Gender-Based Outcomes in Grants, Prizes and Fellowship Success Rates in Clinical Radiology: A 14-Year Review of Outcomes in Australia and New Zealand

INTRODUCTION: While gender disparities in the radiology workforce are well-documented, there has been no analysis of outcomes for competitive awards in Australia and New Zealand. As formal recognition is critical for career progression, this study aimed to investigate gender-based differences in application and success rates for grants, prizes and educational fellowships within the Australasian context.

METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed applications for Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists' (RANZCR) Faculty of Clinical Radiology grants, prizes and educational fellowships from 2011 to 2024. Application and success rates were stratified by gender and compared to College membership demographics. Significance was assessed using Fisher's exact test.

RESULTS: Across 333 total applications, 227 (68.2%) were from males and 106 (31.8%) from females, closely reflecting College membership gender ratios (69.2% male vs. 30.8% female). No significant gender disparity was found in the success rates for grants (40.3% for males vs. 35.0% for females, p = 0.58), prizes (8.8% vs. 11.1%, p = 0.08) or educational fellowships (36.7% vs. 32.1%, p = 0.32). Application rates for each award type also broadly reflected the gender composition of the College membership.

CONCLUSION: This study is the first to examine gender differences in clinical radiology grant, prize and educational fellowship outcomes in Australia and New Zealand. We found no significant disparities in success rates, and application rates generally mirrored College membership, suggesting the award process itself is equitable. However, the continued underrepresentation of women in radiology underscores the need to examine broader structural and sociocultural factors that may impact engagement with competitive academic opportunities.