The Article in Brief

Background The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is an important source of funding for research, but it has not been a major source of research funding in family medicine. This study set out to learn more about NIH funding awarded to family medicine departments.

What This Study Found In 2003, 149 NIH awards, totaling $60,085,000, were granted to 45 family medicine departments. Approximately 2 of 3 awards and funds went to principal investigators who were not full-time family medicine faculty in family medicine departments, or were not working in core family medicine areas. Nationally, only 17 R01 awards (research project grants based on the mission of the NIH) went to family physicians. The authors identified 4 models to increase NIH funding. (1) Family medicine faculty in core areas can develop their own research focus and obtain NIH funding. (2) Junior researchers in core family medicine areas can obtain K (career development) awards. (3) Family medicine faculty can work in their own departments as well as in noncore areas of the university that offer research infrastructures. (4) Family medicine departments can incorporate faculty or other university components not usually part of their departments.

Implications

• There is a critical need to increase capacity for conducting research in family medicine.
• Some family medicine research is funded through important sources other than the NIH. These sources should be recognized when medical schools measure research accomplishments.
• Family medicine has the potential to make unique and important contributions to many NIH research priorities.