ACEN-ACEP Now

We read with interest Dr. Jeremy Brown’s piece in the November 2014 issue of Academic Emergency Medicine.1 Dr. Brown articulated that although EM applicants for individual mentored (K) awards have a funding rate similar to other specialties, comparatively few emergency medicine (EM) investigators ever apply for these awards.

As representatives of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) and American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Research Committees, we offer additional commentary regarding the reasons for, and possible solutions to, the low number of EM applications for K awards. We believe that both individual and systemic action is necessary to address the situation.