Reviving the vascular surgeon–scientist: An interim assessment of the jointly sponsored Lifeline Foundation/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute William J. von Liebig Mentored Clinical Scientist Development (K08) Program

The Lifeline Foundation/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute William J. von Liebig Mentored Clinical Scientist Development (K08) Award program was established as a unique partnership to support vascular surgeon–scientists. Between 1999 and 2005, 39 applications were submitted, and the overall funding rate was 49% (14 von Liebig K08s and 5 additional NHLBI K08s). Vascular surgeon K08 recipients (median age, 38 years) had held faculty appointments for 2.5 ± 0.4 years, with 2.6 ± 0.2 years of previous research experience and 28.4 ± 6.2 publications. These individuals subsequently authored 5.1 ± 0.8 peer-reviewed publications per recipient per year, of which 35% were research and 65% were clinical. Six of seven holding the K08 over 3 years had received academic promotion, and all five completing the 5-year award had achieved independent investigator status with National Institutes of Health support. The von Liebig K08 program has therefore been an effective vehicle to stimulate research career development in the field of vascular surgery.