BEST programs

For information on individual BEST site programs, please visit: 

• Boston University - BU's BEST 
• Cornell University - Cornell University BEST Training Program
• Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology -Beyond the Professoriate: Transforming Pathways for Biomedical Research Careers 
• New York University School of Medicine - NYU STEP  
• Michigan State University - MSU BEST  
• Rutgers University - iJOBS Program
• University of California Davis - Frontiers of University Training to Unlock the Research Enterprise (FUTURE)
• University of California San Francisco - Motivating INformed Decisions (MIND): Careers for the Future Biomedical Workforce 
• University of California Irvine- UC Irvine-Graduate Professional Success (UCI-GPS)
• University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus- Innovative Biomedical Graduate Training for Workforce Readiness   
• University of Chicago- myChoice
• University of Massachusetts Medical School - An Integrated Curriculum and Community-Based Approach to Career Development 
• University of North Carolina - Training Initiatives in Biomedical and Biological Sciences 
• University of Rochester-Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training Program (URBEST)
• Vanderbilt University Medical Center - Vanderbilt ASPIRE Program  
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University - Mentorship and Development Program for Biomedical Trainees 
• Wayne State University - Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training (BEST) 

Cross-Site Evaluation Data Collection Instruments

For information on data being collected by the cross-site evaluation, please see the Data Definitions and Data Collection tools, which include:

• Entrance Survey for Graduate Students
• Entrance Survey for Postdoctoral Scientists
• Exit Survey for Graduate Students
• Exit Survey for Postdoctoral Scientists
• Data Form
• Phone Interview Questions

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) Webinars

The NIH's BEST awardees partnered with the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) on  a three-part webinar series.

Find recorded webinars and download slides here.

Topics included 'Careers in Industry', 'Charting a Course to Career Success' and 'Building Professional Relationships: pragmatic advice for the human scientist'.

Additional Resources and Information

Read more about NIH efforts to develop and test new approaches to training and mentoring on a large scale to diversify the Biomedical Workforce

Read more about Rescuing Biomedical Research

National Academies Report Urges Significant Reforms to Improve the Training and Salary of Postdoctoral Researchers

Read more about the activities of the NIH Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD) Working Group on the Biomedical Research Workforce here.

Allowable Student and Postdoc Activities

Questions about what activities students and postdoctoral scholars can participate in? Read more about it here:

• Frequently Asked Questions for OMB's Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (see .400-2 "Dual Role of Students and Postdoctoral Staff" on page 19 of the PDF)


• Renewing the Federal Government-University Research Partnership for the 21st Century (see Chapter 4: Integration of Research and Education)


• Rock Talk blog: Defining the Dual Role of Graduate Students and Postdocs Supported by Research Grants

National Reports on Graduate Education and Training

The Path Forward: The Future of Graduate Education in the United States, Commission on the Future of Graduate Education in the United States, 2010

Pathways Through Graduate School and Into Careers, Council of Graduate Schools, 2012

Biomedical Research Workforce Working Group Report, National Institutes of Health, 2012

Advancing Graduate Education in the Chemical Sciences, American Chemical Society, 2012

Research Universities and the Future of America, National Research Council, 2012