The vascular surgeon-scientist: A 15-year report of the Society for Vascular Surgery Foundation/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-mentored Career Development Award Program

Abstract

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Foundation partnered with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 1999 to initiate a competitive career development program that provides a financial supplement to surgeon-scientists receiving NIH K08 or K23 career development awards. Because the program has been in existence for 15 years, a review of the program's success has been performed. Between 1999 and 2013, 41 faculty members applied to the SVS Foundation program, and 29 from 21 different institutions were selected as awardees, resulting in a 71% success rate. Three women (10%) were among the 29 awardees. Nine awardees (31%) were supported by prior NIH F32 or T32 training grants. Awardees received their K award at an average of 3.5 years from the start of their faculty position, at the average age of 39.8 years. Thirteen awardees (45%) have subsequently received NIH R01 awards and five (17%) have received Veterans Affairs Merit Awards. Awardees received their first R01 at an average of 5.8 years after the start of their K award at the average age of 45.2 years. The SVS Foundation committed $9,350,000 to the Career Development Award Program. Awardees subsequently secured $45,108,174 in NIH and Veterans Affairs funds, resulting in a 4.8-fold financial return on investment for the SVS Foundation program. Overall, 23 awardees (79%) were promoted from assistant to associate professor in an average of 5.9 years, and 10 (34%) were promoted from associate professor to professor in an average of 5.2 years. Six awardees (21%) hold endowed professorships and four (14%) have secured tenure. Many of the awardees hold positions of leadership, including 12 (41%) as division chief and two (7%) as vice chair within a department of surgery. Eight (28%) awardees have served as president of a regional or national society. Lastly, 47 postdoctoral trainees have been mentored by recipients of the SVS Foundation Career Development Program on training grants or postdoctoral research fellowships. The SVS Foundation Career Development Program has been an effective vehicle to promote the development and independence of vascular surgeon-scientists in the field of academic vascular surgery.

Surgeon Scientists Are Disproportionately Affected by Declining NIH Funding Rates

“…K-awards are “Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Awards” created for clinicians to establish basic science research laboratories and prospective clinical investigation under the guidance of a senior mentor. The Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education and Society for Vascular Surgery Foundation have established additional mentorship and advocacy for young surgeons to apply for K-awards (19, 20). These societies have established joint-programs with the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to promote surgeon K-award funding.…”

“…These societies have established joint-programs with the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to promote surgeon K-award funding. These societies and programs have successfully allowed for K-awardees to transition to R01-level funding (19, 20). One solution to a decreasing number of surgeon-scientists is to establish more programs such as these to help increase applications for K-awards.…”

Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons Achieve High Rates of K Award Conversion Into R01 Funding

“…From 2007-2010, only 16% of K08s were awarded to faculty in Departments of Surgery, which is indicative of the current funding environment (4). To combat low funding and establish increased mentorship, the Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education (TSFRE) (2002) and the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Foundation (1999) have established joint programs with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to fund career development programs to thoracic, cardiac, and vascular surgeons (5, 6).…”

Crafting a modern surgeon-scientist in cardiothoracic surgery

“…In 2015, Kibbe et al reported the merits of NIH funding during vascular surgery training, examining 15 years of retrospective data from recipients of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) grants, which was the parent funding source for cardiothoracic surgery T32 grants. Amazingly, 45% of the 29 awardees secured R01 funding after training, and ultimately secured $45,108,174 in NIH and Veterans Affairs funds, demonstrating a 4.8-fold financial return on investment from the original foundation program (2). Similar trends were seen amongst otolaryngology head and neck foundation grants when applied early in trainees' careers (3).…”