GRIP SS Attachment 3 - Intro and follow-up emails 03 08

0925-XXXX Exp. XX-XXXX

Attachment 3 Introductory and follow-up emails to applicants and awardees

1. Introductory letter to respondents

Dear Dr. <LastName>,

The Science & Technology Policy Institute (STPI), a federally funded research and development center based in Washington DC, has been directed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to evaluate the Global Health Research Initiative Program for New Foreign Investigators (GRIP). The primary objectives of the evaluation are to:

(1) promote productive re-entry of NIH-trained foreign investigators into their home countries,

(2) increase the research capacity of the international scientists and institution, and

(3) stimulate research on a wide variety of high priority health-related issues.

Various data sources will be used in the assessment; however, some of the most valuable information will come from those who have applied to or participated in the program. This survey of GRIP applicants will be used to highlight aspects of the award process that may need to be revised or improved for future rounds of awards.

Please note that your participation in the survey is voluntary. Your decision to participate will have no effect on your current or future NIH funding status You may withdraw your consent at any time prior to the completion of the evaluation by contacting Allison Hodges at ahodges@ida.org or 202-419-3727.

Your responses to the survey will be kept strictly confidential. Your responses will be submitted to STPI, where the information will be kept secure. Information reported to NIH will be limited to aggregate results and overall impressions. The identity of individual respondents will be masked. The NIH or any other outside parties will not have access to raw survey data or to the identity of individual respondents at any time.

For additional information about the study or the survey, feel free to contact STPI Project Director Brian Zuckerman at (202) 419-5485. If you have any questions that you would like to address to the Fogarty International Center (FIC), please contact Linda Kupfer, Ph.D., the FIC Program Officer responsible for this evaluation (e-mail:kupferl@mail.nih.gov).

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 30 minutes or less per response, including the time for reviewing instructions and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to: NIH Project Clearance Officer, 6705 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7974, Bethesda, MD 20892-7974, ATTN: PRA 0925-XXXX. Do not return the completed form to this address.

*Click here to begin...*<URL LINK TO SURVEY HERE>

Thank you

2. Thank you note to respondents

Dear Dr. X,

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for completing our GRIP evaluation survey.   We are delighted to report that we closed the survey with very good response rates!

Your responses will enable us to fulfill our mission to help inform and improve the GRIP program.  We remind you that your answers will remain confidential and are only shared in aggregate with NIH.

Again, thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

STPI Evaluation Team

3. Reminder email

Dear Dr. XX,

About a week ago we sent you an email requesting your participation in the process evaluation of the GRIP program. Since we have not yet received a response from you, we would like to remind you that the survey must be completed by XX.  If possible, we would still very much like to hear about your GRIP experience and get your suggestions so that the program can be improved and enhanced.

We understand that you are very busy and greatly appreciate your time and participation in this important evaluation.

Thank you and best regards,

 

The STPI Evaluation Team

Please note: If you believe you are getting this message in error because you have already responded, we apologize for the inconvenience.  We have collected your response.

<click here to begin>

Thank you

4. Encouragement to complete the survey

Date

Dear Dr. _______________,

Our records indicate that you have begun to fill out the web survey for the GRIP program evaluation. We thank you very much for your willingness to help with the evaluation process. We would like to remind you to complete the survey by XX. If you are having difficulty accessing the survey or any of the questions are unclear, please let us know and we can easily mail you the questionnaire or clarify the questions. You can contact us by telephone at XX or by email at XX.

We understand that you are very busy and greatly appreciate your taking the time to participate. We look forward to receiving your answers by XX.

Sincerely yours,