Research training grants in anesthesia: Seventeen years of NIH support
Thirteen centers were granted a total of $10,709,000 from the National Institutes of Health for research training in anesthesia in fiscal years 1959 to 1975, inclusive. Eighty nine per cent ($9,543,000) of the funds were spent. Of 442 trainees supported, 376 have made career decisions. Two hundred and seventeen (58%) of these pursued academic careers (academicians). Seventy four of the former trainees (20% of those who have chosen a career) received subsequent NIH awards for research projects between fiscal years 1962 and 1974, inclusive, supporting 446 grant years of research. These research investigators are considered 'total successes'. One hundred and forty three (38%) of the former trainees, pursuing academic anesthesia careers, but who have not yet received NIH support for research, are considered to be 'qualified successes' of this training program. After an estimated lag time of 5.5 to 6 yr following completion of training, it is expected that 1/3 of those trained in these programs will receive NIH research support (145 to 150 individuals). The expenditure per postdoctoral trainee per year was $17,400, and the average number of months of support per trainee was 15.1, for an average cost per trainee of $21,600. The cost per academician was $37,400; the cost per research investigator was $96,400. The cost per research investigator is estimated to be $57,000 if 1/3 of the former trainees subsequently obtain NIH research support, as the authors project. Compared with estimated expenditures of $12,600 per year of medical school education, these costs are not unreasonable. Further follow up study of the careers of the graduates of research training grant programs is needed to complete the data collection and to verify the accuracy of the authors' projections. The research training grant program in anesthesia has been beneficial in alleviating the manpower shortage of academic anesthesiologists and research investigators and has also provided 14 chairpersons in academic anesthesia departments. The current and future needs for academicians and research investigators in anesthesia must be determined in order to ascertain whether additional research training support is required in anesthesia.