2009 NIH funding to Neurology and Neuroscience Departments

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marqaha

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Greetings all,

I've been a lurker on SDN for a few months now, and I have really appreciated the wealth of information and opinions provided on this forum. I am currently a third year medical student interested in research oriented neurology residency programs.

My first contribution...

Here are the 2009 NIH combined dollars awarded to Neurology and Neuroscience Departments at the following programs, sorted from greatest to least. Source.

1 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES $48,287,303.00
2 JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY $44,358,403.00
3 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO $38,851,146.00
4 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO $35,161,794.00
5 MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE OF NYU $30,338,737.00
6 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES $25,386,378.00
7 MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA $24,272,479.00
8 UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER $23,637,162.00
9 OREGON HEALTH AND SCIENCE UNIVERSITY $23,571,109.00
10 WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY $21,950,397.00
11 UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA $21,775,735.00
12 WEILL MEDICAL COLLEGE OF CORNELL UNIV $16,088,957.00
13 YALE UNIVERSITY $13,114,634.00
14 EMORY UNIVERSITY $13,028,438.00
15 ALBERT EINSTEIN COL OF MED YESHIVA UNIV $12,094,382.00
16 UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON $11,683,857.00
17 UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM $11,265,081.00
18 UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI $10,981,099.00
19 BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS $10,230,975.00
20 UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TWIN CITIES $9,907,374.00
21 STANFORD UNIVERSITY $9,717,344.00
22 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH $8,694,410.00
23 UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR $8,523,234.00
24 TUFTS UNIVERSITY BOSTON $8,423,842.00
25 UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE $8,143,132.00
26 UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA CHARLOTTESVILLE $8,060,767.00
27 UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SW MED CTR/DALLAS $8,040,943.00
28 GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY $7,832,191.00
29 BROWN UNIVERSITY $7,241,032.00
30 RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER $6,776,811.00
31 BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE $6,352,359.00
32 UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDICAL BR GALVESTON $6,330,894.00
33 CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY $6,242,500.00
34 NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY $6,079,308.00
35 TEMPLE UNIVERSITY $5,948,755.00
36 UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO $5,906,002.00
37 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IRVINE $5,828,372.00
38 UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON $5,782,316.00
39 UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL $5,620,086.00
40 OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY $5,422,138.00
41 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAVIS $5,020,589.00
42 UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SCH OF MED/DNT $4,969,133.00
43 DUKE UNIVERSITY $4,598,418.00
44 UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA $4,463,613.00
45 HARVARD UNIVERSITY (MEDICAL SCHOOL) $4,369,759.00
46 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER $3,910,191.00
47 UNIV OF MED/DENT NJ-R W JOHNSON MED SCH $3,755,141.00
48 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA $3,746,539.00
49 VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY $3,689,105.00
50 UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO $3,656,833.00
51 MEDICAL COLLEGE OF GEORGIA (MCG) $3,390,929.00
52 PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV HERSHEY MED CTR $3,303,416.00
53 LOUISIANA STATE UNIV HSC NEW ORLEANS $2,871,810.00
54 UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT & ST AGRIC COLLEGE $2,578,327.00
55 THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY $2,502,758.00
56 CLEVELAND CLINIC LERNER COL/MED-CWRU $2,355,000.00
57 WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY $2,341,775.00
58 UNIVERSITY OF UTAH $2,333,836.00
59 UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS WORCESTER $2,248,057.00
60 UNIVERSITY OF IOWA $2,181,644.00
61 UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE $1,629,061.00
62 MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN $1,557,903.00
63 INDIANA UNIV-PURDUE UNIV AT INDIANAPOLIS $1,535,753.00
64 UNIV OF MED/DENT OF NJ-NJ MEDICAL SCHOOL $1,475,805.00
65 STATE UNIVERSITY NEW YORK STONY BROOK $1,395,909.00
66 NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE $1,386,987.00
67 UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE $1,379,217.00
68 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA $1,360,498.00
69 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO $1,354,669.00
70 VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY $1,331,468.00
71 SUNY DOWNSTATE MEDICAL CENTER $1,163,021.00
72 ROSALIND FRANKLIN UNIV OF MEDICINE & SCI $1,095,227.00
73 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER $1,059,000.00
74 WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES $1,039,741.00
75 UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY $988,071.00
76 UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA $898,024.00
77 UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS MED SCIS LTL ROCK $667,300.00
78 UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCI CTR $652,024.00
79 LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO $339,278.00
80 STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO $299,115.00
81 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA $261,094.00
82 UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO HEALTH SCI CAMPUS $259,199.00
83 WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY $224,328.00
84 DREXEL UNIVERSITY $159,375.00
85 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA $126,354.00
86 LOUISIANA STATE UNIV HSC SHREVEPORT $117,116.00
87 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY SCH OF MED $91,191.00
88 DARTMOUTH COLLEGE $37,776.00
89 UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO MED SCIENCES $26,346.00

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These statistics can be somewhat misleading in the case that some neuroscience dollars are allocated through separate institutes or hospital departments. You see that these are all UNIVERSITY allotments. The list would look a lot different if all these other sources were accounted for. For instance, it appears that UCSD has 8 times more NIH neuroscience funding than Harvard. This is not the case. It's just that most of the NIH money going to Harvard neuroscience affiliates doesn't go through the Medical School. This is more a function of the structure of the relationships at each university rather than the true money being awarded.

Good post, still useful. But with caveats.
 
If you're interested in research-oriented programs, consider the following. I myself have searched for such progs. over the past year and matched into one that fits my goals well.

Some of these Qs have universal "right" vs "wrong" answers. But most don't; but I'd suggest that you figure out what you're looking for in terms of answers to these questions. You may find other Qs to think about as well. Nearly every neuro prog. has a fairly detailed website where you can figure out basic answers to these questions.

Also be careful about looking only at $$. Typhoon beat me to the punch with his comment, but also remember that clinical trials involve much more $$ than basic research. Also, these are DEPARTMENTAL (not UNIVERSITY) allotments. Some institutions have neuroscience spread across several departments (w/o a neurosci dept as such); eg, pharmacology, n-surg, PM&R, physiology, cell biology, anesthesia, optho depts may all conduct neuroscience related research. Also, as a neuro resident you may or may not have access to other departments (even sometimes basic neuroscience). So look at whether the inst. is doing basic vs. clinical vs translational (whatever that means!) research.

All said, this isn't a bad starting point. Maybe, just maybe, someone will make a "Best Top 5 research thread" that will expand to 82 programs filled with entertaining vitriol once again ;)

- will you have (elective) time in the prog. to do research? In what years? During residency or during fellowship? If a program allows you to do, e.g., 6 mos or 10 mos of research during residency, do you want to do that much? How much does doing research take away from clinical training? How much research is "enough" during residency?

- Are there grants to support your research. Or will they say "you're welcome to do research, but who will support you". Is there a research track? Look for a prog. with a training grant. Does the prog. have a R-25 grant; are they applying for one (this is a new grant designed to promote translational research)? Does the institution have a CTSA?

- Have residents / fellows been successful in obtaining research grants of their own (eg K-awards). You will find a wide range of answers to this from program to program.

- Do faculty feel a pull b/w research and clinical obligations? Is the dept. head/leadership supportive of them, or do they push in one direction vs another? (ie, where is the dept head's priorities in terms of research for the dept)

- Do they do the research you are interested in? Many neuro depts (even from large, stereotypically research heavy institutions) have a very strong research focus in a couple of areas, with limited work in other areas. Almost all neuro departments have respective areas of strength. How many faculty members, and in what areas?

- what fellowships are offered? Is a research fellowship an option? Can you create your own fellowships (a couple of places I i-viewed allowed this). Which fellowships are accredited?

- what resources are available, compared to # of research oriented residents. If nearly everyone at a particular prog. is research oriented, are there enough resources/funding/opps to go around?

- do residents/fellows tend to stay on as faculty at a given institution. you'll find a very wide range of answers -- all the way from "we hire almost exclusively from within" to "it's an earned privilege to be faculty at X Univ Hosp, after many years being faculty elsewhere" or "we'd like to, if we had space/$$/etc".

- Don't forget you are doing residency primarily to learn clinical neuro. Don't forget to assess a program's strength in training you to be a great clinician. Whatever that means to you.
 
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typhoonegator - Thanks for the clarification on what those numbers really mean.

rahuldave - These are some great questions! I hope you don't mind if I plagiarize them during interview season!

I have thought about some of these issues a lot and some not at all. Some of my answers are:

-I am interested in doing up to 6 months of clinical/translational research during residency. No more than that. Two and a half years is an awfully short time to learn neurology!
-I am only considering programs that already have a funding mechanism for resident research.
-I want to do a fellowship at the same program that could lead to a K-award.
 
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