Biccard, Bruce

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AJOL - African Journals Online

The page number in the footer is not for bibliographic referencingwww.tandfonline.com/ojfp 4South Afr J Anaesth AnalgISSN 2220-1181           EISSN 2220-1173 © 2015  The Author(s)EDITORIALSouthern African Journal of Anaesthesia and Analgesia 2015; 21(5):4http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/22201181.2015.1101879Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons License [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0] http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0Southern African Journal of Anaesthesia and Analgesia is co-published by Medpharm Publications, NISC (Pty) Ltd and Cogent, Taylor & Francis GroupS t ern African Journal of Anaesthesia and Analgesia  2015; 21(5):123://dx.doi.org/ .1080/22201181.2 5.1101879 A cess article distribute  under the terms of thetive Co mons Lic nse [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0]://creativeco mons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0South Afr J Anaesth AnalgISSN 2220-1181 EISSN 2220-1173© 2015 The Author(s)E ITORIALThe South African Society of Anaesthesiologists initiative to support research developmentBruce BiccardResearch requires protected research time, but this time requires money. In this edition of SAJAA, the South African Society of Anaesthesiologists (SASA) is launching a substantial doctoral grant to support the development of tomorrow’s leading researchers within the field of anaesthesiology in South Africa. This is an important contribution from SASA as grant funding improves research productivity.1–3Current doctoral grants on offer in South Africa do not adequately address the need for financial support to allow for dedicated research time in a clinical work environment without a substantial loss of income. The compromise many South African clinical researchers make is to continue to try and conduct clinical research despite a substantial clinical work load. This strategy is flawed. A large clinical work load decreases research output.4 In reality to increase research productivity, clinicians require protected research time.2–5 The SASA’s grant call is based on the premise that this grant will provide the necessary financial support needed to establish protected research time within a clinical environment in order to complete important doctoral studies.We are confident that a successful applicant will go on to become a major research leader both in South Africa and internationally as the potential candidate will have been selected according to a number of criteria known to be associated with research productivity. This grant will provide the financial support necessary to create an environment for effective clinical research and doctoral studies of which we currently have a shortage in South Africa.It is important to nurture South African researchers who can develop a South African research agenda. This is needed as the published literature reflect predominantly European and North American patients who are different to South African patients. We need to focus research on what is ultimately relevant to our patients. South Africa has a lower Human Development Index and different population morbidity patterns when compared to European and North American patients. South Africa has the unenviable task of addressing four simultaneous major epidemics: i) poverty-related diseases; ii) non-communicable diseases; iii) human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and related diseases; and, iv) injury and violence.6We would encourage interested researchers to apply if their research aspirations are in line with this grant call. This is indeed a unique opportunity to provide the financial support to allow meaningful protected research time in a clinical speciality to allow an individual to work towards a doctorate. It is hoped that the successful candidate will develop into a mentor for future researchers which will go some way to addressing the limited number of clinical researchers in perioperative medicine in South Africa.7References1.  Itagaki MW, Pile-Spellman J. Factors associated with academic radiology research productivity. Radiology. 2005;237(3):774–80.2.  Lelièvre J, Bussières JF, Lebel D, et al. Predictors of publication productivity among hospital pharmacists in France and Quebec. Am J Pharm Educ. 2011;75(1):Article 17.3.  Pagel PS, Hudetz JA. An analysis of scholarly productivity in United States academic anaesthesiologists by citation bibliometrics. Anaesthesia. 2011;66(10):873–8.4.  Taylor GA. Impact of clinical volume on scholarly activity in an academic children’s hospital: trends, implications, and possible solutions. Pediatr Radiol. 2001;31(11):786–9.5.  Crawford P, Seehusen D. Scholarly activity in family medicine residency programs: a national survey. Fam Med. 2011;43(5):311–7.6.  Coovadia H, Jewkes R, Barron P, et al. The health and health system of South Africa: historical roots of current public health challenges. Lancet. 2009;374(9692):817–34.7.  Chung SW, Clifton JS, Rowe AJ, et al. Strategic faculty recruitment increases research productivity within an academic university division. Can J Surg. 2009;52(5):401–6.Received: 22-09-2015 Accepted: 28-09-2015Editor-in-ChiefEmail: Biccardb@ukzn.ac.za

The South African Society of Anaesthesiologists initiative to support research development

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The South African Society of Anaesthesiologists initiative to support research development

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