Upon entering the IGERT program, each IGERT fellow will be required to create a Professional Development Portfolio (PDP), which will be periodically updated and annually reviewed each Summer by the IGERT Student Tracking and Development Committee. The PDP will comprise three sections: Research, Curriculum, and Professional Growth. The Research section will comprise biannual research progress reports (see time-lines below) and updates on research publications and presentations. The Curriculum section of the PDP will contain copies of the syllabi of all IGERT-relevant courses taken by the individual fellows and a 1-page essay discussing the student perspective of relevance of the curriculum for the student research and overall professional development. The Professional Growth section of the PDP will contain a list of all the professional developmental activities the fellow participated in, and a list of any tangible "outcomes" that were enabled or impacted through those professional experiences. A matrix of "experiences" versus, "outcomes" will be filled out by the Fellow, over the course of the IGERT support. (This matrix will be of direct significance for the IGERT program to assess student impact, as well). The generation of such a matrix will enable the students to gauge their growth and appreciate the "translation potential" of their know-how. For example, students who experienced "Technology Transfer" modules may realize the value of a certain case-study and apply it toward a patent filing based on their own research.