T32 training is associated with increased likelihood of obtaining an academic research faculty position: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe main mission of NIH-sponsored institutional training programs such as the T32 is to provide strong research and career training for early career scientists, while preparing those individuals to become leaders working to meet the health-related research needs of the nation. One of the main avenues to pursue health-related research is becoming research faculty at an academic institution. It is therefore important to know whether these programs are succeeding in this mission, or, if barriers exist that prevent trainees from pursuing these careers.MethodsOur institution currently trains ~ 2400 post-doctoral scholars per year, approximately 5% of whom are enrolled in one of our 33 T32 programs. In this study, we 1) compare the professional outcomes of T32 trainees with non-T32 trainees at our institution, and 2) survey past and current T32 trainees in a subset of high-performing cardiovascular programs about the barriers and enablers they experienced to pursuing research-oriented careers.ResultsFormer T32 trainees are significantly more likely to attain appointments as primarily research faculty members, compared to other trainees. Trainees report a perceived lack of stability, the paucity of open positions, and the ‘publish or perish’ competitive mentality of academia as their top reasons for abandoning careers in academia. However, they were still more likely to choose research over clinical careers after participating in a dedicated T32 program.ConclusionsOur results support the conclusion that structured training programs strengthen the pipeline of young scientists pursuing careers in academic research, including those from underrepresented backgrounds. However, T32 postdoctoral researchers are held back from pursuing academic careers by a perceived lack of stability and high competition for faculty positions.FundingThis research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.