TY - JOUR
T1 - Is the h-index Predictive of Greater NIH Funding Success Among Academic Radiologists?
AU - Rezek, Issa
AU - McDonald, Robert J.
AU - Kallmes, David F.
N1 - Funding Information:
All statistical analysis was performed using the Microsoft Excel 97 (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA) and JMP (SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC). Significance was assigned to P values < .05. Continuous variables are presented as medians and interquartile ranges because of deviations from normal distributions. Comparisons of mean h-indices between status, number, and type of NIH grant award were performed using analyses of variance. Post hoc tests on significant analysis of variance results (P < .05) were performed using an uncorrected least significant differences test for multiple means comparisons. Correlations between h-index and the number of awarded grants, the duration of grant support, and the total amount of grant awards were determined using Spearman's ρ coefficient. Multivariate nominal regression analysis was performed to determine if the probability of funding was influenced by h-index groups, stratified as follows: 0 to 10, 11 to 20, 21 to 30, 31 to 40, and 41 to 50.
PY - 2011/11
Y1 - 2011/11
N2 - Rationale and Objectives: Despite rapid adoption of the Hirsch index (h-index) as a measure of academic success, the correlations between the h-index and other metrics of productivity remain poorly understood. The aims of this study were to determine whether h-indices were associated with greater National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding success among academic radiologists. Materials and Methods: Using the Scopus database, h-indices were calculated for a random sample of academic radiologists with the rank of professor. Using the NIH tool Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools Expenditures and Reports, we determined the number, classification, and total years of NIH grant funding as principal investigator for each radiologist. Differences in h-index, sorted by funding status, were determined using Wilcoxon's tests. Associations between h-index and funding status were determined using logistic regression. Significant correlations between h-index and grant metrics were determined using Spearman's ρ. Results: Among 210 professors of radiology, 48 (23%) secured at least one NIH grant. The mean h-index was significantly higher among individuals who secured at least one NIH grant (19.1) compared to those who did not (10.4) (P < .0001). Professors with h-indices < 10 compared to those with h-indices > 10 were significantly less likely to receive NIH funding (odds ratio, 0.07; P = .0321). However, h-indices > 10 were not significantly predictive of greater funding. No significant relationships were observed between h-index and the number of grant awards, years of prior funding, the amounts of grant awards, or grant classification. Conclusion: Having obtained at least one NIH grant was associated with a higher h-index, yet multiple or large grants, such as those for program projects, were not predictive of higher h-indices.
AB - Rationale and Objectives: Despite rapid adoption of the Hirsch index (h-index) as a measure of academic success, the correlations between the h-index and other metrics of productivity remain poorly understood. The aims of this study were to determine whether h-indices were associated with greater National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding success among academic radiologists. Materials and Methods: Using the Scopus database, h-indices were calculated for a random sample of academic radiologists with the rank of professor. Using the NIH tool Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools Expenditures and Reports, we determined the number, classification, and total years of NIH grant funding as principal investigator for each radiologist. Differences in h-index, sorted by funding status, were determined using Wilcoxon's tests. Associations between h-index and funding status were determined using logistic regression. Significant correlations between h-index and grant metrics were determined using Spearman's ρ. Results: Among 210 professors of radiology, 48 (23%) secured at least one NIH grant. The mean h-index was significantly higher among individuals who secured at least one NIH grant (19.1) compared to those who did not (10.4) (P < .0001). Professors with h-indices < 10 compared to those with h-indices > 10 were significantly less likely to receive NIH funding (odds ratio, 0.07; P = .0321). However, h-indices > 10 were not significantly predictive of greater funding. No significant relationships were observed between h-index and the number of grant awards, years of prior funding, the amounts of grant awards, or grant classification. Conclusion: Having obtained at least one NIH grant was associated with a higher h-index, yet multiple or large grants, such as those for program projects, were not predictive of higher h-indices.
KW - Academic Radiology
KW - Academic productivity
KW - H-index
KW - NIH funding
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=80053586671&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=80053586671&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.acra.2011.06.017
DO - 10.1016/j.acra.2011.06.017
M3 - Article
C2 - 21873082
AN - SCOPUS:80053586671
SN - 1076-6332
VL - 18
SP - 1337
EP - 1340
JO - Academic radiology
JF - Academic radiology
IS - 11
ER -