Program OvervieProgram Overview

Program Overview

The UCSF Research in Implementation Science for Engagement (RISE) program is part of NHLBI’s PRogram To Increase Mentoring of Early stage investigators in health-related research (PRIME). This all-expenses-paid program supports junior faculty and transitioning postdoctoral scholars from diverse backgrounds in becoming competitive independent scientists. Scholars have access to an extensive network of faculty and other scholars, alongside skills development in implementation science, a focus area for NHLBI.

The overarching goals of the UCSF-RISE Program are to train and sustain scholars underrepresented in biomedical sciences for long-term success in academic careers pursuing innovative research of interest to the NHLBI.

The UCSF-RISE program aims to develop and sustain robust mentoring and research networks, including those among UCSF-RISE scholars; between scholars and UCSF mentors; among mentors at the UCSF-RISE scholars’ home institutions; and broader national networks of investigators engaged in cardiovascular or pulmonary disease research or using ImS methodology. Robust networks of this type will assure the long-term success of UCSF-RISE scholars.

The goals of RISE align well with NHLBI’s Center for Translation Research and Implementation Science (CTRIS) which supports integrated and coordinated research to understand multifactorial processes associated with translating evidence into practice.

Main Components

The UCSF-RISE program spans two years and combines summer training in implementation science and career development with ongoing research feedback, mentoring, and opportunities to connect with the broader PRIME network. The main components are:

· Summer Institute: Two weeks in Year 1, with one week in person in San Francisco and one week virtual; one week in person in San Francisco in Year 2.

· Monthly virtual works-in-progress (WIP) meetings: Regular WIP meetings give RISE scholars opportunities to present their ongoing research and receive constructive feedback from RISE faculty and peers.

· Regular virtual mentoring sessions: Ongoing meetings with assigned RISE mentors throughout the year.

· Mid-year virtual meeting: Attendance at the Mid-year meeting held in December/January.

· PRIME annual meeting: Attendance at the PRIME meeting in DC/Maryland in April.

Summer Institute

The RISE Summer Institute provides training in two areas: Implementation Science (ImS) and Careers-in-Progress (CIP).

Implementation Science Training

The RISE Summer Institute will provide methodological training on Implementation Science (ImS), a set of methodologies that aligns well with research priorities of NHLBI and will enhance the ability of scholars in biomedical sciences to conduct innovative research and compete successfully for NIH resources.

Implementation Science is a branch of research that focuses on the “use of strategies to adopt and integrate evidence-based health interventions and change practice patterns within specific settings”. ImS holds particular promise as a mechanism to address the disproportionate burden of cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases in minoritized and marginalized communities and the challenges in treatments of these conditions. ImS training offers a broad set of skills that is both accessible and applicable to researchers from diverse backgrounds.

Implementation science training includes:

· Didactic sessions on multidisciplinary theories and methods for translating research evidence into everyday health-related practices, with particular attention to integrating interventions into diverse practice settings through a community-engaged approach.

· Conceptual thinking to orient scholars’ research on heart and lung disease topics.

· Sessions on conducting research using implementation science strategies and study and evaluation designs.

· Application of implementation science concepts to create interdisciplinary implementation teams.

The following table outlines the implementation science competencies and related training activities.

Table 1 Implementation Science Institute Competencies

Domain	Competency	Competency-Directed ImSI Activities
Team Science	Develop skills to participate in and lead collaborative, multidisciplinary teams that share a common language, and promote a blending of disciplines. Engage in collaborative ImS writing, including the production of grants and manuscripts.	Understanding concepts from lectures and case studies Participation in group work, attend and facilitate multidisciplinary works-in-progress seminars Grant application and submission Mock study sections
Community Engagement Skills	Understand how to co-create projects with community members and community-based organizations, in order to engage multiple perspectives on the problem.	Individual research and implementation projects
Designing ImS Interventions	Integrate diverse disciplinary, stakeholder and community perspectives into a cogent intervention design and/or implementation and dissemination strategy. Utilize a comprehensive implementation framework, to guide the integration of theory with specific intervention, evaluation and dissemination activities.	Small group, multidisciplinary works-in-progress seminars Biostatistical consultations
Evaluate impact of translational activity	Gain skills in developing qualitative and quasi-experimental designs to plan, implement, and evaluate interventions and policy impact. Determine and measure processes and outcomes that support iterative cycles of implementation and bidirectional flow of information, including mixed methods instrument development and designs.	Small group, multidisciplinary works-in-progress seminars Quasi-experimental designs
Grant proposal development	Gain skills to effectively integrate implementation science concepts, frameworks, and methodologies into specific aims and research plans.	Workshops and dedicated sessions on writing and refining specific aims. Peer review and mock study section feedback on works-in-progress.

Careers-in-Progress

The Careers in Progress (CIP) component strengthens self-efficacy for career development through sessions on academic publishing, grant writing, oral communication, leadership development, information sessions on NIH, particularly NHLBI, and more. Grounded in social cognitive career theory, the program addresses needs identified in the literature as crucial to the success of junior-level researchers.