From checkboxes to competitive edge - crafting effective programmatic assessments

Camelia Kantor, Penn State and Fadi Castronovo, Castronovo Educational Assessments and Evaluations

April 16, 2025 @ 12:00 pm to 01:00 pm

Zoom
University Park


Registration Link

In today’s funding landscape, programmatic assessment is no longer just a formality—it’s a critical differentiator between funded and unfunded proposals. It is also a major contributor to securing continuation of funding, especially as part of yearly renewable cooperative agreements. Federal agencies like NSF, NIH, and USDA but also Foundations and industry sponsors now expect data-driven, robust, well-integrated assessment plans that are properly resourced, aligned with project goals, outlining clear metrics, and conducted by experts.

But what does a strong assessment plan look like? How do you ensure that your proposal demonstrates a compelling and actionable evaluation framework?

Join us for an engaging one-hour Zoom webinar where we’ll break down:

  • The key components of a competitive assessment plan - from formative assessment strategies to identify areas for improvement and make adjustments, to summative assessments to determine program’s overall effectiveness and whether it achieved its intended goals.
  • How to innovate in assessment – moving beyond traditional surveys and interviews with examples of implementing interactive dashboards, AI-tools, social network analysis, and digital storytelling.
  • How to integrate assessment seamlessly into your proposal - instead of treating it as a last-minute add-on.
  • How to go beyond traditional educational metrics – measuring impacts on affective dimensions paint a stronger picture of the impacts of a program.
  • Common pitfalls and how to avoid them - including vague goals, underfunded assessment activities, and unqualified evaluators.
  • Leveraging external evaluation - Identify and engage experienced program evaluators before submission.

Who should attend?
This webinar is designed for PIs, co-PIs, research administrators, and all other proposal development team members working on collaborative, multi-PI funding applications. Whether you're new to programmatic assessment or looking to strengthen your approach, this session will provide practical insights and examples to help you build a more compelling case for funding.