Written by Kim Furlow, communications manager for the Institute for Public Health
The Center for Dissemination and Implementation at the Institute for Public Health announces a new funding mechanism: Conceptual and Methodological (CAM) Review Grants. Open to teams or individual WashU researchers at the post-doctorate or faculty level, the grants help encourage WashU investigators to enhance conceptual and methodological understanding through scoping, systematic or other review methods. The grants fund up to $20,000 for a 12-month award.
Research funding is often awarded to address research questions that are primarily applied (e.g., improving the implementation of an evidence-based intervention in the service of improving public health outcomes), which can leave core conceptual and methodological questions unanswered. While reviews that aim to simply describe the use of existing theories, frameworks, designs, or methodological approaches can be useful, center funders are particularly interested in reviews that are integrative and advance new perspectives and approaches. Thus, some reviews may be much less rigidly structured, taking the form of a conceptual paper consistent with those found in the Annual Review of Public Health or in Implementation Science “debate” papers. Awardees will be expected to present their findings in a one-day retreat in October of 2024.
“Conceptual and methodological work serves as the foundation for scientific progress; however, it is often difficult to find time and flexible funding to pursue that type of scholarship,” said center Associate Director, Byron Powell, PhD. “The CAM Review Grants will address this challenge. They will give awardees space to engage in dialogue with each other, which will inevitably lead to synergies and collaborations that will improve their work and advance implementation science.”
Funding can be used to support investigator time, research assistants, conference expenses, or other costs of reviews that lead to an original perspective or insight for implementation science.
Applications are due by August 15, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. CST. Award decisions will be made by September 15, 2023, for an award period from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024.
Please see the center’s grants page for more information and application requirements.