Building capacity and equity in implementation science: evaluation of a national mentored training program

Area of Science:

• Implementation Science
• Public Health Research
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Growing demand for implementation science training necessitates expanded capacity.
• The Institute for Implementation Science Scholars (IS-2) program addresses this need.
• Focus on applying implementation science to reduce chronic disease disparities.

Purpose of the Study:

• Evaluate the IS-2 program's effectiveness in skill-building, mentorship, and networking.
• Assess the impact on early- and mid-career researchers.
• Examine program outcomes for diverse scholar groups.

Main Methods:

• Quasi-experimental pre/post design over a two-year period (2020-2024).
• Involved intensive training sessions, remote/in-person mentoring, and supplementary activities.
• Utilized descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze skill gains and network formation.

Main Results:

• Significant increases in implementation science competencies observed across all skill categories.
• Mentors were rated highly competent; a strong mentoring network was established.
• Mentoring relationships predicted collaboration ties; under-represented scholars had fewer network ties.

Conclusions:

• The IS-2 program effectively enhanced scholar skills, mentorship, and networks.
• Demonstrates a model for diverse, equitable, and high-quality implementation science training.
• Highlights the critical role of mentorship in advancing collaborative research.