The costs and benefits of a modified biomedical science workforce

Analyses of the biomedical research workforce, the biomedical research enterprise, and its sustainability have identified a number of threats and offered many solutions to alleviate the problems. While a number of these solutions have been implemented, one solution that has not been broadly adopted, despite being widely recommended, is to increase the number of staff scientists and reduce dependency on trainees. The perceived impediment of this is the cost. This paper explores the costs associated with laboratory personnel and the benefits, in terms of productivity, associated with different positions in the workforce. The results of this cost-benefit analysis depend upon the values assigned to different metrics of productivity by individuals and institutions. If first and senior author publications are the most important metrics of productivity, a trainee-dependent workforce is much more cost effective. If total publications are the most valued metric of productivity, the cost effectiveness of trainee and staff scientists is reasonably equitable. This analysis provides data for consideration when making personnel decisions and for the continued discussion of modification of the biomedical research workforce. It also provides insight into the incentives for modification of the workforce at the grass roots, which must be considered by institutions genuinely committed to workforce modification to sustain the biomedical research enterprise.