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. 2022 Jan 13;12(1):e046368. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046368

Table 2.

Outcome of application (rejected/awarded)

Variable Rejected Awarded Model 1 Model 2 Model 3
3484 (78.8%) 936 (21.2%)
RRR 95% CI P value RRR 95% CI P value RRR 95% CI P value
Gender
 Female 2107 (79.2) 552 (20.8)
 Male 1345 (77.8) 384 (22.2) 1.09 0.94 to 1.26 0.25 1.03 0.88 to 1.21 0.71
Professional background
 Medic 1235 (77) 374 (23)
 Dentist 44 (61.1) 28 (38.9) 2.1 1.29 to 3.42 0.003 1.47 0.85 to 2.50 0.15
 Allied HP 456 (75.9) 145 (24.1) 1.05 0.84 to 1.31 0.66 1.01 0.74 to 1.37 0.92
 Nurse/midwife 415 (82.2) 90 (17.8) 0.72 0.55 to 0.92 0.01 0.72 0.52 to 1.01 0.06
 Not HP 875 (83.3) 177 (16.7) 0.67 0.55 to 0.81 <0.001 0.94 0.66 to 1.08 0.64
 Other HP 427 (77.8) 122 (22.2) 0.94 0.75 to 1.19 0.62 1.11 0.83 to 1.49 0.47
Previous NIHR award holder
 No 2834 (80.2) 700 (19.8)
 Yes 618 (72.4) 236 (27.6) 1.55 1.31 to 1.83 <0.001 1.74 1.41 to 2.13 <0.001 1.77 1.45 to 2.14 <0.001
Award level
 Predoctoral 77 (47.8) 84 (52.2) 4.31 3.11 to 5.98 <0.001 4.73 2.54 to 6.68 0.0001 4.79 2.96 to 7.74 <0.001
 Doctoral 1749 (79.4) 455 (20.6)
 Early postdoctoral 953 (79.1) 252 (20.9) 1.02 0.85 to 1.21 0.79 1.09 0.85 to 1.33 0.38 1.08 0.89 to 1.31 0.41
 Late postdoctoral 422 (81.9) 93 (18.1) 0.85 0.66 to 1.08 0.21 0.98 0.77 to 1.27 0.87 0.99 0.76 to 1.28 0.94
 Senior/prechair 125 (85.6) 21 (14.4) 0.64 0.41 to 1.04 0.07 0.64 0.41 to 1.04 0.07 0.65 0.40 to 1.06 0.08
 Chair 158 (83.6) 31 (16.4) 0.87 0.51 to 1.12 0.49 0.97 0.62 to 1.47 0.87 0.99 0.65 to 1.49 0.97
Programme
 ICA 581 (72.5) 220 (27.5) 1.74 1.45 to 1.08 <0.001 2.2 1.69 to 2.87 <0.001 2.09 1.68 to 2.59 <0.001
 NIHR fellowship 2634 (82.2) 569 (17.8)
 IAT 269 (64.7) 147 (35.3) 2.52 2.02 to 3.14 <0.001 1.08 0.76 to 1.53 0.65 1.14 0.82 to 1.59 0.43
Cohort
 2007–2010 971 (79.5) 253 (20.4)
 2011–2013 1187 (77.3) 354 (22.7) 1.14 0.95 to 1.37 0.15 1.09 0.90 to 1.33 0.36 1.1 0.91 to 1.34 0.29
 2014–2016 1294 (79.8) 329 (20.2) 0.97 0.81 to 1.12 0.79 0.79 0.64 to 0.96 0.02 0.81 0.66 to 0.98 0.04
Host organisation type
 HEI 2721 (79.3) 720 (20.7)
 NHS trust 669 (77.4) 196 (22.6) 1.11 0.93 to 1.32 0.26 2.08 1.37 to 3.21 0.001 2.21 1.45 to 3.33 <0.001
 Other* 62 (75.6) 20 (24.4) 1.22 0.73 to 2.03 0.45 2.09 1.08 to 4.05 0.03 2.08 1.07 to 4.01 0.03
Region
 East of England 205 (84.9) 39 (15.1) 0.98 0.69 to 1.38 0.34 0.78 0.54 to 1.15 0.23 0.76 0.53 to 1.10 0.23
 East Midlands 211 (81.8) 47 (18.2) 0.78 0.53 to 1.11 0.15 1.05 0.71 to 1.61 0.76 0.88 0.62 to 1.26 0.76
 London 1268 (81.1) 295 (18.9)
 North East 159 (76.4) 49 (23.6) 1.33 0.94 to 1.88 0.16 1.63 1.09 to 2.51 0.02 1.4 0.98 to 1.99 0.06
 North West 382 (79.2) 100 (20.7) 1.13 0.87 to 1.45 0.41 1.36 0.97 to 1.92 0.08 1.15 0.89 to 1.49 0.29
 South Central 344 (77.8) 98 (22.2) 1.23 0.95 to 1.58 0.21 1.26 0.96 to 1.65 0.09 1.22 0.94 to 1.59 0.15
 South East Coast 63 (80.8) 15 (19.2) 1.03 0.57 to 1.82 0.84 1.24 0.65 to 2.41 0.52 1.09 0.59 to 2.04 0.76
 South West 198 (70) 85 (30) 1.83 1.38 to 2.43 <0.001 2.2 1.56 to 3.25 <0.001 1.87 1.39 to 2.51 <0.001
 West Midlands 326 (78.9) 87 (21.1) 1.14 0.88 to 1.51 0.32 1.23 0.88 to 1.74 0.26 1.03 0.78 to 1.36 0.82
 Yorkshire and Humber 314 (72.2) 121 (27.8) 1.66 1.30 to 2.12 <0.001 1.98 1.43 to 2.82 <0.001 1.66 1.29 to 2.13 <0.001
Medical school
 No 1028 (80.8) 245 (19.2)
 Yes 2456 (78) 691 (22) 1.19 1.01 to 1.40 0.05 2.5 1.64 to 3.82 <0.001 2.61 1.77 to 3.84 <0.001
Higher education group
 GT 1295 (79.8) 372 (20.2)
 RG 1388 (76.8) 420 (23.2) 1.2 1.02 to 1.42 0.02 1.25 0.95 to 1.65 0.11
 Other 801 (808.9) 189 (19.1) 0.94 0.77 to 1.14 0.55 1.04 0.81 to 1.35 0.73

Bold values indicate significant RRR at p<0.05

*Other organisation=charity (4 applications, 1 awarded), Clinical Commissioning Group (16 application, 15 awarded, other non-NHS (38 applications, 3 awarded), other NHS (24 applications, 1 awarded).

GT, golden triangle; HEI, higher education institution; IAT, Integrated Academic Training; ICA, Integrated Clinical Academic; NHS, National Health Service; NIHR, National Institute for Health Research; RG, russell group; RRR, relative risk ratio.