2317 - Impact of a Structured Research Process Initiative on Resident Research Quality: A Mixed-Methods Program Evaluation

Purpose/Objective(s): Previously, radiation oncology residents in our program submitting research to the ASTRO Annual Meeting often provided coauthors limited time for feedback before submission. Our ASTRO Pilot Program is an initiative providing structured deadlines for each research phase—from concept to abstract submission—to encourage early collaboration and improve abstract quality, measured by acceptance rate. We assessed the program's impact on research process understanding, management confidence, and learning transfer.

Materials/Methods: A mixed-methods evaluation of residents participating in the ASTRO Pilot Program (2023-2025) was conducted using anonymous surveys assessing: (1) participation patterns; (2) perceived research knowledge improvement (5-point scale); (3) research management confidence (4-point scale); (4) application of systematic approach to other scholarly work (5-point scale); and (5) continued research plans. Open-ended responses about motivation, barriers, and feedback were coded thematically. Quantitative data were summarized using descriptive statistics.

Results: Eight residents completed the program; 87.5% met all deadlines and attended the conference. All participant abstracts were accepted. Regarding perceived improvement in research process understanding: 37.5% reported no improvement, 25% slight, 25% moderate, and 12.5% significant (mean 2.13±1.13; normalized 28%). For research management confidence: 25% reported not confident, 12.5% slightly confident, 50% moderately confident, and 12.5% very confident (mean 2.63±1.06; normalized 54%). For application of systemic approach: 12.5% reported never, 37.5% rarely, 37.5% sometimes, 0% often, and 12.5% always (mean 2.63±1.41; normalized 41%). Common barriers identified include data acquisition delays (37.5%), IRB timeline challenges (25%), and statistician availability (25%). Residents valued structured deadlines but also desired mentorship integration and research methodology instruction.

Conclusion: The ASTRO Pilot Program successfully improved resident engagement and abstract quality through structured research deadlines. High program completion (87.5%) and abstract acceptance (100%) demonstrate structural effectiveness. The program effectively builds project management confidence. Future iterations could expand mentorship, add research methodology training, and promote skill transfer across diverse research contexts. This model offers a simple yet novel approach to resident research training for a common problem.