Recent trends in National Institutes of Health funding for surgery: 2003 to 2013.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study is to compare the compositions of federally funded surgical research between 2003 and 2013, and to assess differences in funding trends between surgery and other medical specialties.


METHODS
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tool database was queried for grants within core surgical disciplines during 2003 and 2013. Funding was categorized by award type, methodology, and discipline. Application success rates for surgery and 5 nonsurgical departments were trended over time.


CONCLUSIONS
Inflation-adjusted NIH funding for surgical research decreased 19% from $270 M in 2003 to $219 M in 2013, with a shift from R-awards to U-awards. Proportional funding to outcomes research almost tripled, while translational research diminished. Nonsurgical departments have increased NIH application volume over the last 10 years; however, surgery's application volume has been stagnant. To preserve surgery's role in innovative research, new efforts are needed to incentivize an increase in application volume.
Department of Surgery, University of Virginia School of Medicine, P.O. Box 800709, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0709, USA.
Yinin
Y
Hu
Department of Surgery, University of Virginia School of Medicine, P.O. Box 800709, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0709, USA.
Brandy L
BL
Edwards
Department of Surgery, University of Virginia School of Medicine, P.O. Box 800709, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0709, USA.
Kendall D
KD
Brooks
Department of Surgery, University of Virginia School of Medicine, P.O. Box 800709, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0709, USA.
Timothy E
TE
Newhook
Department of Surgery, University of Virginia School of Medicine, P.O. Box 800709, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0709, USA. Electronic address: cls8h@virginia.edu.
Craig L
CL
Slingluff
D006801:Humans; D009316:National Institutes of Health (U.S.) / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D012109:Research Support as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D013043:Specialties, Surgical / Q000191:economics*; D014481:United States
Academic surgery; Mentorship; National Institutes of Health; Outcomes research; Research funding; Surgical research