The overarching goals of the UCSF Research in Implementation Science for Equity (RISE) Program are to train and sustain scholars underrepresented in biomedical sciences for long-term success in academic careers pursuing innovative research of interest to the NHLBI.  The RISE Summer Institute’s goal is to provide methodological training on Implementation Science (ImS), a set of methodologies that aligns well with research priorities of NHLBI and will enhance the ability of scholars underrepresented in biomedical sciences to conduct innovative research and compete successfully for NIH resources. Implementation Science (ImS), is a branch of research that focuses on “use of strategies to adopt and integrate evidence-based health interventions and change practice patterns within specific settings”. ImS holds particular promise as a mechanism to address the disproportionate burden of cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases in minority communities and the challenges in treatments of these conditions. The ImS training has additional benefits of being set of skills that is both accessible and applicable to researchers from broad existing backgrounds. The goals of RISE align well with NHLBI’s recently launched Center for Translation Research and Implementation Science (CTRIS) (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/org/ctris/) that has been established to support integrated and coordinated research to understand multifactorial processes associated with translating evidence into practice.

Specifically, the RISE Implementation Sciences Institute will include:

  1. Didactic sessions comprising a multi-disciplinary set of theories and methods aimed at improving the process of translation of research evidence into every day health-related practices, in particular examining how interventions can be better integrated into diverse practice settings with a community-engaged approach;
  2. Provide the conceptual thinking that orients scholars’ research on heart and lung disease topics;
  3. Sessions on conduct of research to include ImS strategies and study/evaluation designs;
  4. Application of ImS concepts to create inter-disciplinary implementation teams

The UCSF RISE Summer Institute also consists of the Careers-In-Progress (CIP) component with sessions designed to strengthen self-efficacy for career development, including building skills for paper writing, grant writing, oral communications, and information sessions on the NIH, particularly NHLBI delivered in a program that is grounded in social cognitive career theory and specifically addresses the needs identified in the literature as being crucial for the success of under-represented minority targeted training programs.

The UCSF-RISE program has an explicit goal of developing and sustaining robust mentoring and research networks, including those among UCSF-RISE scholars, between scholars and UCSF Mentors as well as Mentors at the UCSF-RISE scholars’ home institutions, and broader national networks of investigators engaged in cardiovascular or pulmonary disease research or using ImS methodology.  Robust networks of this type will assure the long-term success of UCSF-RISE scholars.

Scholars in the program will be required to:

  1. Participate in a 2-week Summer Institute in year 1 and a 1-week Summer Institute in year 2 of the program
  2. Attend a 2-day mid-year meeting between summers
  3. Attend a 3-day PRIDE Annual Meeting in Washington DC area sometime in May
  4. Establish a mentoring network through UCSF RISE and at scholars home institution

The UCSF RISE program is part of NHLBI’s Program to Increase Diversity among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research (PRIDE). This is an all-expense paid program for junior faculty and transitioning post-doctorates from diverse backgrounds to enable them to become competitive independent scientists. The scholars will have access to an extensive network of faculty and other scholars which we believe will greatly enhance their experience in addition to skills development in Implementation Sciences which is a focus area for the NHLBI.

For additional information on RISE, click here.