The Association of Women Surgeons research grant: An analysis of the first 25 years

Abstract Background The impact of the Association of Women Surgeons (AWS) Research Grant on academic productivity is unknown. Methods Grant applications were obtained from AWS archives. Applicant bibliometrics and National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants were identified via public databases. Results Twenty-four recipients between 1996 and 2020 and 68 nonrecipients between 2012 and 2017 were identified. $596,700 was awarded over the 25 years. Twenty-five percent of recipients subsequently acquired NIH funding amounting to $6,611,927.00, an 885–1008% return on investment. Compared to nonrecipients, grant recipients produced a greater mean number of publications (50.6 versus 36.4; p = 0.05), had a higher h-index (15.92 versus 10.7; p = 0.01), and were cited in higher impact factor journals (6.32 versus 3.9; p = 0.02). Conclusions Overall, previous AWS Research Grant recipients were more likely to become more impactful surgeon-scientists, as indicated by a higher post-award rate of NIH funding, total number of publications, and h-index than nonrecipients.