Women researchers less likely to get major federal funding grants

Women researchers who are awarded competitive early career National Institutes of Health awards are less likely than their male counterparts to go on to receive major funding awards.

Researchers conducted a study of 2,783 researchers who had received highly competitive early career awards called K08 and K23. These awards provide funding that protects researcher’s time and include a mentoring component to help nurture a young clinician-scientist’s career.

They examined which of those researchers who had received K08 and K23 awards went on to receive an R01 award, a prestigious federal grant that is considered a milestone in a researcher’s career.

Around 32% of the K08 awardees and around 44% of the K23 awardees were women.

Results indicated that women were less likely than men to receive R01 wards (P<.001). Within five years of receiving a K08 or K23 award 22.7% of awardees had received an R01 award. Women comprised 18.8%; men 24.8%. This disparity was still present at ten years. By then 42.5% overall had received a R01 award, with 36.2% of them awarded among women and 45.6% among men.

The authors suggested that family demands, including childbirth, could pull some women scientists from their careers. Women may also be more likely to feel pressure to contribute to clinical workload and be less successful at negotiating with their department chairs for adequate time to devote to research. They urged strengthening the mentoring component of the K awards and considering an increase to the award amounts.

Jagsi R. Ann Intern Med. 2009;151:804-811.