Section 8: Building Capacity for Pragmatic Research: Training, Partnerships, and Collaboration

8.1 Training, Skill-building and Collaboration

Pragmatic research requires expertise across a broad range of domains – use the table below to identify any gaps in expertise you will need to address in order to successfully plan, obtain funding for, and conduct pragmatic research in your area of interest.

Gap?DomainsPersonal ExpertiseCollaborator
Implementation and Dissemination science
Qualitative and mixed methods
Practice-based research
Stakeholder engagement
Statistics/biostatistics
Community-engaged research
Health equity
Electronic health data
Health economics/cost analysis
Survey measures
Systems analysis
Policy Research
Organizational change
Health topic domain expertise
Other _______________________

8.2 Training, Skill-building and Collaboration – Key Questions

  • In which domains do I personally have – or want to obtain – expertise? 
  • In which domains do I have an existing collaboration with an expert? 
  • What opportunities for training or collaborative team science exist in any gap areas? 
  • What is one next step I will take for seeking training or building partnerships or collaborations? (Which specific people will I reach out to? What could I write into a career development award? What training programs might I apply to?)

8.3 Infrastructure and Partnerships

Thinking about the setting or context that is of interest to you, use the table below to identify any gaps in infrastructure, partnerships, or access to settings that you will need to address.

Gap?Infrastructure & Partner-shipsPartnership Status (To what extent do you have strong, existing partnerships with supportive contacts?)
Health system(s)
Community organization(s)
Database/registry(s)
Research network(s)
Clinical Translational Science
Award (CTSA)
Patient, neighborhood or community advocacy group or voluntary association
Relevant opinion leaders- formal and informal
Other __________________

8.4 Infrastructure and Partnerships – Key Questions

  • What infrastructure do I have access to – or need to connect with – to support research in this context?
  • What gaps do I see in access to partners and settings?
  • What partnerships do I have – or need to establish – to conduct this research?
  • Have we established clear memoranda of understanding with important partners, and do we have the support of decision makers?
  • What is one next step I will take to create a needed partnership for my research?

8.5 Infrastructure and Partnerships – Key Resources

Practice-based research networks (PBRNs) 

PBRNs are networks of primary care providers and clinics who collaborate to address community-based health care questions; PBRNs are also important channels for translation of research findings into practice. Learn more about PBRNs on the AHRQ website.

Implementation Labs

Implementation Labs (sometimes ‘Implementation Science Labs’) are a concept covering a number of different types of partnership, but generally describe a model in which organizations delivering interventions at scale (often health systems or public health agencies) partner with researchers to both improve implementation of evidence-based practices within the specific organization, and advance generalizable knowledge in implementation science. Implementation labs have unique challenges and benefits, but may allow longitudinal engagement in a particular setting, as well as enhanced alignment with stakeholder priorities.

Key questions to explore when considering working with a PBRN or Implementation Lab:

  • When should I engage? (early in concept development, proposal writing, later after funding?)
  • What type of PBRN or Implementation Lab (national, state, regional, health system based) might be appropriate for my project?
  • What funding, workforce and other resources exist, at the PBRNs and Implementation Labs that are of interest to me?
  • What’s the relationship between the PBRN/Implementation Lab team, staff and the study team? (i.e. who actually does the work with and in the practices?)
  • What will a PBRN or Implementation Lab I’m interested in need from me as the academic partner? (i.e., $, study team support for implementation, training, etc.)
  • What does the process look like once a study is funded?

References

  • Heintzman J, Gold R, Krist A, Crosson J, Likumahuwa S, DeVoe JE. Practice-based research networks (PBRNs) are promising laboratories for conducting dissemination and implementation research. J Am Board Fam Med. 2014;27(6):759-762. doi:10.3122/jabfm.2014.06.140092

  • Kruse G, Hale E, Bekelman JE, et al. Creating research-ready partnerships: the initial development of seven implementation laboratories to advance cancer control. BMC Health Services Research. 2023;23(1). doi:10.1186/s12913-023-09128-w
  • Ivers NM, Grimshaw JM. Reducing research waste with implementation laboratories. Lancet. 2016;388(10044):547-548. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31256-9