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Annual Evaluation

(Other Names: Spring Evaluation, Annual Review, Progress Review)

Each spring quarter, all NGP graduate students complete a Spring Evaluation through GEPA. This evaluation is required for good standing and helps confirm progress and continued support. If your evaluation meeting is not held by the deadline, GEPA may place a hold on your winter registration.

The deadline is typically the last day of instruction (before finals week) of the current academic year. 

Go to GEPA Online Spring Evaluation Individual Development Plan Guidance

What you need to do

  1. Complete your progress report in the GEPA Online Spring Evaluation system
  2. Schedule your evaluation 
  3. Meet with your committee as required by your stage (see below)
  4. Sign your evaluation in the GEPA Online Spring Evaluation system

Meeting Format and Logistics: NGP expects your committee to meet at the same time. In-person meetings are preferred; a hybrid meeting is acceptable as long as your advisor is present in-person.

Committee meetings are faculty led and tailored to the trainee's stage and scientific need. The advisor guides the flow of the meeting, but the committee as a whole is responsible for evaluating progress, discussing next steps, and providing/documents feedback. 

It is common for part of the meeting to occur without the student/advisor present so that the committee can deliberate, align on feedback, and complete the evaluation. Some committees may also include a brief period without the Thesis Advisor present to allow the student to speak candidly with the other committee members. This Advisor Step-Out is not required, but may be used when helpful. In some cases, the student may also be asked to step out briefly while the faculty discuss progress and recommendations before inviting the student back for feedback

Filing timeline & guidance

 

Late risk: Missing the deadline can trigger a GEPA hold on fall registration.

Meeting Guidance by Training Stage

Click the sections below

Lab Rotations (G1)

First-year students meet with Program leadership for their initial Spring Evaluation. These meetings are typically scheduled in early June by the Graduate Program Coordinator.

Pre-Thesis (G2) 

Pre-Thesis Advisory Committee provides scientific input on the dissertation project and evaluates the student annually after they join a lab, until they advance to candidacy. In year 2, students form this committee with the Thesis Advisor plus at least two additional NGP faculty (an outside member may be approved by the Program Director). The pre-thesis committee usually becomes the nucleus of the student’s Doctoral Committee. 

  • All 3 members must sign
  • Treat this as a research check-in to get feedback and set next steps.
  • Present a realistic 3–6 month plan
  • Send your committee a short 1–2 page summary or a few slides at least 1 week ahead: your big question/hypothesis, key progress, what’s next, and 2–3 specific questions you want input on. In the meeting, give a brief update and leave with a clear plan for the next quarter; the committee will then sign off on your Spring Evaluation
  • The committee discusses whether you’re making adequate progress and may recommend changes in scope, methods, or priorities
Pre-Candidacy (G3 - G4)

Before you advance to candidacy, you are in pre-candidacy status. Plan ahead so you can meet within the spring timeline
  • You will need a full doctoral committee configuration that meets UC San Diego requirements.
  • All 4 members must sign

  • meeting guidance: a checkpoint to confirm that you are on track to advance and that your project is feasible in scope.  leave with a concrete advancement plan

Year 3
By Year 3, you should be moving beyond exploratory progress and toward a clearly defined dissertation direction. This stage is meant to show that you have identified a feasible thesis question, are building a coherent project, and are preparing for your candidacy exam on an appropriate timeline

Year 4 & 5
By Years 4 or 5, a student remaining pre-candidacy is no longer on a typical timeline and should use the Spring Evaluation as a serious planning point. The purpose of this meeting is not just to review research progress, but to determine what is preventing advancement and to establish a structured, realistic path forward. At this stage, the committee should help assess whether the project is appropriately scoped, whether expectations are clear, and whether the student has a concrete plan to reach candidacy.

In-candidacy students (G5 - G6)

Once you have advanced to candidacy, you are in in-candidacy status. NGP expects your doctoral committee members to attend the Spring Evaluation together. In-person is preferred; hybrid is acceptable if your advisor is present.

At this stage, your Spring Evaluation should focus on whether you are making steady progress toward completing the dissertation and preparing for defense. This meeting should show that you are moving from active research into completion planning, with a clear understanding of the experiments, analyses, writing, and milestones still required.

  • Discuss which aims, chapters, or major project components are complete
  • what experiments, analyses, or revisions still remain
  • your anticipated defense timeline
  • All 4 members must be present and must sign

Exemptions

Students who advance to candidacy between January–June may be exempt, and students on an approved Leave of Absence for the entire academic year are exempt. If you think you are exempt or are planning an exam,  email the program office to confirm.

Consider...

  • Research at Affiliate Labs (Salk/Scripps) Contact the NGP for constituting your committee—committee/advisor eligibility may require additional review.
  • In addition to committee-based review, the program provides mechanisms for trainees to give feedback outside the advisor relationship and to raise mentorship concerns through program leadership or the NGP office. 
  • Lucidchart can assist you to create a mind map, project timeline, or flowchart. Login with @ucsd email

 Exceptions to Spring Evaluation

The following students are exempt from Spring Evaluations: 

  • A student advancing to Ph.D. candidacy during winter or spring of the current academic year. 
  • A student on approved leave of absence during the spring of the current academic year. Note that an evaluation must be submitted, in this instance, by the end of the first quarter of return after the leave for continued support.