Findings
III. Impact of CBCRP New Investigator Award on Career
The next area of inquiry was the impact that the CBCRP New Investigator Award had on the career of award recipients. Specifically, we wanted to assess whether the New Investigator Award recruited and retained researchers in the field of breast cancer. Seven (35%) respondents reported using the award to switch into breast cancer research from another field and all seven have remained in breast cancer research. The remaining 13 (65%) were already doing research related to breast cancer when they applied for the award (see figure 5).
Figure 5. Recruiting Breast Cancer Researchers
For those respondents new to the field, some said the award allowed them to study an area of research in which researchers around them were not interested. For those already in the field, some respondents said the award provided them with an opportunity to develop their own research ideas.
Ninety-five percent (19 of 20) of respondents felt that the New Investigator Award gave them the opportunity to do work relevant to breast cancer research that they otherwise would have been unable to do (see figure 6). Several respondents stated that they could not find any other funding agencies that would invest in their specific idea without extensive preliminary data. Other respondents stated that without CBCRP funding they would not have conducted the research at all and they would have been forced to work in other fields. Only one respondent felt that she still would have done the research without CBCRP funding because her personal and professional commitment to breast cancer was so strong.
Figure 6. Did the Award Give You the Opportunity to do Work Relevant to Breast Cancer That You Would Not Have Otherwise Been Able to Do?
Seventeen respondents (85%) said that the CBCRP New Investigator Award helped them stay in breast cancer research once their award ended. When asked how the award encouraged them to stay in the field, twelve (60%) said that it gave them the background and training they needed, twelve (60%) believed it gave them the chance to write and publish papers, ten (50%) stated it provided the groundwork for the rest of their career, and five (25%) said that it helped them to stay at the lab they were working in and continue working on their project (see figure 7). Additional reasons given included that the award allowed them to switch from postdoctoral status to faculty status, assisted them in obtaining an adjunct research position, and helped them to prove themselves in the field.
Figure 7. How Did the Award Help You Stay in the Breast Cancer Field?
Additionally, respondents currently working in some capacity related to breast cancer research were asked if they would still be involved in the field had they not received the CBCRP New Investigator Award. While five (26%) said they would either absolutely or probably still be in the field, thirteen (69%) reported they would not have stayed in the field had they not received the CBCRP New Investigator Award (see figure 8).
Figure 8. If You Had Not Received Your New Investigator Award, Do You Think That You Would Still Be Involved in Breast Cancer Work Now?
As a career development award, a main goal of the CBCRP New Investigator Award is to provide newly independent researchers with career gains. When asked about the benefits of the award, almost all respondents felt the award influenced their career by providing them with the opportunity to develop their skills as a principal investigator, giving them independence as a researcher, and enabling recognition for their work (see figure 9).
Figure 9. What Did the Award Help You to Gain?
