Funding for research has become increasingly difficult to obtain in an environment
of decreasing clinical revenue, increasing research costs, and growing competition
for federal and nonfederal funding sources. This paper identifies critical requirements
to build and sustain a successful radiology research program (eg, key personnel and
leadership, research training and mentorship, infrastructure, institutional and departmental
funding or support), reviews the current state of available funding for radiology
(including federal, nonfederal, philanthropy, crowdfunding, and industry), and describes
promising opportunities for future funding (eg, health services, comparative effectiveness,
and patient-centered outcomes research). The funding climate, especially at the federal
level, changes periodically, so it is important to have radiology-specific organizations
such as the American College of Radiology and the Academy of Radiology Research serving
as our key advocates. Key to obtaining any funding, no matter what the source, is
a well-formulated grant proposal, so a review of opportunities specifically available
to radiologists to develop and hone their grant-writing skills is provided. Effective
and sustained funding for radiology research has the potential to cultivate young
researchers, bolster quality research, and enhance health care. Those interested in
pursuing research need to be aware of the ever-changing funding landscape, research
priority areas, and the resources available to them to succeed. To succeed, radiology
researchers need to think about diversification and flexibility in their interests,
developing multidisciplinary and multi-institutional projects, and engaging a broader
base of stakeholders that includes patients.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 01, 2017
Accepted:
July 22,
2017
Received in revised form:
July 19,
2017
Received:
May 17,
2017
Identification
Copyright
© 2018 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
