Research Project Grants in Gynecology and Their Influence on Practice Guidelines

Objectives The aim of this study was to report on Research Project Grants (R01) funding in gynecology and to assess its impact on peer-reviewed publications and their incorporation into the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) practice guidelines. Methods This cross-sectional study was performed using data obtained from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Portfolio Online Report and Tools Expenditure and Results (RePORTER). Publications stemming from R01 grants were determined by extracting the publication list from the individual project data pages. ACOG Practice Bulletins and Committee Opinions related to gynecology were screened. If the principal investigator associated with the R01 grant was referenced in the guidelines, the citation was cross-referenced with the NIH RePORTER website to confirm its origin and incorporation into practice guidelines. Results Gynecology received 0.1-0.2% of the over $40 billion total NIH funding. Gynecologic R01 funding increased by 57.7% between 2000 and 2005 and by 55.5% between 2005 and 2010, but it increased minimally between 2010 and 2015 (2.5%). The number of grants followed a similar trend, with a decrease of -36.8% by 2015. Between 2000 and 2010, gynecology had 50% to 70% less funding when compared with obstetrics and urology. During these years, 40% of states did not get a single R01 grant. Since 2005, less than 1% of publications have been referenced in ACOG guidelines and 0.3% or less have been linked to practice recommendations. Out of 5,663 publications, only 11 have been linked with recommendations since the year 2000. Conclusion Fewer than 0.3% of R01 grants focused on gynecologic topics, and there was a relative decline in the number of grants and NIH funding allocated to gynecology. The number of publications referenced in ACOG guidelines and linked to recommendations remains minimal, emphasizing a need to fund topics that influence national guidelines.