Trends in Research and Graduate Programs in Schools and Colleges of Pharmacy, Part 1: Programs

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Health Sciences Research
• Academic Funding

Background:

• Pharmacy schools experienced a 36% increase in full-time faculty between FY2008 and FY2017.
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) awards to pharmacy schools rose by 15%, with grants per principal investigator (PI) increasing by 31%.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze national research and graduate education trends in pharmacy schools.
• To focus on graduate program research funding and science faculty composition and diversity.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of faculty numbers, NIH funding data, and faculty demographics in pharmacy schools.
• Comparison of funding trends and faculty composition over a decade (FY2008-FY2017).

Main Results:

• Despite faculty growth, NIH funding per faculty PI increased only 14% (unadjusted for inflation), and per-school funding declined 7%.
• The proportion of science faculty decreased from 47% to 43%, with 15 research-intensive schools receiving over half of NIH funding.
• While tenured positions declined, growth was observed in biological and social/administrative sciences, with gains for women faculty, particularly at the assistant professor level.

Conclusions:

• Research-intensive pharmacy schools are best positioned to lead in reframing graduate education.
• Developing interdisciplinary programs may diversify and increase future funding opportunities.
• Addressing funding disparities and promoting faculty diversity are crucial for the future of pharmacy graduate education.