Presentation to Publication: Analysis of Departmental Research Funding and Trainee Research Productivity [A61

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Conducting research is critical to the development of physician scientists; the authors’ obstetrics and gynecology department requires each resident to conduct an original research project that is then presented during an annual trainee Research Day (RD). A department research fund (DRF) was implemented in 2008 and a formal research curriculum subsequently implemented in effort to foster trainee academic success. This analysis explores associations between trainee DRF funding, peer-reviewed publication, and future National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding at a single academic institution over a 32-year period. METHODS: RD project titles and funding status were compiled from a single academic obstetrics and gynecology department from 1989-2020. Significant milestones were the DRF (2008) and implementation of a formal research curriculum (2017). Outcomes were peer-reviewed publication of the RD project within 5 years of RD presentation and subsequent NIH funding of the trainee. Chi-squared tests were used to investigate these relationships. RESULTS: Among 361 obstetrics and gynecology trainee (238 resident and 123 fellow) research projects presented at RD between 1989-2020, 169/361(46.8%) were peer-review published. Any funding of an RD project was associated with increased publication rate across the study period (85.9% versus 32%; P<.01). DRF-funded projects were also more likely to be published within 5 years (78.6% versus 57.7%; P=.03). DRF recipients were more likely to garner future NIH funding than non-recipients (37.9% versus 6.5%; P<.001). CONCLUSION: Trainee receipt of DRF funding is associated with both future NIH funding and trainee research publication. Program leaders may consider a formal research curriculum and a DRF to enhance the trainee research experience.