I AM SCCM

Grant Winner Profile

Robert Fowler, MD
Sunnybrook Hospital
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

In 2002, I had just completed my fellowship training in critical care medicine as well as a graduate degree in clinical research methodology. I was in that “inbetween period” of trainee and junior faculty member. The stage frequently characterized by alternate feelings of promise and severe inadequacy; the former buoyed by a flight of ideas for research projects and the latter grounded by the novice’s seemingly infinite loop of “no experience, no funding and no funding, no experience.”

During fellowship, I developed a significant interest in anemia acquired in the intensive care unit. Treatment with recombinant human erythropoietin was wonderfully enticing–a mixture of biologic rationale and modern technology. However, I was struck by how much blood loss was occurring due to practitioners’ appetite for sample and analysis and the ease with which indwelling vascular catheters allowed them to do so. With this in mind, I designed a before-and-after study to document the degree of blood loss through phlebotomy, its relative contribution to anemia, and the impact of a multi-faceted blood conservation program. With encouragement from my supervisors, I applied for the Society of Critical Care Medicine’s (SCCM) grant for pilot funding. The first iteration fell victim to “no experience, no funding.” However, I received encouragement from the SCCM Research Committee and very helpful suggestions from reviewers. I applied again the following year with an improved protocol and preliminary data. At last, the curse was lifted! The SCCM 2003 Patient Safety Grant (now called the Vision Grant) was the first peer-reviewed funding I ever received. It allowed us to proceed with the project and, more importantly, forced me to work through the process of “interest-hypothesis-methods- refinement-review-funding” that is critical for young investigators.

Quite honestly, the advice and support I received from the SCCM Research Committee and the peer-review process were the catalysts that allowed me to pursue a fun and productive academic career. Now that I find myself mentoring trainees, I encourage them to take advantage of the SCCM Research Committee and the Vision Grant. I only wish there were more such opportunities to help shape our field for generations to come.