Off the roadmap? Family medicine's grant funding and committee representation at NIH

Sean C. Lucan, Robert L. Phillips, Andrew W. Bazemore

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

34 Scopus citations

Abstract

PURPOSE: Family medicine is challenged to develop its own research infrastructure and to inform and contribute to a national translational-research agenda. Toward these ends, understanding family medicine's engagement with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is important. METHODS: We descriptively analyzed NIH grants to family medicine from 2002 through 2006 and the current NIH advisory committee memberships. RESULTS: Grants (and dollars) awarded to departments of family medicine increased from 89 ($25.6 million) in 2002, to 154 ($44.6 million) in 2006. These values represented only 0.20% (0.15% for dollars) and 0.33% (0.22% for dollars), respectively, of total NIH awards. Nearly 75% of family medicine grants came from just 6 of NIH's grant-funding 24 institutes and centers. Although having disproportionately fewer grant continuations (62% vs 72%) and R awards (68% vs 74%) - particularly R01 awards (53% vs 84%) - relative to NIH grantees overall, family medicine earned proportionately more new (28% vs 21%) and K awards (25% vs 9%) and had more physician principal investigators (52% vs 15%). Ten of the nation's 132 departments of family medicine (7.6%) earned almost 50% of all family medicine awards. Representatives from family medicine were on 6.4% of NIH advisory committees (0.38% of all members); family physicians were on 2.7% (0.16% of members). CONCLUSIONS: Departments of family medicine, and family physicians in particular, receive a miniscule proportion of NIH grant funding and have correspondingly minimal representation on standing NIH advisory committees. Family medicine's engagement at the NIH remains near well-documented historic lows, undermining family medicine's potential for translating medical knowledge into community practice, and advancing knowledge to improve health care and health for the US population as a whole.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)534-542
Number of pages9
JournalAnnals of family medicine
Volume6
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 2008
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Advisory committees
  • Family physicians
  • Family practice
  • National Institutes of Health
  • Research

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Family Practice

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