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Certificate in Implementation Science
Implementation science is the scientific study of methods to promote the use of research findings in real-world practice settings to improve healthcare quality and patient outcomes. Through a combination of virtual didactics, experiential learning, and mentorship, the Penn Implementation Science Certificate Program will equip the next generation of early career colleagues with the knowledge and skills needed to conduct rigorous, contextualized, and meaningful implementation research.
Ideal for scholars interested in developing competencies in implementation science for application to future research endeavors, including early career researchers seeking NIH K award or equivalent funding.
The certificate is also expected to be of interest to implementation practitioners, including people engaged in improvement science.
The application for Spring 2023 semester is now open. You may apply to the certificate program via CollegeNET. Deadline to apply is January 20, 2023. Applicants are required to submit the following:
- Personal Statement
- Resume or CV
- Writing Sample
- Minimum 1 letter of recommendation
The Certificate in Implementation Science requires successful completion of 4 course units (CU).
Core Requirement (3 CU) | CU | |
HPR 6200 or HPR 6110 |
Implementation Science in Health and Healthcare
Implementation Science Institute |
1.0
0.5 |
IMP 6100 | Ethics and Equity in Implementation Science | 1.0 |
IMP 6200 | Mixed Methods in Implementation Science | 1.0 |
Elective Requirement (1 CU) | CU | |
IMP 6300 | Project Development in Implementation Science | 0.5 |
HPR 6210 | Advanced Topics in Implementation Science in Health | 0.5 |
IMP 6400 | Practicum in Implementation Science | 0.5 |
Approved Electives (See Elective Tab Below) | 0.5-1.0 |
HPR 6200 - Implementation Science in Health and Healthcare*
The purpose of this course is to provide participants with the tools to design and execute rigorous implementation science research. The Institute will give an introduction to the foundations of implementation science (i.e., terminology, conceptual models and frameworks, study design). Students will also receive an overview of advanced topics including implementation strategies and sustainability. The course directors will cover tips for grant writing and skills development, and time will be spent writing specific aims for implementation science grants. We will also explicitly describe how principles of implementation science can be applied to practical implementation efforts.
*There is an alternate completion pathway; HPR 6110 Implementation Science Institute. Students then must complete an independent study for the additional 0.5 CU.*
HPR 6110 - Implementation Science Institute
An alternative to HPR 6200; participants may take this 4-day Implementation Science Institute for 0.5 CU and complete an independent study for an additional 0.5 CU.
HPR 6210 - Advanced Topics in Implementation Science in Health
This seminar course offers an opportunity for students to advance their understanding of the thorniest methodological challenges in implementation science. Broadly, topics include study design, study execution, and tensions in the field. The intention will be for attendees to directly apply their learnings to their ongoing or proposed implementation research.
Prerequisite: HPR 6200 or Penn Implementation Science Institute
IMP 6100 - Ethics and Equity in Implementation Science
Implementation science introduces a host of issues related to the ethics and equity in care delivery and the conduct of research. We will use case examples from ongoing trials to demonstrate and work through these concepts, including (1) pragmatic tradeoffs (e.g., acceptability and effectiveness) in study design and execution; (2) sustainability and health system integration as up-front considerations; (3) unintended consequences with implications for health equity; and (4) consent in implementation research, considering organizational power and hierarchical relationships. We will highlight future directions for empirical work at the intersection of bioethics and implementation science. We will encourage students to work through these issues in their own research.
Prerequisite: HPR 6200 or Penn Implementation Science Institute
IMP 6200 - Mixed Methods in Implementation Science
The focus of this course is applying and integrating mixed methods in implementation research/science, with a particular emphasis on incorporating qualitative and mixed methods to design and evaluate implementation trials equitably and sustainably. This course will provide an overview of different ways in which mixed methods can be used across implementation and dissemination research using readings, lectures, case studies, and group discussions. Trainees will gain basic skills in collecting and analyzing qualitative and mixed methods data, ways in which mixed methods can be integrated into different study designs (e.g., pragmatic trials) and innovative approaches such as rapid ethnography and configurational comparative methods. The course will also cover philosophical and theoretical foundations and tensions in the field.
At the end of the course, trainees will be able to:
- Design and plan a mixed methods implementation research project.
- Identify different forms of mixed methods analysis and how to integrate into study designs.
- Critically evaluate the use of methodological paradigms and theoretical models to ensure alignment with implementation targets and strategies.
- Identify different ways mixed methods can incorporated across the implementation process from contextual inquiry to implementation trials to policy change.
Prerequisites:
- HPR 6200 or Penn Implementation Science Institute
- Prior coursework or training in qualitative research is strongly suggested. Training or experience in public health, epidemiology, quality improvement or health care organization leadership is preferred.
IMP 6300 - Project Development in Implementation Science
This course offers an opportunity for trainees to apply competencies acquired through the certificate program to address questions related to implementation research and practice. Students will meet weekly as a group to receive guidance and hands-on experience in developing individual proposals in their topical area of interest. At the conclusion of the course, students will have workshopped a proposal suitable for submission, so preference for enrollment will be given to trainees who plan to submit grants within the next year
Prerequisite: HPR 6200 or Penn Implementation Science Institute
IMP 6400 - Practicum in Implementation Science
This course offers an opportunity for trainees to apply competencies in implementation research and practice. Through mentorship from course directors, trainees will receive guidance as they execute individual projects.
Prerequisite: HPR 6200 or Penn Implementation Science Institute
The requirement for elective coursework can be satisfied by the courses listed below:
EPID 5340: Qualitative Methods in the Study of Health, Disease and Medical Systems
EPID 5500: Clinical Economics and Decision Making
EPID 5600: Issues in Research Protocol Development
EPID 5840: Health Disparities Research
EPID 7140: Grant Writing
HPR 6010: Economics of Health Care Delivery
HPR 5030: Qualitative Methods in Health Research
HPR 5500: Clinical Economics and Clinical Decision Making
HPR 6000: Health Services Research and Innovation Science
HPR 6250: Pragmatic Clinical Trials in Health Care
HPR 7140: Grant Writing/Review
MTR 6020: Proposal Development
MTR 6040: Scientific and Ethical Conduct
MTR 6230: Writing an NIH Grant
PUBH 5390: Designing Interventions to Promote Health and Reduce Health Disparities
PUBH 5880: Advanced Leadership Skills in Community Health
PUBH 6080: Behavioral Economics and Health
Tuition & Fees for 2022-23 Academic Year
The total cost of the Implementation Science Certificate is linked to the cost per credit unit at the time of course enrollment. For the 2022-23 academic year, the cost would be $21,540.
0.5 CU | 1.0 CU | |
Tuition | $2,527 | $5,053 |
Online Services Fee | $72 | $144 |
Technology Fee | $94 | $188 |
Tuition Benefits
Depending on your employment status, you may be eligible for tuition benefits. See below.
The University of Pennsylvania
You can view our Tuition Benefits Tip Sheet here.
Executive Director
Meghan Lane-Fall, MD, MSHP, FCCM David E. Longnecker Associate Professor, Anesthesiology and Critical Care; Associate Professor, Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine; Executive Director, PISCE@LDI
Program Coordinator
Kathryn O'Boyle
Program Faculty
Emily Becker-Haimes, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Amanda Bettencourt, PhD, APRN, CCRN-K, ACCNS-P Assistant Professor, Family and Community Health, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing; Director, Acute Care Implementation Science, PISCE@LDI
Christopher Bonafide, MD, MSCE Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine; Director, Pediatric Implementation Research, PISCE@LDI
Danielle Cullen, MD, MPH, MSHP Assistant Professor, Departments of Pediatrics and Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Rebecca Hamm, MD, MSCE Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Katharine Rendle, PhD, MSW, MPH Assistant Professor, Family Medicine and Community Health & Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine; Director, Cancer Implementation Research, PISCE@LDI
Sarita Sonalkar, MD, MPH Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Rebecca Stewart, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Courtney Benjamin Wolk, PhD Assistant Professor, Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine; Director, Mental Health Implementation Research, PISCE@LDI
Charlotte Woods-Hill, MD Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care