentors

Adapted from STC Current Student Survey, item 1b
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Past only:
8. Did your CCI experiences influence any of these? Select all that apply. 16

□
□
□
□
□
□
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□

Type of institution to join – e.g., university, industry, government
Type of career to pursue – e.g., research, teaching, entrepreneurship
Whether to pursue a doctoral or professional degree – display row only if respondent was a
terminal masters student according to Q5

Whether to pursue postdoctoral training
Choice of specific employer
Choice of discipline/field of study
Choice of research problem
Choice of advisor/mentor

Past only:
9. Are you currently enrolled in a degree program? Select one.

□
□

Yes  A
No  10

A. Is your degree program in chemistry or a related field?

□
□

Yes  11
No  11

Past only:
10. Which of the following best describes your current principal employer? Select one.

□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□

16

Not employed
College or university
Industry (chemical or pharmaceutical company or similar)
Government (including government research labs)
Non-government lab
Research institution/think tank
Other nonprofit organization or private foundation
K-12 school or district
Entrepreneur/self-employed
Other, please specify: ______

Adapted from STC Graduate Student Survey, item A1217 Adapted from IGERT Student Survey 2004, item 118
Adapted from SEAP/NREIP Student Survey, item 22
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Current only:
11. Are you:

□
□
□
□

A terminal masters student  A
A doctoral student  12
A postdoctoral scholar  12
Other, please explain: _______________  12

A. After you graduate, are you planning to pursue a PhD?

□
□
□

Yes  B  12
No  C  12
Unsure  12

B. Has your CCI experience positively influenced your interest in pursuing a PhD?

□
□

Yes, it increased my interest in pursuing a PhD
No, I was already planning to pursue a PhD

C. Has your CCI experience negatively influenced your interest in pursuing a PhD?

□
□

Yes, it decreased my interest in pursuing a PhD
No, I was not planning to pursue a PhD

Current only:
12. Which of the following positions are you most interested in pursuing after you complete your
degree and/or postdoctoral training? Have your career goals changed since you began
participating in the CCI? Select one answer per row. 17
Never been
my goal

Considered
before
involvement in
CCI

Became a goal
since
involvement in
CCI

Faculty member in a research college or university
Faculty member in a 2-year or 4-year teaching college
Program officer/academic administrator
Non tenure-track researcher in a university or a research institute
Researcher in a government laboratory
Research and development position in industry
Business position in industry or an entrepreneur
Science policy, law, consulting, or science writing
Other, please specify:

17

Adapted from IGERT Student Survey 2004, item 118 Adapted from SEAP/NREIP Student Survey, item 22
54

[Experience with CCI]
Past and current:
13. Have you spent time working in a laboratory/research group of another CCI partner
organization (e.g., another university or company involved with your center) as an intern,
graduate student, visiting scholar, or similar role? Select one.

□
□

Yes  A  B  C  14
No  14

A. Which of the following best describes the organization(s) in which you worked and/or
currently work? Select all that apply if you worked with more than one type of
organization.

□
□
□
□
□

Academic institution
Government laboratory
Industry
Foundation/non-profit
Other, please specify: _____________

B. How much time did you work at CCI partner organization(s) in total?
Enter number _____ [Pull down menu for weeks/months/years]
C. How valuable was this experience to your career development? Select one.

□
□
□
□

Not at all valuable
Somewhat valuable
Very valuable
Too early to tell/uncertain

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Past and current:
14. Which of the following professional development opportunities offered through your CCI have
you experienced? Select all that apply.

□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□

Mentorship you received
Research opportunities
Internships/visits to other research labs
Attending conferences
Giving presentations
Publishing papers
Applying for grants/fellowships/awards
Collaborating with researchers at your institution
Collaborating with researchers outside of your institution
Entrepreneurship
Teaching and/or course development
Supervising students
Outreach to the general public

15. On a scale of 1-5, where 1 = very dissatisfied and 5 = very satisfied, how satisfied are you with
these opportunities?
1=Very
dissatisfied

2

3

4

5=Very
satisfied

Mentorship
Research opportunities
Internships/visits to other research labs
Attending conferences
Giving presentations
Publishing papers
Applying for grants/fellowships/awards
Collaborating with researchers at your institution
Collaborating with researchers outside of your
institution
Entrepreneurship
Teaching and/or course development
Supervising students
Outreach to the general public

56

Past and current:
16. On a scale of 1-5, where 1=not at all satisfied and 5=very satisfied, how would you rate your
CCI experience overall? Select one.
Pull-down menu 1-5. If <3  A
If >=3  17
A. What is the primary reason for your dissatisfaction? 18  17
___________
[Role of CCI]
Past and current:
17. Please indicate, for each item below, whether participation in CCI has proved to be an
advantage, disadvantage, or made no difference to the following: 19
An
advantage

No
difference

A
disadvantage

NA/too early
to tell

Breadth of research experience
Access to equipment, facilities, materials, reagents
Ability to advance your research project
Ability to develop/work on your own ideas
Opportunities to take on leadership responsibilities
Access to faculty
Learning about scientific or engineering areas outside of
your field
Learning about commercialization and entrepreneurship
Learning how to communicate about your research
Quality of education
Quality of training
Quality of mentoring
Access to community of peers
Opportunities to network
Determining your career direction and options
Job opportunities available to you

18

Adapted from SEAP/NREIP Student Survey, item 22

19

Adapted from STC Current Student Survey, item 2a-c20 Adapted from IGERT Student Survey 2004, item 14;
SEAP/NREIP Intern Survey, item 23; and STC Graduate Student Survey, item C15
57

Past and current:
18. How well do you think participation in the CCI has prepared/is preparing you for the following
activities? Choose one answer per row. 20
Not prepared

Somewhat
prepared

Well
prepared

N/A/too early
to tell

Formulating research problems
Critically evaluating published literature
Conducting high-quality research
Solving problems which arise in implementing a research
program
Presenting and publishing your work
Working in a multidisciplinary team
Working outside of academia
Writing fellowships/grant proposals
Communicating with researchers in your field
Communicating with researchers outside of your field
Communicating research findings to the general public
Serving as a mentor
Teaching

[Demographics]
Past and current:
19. What is your gender? 21

□
□
□

Male
Female
Prefer not to report

Past and current:
20. Do you identify as an underrepresented ethnic/racial minority? 22

□
□
□

Yes  A
No  End of the survey
Prefer not to report  End of the survey

20

Adapted from IGERT Student Survey 2004, item 14; SEAP/NREIP Intern Survey, item 23; and STC Graduate
Student Survey, item C15

21

Adapted from NSF SED Survey, item C1 and STC Faculty Survey, item 15

22

Adapted from NSF SED Survey, items C10-11 and STC Faculty Survey, item 16
58

A. If so, indicate:

□
□
□
□
□
□
□

Black or African American
Hispanic/Latino
Native American
Alaska Native
Native Pacific Islander
Prefer not to report
Other. Please specify __________

59