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Do Intramural Career Development Programs Provide an Advantage to Rehabilitation Scientists Applying for Merit-Review
John J Fraser1, Eric J Schwinder, Erin D Spaniol
1Office of Research & Development, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, District of Columbia.
Objective:
To investigate whether completion of a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Career Development Award (CDA) influenced subsequent Merit Review Award funding success in rehabilitation scientists applying for funding in the Rehabilitation Research, Development, and Translation Broad Portfolio from fiscal year 2020 to 2025.
Design:
Retrospective cohort study.
Results:
Early-career investigators with prior VHA CDAs (n=14) submitted 32 new/revised applications for VHA Merit Review award funding. While early investigators with prior VHA CDAs had a numerically higher percentage of funding across the 3 application submission cycles (34.4% vs. 25.0%), this factor was not statistically significant. Mid-career/senior investigators with prior VHA CDAs (n=78) submitted 180 new/revised applications and demonstrated an overall 30.0% funding success across the 3-application submission cycle. Mid-career/senior investigators with prior VHA CDAs had a statistically significant increased odds of funding across the 3-application submission cycle (30.0% vs. 26.4%; OR unadj :1.62; OR adj : 1.54).
Conclusions:
Based on the potential benefits of the mentored research experience observed in the current study and in preceding studies, early-career scientists interested in working with Veterans are encouraged to apply for these awards following completion of the terminal degree or postdoctoral fellowship.
