Tracking:
Exit interviews and tracking of graduates from the IID&GH Training Program is done with the assistance of the International Centre for Infectious Diseases (ICID) which have offered administrative support for fund raising and tracking. The graduate survey (see Appendix 1) was performed under the coordinating effort of the ICID. Having an external group perform the exit interviews and tracking will allow trainees to provide an honest assessment of the program to an independent organization. Tracking will be aided by the development of a “Where are they now” page on our web page where individuals can provide updates on their career developments.

Evaluation:
The program will be evaluated in each of its components and as a whole from both a formative and a summative perspective. To lead the evaluation process, an Evaluation Group will be created with one faculty representative from each training site, one trainee representative from each training site, and two representatives from program partners. One of the co-applicants will oversee and facilitate the entire evaluation process. The Evaluation Group will report to the Program Advisory Committee. The mandate of the Evaluation Group will be to develop major evaluation decisions such as key evaluation questions, indicators and data requirements, identify types of analyses to be undertaken, and the means of sharing and interpreting findings, and making recommendations for dissemination and follow-up. The formative aspects of the evaluation process will enable periodic adjustments to the training program. The summative aspects will help assess the overall impact of the program. For instance, each of the three courses will be evaluated by the trainees and the faculty members responsible for the course. Similarly, the Infectious Minds Scientific Discussion Group will be evaluated by all participants on a periodic basis. The research practica will be assessed by the trainee, the mentor, and the institution where the practica takes place. Each symposia/retreat will also be evaluated. Further, the partnership with academic, government, NGO, and private partners will be periodically assessed. From an impact perspective, a systematic data collection process and database will be established to capture information about each trainee and alumnus in relation to grants submitted, grants funded, peer reviewed publications, knowledge translation initiatives, employment and career status, service to participating NGOs, etc. Further, partners’ information will also be collected to assess their role in the training program and to evaluate the potential impact of the training program on their programs. A series of indicators will be developed to track and compare training program outcomes. These will be reported to the Program Advisory Committee and in annual reports to CIHR.