42. Creation of a Novel Plastic Surgery Research Program Framework: A Single Division’s Experience

Background: The influence of research team structure on institutional scholarly activity, culture, and productivity is sparsely reported in the literature. Here, we present a single institution’s experience with the development of a novel divisional plastic surgery research team structure, predominantly focused on clinical research and its impact on research productivity. Methods: From August 2021- July 2022, our research team structure changed from the traditional “single-PI single-fellow” structure to a three-tiered hierarchy system managed by the Chief Research Fellow, Director of Research, and System Chief. The Chief Research Fellow acted as a research coordinator and lead investigator, and enforced expectations for inclusivity, reliability, professional mobility and adaptability, and trust. Research projects were de-siloed and characterized into 1 of 10 subdivisions. To maximize opportunity, any research personnel could participate in any subdivision. A standardized workflow was established to encourage involvement and aid efficiency. At the conclusion of the Chief Research Fellow’s tenure, research productivity from her tenure was compared to September 2018- July 2019. Results: The Chief Research Fellow established new institutional processes and culture, which aided productivity and attracted team members. This culture change also led to research personnel both generating more research ideas and willingly giving first authorship to more junior members to help develop their skill sets. Compared to 2018-2019, there was a significant increase in publications by 131% (16 vs 37), abstract acceptances by 269% (16 vs 59), podium presentations by 820% (5 vs 36), and poster presentations by 18% (11 vs 13) (p<0.037). At the end of June 2022, there were 2 Chief Research Fellows, 6 Full-time Research Fellows, 6 Summer Research Fellows, and 198 part-time research personnel. Conclusion: Research and continuous innovation are major pillars of plastic surgery academia. However, the ability to pursue and publish scholarly activity can be limited by professional and personal barriers. When scholarly activity is pursued at an academic institution, it is imperative that a collaborative structured process is in place for optimal efficiency. Here, we propose a beneficial research structure based on inclusivity, professional mobility, altruism, and scholarly productivity.