The new Yale Scholars in Implementation Science (YSIS) career development program has received an additional $1 million in National Institute for Health K12 grant funding, according to program director Dr. Steven L. Bernstein. The program was launched in September with an initial grant of $2 million.
YSIS is the first program of its kind at Yale, and one of 10 similar programs across the country. The launch of YSIS heralds the start of an increased presence for dissemination and implementation science (D&I) at the Yale Schools of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing.
“D&I intends to bridge the gap between what we know and what we do,” explains Bernstein. “It can take up to 17 years for evidence-based diagnostics and treatments to make their way into the real world of clinical practice. D&I attempts to shorten that gap by studying and identifying best practices to accelerate the dissemination, implementation, adoption, and maintenance of evidence-based care.”
The YSIS career development program and the other D&I focused projects at Yale will always be “intensely interdisciplinary,” says Bernstein. “Our group includes experts in clinical trials, mixed methods, quasi-experimental designs, clinical informatics, organizational behavior and change, health economics, and community-based participatory research. Hence, it only makes sense for us to train scholars from different disciplines. Everyone has something to contribute.”
It only makes sense for us to train scholars from different disciplines. Everyone has something to contribute.
Dr. Steven L. Bernstein
YSIS will provide training and career development support for scholars who have a clinical or research doctoral degree and are committed to a career in research, leadership, and knowledge translation to foster the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based practices in the areas of heart, lung, blood, or sleep medicine. In keeping with the program’s interdisciplinary goals, potential YSIS scholars may be affiliated with the Yale Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, or Management. YSIS has launched its website and is accepting applications online now through Feb. 14.
In addition to Bernstein, the YSIS program staff includes Leslie Curry, associate director, and June Weiss, project manager. Visit the Yale Scholars for Implementation Science website for more information.