The demand for implementation scientists – researchers trained in the study of methods that promote adoption and integration of evidence-based practices into routine healthcare settings – continues to grow proportionally to the exponential increase in research evidence. Building institutional capacity for implementation science (IS) is critical. The Evans Center for Implementation and Improvement Sciences (CIIS) is a methodological hub for the scientific evaluation of efforts to improve healthcare delivery within safety net settings. To increase institutional capacity in Implementation and Improvement Sciences, CIIS offers a two-year Implementation Science Fellowship (CIIS Fellowship). During the fellowship, CIIS Fellows will:
- Participate in weekly CIIS team meetings, Fellow methods sessions, and career development/mentorship discussions (Thursdays 9:30-11am)
- Have access to formal and informal mentoring through the CIIS team
- Learn IS methods including use of frameworks, qualitative, and quantitative implementation research skills through participation in seminars and methods meetings, engagement in IS methods meetings, and hands-on immersion in IS research projects.
- Lead 1-2 IS projects in their content area of interest
- Lead or participate in other CIIS projects that target specific learning points and methodological skills
- Participate in yearly educational seminars for the BU/BMC community
- Following Fellowship, return to their respective Departments/Sections with new skills and become local leaders in IS
Under mentorship of CIIS faculty, CIIS Fellows will have the opportunity to engage in specific areas of learning designed to improve their research skills. They will also have the opportunity to interact with current CIIS Fellows and CIIS research partners.
REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS CIIS FELLOWSHIP
Application due date: Feb. 28, 2025
Interviews for Select Applicants: Mar. 17-28, 2025
Applicant Notification Date: Apr. 15, 2025
Fellowship Start Date: Jul. 1, 2025
Who Should Apply?
Clinician- or non-clinician early career scientists with a strong interest in a research career that involves Implementation and Improvement Science and a Departmental commitment to their research career development. For this application, early career scientists are defined as either (1) BU faculty at the Instructor or Assistant Professor level or (2) Post-doctoral fellows (either clinician [e.g., MD, DMD, DO, PharmD, NP, etc.] or non-clinical [e.g., PhD, DrPH, ScD]) fellows who have a commitment to remain at BU/BMC as junior faculty after fellowship. The CIIS Fellowship is intended to serve as a bridge to a Career Development (K) Award or similar research funding. Applicants are not currently expected to be funded researchers, but to be individuals willing to learn new research skills and pursue IS research as a substantial part of their career goals. Those with an active Career Development Award are also encouraged to apply.
How Much Time is Devoted to the Fellowship?
CIIS fellows are expected to commit 50% FTE to the research fellowship. The effort devoted to activities outside of the CIIS Fellowship (including clinical work, administrative work, or non-implementation science) cannot exceed 50% FTE.
CIIS is accepting applications for two separate fellowship positions:
- BU Department of Medicine Supported Fellow: Open only to members of the Department of Medicine. The 50% FTE support for this position will be funded 25% by the applicant’s section and 25% by CIIS through Department of Medicine funding. Clinical fellows in their last year of fellowship may apply if they will join the BUMC faculty.
- Non-DoM Supported Fellow: Open to all eligible applicants across the BU and BMC campuses. The 50% FTE support for this position will be funded fully by the applicant’s department or section. Because of the wide range of roles of potential applicants, the shared funding contribution of CIIS will be discussed on an individual basis after review of applications.
What Funding is Included for the CIIS Fellowship?
Each fellow has access to $5,000 per year for research and education expenses. Some examples of use cases for funds include study participant reimbursement, partial support of a student or RA, transcription, and educational workshops.
What is Needed for the Application?
- NIH Biosketch
- A letter of support from Section Chief and/or Department Chair that outlines:
- Local need for an Implementation Scientist
- If applicant is a post-doctoral fellow, a commitment to retain applicant as faculty after fellowship (co-signed by applicant).
- Total proposed FTE of the applicant devoted to CIIS fellowship (50%) and % FTE support that will be provided by the sponsoring Section/Department as protected research time (minimum 25% FTE for Department of Medicine Fellow, full 50% for non-Department of Medicine Fellow).
- How applicant will spend non-protected time (% clinical, administrative, teaching, etc. outside of Fellowship time).
- Budget that includes anticipated cost of salary support requested from CIIS for the Fellowship and support contributed by home Department/Section.
- Completed CIIS Fellowship Application (see below).
CIIS Fellowship Application
- Please describe your plan for career development towards becoming an independent researcher, and how the CIIS Fellowship will play a role in your career development plan (up to 500 words).
- Please describe your proposed Implementation or Improvement research project. Please use the framework provided in Table 1 here https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5975262/ to describe (up to 1500 words):
- The care gap or quality gap within the safety net setting to be addressed
- The evidence-based or evidence-informed intervention implemented
- Conceptual model (i.e., Implementation Science Framework)
- Stakeholder priorities, engagement, and readiness for change
- Implementation strategy(ies) to be tested
- Your experience with the setting, intervention, and implementation strategies
- Proposed outcomes, measurement and analysis plan
- Please describe your current methodological strengths and the areas you are looking to improve upon with the CIIS Fellowship (200 words).
Criteria for Selection
- Plan for career development
- Quality of proposed implementation or improvement research project
- Willingness to learn new methodologic skills outside of content area of interest through collaborative research projects
- Commitment to actively participate in CIIS activities, including educational seminars, team meetings, etc.
- Department/Section’s commitment to and investment in the applicant’s research career development
Questions
- Questions: Please contact Kayla Jones at kjones4@bu.edu with questions.