title: Toward Independence: Resubmission Rate of Unfunded National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute R01 Research Grant Applications Among Early Stage Investigators.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The current, budget-driven low rate of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for biomedical research has raised concerns about new investigators' ability to become independent scientists and their willingness to persist in efforts to secure funding. The authors sought to determine resubmission rates for unfunded National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) early stage investigator (ESI) independent research grant (R01) applications and to identify resubmission predictors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors used a retrospective cohort study design and retrieved applications submitted in fiscal years 2010-2012 from NIH electronic research administrative sources. They defined ESI applicants as those who have received no prior R01 (or equivalent) funding and are within 10 years of completion of their terminal research degree or medical residency training. ESI applications at the NHLBI were eligible for special funding consideration if they scored above, but within 10 points of, the payline. The primary outcome was application resubmission after failing to secure funding with the first R01 submission.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over half of the unfunded applications were resubmitted. Some of these were discussed and "percentiled." Among percentiled applications, the only significant predictor of resubmission was the percentile score. Over half (59%) of the ESI R01 grants funded by NHLBI in fiscal years 2010-2012 had percentile scores above but within 10 points of the NHLBI payline, and benefited from the special funding considerations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The only independent predictor of resubmission of NHLBI ESI R01 grant applications was percentile score; applicant demographics and institutional factors were not predictive of resubmission.
authors.affiliation: J.E.A. Boyington is health scientist administrator/program director, Clinical Applications and Prevention Branch, Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. M.D. Antman is health scientist administrator, Office of Extramural Policy and Training, Division of Extramural Research Activities, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. K.C. Patel is mathematical statistician, Division of Statistical Analysis and Reporting, Office of Planning, Analysis, and Communication, Office of Extramural Research, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. M.S. Lauer is director, Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Josephine E A
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Boyington
authors.forename: Melissa D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Antman
authors.forename: Katherine C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lauer
mesh_terms: D002017:Budgets; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005380:Financing, Government; D006801:Humans; D054555:National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (U.S.) / Q000191:economics*; D009316:National Institutes of Health (U.S.) / Q000191:economics; D017712:Peer Review, Research; D012108:Research Personnel; D012109:Research Support as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States