: We propose a multidisciplinary health services research training program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) focused on translating research into practice (TRIP). This application is a collaborative effort of the UAB Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research and Education (COERE) and the UAB Lister Hill Center for Health Policy (LHC). The center directors, Catarina Kiefe, Norm Weissman, and Michael Morrisey, will provide direction, mentoring leadership, and oversight. This program will generate a cadre of independent, new investigators with careers focused on TRIP. Among the skills targeted for development are: changing physician practice behavior, improving quality of care, assessing the impact of the delivery system on the quality of care, relevant epidemiological, statistical, experimental, and quasi-experimental methodology, analysis of large datasets, economic evaluation, and the practical application of outcomes research methodology. The cornerstones of this training program are mentorship, academic enrichment, and independent research experience. Drawing from a large pool of UAB talent, this program will offer mentors who have extensive health services research experience, years of multidisciplinary research collaboration, and excellent track records of teaching and research. The program will incorporate a formal approach to """"""""training the mentors,"""""""" focused on junior level faculty as associate mentors. The academic components of the program include the M.S.P.H. in health policy and outcomes research (School of Public Health) and the Ph.D. in health services administration-health services research track (School of Health Related Professions). Each trainee will identify a major research focus, design and complete a TRIP research project, and submit the results for peer-reviewed dissemination. Building upon the commitment and success of UAB, we will have an extensive plan for minority recruitment. As a collaborator with COERE on other training and research initiatives, Morehouse School of Medicine faculty will assist with minority recruitment. Research training infrastructure support will be provided primarily by the COERE and the LHC, as well as the UAB Schools of Medicine, Public Health, Nursing, and Health Related Professions. Other UAB centers and collaborating programs (e.g., UAB CERTs and Birmingham VA Medical Center) will provide infrastructure, depending on the research focus and the trainee's primary mentor. Postdoctoral positions will be for two years and are budgeted at a PGY level 4. Predoctoral positions will be for three years. We are requesting two predoctoral and two clinician postdoctoral (i.e., M.D.s, D.M.D.s, nurses, clinical psychologists) positions per year. This will result in four and four positions in year 2, and six and four positions in years 3 to 5, respectively.
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