title: Patterns of Feedback on the Bridge to Independence: A Qualitative Thematic Analysis of NIH Mentored Career Development Award Application Critiques.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  NIH Mentored Career Development (K) Awards bridge investigators from mentored to independent research. A smaller proportion of women than men succeed in this transition. The aim of this qualitative study was to analyze reviewers' narrative critiques of K award applications and explore thematic content of feedback provided to male and female applicants.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected 88 critiques, 34 from 9 unfunded and 54 from 18 funded applications, from 70% (n = 26) of investigators at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with K awards funded between 2005 and 2009 on the first submission or after revision. We qualitatively analyzed text in the 5 critique sections: candidate, career development plan, research plan, mentors, and environment and institutional commitment. We explored thematic content within these sections for male and female applicants and for applicants who had received a subsequent independent research award by 2014.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Themes revealed consistent areas of criticism for unfunded applications and praise for funded applications. Subtle variations in thematic content appeared for male and female applicants: For male applicants criticism was often followed by advice but for female applicants it was followed by questions about ability; praise recurrently characterized male but not female applicants' research as highly significant with optimism for future independence. Female K awardees that obtained subsequent independent awards stood out as having track records described as "outstanding."
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This exploratory study suggests that K award reviewer feedback, particularly for female applicants, should be investigated as a potential contributor to research persistence and success in crossing the bridge to independence.
authors.affiliation: 1 Center for Women's Health Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison, Wisconsin.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaatz
authors.affiliation: 2 William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center , Madison, Wisconsin.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dattalo
authors.affiliation: 3 School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison, Wisconsin.
authors.forename: Caitlin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Regner
authors.affiliation: 1 Center for Women's Health Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison, Wisconsin.
authors.forename: Amarette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Filut
authors.affiliation: 4 School of Medicine and Public Health, Departments of Medicine and Psychiatry; College of Engineering Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison , Wisconsin.
authors.forename: Molly
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carnes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001363:Awards and Prizes; D035843:Biomedical Research; D002322:Career Mobility; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008611:Mentors; D009316:National Institutes of Health (U.S.); D012108:Research Personnel; D012109:Research Support as Topic; D014481:United States