Analysis of National Institutes of Health Funding in HandSurgery

摘要

Background: Federal research dollars help investigators developbiomedical therapies for human diseases. Currently, the state of funding in handsurgery is poorly understood. This study defines the portfolio of NationalInstitutes of Health (NIH) grants awarded in hand surgery. Methods:This was a cross-sectional study of hand surgeons in the US. Faculty members ofaccredited hand surgery fellowships and/or members of the American Society forSurgery of the Hand were queried in the NIH RePORT database for awards obtainedduring 2005-2015. Results: Of 2317 hand surgeons queried, only 18obtained an NIH grant (0.8%). Thirty-eight unique grants were identifiedtotaling $42 197 375. R01 awards comprised the majority of funding (78.0%) whileK08 awards accounted for 1.1%. The K-to-R transition rate was zero. The NationalInstitute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease supported the mostfunding (65.2%), followed by the National Institute of Neurological Disordersand Stroke (30.8%). There was no statistically significant difference in NIHfunding totals with hand surgeon characteristics. Funding supportedtranslational (46.0%), basic science (29.6%), clinical (21.0%), andeducation-based (3.4%) research. Peripheral nerve (33.3%) and bone and jointdisease (30.1%) received the most research funding. Conclusions:Less than 1% of hand surgeons obtain NIH research grants. Of the 2 identifiedK08 awards, none led to a subsequent R award. Future research should identifybarriers to grant procurement to design effective policies to increase NIHfunding in hand surgery.