Final reports: Reflecting on past work
A look back at past Kaufman Foundation awardee reports.
Across the eight New Initiative and New Investigator final reports from 2020-2022 awards, 20 manuscripts were reported as either published, in review or in preparation. All 8 PIs reported plans to continue research by either obtaining further funding or exploring funding opportunities.
In New Initiative, two PIs wrote about the importance of student engagement in the success of their research. This is notable because it’s not a specified tenant of the program, unlike IREG which centers on student engagement.
In New Investigator, PIs found significant success with opportunities to present project findings at conferences or other schools, noting 17 invitations across the three PIs.
The three IREG projects engaged 59 undergraduate students and reported 6 manuscripts as either published, in review or in preparation. One PI noted a manuscript listed an undergraduate student as the first author. The PIs shared quotes from students reflecting on their experience with IREG, including this quote that hits at a core goal of the IREG program:
"Coming into college, I was undecided between pursuing a career in medicine versus research. Working in the Whalen Lab illuminated a deep passion for scientific discovery and troubleshooting experimental roadblocks. I hope to pursue a masters and Ph.D. following graduation from Haverford College and am confident I can do so based on skills I have built over the past three semesters in the Whalen Lab."