The Impact of National Institutes of Health Funding on Scholarly Productivity in Academic Plastic Surgery

Abstract

A strong relationship exists between scholarly impact and the procurement of NIH funding. Faculty with greater funding had greater scholarly impact, as measured by the h-index, which suggests that this tool may have utility during the NIH grant application process.

An Evaluation of h-Index as a Measure of Research Productivity Among Canadian Academic Plastic Surgeons

“…[7][8][9][10][11][12] Within the field of academic plastic surgery, the h-index is shown to predict academic rank and research grant funding. [13][14][15] To date, several studies have identified the academic utility of the h-index among academic plastic surgeons in the United States. [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] However, an equivalent study has not been conducted in Canada, and such a study may shine light upon the Canadian research practices in comparison to international colleagues.…”

Academic productivity in surgical oncology: Where is the bar set for those training the next generation?

“…Multiple recent studies have demonstrated that surgical grant proposals are less likely to get funded (compared to nonsurgical proposals), and if they are funded, it is often for a lesser amount . While there may be increasing barriers for surgeon‐scientists, being able to successfully obtain funding is associated with increasing academic rank and scholarly impact, which has been shown across multiple specialties . Additionally, not only has research funding of an individual been linked to high academic rank, but the funding history of a surgical chairperson has also been linked to the degree of departmental NIH funding …”

“…[23][24][25] While there may be increasing barriers for surgeon-scientists, being able to successfully obtain funding is associated with increasing academic rank and scholarly impact, which has been shown across multiple specialties. [26][27][28][29] Additionally, not only has research funding of an individual been linked to high academic rank, but the funding history of a surgical chairperson has also been linked to the degree of departmental NIH funding. 30 The relative value unit (RVU) is one method to gauge the clinical productivity of a physician or surgeon.…”

Institutional Collaboration in Plastic Surgery Research: A Solution to Resource Limitations

“…Academic plastic surgeons, especially NIH-funded surgeons, occupy a valuable niche in the research landscape. 27 By promoting the open sharing of information, incentive to publish, and freedom from regular profit quotas that can stifle creative risk-taking, academic researchers are at the forefront of innovation in developing novel therapeutics and mechanisms of action. 28 However, they may lack the financial resources and large-scale clinical expertise to navigate economic and legal barriers in translating these ideas from lab bench to patient bedside.…”