Table 1 Exemplary quotations from early stage investigators in dissemination and implementation research
Domain | Quote |
|---|---|
Practice linkages | ‘I think this is a key area, but it takes time to form these practice linkages, and they are not always seen as important in the academic world… I guess I'd say stick with it, as it can pay off in the long-term. I've always been focused on how my work has practical implications for service providers, so I think this focus has been immensely helpful in my work to date.’ |
Methods training | ‘I attend various brief professional development seminars… [and] bring strong methods people into my projects to assist with these areas. It seems that the stats/methods areas are continually changing, and there is no way for me to maintain a state of the art focus on those areas, and my other content areas…so I work to keep my skills up, but collaborate with others who specialize in these areas.’ |
Technical assistance | ‘This process of mentoring through NIH and IES [Institute of Educational Sciences] grant writing has been so valuable and has helped me become far more competitive....just the process of shaping ideas into reasonable and compelling grant proposals has been very helpful.’ |
Institutional supports | ‘I think your home mentor is really the gatekeeper… [can offer] support for protected time to go off-site and meet with potential collaborators,… building a research program during the first three years, availability of research assistants, committee burden, supervision of doctoral students, travel/training budget.’ |
Academic advancement/ incentives | ‘The name of the game is still publications and grant funding, so although practice collaborations may be recognized on some level, they will likely be most recognized if they are reflected in a publication or a strong grant application.’ |
Mentorship | ‘It is important to connect and take advantage of mentors and colleagues who are fair, generous and resourceful. Be open to learning from other disciplines about theory and methodology when considering your implementation research. It is difficult to do D&I research by yourself, a team approach is key.’ |
Goal orientation | ‘Although discouraging at times and lacking in immediate results remember you are building towards something that in the end is the toughest gap to bridge in science and can be very rewarding.’ |