Although the current career-development awards have proven effective, the group considered whether additional steps could be taken to continue to improve the success rates for NIH funding. One interesting finding was that those who received funding from more than one source were more likely to receive K- or R-series grants from the NIH. The organizations will continue to monitor this statistic to see whether awards are more effective when combined, or whether they make more of an impact when spread over a larger number of recipients.
Dr. Daikh noted that the ACR REF/AF Career Development Bridge Funding Award has seen great success since its implementation in 2008. He theorized that, since this award supports promising applicants who just miss the payline, it is truly funding the best of the best.
The organizations will reconvene at the ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting this November to continue to look for ways to develop the careers of rheumatology researchers.
For more information about the REF’s career-development awards, visit www.rheumatology.org/REF or e-mail [email protected].
