title: A retrospective analysis of the Dermatology Foundation's Career Development Award Program.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To provide research support that develops and retains leaders, educators, and investigators in dermatology and cutaneous biology, the Dermatology Foundation (DF) has designed and implemented a comprehensive Career Development Award (CDA) Program.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the impact of the DF's 3-year CDA, a comprehensive survey of recipients who received this mechanism of support between 1990 and 2007 was performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of 196 individuals receiving a DF CDA, 181 were identified and asked to complete a comprehensive questionnaire concerning their career status, employment history, professional rank, and record of independent research funding (private foundation, federal, other). A personal assessment of the impact of this funding on these individuals' career trajectory was also requested.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty percent of 181 CDA recipients identified currently hold full- or part-time positions in academic medicine. The faculty rank of 112 survey respondents included 46 assistant professors (41%), 41 associate professors (37%), 18 professors (16%), and 7 division or departmental chairs (6%). Of respondents, 84% reported that they have received subsequent independent research funding; 95 of these individuals (86%) have received funding from a federal agency (235 federal grants awarded to date with funding >$318M).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study was retrospective and self-reported; some awardees did not respond to the survey.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The DF's CDA Program has succeeded in supporting the early career development of talented investigators, educators, and leaders; fostered the promotion and retention of these individuals in academic medicine; and nucleated numerous investigative careers that have successfully acquired independent research funding.
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Foundation, Evanston, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boris
authors.forename: Stuart R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Lessin
authors.forename: Bruce U
authors.initials: BU
authors.lastname: Wintroub
authors.forename: Kim B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Yancey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001363:Awards and Prizes; D002322:Career Mobility; D003880:Dermatology / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration; D004651:Employment; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D005260:Female; D005582:Foundations / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009316:National Institutes of Health (U.S.) / Q000191:economics; D016730:Program Development; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014146:Training Support / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States