Abstract
We report outcomes of an NIH-convened meeting on training for dissemination and implementation (D&I) research, focused on accelerating translation of research to healthcare practice. Participants included leaders of current trainings, center directors, and those trained in existing programs. Given the large proportion of D&I research focused on cancer control, mental health, and substance abuse, participants overwhelmingly reflected the experiences and challenges of gaining capacity in behavioral health-related D&I research. The 2-day meeting required participants to draw upon their experiences to help build a field-wide perspective for D&I research training, identify resources needed to support this perspective, and brainstorm gaps in training that needed to be filled. Questions were sent to participants in advance, and responses were synthesized and presented to discuss during the meeting. A preliminary “field-wide” perspective emerged, spanning multiple disciplines, training models, and career levels. Current programs face high demand, need for continued evolution to reflect field advances, and sustainability challenges. Current gaps include implementation practice and predoctoral training. Federal funding is key to D&I research training, be it through grants or agency-led training programs, in order to span and address specialized disease and disorder foci and career tracks.
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank the meeting participants for their contributions to the content of this manuscript as well as the many participants in D&I research training for the many lessons we have learned working with them. Enola Proctor’s work is supported by the Center for Mental Health Services Research and the Institute for Public Health, Washington University in St. Louis, and grants 5 R25 MH080916 and 2 UL1 TR000448.
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Researchers: Amidst a growing number of D&I research programs, this paper gives a broader context for which to consider the optimization of these initiatives to ensure sufficient research capacity.
Practitioners: D&I research requires the engagement of practitioners to ensure that studies are as informative to practice audiences as possible; this paper considers how training programs can better align with practice expertise.
Policymakers: The ability to ensure that policy directives are implemented effectively requires a scientific workforce expert in the complexity of research and policy interface; this paper seeks to create such a workforce.
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Proctor, E.K., Chambers, D.A. Training in dissemination and implementation research: a field-wide perspective. Behav. Med. Pract. Policy Res. 7, 624–635 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13142-016-0406-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13142-016-0406-8