A content analysis defining research-focused faculty research success.

Area of Science:

• Academic Medicine
• Research Administration

Background:

• Research-focused faculty encounter significant barriers to engagement and success.
• Defining research success is variable across institutions, teams, and individuals.
• Identifying these barriers is crucial for developing effective mitigation strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a clear definition of research success.
• To identify the primary barriers hindering research-focused faculty.
• To propose mitigation strategies for enhancing faculty research success.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative research design utilizing focus groups.
• Incorporated elements of a modified Delphi approach.
• Conducted at a research retreat with 22 participants, analyzed via content analysis.

Main Results:

• Key measures of research success include dissemination, planning, time management, wellness, collaboration, mentoring, funding, impact, and recognition.
• Identified barriers encompass competing demands, time scarcity, team conflicts, interpersonal issues, workload, resource limitations, differing expectations, and funding challenges.
• Participants prioritized these identified barriers for mitigation strategy development.

Conclusions:

• Dedicated meetings for discussing research ideas foster collegial interaction and peer feedback.
• These opportunities can significantly increase research-focused faculty's overall success and productivity.
• Addressing identified barriers is essential for improving faculty research outcomes.