Journal article
National Institutes of Health Funding to Support Radiation Oncology Research: A Comparative Trend Analysis Over a Decade, 2011-2021
Advances in radiation oncology, Vol.10(6), 101767
06/2025
DOI: 10.1016/j.adro.2025.101767
PMCID: PMC12051116
PMID: 40330712
Abstract
Purpose
Funding to support radiation oncology discovery and research is essential for advancement in therapeutic strategies to improve outcomes for patients with cancer. We aimed to comprehensively characterize trends in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding that supports radiation oncology research over time to identify trends, successes, and areas for improvement.
Methods and Materials
We queried the NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools Expenditures and Results database to identify all awarded grants to support radiation oncology research conducted by principal investigators at academic centers, using 3 individual years as representative samples (2011, 2016, and 2021). Abstracts and keywords for resulting grants were manually searched to identify resulting awards topically related to the field of radiation oncology; principal investigators departmental affiliation was also used as a supplemental method serving as a sensitivity analysis to define radiation oncology-related research. Descriptive statistics were used to describe patterns in funding. χ 2 testing was used to assess differences in proportions of categorical variables.
Results
Less than 0.5% of the total NIH budget and < 2% of the total National Cancer Institute budget supported radiation oncology research during the representative study years. There were no significant changes in this allocation pattern over time. A small cohort of institutions held a relatively large proportion of NIH-supported radiation oncology grant funding. Individuals holding PhDs alone received the majority of funding (62%), whereas those with dual-degrees (MD/PhD) held 21% of funding, and those with MD alone were awarded 17% of funding. There was a trend toward an increased proportion of grants awarded to MD/PhDs over time (24% vs 15% in 2021 and 2011, respectively, P = .075).
Conclusions
Despite radiation therapy's essential role in multidisciplinary cancer care, NIH, and National Cancer Institute funding to support radiation oncology research has remained disproportionally low over the last decade. These data may be useful to inform future policy aimed at promoting research advancement in radiation oncology both at the micro (individual) as well as macro (institutional and national) level.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- National Institutes of Health Funding to Support Radiation Oncology Research: A Comparative Trend Analysis Over a Decade, 2011-2021
- Creators
- Amir Razavi - The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterMichael K. Rooney - The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterClifton D. Fuller - The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterJames B. Yu - Saint Francis Hospital & Medical CenterNeil T. Pfister - University of Alabama at BirminghamCharles R Thomas Jr - Dartmouth Cancer CenterJohn M. Buatti - University of Iowa, Holden Comprehensive Cancer CenterSophia C. Kamran - Massachusetts General HospitalHeather M. McGee - City Of Hope National Medical CenterDebra Nana Yeboa - The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterAna P. Kiess - Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineAndrew M. Baschnagel - University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public HealthRandall J. Kimple - University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Advances in radiation oncology, Vol.10(6), 101767
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.adro.2025.101767
- PMID
- 40330712
- PMCID
- PMC12051116
- NLM abbreviation
- Adv Radiat Oncol
- ISSN
- 2452-1094
- eISSN
- 2452-1094
- Publisher
- Elsevier; SAN DIEGO
- Grant note
- National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute: NIH/NCI R00 CA256526 UW Comprehensive Cancer Center: P30 CA014520 National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute MD Anderson Cancer Center: P30 CA016672 Image-Driven Biologically-informed Therapy Program
Heather M. McGee reports National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute funding (NIH/NCI R00 CA256526). Andrew M. Baschnagel and Randall J. Kimple report support from the UW Comprehensive Cancer Center (P30 CA014520). Clifton D. Fuller reports relevant support from National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute MD Anderson Cancer Center (P30 CA016672) and Image-Driven Biologically-informed Therapy Program.
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 06/2025
- Academic Unit
- Radiation Oncology; Neurosurgery; Otolaryngology
- Record Identifier
- 9984813165802771
Metrics
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