A formative evaluation of a University of Tennessee, Knoxville, predoctoral project was conducted. The program, which was funded by the federal Minorities and Women's Program, was designed to increase the participation of minorities and women in educational research and development. The project, "Experimental Program for Opportunities in Advanced Study and Research in Education," involved 18 minority and female second-year doctoral students, 19 faculty members, and 8 individuals holding doctorates and employed in local education agencies or other organizations. Students who received fellowship support believed that the project experience had been most effective in increasing their abilities to engage in an internship, work with a mentor, strengthen network ties, and write a research report. According to participants, other factors that distinguished this program from a typical doctoral program included interdisciplinary contact, support for research services and travel, and exposure to a range of issues of interest to minorities and women. A majority of participants believed the project experiences enhanced the employability of students. Several measures indicated that both the production and utilization of research increased as a result of the project. (SW)