Matthew J Crowley1, Sana M Al-Khatib2, Tracy Y Wang2, Prateeti Khazanie3, Nancy R Kressin4, Harlan M Krumholz5, Catarina I Kiefe6, Barbara L Wells7, Sean M O'Brien8, Eric D Peterson2, Gillian D Sanders9. 1. Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC; Evidence-Based Practice Center, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC; Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC. 2. Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC; Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC. 3. Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO. 4. Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA; VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA. 5. Department of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT. 6. Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA. 7. Clinical Applications and Prevention Branch, Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, National Heart Lung Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. 8. Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC; Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC. 9. Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC; Evidence-Based Practice Center, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC; Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC. Electronic address: gillian.sanders@duke.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Outcomes research training programs should prepare trainees to successfully compete for research funding. We examined how early-career investigators' prior and desired training aligns with recently funded cardiovascular (CV) outcomes research. METHODS: We (1) reviewed literature to identify 13 core competency areas in CV outcomes research; (2) surveyed early-career investigators to understand their prior and desired training in each competency area; (3) examined recently funded grants commonly pursued by early-career outcomes researchers to ascertain available funding in competency areas; and (4) analyzed alignment between investigator training and funded research in each competency area. We evaluated 185 survey responses from early-career investigators (response rate 28%) and 521 funded grants from 2010 to 2014. RESULTS: Respondents' prior training aligned with funded grants in the areas of clinical epidemiology, observational research, randomized controlled trials, and implementation/dissemination research. Funding in community-engaged research and health informatics was more common than prior training in these areas. Respondents' prior training in biostatistics and systematic review was more common than funded grants focusing on these specific areas. Respondents' desired training aligned similarly with funded grants, with some exceptions; for example, desired training in health economics/cost-effectiveness research was more common than funded grants in these areas. Restricting to CV grants (n=132) and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-funded grants (n=170) produced similar results. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying mismatch between funded grants in outcomes research and early-career investigators' prior/desired training may help efforts to harmonize investigator interests, training, and funding. Our findings suggest a need for further consideration of how to best prepare early-career investigators for funding success.
BACKGROUND: Outcomes research training programs should prepare trainees to successfully compete for research funding. We examined how early-career investigators' prior and desired training aligns with recently funded cardiovascular (CV) outcomes research. METHODS: We (1) reviewed literature to identify 13 core competency areas in CV outcomes research; (2) surveyed early-career investigators to understand their prior and desired training in each competency area; (3) examined recently funded grants commonly pursued by early-career outcomes researchers to ascertain available funding in competency areas; and (4) analyzed alignment between investigator training and funded research in each competency area. We evaluated 185 survey responses from early-career investigators (response rate 28%) and 521 funded grants from 2010 to 2014. RESULTS: Respondents' prior training aligned with funded grants in the areas of clinical epidemiology, observational research, randomized controlled trials, and implementation/dissemination research. Funding in community-engaged research and health informatics was more common than prior training in these areas. Respondents' prior training in biostatistics and systematic review was more common than funded grants focusing on these specific areas. Respondents' desired training aligned similarly with funded grants, with some exceptions; for example, desired training in health economics/cost-effectiveness research was more common than funded grants in these areas. Restricting to CV grants (n=132) and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-funded grants (n=170) produced similar results. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying mismatch between funded grants in outcomes research and early-career investigators' prior/desired training may help efforts to harmonize investigator interests, training, and funding. Our findings suggest a need for further consideration of how to best prepare early-career investigators for funding success.
Authors: Tulsi A Malavia; Vishwajit Nimgaonkar; Triptish Bhatia; Ibtihal M A Ibrahim; Hader Mansour; Maribeth Wesesky; Joel Wood; Smita N Deshpande; Mary Hawk Journal: Health Res Policy Syst Date: 2020-07-17