A Public Health of Consequence: Shifting the Cultural Narrative From Churning Grants to a Scholarship of Consequence

Am J Public Health. 2019 Nov;109(11):1535-1538. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2019.305266. Epub 2019 Sep 19.

Abstract

A confluence of challenges is impeding faculty members' ability to prioritize research with the goal of achieving a public health of consequence: research designed to improve conditions to produce a healthier society. Together, these challenges create a "churn" culture in which faculty focus on generating new business (i.e., grant funding and associated incentives) to replace lost revenue (i.e., expiring grants); this culture can relegate public health impact to a back seat.We share three strategies and related insights from our efforts to shift our department's cultural narrative from churn to a "scholarship of consequence": crafting research proposals of consequence, fostering thought leadership through collaborative writing, and mentoring faculty with a view to a scholarship of consequence.We describe each of the strategies and interim progress. Although they are a work in progress, we conclude that despite initial concerns, our evaluation metrics indicate improvement.

MeSH terms

  • Education, Public Health Professional / organization & administration*
  • Education, Public Health Professional / standards
  • Faculty / organization & administration*
  • Faculty / standards
  • Fellowships and Scholarships / standards*
  • Humans
  • Mentors
  • Organizational Culture
  • Research
  • Writing / standards