La paradoja del Premio Nobel: premios Nobel, no premios nobles / Nobel Prize paradox: Nobel Prize, not a noble prize

El Premio Nobel es uno de los premios más deseados en ciencia y más conocidos en la sociedad. Sin embargo, su reputación no está exenta de complejidades, incluidas las limitaciones para los galardonados y los prejuicios en las nominaciones. Navegar por el delicado equilibrio entre el reconocimiento y los impactos concretos de las contribuciones premiadas debería ofrecer una idea de la importancia del premio más allá del mero prestigio y su valor monetario. Si bien otros premios pueden presumir de mayores recompensas financieras, a menudo carecen del mismo nivel de prestigio. La inclusión de figuras públicas como galardonadas y la amplia cobertura mediática en torno al Premio Nobel elevan aún más su importancia percibida, aunque esto podría ocultar una realidad más matizada. Asimismo, las asociaciones positivas vinculadas al nombre «Nobel» que se asemejan al adjetivo «noble» pueden realzar el prestigio del premio. Esta sutil conexión con la «nobleza» añade una capa de honor y distinción al premio, contribuyendo a su importancia y prestigio percibidos. Además, la sobrerrepresentación de premios Nobel de países específicos provoca un escrutinio sobre el cumplimiento del testamento del Nobel, que prioriza las contribuciones al bienestar global. Esta discrepancia plantea dudas sobre la inclusión y el impacto global del premio.(AU)

The Nobel Prize is one of the most sought-after awards in science and society. However, its reputation is not without complexities, including constraints on laureates and biases in nominations. Navigating the delicate balance between recognition and the tangible impacts of awarded contributions should offer insight into the Prize's significance beyond mere prestige and monetary value. While other awards may boast higher financial rewards, they often lack the same level of prestige. The inclusion of public figures as laureates and the extensive media coverage surrounding the Nobel Prize may further elevate its perceived importance, though this may hide a more nuanced reality. Additionally, the positive associations linked to the name “Nobel” resembling the adjective “noble” can enhance the award's prestige. This subtle connection to “nobility” adds a layer of honor and distinction to the Prize, contributing to its perceived significance and prestige. Moreover, the overrepresentation of Nobel laureates from specific countries prompts scrutiny over the fulfillment of Nobel's testament, which prioritizes contributions to global well-being. This discrepancy raises questions about the inclusivity and global impact of the Prize.(AU)

A Retrospective Analysis of Leadership, Awardees, and Member Gender Representation of the Canadian Society for Immunology.

The Canadian Society for Immunology (CSI) established a formal Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee with the goal of providing EDI advocacy and leadership within the CSI, as well as in the broader scientific community. A first task of this committee was to review the publicly available historical data on gender representation within the CSI's membership, leadership, award recipients, and conference chairs/presenters as a step in establishing a baseline reference point and monitoring the trajectory of future success in achieving true inclusion. We found that, except for overall membership and a specific subset of awards, all categories showed a historical bias toward men, particularly prior to 2010. Bias persists in various categories, evident even in recent years. However, we note an encouraging trend toward greater gender parity, particularly in the roles of President, symposium presenters, and workshop chairs, especially from 2017 onward. We present these findings as well as our recommendations to enhance inclusivity. These include a more comprehensive collection and secure storage of self-identification data, emphasis on EDI as an essential component of all annual meeting activities, and innovative measures of outreach, collaboration, and leadership with the aim of making the CSI a model for improving EDI in other professional research societies.

Interventions to support fellowship application success among predoctoral physician-scientists.

A critical element of physician-scientist training is the development and practice of core competencies that promote success in research careers. The ability to develop compelling training and research proposals is one such foundational skill. The NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) individual fellowship for dual-degree students (F30, F31, or F31-Diversity) creates an ideal opportunity to provide formal instruction in grant-writing skills to physician-scientists early in training. In the guided process of preparing a predoctoral fellowship application, students learn to formulate clear short- and long-term research and training goals; construct a comprehensive, well-reasoned, and rigorous proposal; become familiar with funding agency priorities; and gain strategic insights into the peer review system. Beyond building scientific writing skills, the application process for an NRSA F30 or F31 is an opportunity for trainees to strengthen mentor-mentee relationships, identify learning opportunities key to their scientific development, and build effective research and mentoring teams. These skills also apply to developing future postdoctoral mentored K applications or faculty research program grants. Here, we outline key features of the structured proposal development training developed for students in the Yale MD-PhD Program and review outcomes associated with its implementation.

A Structured Home Health and Hospice Clinical Rotation and Onboarding Model to Address the Nursing Shortage.

North Carolina home health and hospice agencies are experiencing serious shortages of registered nurses (RNs), particularly in rural areas. These shortages can negatively impact patients and families by delaying access to care and possibly resulting in avoidable hospitalizations/rehospitalizations. Many home health and hospice agencies do not hire newly graduated RNs due to limited patient care experience, limited or no opportunity for home health/hospice clinical rotations, and the autonomous nature of providing care in the home. The Hospice and Home Health Foundation of North Carolina was awarded a $468,196 3-year grant, and, in collaboration with key stakeholders, developed a model for clinical rotation experiences in home health and hospice settings for RN students as well as an onboarding model for newly graduated RNs. Seven home health and hospice project partner agencies were selected to pilot the models. This article describes program implementation and evaluation. We used a survey method and site visit interviews to assess program effectiveness. Students provided positive feedback about the clinical rotation and more than 80% indicated their clinical rotation met "most" or "almost all" of their learning needs. The focus group interviews provided substantive anecdotal examples to validate the survey results.

School Bus Rebate Program and Student Educational Performance Test Scores.

Importance: Students who ride older school buses are often exposed to high levels of exhaust during their commutes, which may adversely affect health and school attendance. As a result, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded millions of dollars to school districts to replace older, highly polluting school buses with newer, cleaner buses. Objective: To leverage the EPA's randomized allocation of funding under the 2012-2016 School Bus Rebate Programs to estimate the association between replacing old, highly polluting buses and changes in district-average standardized test scores. Design, Setting, and Participants: This study examined changes in reading and language arts (RLA) and math test scores among US school district applicants to the EPA's 2012-2016 national School Bus Rebate Programs 1 year before and after each lottery by selection status. Data analysis was conducted from January 15 to July 30, 2023. Exposure: Selection to receive EPA funding to replace older school buses with newer, cleaner alternatives. Main Outcomes and Measures: School district changes in RLA and math test scores among students in grades 3 through 8 before and after the EPA funding lotteries by selection status were measured using an intention-to-treat approach. Results: This study included 1941 school district applicants to the 2012-2106 EPA School Bus Rebate Programs. These districts had a mean (SD) of 14.6 (33.7) schools per district, 8755 (23 776) students per district, and 41.3% (20.2%) of students with free lunch eligibility. Among the applicants, 209 districts (11%) were selected for the clean bus funding. District-average student test scores did not improve among selected districts overall. In secondary analyses, however, districts replacing the oldest, highest polluting buses (ie, pre-1990) experienced significantly greater improvements in district-average test scores in the year after the lottery for RLA and math (SD improvement in test scores, 0.062 [95% CI, 0.050-0.074] and 0.025 [95% CI, 0.011-0.039], respectively) compared with districts without replacements. Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, the EPA funding was not associated with student test scores overall, but in secondary analyses, the replacement of the oldest school buses was associated with improved educational performance. These findings support prioritizing clean bus replacement of the oldest buses as an actionable way for improving students' educational performance.

Reflections on wellbeing and what it looks like in our practice.

BVA held its inaugural Wellbeing Awards at the end of last year and, here, members of one of the winning teams, Blue Cross Merton animal hospital in London, share their experiences of wellbeing initiatives that have had a positive impact.