An Analysis of Otolaryngology’s NIH Research Funding Compared to Other Specialties

Abstract

Objective: To compare NIH funding in the field of Otolaryngology to other medical and surgical specialties between 2009 and 2019. Methods: Data was collected from the NIH RePORTER database on funding dollars received by each specialty from 2009 to 2019. Along with data on total active physicians per specialty using the Physician Specialty Data Book, comparisons were drawn between Otolaryngology and other medical and surgical specialties with regards to trends in total funding and NIH funding dollars per physician. The distributions of grant funding, within Otolaryngology from various NIH institutes among principal investigators, organizations, and subspecialties were further explored. Results: There were 3810 grants (1147 unique projects) for a total of $1 276 198 555 funded by the NIH to Otolaryngology departments from 2009 to 2019. Statistically insignificant funding increases ( P > .05) caused otolaryngology to fall from first to fourth in funding among studied specialties. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders funded 57% of all unique projects, and 57.2% of all unique NIH projects were otology related. Most projects were basic science related. The top 10 principal investigators obtained 22.3% of the total NIH funding for Otolaryngology. The top 3 organizations over the studied period comprised 26.55% of the total funding, generating a combined 729 grants. Among principal investigators, 63.0% had a PhD degree, 25.3% had an MD, and 9.6% had an MD/PhD. Conclusion and Relevance: NIH funding in Otolaryngology has remained stable and is highly concentrated among a small number of organizations, geographic regions, and principal investigators. Recent initiatives by academic communities have sought to address funding disparities by incorporating diversity and inclusion into clinician-scientist pipelines. We urge our colleagues to strive toward identification of the factors that contribute to successful acquisition of funding and implementation of a more conducive institutional infrastructure to produce research.

Promoting Surgeon-Scientists in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery—From Bench to Bedside

“…However, K grants are better represented among surgeon-scientists than PIs with a PhD degree since many K grants are tailored to clinician-scientists and therefore are not available to individuals with a PhD degree . In a comparison of NIH funding per physician across surgical specialties, OHNS was first in 2010; third following neurosurgery and ophthalmology in 2013, 2015, and 2017; and fourth behind neurosurgery, ophthalmology, and general surgery in 2019 . When R and U grant amounts per physician were delineated, we also found that otolaryngologists received less funding than neurosurgeons.…”

“…10 In a comparison of NIH funding per physician across surgical specialties, OHNS was first in 2010; third following neurosurgery and ophthalmology in 2013, 2015, and 2017; and fourth behind neurosurgery, ophthalmology, and general surgery in 2019. 5 When R and U grant amounts per physician were delineated, we also found that otolaryngologists received less funding than neurosurgeons. However, the data showed that OHNS had more R and U grant funding per physician than ophthalmology in 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2021, a contrast from the conclusion by Ramsey et al 5 and may be associated with differences between R and U grant funding and all NIH grant funding.…”

“…5 When R and U grant amounts per physician were delineated, we also found that otolaryngologists received less funding than neurosurgeons. However, the data showed that OHNS had more R and U grant funding per physician than ophthalmology in 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2021, a contrast from the conclusion by Ramsey et al 5 and may be associated with differences between R and U grant funding and all NIH grant funding. The high amount of funding directed to neurosurgeons may be explained by the significantly higher annual budget of NINDS compared with the annual budgets of NEI and NIDCD.…”

“…In otolaryngology–head and neck surgery (OHNS), the total number of surgeon-scientists is one of the lowest across surgical specialties. Between 2009 and 2019, OHNS had more PIs than urology and plastic surgery but fewer PIs than neurosurgery, orthopedics, ophthalmology, obstetrics and gynecology, and general surgery . Of the 831 OHNS PIs who received NIH grants during this time, 25.3% had an MD degree, 9.6% had an MD-PhD degree, and the rest had a PhD degree and other designations such as audiologists .…”

“…Between 2009 and 2019, OHNS had more PIs than urology and plastic surgery but fewer PIs than neurosurgery, orthopedics, ophthalmology, obstetrics and gynecology, and general surgery. 5 Of the 831 OHNS PIs who received NIH grants during this time, 25.3% had an MD degree, 9.6% had an MD-PhD degree, and the rest had a PhD degree and other designations such as audiologists. 5 The objectives of this study were to (1) raise awareness about the current state of surgeon-scientists in OHNS, (2) contextualize the landscape of surgeon-scientists in OHNS by comparing it to those of neurosurgery and ophthalmology, and (3) identify strategies for attracting and retaining surgeonscientists in OHNS.…”