title: The impact of a streamlined funding application process on application time: two cross-sectional surveys of Australian researchers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine if streamlining a medical research funding application process saved time for applicants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional surveys before and after the streamlining.
  
  
  METHODS
  The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Researchers who submitted one or more NHMRC Project Grant applications in 2012 or 2014.
  
  
  METHODS
  Average researcher time spent preparing an application and the total time for all applications in working days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average time per application increased from 34 working days before streamlining (95% CI 33 to 35) to 38 working days after streamlining (95% CI 37 to 39; mean difference 4 days, bootstrap p value <0.001). The estimated total time spent by all researchers on applications after streamlining was 614 working years, a 67-year increase from before streamlining.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Streamlined applications were shorter but took longer to prepare on average. Researchers may be allocating a fixed amount of time to preparing funding applications based on their expected return, or may be increasing their time in response to increased competition. Many potentially productive years of researcher time are still being lost to preparing failed applications.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation & School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Australia.
authors.forename: Adrian G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Barnett
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation & School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Graves
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Policy, Programs and Economics, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation & School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Australia.
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Herbert
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000191:economics*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005378:Financial Support; D005380:Financing, Government / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D012108:Research Personnel; D014937:Work
keywords: HEALTH ECONOMICS; STATISTICS & RESEARCH METHODS