TY - JOUR
T1 - Implementing Implementation Research
T2 - Teaching Implementation Research to HIV Researchers
AU - Schwartz, Sheree R.
AU - Smith, J. D.
AU - Hoffmann, Christopher
AU - Hansoti, Bhakti
AU - Mishra, Sharmistha
AU - Means, Arianna Rubin
AU - Go, Vivian
AU - Sherr, Kenneth
AU - Nash, Denis
AU - Sullivan, Patrick
AU - Baral, Stefan
N1 - Funding Information:
We are grateful to the inter-Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) Implementation Science Working Group for their support, alongside the feedback received from the Fellows completing the inter-CFAR Implementation Science Fellowship.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2021/6
Y1 - 2021/6
N2 - Purpose of Review: Given the growth in HIV-related implementation research, there is a need to expand the workforce and rigor through implementation science (IS) training and mentorship. Our objective is to review IS training opportunities for HIV-focused researchers and describe the approach and lessons learned from a recent HIV-related implementation research training initiative. Recent Findings: IS training opportunities range from degree programs to short- and longer-term professional development institutes and community-focused institutional trainings. Until recently, there have not been extensive dedicated opportunities for implementation research training for HIV-focused investigators. To meet this gap, an inter-Center for AIDS Research IS Fellowship for early-stage investigators was launched in 2019, building on lessons learned from dissemination and implementation training programs. Key components of the HIV-focused IS fellowship include didactic training, mentorship, grant-writing, and development of HIV-IS collaborative networks. Fellows to-date were two-thirds junior faculty and one-third post-doctoral fellows, the majority (69%) with prior public health training. Perceived value of the program was high, with a median rating of 9 [IQR 8–9] on a 10-point scale. Overall, 22/27 (81%) Fellows from the first cohort submitted IS-related grants within 12 months of Fellowship completion, and by 1 year 13 grants had been funded among 10 investigators, 37% overall among Fellows. Mentors identified framing of IS questions as the top-ranked training priority for HIV-investigators. Summary: Increasing knowledge of the utility of IS may support more grants focused on optimal implementation of HIV treatment and prevention strategies. Experiences from mentors and trainees engaged in an IS-focused fellowship for HIV investigators demonstrate the demand and value of a dedicated training program and reinforce the importance of mentorship.
AB - Purpose of Review: Given the growth in HIV-related implementation research, there is a need to expand the workforce and rigor through implementation science (IS) training and mentorship. Our objective is to review IS training opportunities for HIV-focused researchers and describe the approach and lessons learned from a recent HIV-related implementation research training initiative. Recent Findings: IS training opportunities range from degree programs to short- and longer-term professional development institutes and community-focused institutional trainings. Until recently, there have not been extensive dedicated opportunities for implementation research training for HIV-focused investigators. To meet this gap, an inter-Center for AIDS Research IS Fellowship for early-stage investigators was launched in 2019, building on lessons learned from dissemination and implementation training programs. Key components of the HIV-focused IS fellowship include didactic training, mentorship, grant-writing, and development of HIV-IS collaborative networks. Fellows to-date were two-thirds junior faculty and one-third post-doctoral fellows, the majority (69%) with prior public health training. Perceived value of the program was high, with a median rating of 9 [IQR 8–9] on a 10-point scale. Overall, 22/27 (81%) Fellows from the first cohort submitted IS-related grants within 12 months of Fellowship completion, and by 1 year 13 grants had been funded among 10 investigators, 37% overall among Fellows. Mentors identified framing of IS questions as the top-ranked training priority for HIV-investigators. Summary: Increasing knowledge of the utility of IS may support more grants focused on optimal implementation of HIV treatment and prevention strategies. Experiences from mentors and trainees engaged in an IS-focused fellowship for HIV investigators demonstrate the demand and value of a dedicated training program and reinforce the importance of mentorship.
KW - Early-stage investigators
KW - HIV
KW - Implementation science
KW - Mentorship
KW - Training
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U2 - 10.1007/s11904-021-00551-4
DO - 10.1007/s11904-021-00551-4
M3 - Review article
C2 - 33709323
AN - SCOPUS:85102505383
VL - 18
SP - 186
EP - 197
JO - Current HIV/AIDS Reports
JF - Current HIV/AIDS Reports
SN - 1548-3568
IS - 3
ER -
