Bibliometric Approach to Evaluating the Impact of a Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health K12 Research Career Development Program

Jerica M Berge, Kait Macheledt, Caitlin Bakker, Sharon Allen, Bharat Thyagarajan, Jean F Wyman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Mentored research career development programs are excellent training opportunities for junior faculty/early-stage investigators to transition into independent research careers. However, there is limited evidence that provides guidance on best practices for measuring the impact and reach of these programs, both for individual Scholars and the program as a whole. This article evaluates both the individual and overall impact of the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) National Institutes of Health research career development award at the University of Minnesota. Materials and Methods: BIRCWH Scholars (n = 16) and a comparison group (n = 17) were evaluated on traditional metrics (e.g., publications, grant funding) in addition to bibliometrics (e.g., network growth, interdisciplinary collaborations, international reach, policy impact). Results: Traditional metric findings showed that BIRCWH Scholars had significantly more publications from pre- to post-BIRCWH experience than the comparison group and more grant funding. Bibliometric findings showed exponential network growth, interdisciplinary collaborations, international citations, and policy impact from pre- to post-BIRCWH Scholar experience. Conclusion: Findings from this evaluation have potential important implications. At the Scholar level, the results can be used to provide evidence of research impact in materials developed for merit review and promotion as well as in job and research grant applications. At the program level, the results can be used at the institutional level to gain broad administrative support and leverage additional funds for program activities and for evidence of program success for continuation funding from federal agencies.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1422-1431
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of women's health (2002)
Volume31
Issue number10
Early online dateMay 2 2022
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 1 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Before participation in the BIRCWH program, four BIRCWH Scholars had each received one extramural research grant, including two R36 awards and one R03 award. Awarded funds for these grants totaled $548,005. In the comparison group, three had each received an external research grant, including one R03 award, totaling $1,073,017 in awarded funds.

Funding Information:
Research reported in this publication was supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health under Award No. K12HD055887.

Funding Information:
Mentored research career development programs supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) K12 Programs, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Learning Health Systems Researchers K12 Program, and the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) Early Career Investigator KL2 program are excellent training opportunities for junior faculty/early-stage investigators (ESIs) to transition into independent research careers. These institutional K-award programs support and foster the interdisciplinary research careers of junior faculty, providing them with 75% (or 50% for surgeons) protected time to conduct their research and pairing them with senior investigators in a mentored, interdisciplinary scientific environment.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

Keywords

  • bibliometrics
  • interdisciplinary
  • research career development awards
  • sex differences
  • women's health

PubMed: MeSH publication types

  • Journal Article
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

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