51 Evaluating the Impact of International Surgical Society Research Grant Funding

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Research impact is defined as the influence of research beyond academia. The European Association of Endoscopic Surgery (EAES) supports research through financial and training support. With the current project we aim to define and objectively measure the impact of research supported by one of the biggest surgical societies in Europe. Methods & Procedures A Steering Committee finalised the questionnaire through a Delphi process. This was disseminated to all previous EAES Research Grant recipients since 2011. Results were used to generate open ended questions for semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was performed. Results The questionnaire response rate was 22/30(73%). The median number of presentations was 2.5, highest number of citations/year was 19. Seven respondents participated on guideline committees, while 15 were involved in further research, including six multicentre trials. Three studies instigated changes in clinical policies. Two intellectual property designs were produced. Eight recipients received further funding. Experts rated a median positive impact of 5/7 on their career progression, while supervised non-experts rated 6/7. The framework from interview thematic analysis included the following topics: (i)benefits of EAES involvement (ii)career progression (academic-clinical) (iii)impact on skills (iv)network impact (v) overall impact (vi)EAES project support (vii)project challenges (viii)EAES project results (ix)study design suitability, and (x)EAES future scope. Conclusions The impact of research funding by EAES was significant; both academically and outside academia. The semi-structured interviews identified the facilitators and barriers to project progression and impact.