Abstract
Background:
Concerns have been raised about the career pipeline in academic medicine, including whether women with a demonstrated commitment to research succeed at the same rate as male colleagues.
Objective:
To determine the subsequent academic success of recipients of National Institutes of Health (NIH) career development awards.
Setting:
United States.
Participants:
2784 of 2799 (99.5%) recipients of K08 and K23 awards for whom sex could be ascertained from the NIH Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects database and other publicly available sources.
Measurements:
Actuarial rates at which recipients of K08 and K23 awards from 1997 to 2003 went on to receive R01 awards. Sex-specific rates of R01 award attainment were calculated by using the Kaplan–Meier method, and sex differences were assessed by using a Cox proportional hazards model.
Results:
Overall, 31.4% of the 1919 K08 awardees and 43.7% of the 865 K23 awardees were female (P < 0.001). Women were less likely than men to receive an R01 award (P < 0.001). The actuarial rate of R01 award attainment at 5 years was 22.7% overall, 18.8% among women, and 24.8% among men. At 10 years, the rate was 42.5% overall, 36.2% among women, and 45.6% among men. Sex persisted as an independent significant predictor of R01 award attainment (hazard ratio, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.68 to 0.92]; P = 0.002) in multivariate analysis controlling for K award type, year of award, funding institute, institution, and specialty.
Limitation:
Whether the lower rate of R01 award achievement among women is due to lower rates of application or lower rates of success in application could not be determined.
Conclusion:
Only a minority of K awardees studied achieved R01 award funding during the period assessed, and a significant sex disparity was evident.
References
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Author, Article, and Disclosure Information
Reshma Jagsi,
From the University of Michigan and Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Grant Support: In part by the American Medical Association's Women Physicians' Congress, through a grant from the Joan F. Giambalvo Memorial Fund.
Disclosures: None disclosed.
Corresponding Author: Reshma Jagsi, MD, DPhil, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, UHB2C490, SPC 5010, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5010; e-mail, rjagsi@med.
Current Author Addresses: Dr. Jagsi: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, UHB2C490, SPC 5010, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5010.
Ms. Motomura: Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, 318 Campus Drive, Clark Center Room S170, Stanford, CA 94305-5444.
Mr. Griffith: University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Biostatistics Unit, SPC 0473, 8D15 NIB, 300 North Ingalls Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.
Ms. Rangarajan and Dr. Ubel: University of Michigan, Room 7C127, North Ingalls Building, 300 North Ingalls Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.
Author Contributions: Conception and design: R. Jagsi, A.R. Motomura, P.A. Ubel.
Analysis and interpretation of the data: R. Jagsi, A.R. Motomura, K.A. Griffith, S. Rangarajan, P.A. Ubel.
Drafting of the article: R. Jagsi, A.R. Motomura.
Critical revision of the article for important intellectual content: R. Jagsi, A.R. Motomura, K.A. Griffith, P.A. Ubel.
Final approval of the article: R. Jagsi, A.R. Motomura, K.A. Griffith, P.A. Ubel.
Statistical expertise: K.A. Griffith.
Obtaining of funding: R. Jagsi.
Administrative, technical, or logistic support: R. Jagsi, P.A. Ubel.
Collection and assembly of data: R. Jagsi, A.R. Motomura, S. Rangarajan.
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