Trends in Individual Career Development Awards from National Institutes of Health to Physicians in Departments of Psychiatry (2013–2022)

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Abstract
Objective The authors examined trends of individual career development awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to psychiatry faculty, especially physicians, in comparison to other departments. Methods Data were obtained on 33,392 career development awards from 2013 to 2022. We examined the number of awards each year averaged for 46 non-psychiatry departments, and for departments of psychiatry, the number of awards to all faculty, physicians, and physicians without a PhD. Linear regressions determined whether number of career development awards increased with time and if estimated slopes differed between faculty in non-psychiatry departments and other groups. Results In departments of psychiatry, 534 faculty received an NIH individual career development award during the 10-year period (534/33,392 or 1.6%), with 118 (22%) to physicians. The number of awards increased significantly over time for other departments and departments of psychiatry (estimated slopes of 3.05 and 2.38, respectively) and did not differ from one another. However, the number of awards to physicians and physicians without a PhD in departments of psychiatry (estimated slopes of 0.51 and − 0.07, respectively) have not increased. This lack of growth in awards for physicians and physicians without a PhD in departments of psychiatry differed significantly in comparison with the increase shown in awards to other departments over time (both p < 0.001). Conclusions The number of NIH career development awards has increased NIH-wide, and for non-physician faculty but not for physicians in departments of psychiatry. These trends raise concerns for the future of psychiatrists in academic research.
Funding Information
  • National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (R25MH125758)
  • Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse (K24DA058882)

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