Objectives: The objective was to measure the impact of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Foundation's (SAEMF) Research Training Grant (RTG) by comparing academic success in grant recipients versus non-recipient applicants. Our primary outcome was subsequent federal funding as a principal investigator (PI) or multiple principal investigator (MPI). Our secondary outcomes included subsequent K-award funding, R-series funding, R01 funding, and academic productivity measured by first author peer-reviewed publications.
Methods: The authors examined all SAEMF RTG applicants from 2002 through 2019 (n = 109). Data were collected using the National Institutes of Health RePORTER database, a literature search using PubMed, and an online survey sent to all RTG applicants. Relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated.
Results: Over 18 years, 18 of 109 (16.5%) RTG applicants were awarded by SAEMF. Subsequent federal funding as PI or MPI was obtained by 11 of the 18 RTG recipients compared to 29 of the 91 nonrecipients (61% vs. 33%, RR = 1.9; 95% CI = 1.2-3.1). The RTG award was also associated with increased probability of receiving a federal Career Development Award (K-series) (RR 2.0; 95% CI 1.1-3.9) and R-series award (RR 2.0; 95% CI 1.1-3.9) but not an R01 award (RR 2.1; 95% CI 0.8-5.3). The median number of first-authored peer reviewed manuscripts did not differ between RTG award recipients (14, IQR 8,44) and nonrecipients (14, IQR 6,30) (p = 0.5) though RTG recipients had a higher percentage of their publications as a first author (49% vs. 33%, p = 0.04).
Conclusions: SAEMF RTG awards were associated with increased probability of future federal funding, including career development awards and R-series awards but not R01 awards. RTG recipients also had a higher percentage of their peer reviewed publications as first author.
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