Research Resources Survey

Rationale and Objectives

To assess resources available to junior faculty in US academic radiology departments for research mentorship and funding opportunities and to determine if certain resources are more common in successful programs.

Materials and Methods

An anonymous survey covering scientific environment and research mentorship and was sent to vice-chairs of research of radiology departments. Results were evaluated to identify practices of research programs with respect to mentorship, resources, and opportunities. Academy of Radiology Research’s 2012 National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants and awards list was used to determine if environment and practices correlate with funding.

Results

There was a 51% response rate. A greater fraction of clinical faculty gets promoted from assistant to associate professor than research faculty. Research faculty overall submits more funding applications. Most programs support start-up costs and K-awards. Over half of the departments have a vice-chair for faculty development, and most have formal mentorship programs. Faculty members are expected to teach, engage in service, publish, and apply for and get research funding within 3 years of hire. Top-tier programs as judged by NIH awards have a combination of MDs who devote >50% effort to research and PhD faculty. Key factors holding back both clinical and research junior faculty development were motivation, resources, and time, although programs reported high availability of resources and support at the department level.

Conclusions

Better marketing of resources for junior faculty, effort devoted to mentoring clinical faculty in research, and explicit milestones/expectations for achievement could enhance junior faculty success, promote interest in the clinician–scientist career path for radiologists, and lead to greater research success.

There is significant concern in the medical research community that there are not enough clinically trained scientists (specifically those with an MD, although overall it includes all allied health professionals) engaging in research, and if we want to sustain and increase the quality of research being conducted today, we need to find ways to improve our education, recruitment, and mentorship of these talented and creative individuals. Radiology is no exception to these concerns . A key aspect is training, and there has been a substantial amount of effort directed toward increasing research training and mentorship during residency . In radiology for example, the American Board of Radiology established in 1999 the Holman Research Pathway (HRP) to stimulate the development of future academic researchers and educators . To date, the program has trained a number of candidates (73 [80%] radiation oncology and 19 [20%] diagnostic radiology from 2002 to 2014) with a high percentage remaining in academic practice, obtaining research support and publishing results.

A key aspect of the HRP is mentorship, but most residents do not seem to identify mentors , and the question arises as to whether mentorship in general extends beyond residency to junior faculty . One recent study surveyed junior medical faculty to understand some of the factors that might be barriers to recruitment and retention of junior faculty . The study found that role models, a few years ahead of junior faculty, tend to increase commitment to academic careers, and that mentorship experiences during residency provide significant incentives to pursue an academic career. Interestingly they also found differences between men and women, with women noting a lack of researcher role models (midcareer, female researcher models), and overall men valued advice on finances, whereas women valued advice on work–life balance. Suggestions for the final point (work–life balance) included having a mentor closer in age to the mentee, having more than one mentor, and having mentors with similar values.

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Materials and methods

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Results

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Table 1

Institutions Responding to Survey

Beth Israel Brigham and Women’s Hospital Duke University School of Medicine Emory University School of Medicine Indiana University School of Medicine Massachusetts General Hospital Mayo Foundation MD Anderson Cancer Center Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Methodist Hospital Research Institute Mount Sinai School of Medicine New York University School of Medicine Northwestern University Medical School Ohio State University College of Medicine Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine Stanford University School of Medicine SUNY Stony Brook Health Sciences Center School of Medicine University of Arizona College of Medicine University of California San Diego School of Medicine University of California Davis School of Medicine University of California, San Francisco University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine University of Iowa College of Medicine University of Massachusetts Medical School University of Miami School of Medicine University of Michigan Medical School University of Nebraska College of Medicine University of North Carolina Chapel Hill University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine University of Texas Southwest Medical Center Dallas University of Texas Health Sciences Center San Antonio Med School University of Washington School of Medicine University of Wisconsin Medical School Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Wake Forest University School of Medicine Washington University School of Medicine Yale University School of Medicine

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Discussion

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Acknowledgments

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Appendix

Radiology junior faculty development survey

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1) Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<

Mainly Clinical (>50% effort/time) Mainly Research (>50% effort/time) Full Professor Associate Professor Assistant Professor Instructor Other Full Professor Associate Professor Assistant Professor Instructor Other

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Mainly Clinical (>50% effort/time) Mainly Research (>50% effort/time) Not Applicable (Skip 3 & 4) Yes No Yes No

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Mainly Clinical (>50% effort/time) Mainly Research (>50% effort/time) Associate Professor Full Professor Associate Professor Full Professor

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Mainly Clinical (>50% effort/time) Mainly Research (>50% effort/time) Not Applicable Promoted Not Retained Promoted Not Retained

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Clinical Performance Teaching Funding Applied For Funding Received Publications & Presentations Service Other Not Applicable

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Mainly Clinical (>50% effort/time) Mainly Research (>50% effort/time) Not Applicable Full Professor Associate Professor Assistant Professor Instructor Other Full Professor Associate Professor Assistant Professor Instructor Other

8) Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<

9) Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<

10) Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<

11) Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<

12) Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<

13) Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<

14) Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<

Mainly Clinical (>50% effort/time) Mainly Research (>50% effort/time) Full Professor Associate Professor Not Applicable Instructor Other Full Professor Associate Professor Assistant Professor Instructor Other Not Applicable

15) Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<

16) Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<

17) Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<

Mainly Clinical (>50% effort/time) Mainly Research (>50% effort/time) Not Applicable

(Skip 18) Full Professor Associate Professor Assistant Professor Instructor Other Full Professor Associate Professor Assistant Professor Instructor Other

18) Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<

19) Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<

20) Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<

21) Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<

22) Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<

23) Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<

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Mainly Clinical (>50% effort/time) Mainly Research (>50% effort/time)

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Mentoring Committee Matchmaking Tool for Mentors & Mentees Mentor Pool Other None

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Grantsmanship Publishing Leadership Research Ethics Promotion & Tenure Service Other

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Grants Submitted Grants Awarded Publications Submitted Publications Accepted Conference Presentations Promotion & Tenure Leadership Positions Other Not Applicable

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6 months 12 months 18 months 24 months 30 months 36 months >36 months Not Applicable

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Mainly Clinical (>50% effort/time) Mainly Research (>50% effort/time)

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Mainly Clinical (>50% effort/time) Mainly Research (>50% effort/time) Pilot Data Publication Grant Application Grant Success Pilot Data Publication Grant Application Grant Success

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Mainly Clinical (>50% effort/time) Mainly Research (>50% effort/time)

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Mainly Clinical (>50% effort/time) Mainly Research (>50% effort/time)

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Mainly Clinical (>50% effort/time) Mainly Research (>50% effort/time)

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Clinicians Mentor Clinicians Basic Scientists Mentor Clinicians Vice-Chair Research Mentors Clinicians Research Office Mentors Clinicians Clinicians Mentor Basic Scientists Basic Scientists Mentor Basic Scientists Vice-Chair Research Mentors Basic Scientists Research Office Mentors Basic Scientists

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Mainly Clinical (>50% effort/time) Mainly Research (>50% effort/time)

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Yes No

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Yes No

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Full Professor Associate Professor Assistant Professor Instructor Other Not Applicable

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Lack Iinternal Resources Lack External Resources Lack Mentors Lack Academic Time/time Off Clinical Duties Lack Criteria/metrics Lack Individual Motivation Other Not Applicable

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Grant Managers Grant Writers Pilot Funds IRB/IUCAC Support Clinical Research Coordinators Space & Facilities Statistical Support Conference Support Not Applicable

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Journal Club Grant Writing Workshops Research Seminars Industry Meetings Research Methods Lectures None Not Applicable

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Department College University Hospital Clinician Practice Plan Training Grant Other

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100% 75% 50% 25% 0% Other

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100% 75% 50% 25% 0% Other

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100% 75% 50% 25% 0% Other

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No Impact Minimal Negative Impact Moderate Negative Impact Significant Negative Impact Minimal Positive Impact Moderate Positive Impact Significant Positive Impact

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Budget Administrative Salary Support None

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Yes No

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References

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Research Resources Survey

Rationale and Objectives

Materials and Methods

Results

Conclusions

Materials and methods

Results

Discussion

Acknowledgments

Appendix

Radiology junior faculty development survey

References

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