Research Career Award (K06): A 20-Year Perspective and an Analysis of Research Productivity

摘要

Between 1962 and 1964, 250 scientists were granted research career awards (RCAs). The awards committed NIH to provide salary support to the scientist awardees until their retirement. This report, prepared for the Office of Extramural Research and Training, NIH, with additional support from the Office of Program Planning and Evaluation, NIH, reviews the historical context within which the RCA program was initiated, discusses the program's stated goals and guidelines, describes program attrition and presents an evaluation of the research productivity of the program awardees in comparison with other NIH grant recipients of that era. The central hypothesis tested in the study is that there is no difference in the research performance of RCA awardees following receipt of the grant and the performance of other scientists of similar age and experience. As of 1984, nine institutes continue to support 65 of the original 250 recipients of the Research Career Award.