New Fellowship Program to Build Research Translation Capacity

The fellowships, each of up to two years’ duration, will provide protected time for clinicians and researchers to upskill in research translation methods and implement health care improvement projects whilst remaining in their substantive position.

Primarily funded by the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), the Fellows will commence by October 2021 and conclude their fellowship by the end of June 2023. They will also be supported by clinical and academic mentors plus stipends for educational activities and project support. 

Director of Implementation Science, Dr Nicole Rankin says the RTF program supports the priority Sydney Health Partners is placing on building research translation capacity and capability in the workforce.

“These exciting new Fellowships will support clinicians and researchers to show that evidence-based interventions can be successfully implemented and scaled-up in large and diverse health systems,” she said.

“By accelerating the transfer of research innovations into health care they will also help achieve Sydney Health Partners’ vision of transforming the way research improves patient care in our health system.”

The Fellows will each undertake a research translation project in one of two areas:

1. Implementation, scale up and impact projects which focus on how to implement health interventions into practice, including implementation strategies to deliver interventions, or to scale up or scale out interventions to new populations. The projects may also address how research impact can be assessed at health, economic or societal levels.
2. Health equity and access projects which focus on how to reduce variations in the delivery of healthcare by actively testing strategies in the clinic or community. The projects may involve tailored interventions for use in specific clinical settings or with priority groups.

Applications for the RTF Program are open now and close on August 30.  Sydney Health Partners welcomes expressions of interest from suitably experienced:

• Clinicians (from disciplines such as allied health, genetic counselling, medical specialities, midwifery, nursing, pharmacy, public health and other relevant disciplines) who work in clinical settings
• Other healthcare professionals (e.g. health service managers, program or project managers); and,
• Researchers (e.g. behavioural science, clinical epidemiology, health economics, health services, indigenous health, public health and other health-focused research disciplines).