Top Things to Know: Assessing the Impact of the AHA’s Research Portfolio
Published: September 22, 2022
Prepared by Katherine A. Sheehan, PhD, Science and Medicine Advisor
- The American Heart Association (AHA) has a long history of supporting scientific research, investing more than $4.5 billion since 1949, and reaching an annual funding rate of $188.7 million in 2019.
- The AHA’s research portfolio includes subject areas critical to achieving its mission, which are periodically reviewed by a panel of stakeholders to determine the key attributes and principles of research to strengthen and enhance its commitment to cardiovascular and neurosciences research.
- In 2012, the AHA held a Research Summit resulting in the development of the Twelve Essential Elements, centered on the themes of portfolio, investigator, measurement, and accountability, and of resource optimization, along with processes to measure the performance of the portfolio.
- The portfolio performance processes include: metrics and data collection tools to assess impact such as bibliometric analysis of awardee publications, performance measures that provide concrete examples of the reach of the program, and return-on-investment information. Opportunities for improvement may be identified as well, including challenges to funding and gaps in the portfolio that need to be filled for AHA-funded research to have its maximum impact on science and patient/health outcomes.
- The Research Strategic Plan was used for context in the identification of metrics and evaluation models for the AHA’s success. Strategic elements of the plan include advancing early career development, multidisciplinary and collaborative research, high risk-high reward research, research balance, and international scope. Also included are elements of the AHA Strategic Plan, to accelerate science discovery, interpretation, and application.
- Models used by other organizations were examined for their strengths and weaknesses, including ability to meet fundamental requirements for evaluation of the AHA research portfolio, such as impact on career development and scientific knowledge across multiple grant programs, feasibility of implementation based on available tools, resources, and infrastructure needed to administer the program.
- Evaluation models were also judged on their ability to track the impact of AHA funded research on health policy, health care delivery, clinical practice, disease treatment, and economic and workforce growth.
- AHA is a member of the Health Research Alliance (HRA) an organization of nonprofit research funders which shares best practices and tools in research program evaluation. HRA uses digital science platforms that have been useful in the development of evaluation tools.
- Measuring the performance of the AHA’s research portfolio is critical to ensuring that its strategic goals are met. These data can influence decisions to enhance, continue, discontinue, or alter programs.
- Ongoing program evaluation demonstrates to patients, volunteers, donors, academic and industry partners, and other stakeholders the AHA’s commitment to high quality, impactful research that advances the AHA mission.
Citation
Creager MA, Hernandez AF, Bender JR, Foster MH, Heidenreich PA, Houser SR, Lloyd-Jones DM, Roach WH Jr, Roger VL; on behalf of the American Heart Association Research Committee. Assessing the impact of the American Heart Association’s research portfolio: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association [published online ahead of print September 22, 2022]. Circulation. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001094