Implementation Research Institute (IRI) Fellowship

The IRI is currently accepting applications for the 2021-2022 two-year fellowship opportunity, funded by NIMH and the VA. Note: These slots are contingent upon continued NIMH and VA funding. Should IRI receive funding, the new cohort will be notified mid-May, with a two-day virtual kick-off the week of June 28th, with a tentative 2-3 day in-person meeting in Fall, 2021.

What is the IRI?

The Implementation Research Institute (IRI) is an exciting learning collaborative of implementation researchers funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This unique interdisciplinary training program aims to help researchers launch a research career in implementation science in mental health. The IRI provides experiential learning, didactic training, faculty mentoring, and support for grant writing—all focused on helping participants shape a research project for competitive external funding.

The IRI was established to advance the field of implementation science in mental health by enhancing the career development of investigators new to this field. Implementation research is the study of processes for integrating empirically supported treatments (ESTs) into usual care and holds high promise for reducing the gap from treatment discovery to community practice. IRI participants will join a learning collaborative of implementation researchers for two years, spending one week each summer at a week-long institute at the Center for Mental Health Services Research (CMHSR) at Washington University in St. Louis, and receiving individualized mentoring to help them shape a research agenda in implementation science and prepare a competitive research grant proposal.

Who should apply? We invite applications from ambitious PhD or MD investigators, with demonstrated experience and enthusiasm in the study of mental health services, who wish to conduct ground-breaking research in the area of implementation science. Our IRI will support a cohort of participants who seek expert mentoring and collaboration to advance their research capacity in areas referenced by NIH PARs on “Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health (PAR-18-007). Minority applicants are strongly encouraged to apply.

IRI benefits.

IRI Fellows will be appointed each year for two-year terms. They will join a scholarly network of peer Fellows and IRI faculty with expertise in implementation science. Each Fellow will receive:

• A two day virtual meeting the week of June 28th. Potential 2-3 day on-site training Fall, 2021 and one week on-site training during June 2022 at Washington University in St. Louis (travel funds to/from their home institution and St. Louis each June provided).
• Bimonthly, long-distance, mentoring with an expert implementation researcher associated with this Institute to help craft a competitive research proposal in mental health and/or co-occurring drug abuse implementation research.
• Travel funds to support each Fellow’s visit, up to 3-days, to the site of a funded implementation research project, relevant to their research interests.
• Training to mentor others in implementation science.
• Training to lead the development of implementation research capacity in your home institution.

Candidates should have or be:

• Early career researchers with doctoral degrees in medicine, social work, psychology, health services, nursing, anthropology, public health, education, management or other relevant fields.
• Demonstrated interest in implementation research mental health and/or co-occurring drug abuse.
• Prior or concurrent experience relevant to implementation research such as evidence-based intervention development and/or testing, mental health service research, or research in cooccurring substance abuse.
• Prior experience writing a grant for external federal funding or comparable funding, e.g. an NIH F31, R03, R34/R21, or K award.
• A home institution with an on-site mentor who can support the Fellow’s progress in grant writing and scholarly publication.
• The ability and commitment to attend two consecutive Summer institutes and actively participate in mentoring.

For more information and to apply, view the fellowship posting.