| Summary: | <h4>Background</h4>Publications may be a modifiable factor toward research project grant (RPG) funding decisions, the objective was to determine the association of publication record with later RPG receipt.<h4>Methods</h4>This was a retrospective cohort study of recipients of K01, K08, or K23 US career development awards (CDAs) starting from 2000-2015. Exposures were CDA awardees' first-, middle-, and last-author publication counts, and the quartile of awardees' highest and mean publication impact factors. The independent association of each exposure with time to RPG (R01 or equivalent) was determined using a Cox model, after adjustment for CDA type, awardee change in institution, and institutional CDA count. The proportion of CDA recipients with later independent funding was also determined by publication count.<h4>Results</h4>Among 6744 CDA awardees, 3943 obtained an RPG. The median time to RPG was 5.6 years (interquartile range 4.2-7.5). The number of first-authorships was associated with a shorter time to RPG (1-4 versus 0: hazard ratio [HR] 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10-1.36; 5-9: 1.59, 95% CI 1.40-1.79; 10-24: 1.78, 95% CI 1.54-2.07; 25+: 2.40, 95% CI 1.61-3.56). Last-authorships were associated with a shorter time to RPG (1-4 versus 0: HR 1.99, 95% CI 1.83-2.16; 5-9: 2.72, 95% CI 2.45-3.03; 10-24: 3.17, 95% CI 2.78-3.62; 25+: 3.12, 95% CI 2.17-4.50). Higher maximum impact factor was associated with a shorter time to RPG (Q2 versus lowest: HR 1.28, 95% CI 1.12-1.46; Q3: 1.45, 95% CI 1.24-1.70; Q4: 1.67, 95% CI 1.39-2.02). Mean impact factor and middle-authorships were not associated with time to RPG. Among 687 CDAs with zero associated first- or last-authorships, 158 (23%) achieved later RPG funding. Among those with at least 10 total first- or last-authorships, 1288/1554 (83%) obtained a later RPG.<h4>Conclusions</h4>A higher number and impact of publications was associated with later independent funding.
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