To drive our mission forward, Breakthrough T1D financially supports type 1 diabetes (T1D) research through training awards and grants to academic scientists or clinicians, investments in promising companies, conference support, and more. Here, we take a deeper dive specifically into our training awards offered to early-stage researchers to understand the impact and outcomes that these awards have on individual careers and T1D research as a whole.
Key Takeaways
- Breakthrough T1D conducted a survey of researchers and clinicians who received training awards from 2015 to 2024, totaling $62,513,719 in funding.
- The purpose was to understand the impact of the training awards on career decisions and the research and clinical outcomes stemming from the awards.
- Most Breakthrough T1D award recipients stayed in diabetes research or clinical practice after the award ended.
- Training award recipients reported publications, patents, honors, clinical trials, collaborations, resources, and mentoring of new trainees arising from Breakthrough T1D training awards.
- Recipients gave positive feedback on the awards, and many continue to be involved in Breakthrough T1D beyond applying for funding.
Why did we conduct this survey?
Training awards are a key part of Breakthrough T1D’s grants portfolio. These awards support early-career scientists and clinical researchers to explore promising ideas and encourage trainees to follow career paths that drive T1D research forward. Our approach is designed to provide opportunities to support trainees from an early postdoctoral stage (after receiving a higher degree) to transitioning to an independent lab and career as a T1D researcher.
Breakthrough T1D previously conducted surveys analyzing the impact and outcomes of training awards completed between 1974 to 2014, revealing that these awards encouraged long-term pursuit of a career in T1D. The current survey included an expanded analysis on training awards completed between 2015 to 2024. The results provide a broader understanding of how our financial support impacts research outcomes, career paths, and additional funding secured by awardees. This way, we can ensure that our funds for trainees are being used in the best way possible, supporting the best and brightest researchers and ideas that drive our mission forward now and in the future.
Survey methodology
From 2015 to 2024…
$62,513,719
Dollar amount of Breakthrough T1D funds invested in training awards
269
Number of training awards granted
230
Number of unique award recipients
Types of training awards surveyed
| Training award | Number of awards granted between 2015-2024 | Number of awards evaluated based on survey responses |
|---|---|---|
| Postdoctoral Fellowship | 155 | 80 |
| Advanced Postdoctoral Fellowship | 48 | 35 |
| Career Development Awards | 36 | 26 |
| Early Career Patient-Oriented Diabetes Research Awards | 8 | 4 |
| Transition Awards | 22 | 17 |
| Total | 269 | 162 |
Of the total training awards funded between 2015 to 2024, this survey is a reflection of 135 respondents (60%) covering 162 awards. Respondent data was analyzed, mapped, and reported.
Impacts on career trajectories
17
Number of countries where respondents are located
76%
Percent of respondents who remained in academia after award completion
79%
Percent of respondents still working in diabetes (including T1D and type 2 diabetes) in both research and/or clinical practice
Essential findings: Career trajectories for training award recipients
- Researchers take on more senior positions post-Breakthrough T1D award, including tenure-track roles.
- Every respondent working in diabetes research reported that the training award influenced their decision to continue to focus on diabetes.
- Those who received more advanced training awards were more likely to stay in the diabetes field.
- The main reasons researchers and clinicians stayed in diabetes are that the awards support training, networking, and publications.
- If given the option, most respondents chose the Breakthrough T1D training award over other training award options, primarily due to prestige and better award terms.
Impacts on research outcomes
Research supported by training awards resulted in a variety of outcomes that could benefit the larger scientific community and drive T1D research forward. Readouts of successful research include peer-reviewed journal publications, clinical trials, patents, collaborations, resources, grant review requests, and research honors or recognitions.
463
Number of published papers reported by respondents
176
Number of journals that respondents published in
41
Number of patent-related activities reported from training awards
57%
Percent of respondents who formed at least one and often multiple collaborations throughout the training award
57
Number of different shareable resources developed by award recipients
39%
Percent of respondents who serve as grant reviewers for Breakthrough T1D
31
Percent of respondents who reported receiving at least one research honor
91
Total number of research fellows trained by respondents
84%
Percent of next-generation trainees in academic research or clinical practice
Essential findings: Research outcomes stemming from awards
- Respondents from every single type of training award report having trained a next-generation diabetes research fellow.
- Recipients of Career Development Awards published the most papers and formed the most collaborations.
- Recipients of Postdoctoral Fellowships were the least likely to form a collaboration, revealing a potential opportunity for Breakthrough T1D to help facilitate more collaborative connections amongst this awardee group.
- Awardees reported holding various professional roles in the diabetes community, including consultants to nonprofits and industry, conference planners, program leaders, and manuscript reviewers.
- The most prominent honor reported was a recognition or excellence award.
Impacts on securing additional funding
Breakthrough T1D training awards help early-career researchers continue an engaging and successful career in diabetes research. This is an important factor in securing further funding after the awards end, which helps researchers and clinicians maintain the ability to continue critical research that helps drive our mission forward.
78%
Percent of respondents who reported receiving additional research funding since the completion of the training award
$327,880,689
Dollar amount of additional research funding secured by respondents from various funding sources
Essential findings: Additional funds secured for research
- For each training award, recipients secured at least five times the training award amount in additional funding post-award.
- Postdoctoral fellows exhibited the greatest return on investment—meaning they secured the greatest amount of additional funding after the award ended.
Essential findings: Impact on early career development as a whole
- Early-stage trainees prioritize the ability to test a promising research idea that others would not support.
- Later-stage trainees prioritize getting promotion or tenure and generating data to secure additional research funding.
Training awards are key to achieving our mission
Based on these data, it’s clear that Breakthrough T1D’s training awards impact early-career researchers and clinicians across the board: from career development, to training the next generation, to securing additional research funding, to publishing more papers.
This is exemplified by feedback from trainees. Some reported that Breakthrough T1D’s training awards are the best in their class and are critical for T1D research, including the ability to execute niche projects that other funding agencies would not support. Most respondents reported being immensely grateful for their training awards. See what some of the awardees have to say:
“Unequivocally, the award launched my career as a diabetes researcher.”
–Danielle Dean, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellowship Award recipient
“I am now fortunate to have mentees below me (one of whom received a Career Development Award). So not only did this award help me, but it helped establish an enduring source for new trainees interested in diabetes research.”
–Jeremy Pettus, M.D., Early Career Patient-Oriented Diabetes Research Award recipient
“[I have made] International collaborations … research institutions and biotech companies to advance therapy development… partnerships across Europe, Asia, and the U.S.”
–Luis Arnes, Ph.D., Advanced Post Doctoral Fellowship and Transition Award recipient
Not only do these awards help retain talent in diabetes research, but they also help awardees maintain connections with Breakthrough T1D as a whole—outside of seeking financial support. Training award recipients have presented research updates at local events, participated in Breakthrough T1D fundraising activities, and supported our advocacy efforts. We are helping to build the next generation of T1D researchers, advocates, T1D community supporters, and more—all working toward the same goal of a world without T1D.
This survey has put into context where our money is going—and it’s going to the right places. Helping to train the next generation of scientists and clinicians is key to the success of our mission. We’re seeing significant returns on our investments, embodied by trainees securing substantial funding for ongoing T1D research, the creation of shareable resources that will help drive research forward and increase collaboration, and the success of our awardees in securing desirable jobs and leadership positions.
We put our time and money into identifying the best-and-brightest scientists and ideas, encourage them to stay in the field, and guide them as they pass the torch to the upcoming talented pool of young T1D researchers. We support scientists so they can do the important work that will help people with T1D live better lives—and maybe one day live without T1D. And, most importantly, we wouldn’t be able to do this without YOU: our supporters, our donors, and the entire T1D community that allows us to do what we do every day—improve the lives of people with T1D as we drive towards a cure. Thank you.
The full-length report was put together with the assistance of Breakthrough T1D consultant Kim Hunter-Schaedle.
