The impact of NIH postdoctoral training grants on scientific productivity

In this paper, we estimate the impact of receiving an NIH postdoctoral training grant on subsequent publications and citations. Our sample consists of all applications for NIH postdoctoral training grants (unsuccessful as well as successful) from 1980 to 2000. Both ordinary least squares and regression discontinuity estimates show that receipt of an NIH postdoctoral fellowship leads to about one additional publication over the next five years, which reflects a 20% increase in research productivity.

► We employ a regression discontinuity design to identify the impact of NIH postdoctoral fellowship receipt on subsequent research productivity.
► We find that receipt of an NIH postdoctoral fellowship significantly increases the probability that a new PhD will successfully make the transition to a research career and the number of articles published in the 10 years following grant receipt.
► Our estimates are likely a lower bound of the total social benefit associated with NIH fellowships.