UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) and Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) are jointly hosting the next Implementation Science Seminar at University Park on Thursday, March 28, from 1 to 3 p.m. in Room 217 Smeal Business Building and on Zoom. This event is part of the committed interest of both institutes to foster increased engagement in implementation science across Penn State.

As part of the two-part, interactive seminar, Erika Crable, health policy and implementation scientist from the University of California, San Diego, will provide a 1-hour presentation describing the foundations of implementation science (e.g., terminology, conceptual models and frameworks, study design, and implementation strategies).

This will be followed by an in-person practice-based activity to provide participants the opportunity to formulate practice implementation science questions that can be applied to health policy and social science research. The practice activity will allow attendees to formulate practical questions that can be applied to health policy and social science research.

“SSRI is thrilled to work with the CTSI to bring this event to faculty beyond health care and public health. Implementation science approaches and methodologies can improve the translation of research into policy and practice, ultimately impacting the lives of individuals and communities.” said Deborah Ehrenthal, SSRI director.

Crable co-directs the Health Services Research and Health Policy Research Program at the University of California, San Diego. She is an accomplished educator who has hosted many national and international presentations and workshops on implementation science. Her research focuses on health policy, co-morbid substance use and mental illness, and health equity for publicly insured, uninsured and under-insured populations.

Previously, SSRI hosted “The What, Why and How of Implementation Science” with Russell Glasgow from the University of Colorado, and former director of Implementation Science at the National Cancer Institute. The goal of the workshop was to provide researchers from across Penn State with an introduction to implementation science and insights on how they can incorporate this novel field into their own research programs. The workshop featured Penn State faculty and research leaders, including William Calo, Max Crowley, Jennifer Frank, Daniel Perkins, Karen Bierman, Kathryn Brasier, Andrew Read and Justin Schwartz.

To complement the workshop, SSRI launched an Implementation Science RFA offering $25,000 in pilot funding for proposals to develop and integrate Implementation Science into ongoing interdisciplinary research programs. Five pilot proposals were awarded, including projects on cancer screenings within underserved communities, gaps in school-based mindfulness programs, and strategies for navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sustaining this initiative, CTSI established the Implementation Science Core (ISC) in July 2022, led by William Calo.

“We know the challenges of making healthcare innovations and programs more accessible to our populations are immense. Implementation science can facilitate the uptake of research products and public health programs into regular use by practitioners in community and clinical settings,” said Calo, core leader of the ISC. "I am excited about this joint event between SSRI and CTSI because it shows our intercampus commitment to bring together faculty, trainees and clinician scientists to learn about Implementation Science as a discipline and advance health equity in our region.”

The ISC offers several services, including: 

• Research Consultations: No-cost consultations to Penn State researchers to incorporate implementation science into their projects and proposals. To date, the ISC has supported 55 proposals resulting in six funded grants.  
• Education: The ISC organizes seminars with internal and external speakers and offers a one-year fellowship to Penn State faculty. Recordings from past seminars are available through the CTSI YouTube page. The Inaugural Faculty Fellowship launched in Summer 2023, and a call for 2024-25 Faculty Fellows will launch in early April.