Form 1 Key Informant Interview Guide

           Form Approved

OMB Number 0925-0648

Expiration Date 3/31/2018

Key Informant Interview Guide

Thank you for making time to talk to me today. We are conducting research to help inform the design of the Ambassadors Program for the Loan Repayment Programs at the National Institutes of Health. In particular, we're exploring the role that Ambassadors--like yourself--might want to play in helping inform potential applicants about the opportunities that the NIH LRPs—that is, Loan Repayment Programs --provide.

What is said in this conversation will remain private to the extent allowed by law. That is, no one person's contributions will be identified to anyone at NIH. Instead, NIH staff will be provided with aggregated information to help them build the LRP Ambassadors Program. We would like to tape record the interview so that we can make sure our notes are accurate. The tape recordings and transcripts will be stored in a locked file cabinet until September 30, 2015 and then they will be destroyed. Is it okay with you if we tape this conversation?

Do you have any questions before we get started?

1. What is your current job? (PROBE: Are you in an institution/organization where you come in contact with prospective LRP applicants? About what percentage of your time is spent on research?)

2. How did you first learn about the LRP Ambassadors Program?

3. What was it about the Program that motivated you to want to become involved?

4. Have you received any information or promotional material from the Loan Repayment Programs? (PROBE: If yes, what information/material was received?)

5. How satisfied were you with the usefulness of the material you received?

6. How would you describe the quality of these materials?

7. As an LRP Ambassador, what activities, if any, have you undertaken or participated in?

8. What made it easy or possible to do these activities?

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 30 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, 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 Branch, 6705 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7974, Bethesda, MD 20892-7974, ATTN: PRA (0925-0648).  Do not return the completed form to this address.

9. Are there other activities that you would have liked to have done? (PROBE: Type of activities undertaken)

10. What factors prevented you from undertaking these activities?

11. Approximately how much time would you be willing to spend as an LRP Ambassador each month?

12. I’m going to read you a list of possible Ambassador activities. Could you tell me if you would be very willing, willing, or not willing to:

___ have your name and contact information shared on the LRP website

____share your experience about the LRP program on the LRP website

___hang the LRP Ambassadors poster on your door to let potential applicants know you're available to discuss the LRPs

___ send LRP-provided emails about the LRPs to students/potential applicants to create awareness of the program and/or inform them of application dates

___ share LRP-provided information about the LRPs with campus media

___host an LRP information session at your institution

___ include one LRP-provided slide at the end of your professional presentations that let folks know that the LRP exists

___ give a 15-minute presentation at your institution or professional meeting about the LRPs, if LRP provided a slide deck

___be available to staff an LRP information booth on the exhibit floor at a professional meeting

___ counsel/mentor individual applicants through the LRP application process

13. How interested would you be in learning more about the LRP Ambassadors Program via:

___ a dedicated page just for Ambassadors on the LRP website

___ periodic conference calls

___ brief webinars

___ presentations at professional meetings

14. Which of the following materials would make it easier for you to participate actively in the Ambassadors Program?

_____Electronic fact sheet about the Loan Repayment Programs

_____ Print brochure about the Loan Repayment Programs

_____ Press kit for local media

_____ Training toolkit about how to be an Ambassador

15. How would you describe the LRP Ambassadors Program to a colleague? (PROBE: What benefits do you personally get from being an Ambassador?)

16. Would you like to receive more information through the LRP Ambassador network about NIH grants, new research initiatives, etc.? (PROBE: Would such information be a value-added component of being an Ambassador?)

17. Do you have other suggestions for how to make the LRP Ambassadors Program a vibrant initiative for attracting and supporting applicants to the Loan Repayment Programs, while also providing added value to those who serve as Ambassadors?

18. Is there anything we haven’t discussed about the Ambassadors Program that you’d like to mention before we close?

Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts and ideas with us today.