Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT.
Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program, University of California Office of the President, Oakland, CA.
Nicotine Tob Res. 2020 Jan 27;22(1):141-143. doi: 10.1093/ntr/nty253.
Diversifying the workforce is an important strategy to reducing health disparities. Since 2007, the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) Health Disparities Network has funded a travel scholarship to promote inclusion, professional development, and diversity among investigators interested in tobacco-related health disparities research. This study examined indicators of productivity among former scholarship recipients.Methods: Scholarship recipients between 2007 and 2014 were invited to complete a survey online. The survey assessed demographic characteristics, academic productivity, and perceived professional benefit resulting from the scholarship.Results: Of the 117 scholarships recipients, 89 (77%) responded. Respondents were 67% female and had a mean age of 37.8 years. Twenty eight percent were African American, 25% Asian American, and 17% Latino. Most respondents worked in academia (80%) and nearly three-quarters (74%) reported publishing manuscripts on tobacco-related disparities, with a mean of 3.8 (SD 4.4) disparities-related publications since receiving the scholarship. Respondents' work focused on a wide range of health disparities topics and nearly all respondents reported that the scholarship removed barriers to attending the meeting and reported professional benefit from receiving the travel scholarship. Following receipt of the SRNT travel scholarship, a diverse group of scientists demonstrated scholarly productivity, professional development, and advancement of health disparities research. Similar efforts are encouraged in other professional societies.
This study examines the productivity of early career recipients of the SRNT Health Disparities Scholarship. Results suggest that the investment in annual travel scholarships by a professional organization is an important support system for emerging scientists from diverse backgrounds. This investment may help to advance the science of health disparities and engage researchers in an area where there are critical gaps in the research workforce.
多元化员工队伍是减少健康差异的重要策略。自 2007 年以来，尼古丁与烟草研究学会（SRNT）健康差异网络一直资助旅行奖学金，以促进对烟草相关健康差异研究感兴趣的研究人员的包容、专业发展和多样性。本研究考察了前奖学金获得者的生产力指标。
邀请 2007 年至 2014 年期间的奖学金获得者在线完成调查。该调查评估了人口统计学特征、学术生产力以及奖学金带来的专业收益。
在 117 名奖学金获得者中，有 89 名（77%）做出了回应。应答者中女性占 67%，平均年龄为 37.8 岁。28%为非裔美国人，25%为亚裔美国人，17%为拉丁裔。大多数应答者在学术界工作（80%），近四分之三（74%）报告发表过与烟草相关的差异相关的论文，自获得奖学金以来，平均有 3.8 篇（SD 4.4）与差异相关的出版物。应答者的工作重点是广泛的健康差异主题，几乎所有应答者都报告说奖学金消除了参加会议的障碍，并从获得旅行奖学金中获得了专业收益。在获得 SRNT 旅行奖学金后，一群多元化的科学家展示了学术生产力、专业发展和健康差异研究的进展。鼓励其他专业学会也采取类似的努力。
本研究考察了 SRNT 健康差异奖学金的早期职业获得者的生产力。结果表明，专业组织每年提供旅行奖学金是对来自不同背景的新兴科学家的重要支持系统。这种投资可能有助于推进健康差异科学，并使研究人员参与到研究队伍中存在重大差距的领域。
