ArticleImplementation science communications2026
Implementation science infrastructure in U.S. academic institutions: a convergent mixed-methods study.
Article in Implementation science communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundInterest in implementation science (IS) has grown rapidly in recent years, leading to the development of academic centers and programs across the United States (U.S.). Limited information exists regarding how these entities are structured, funded, and sustained. This study characterizes the infrastructure, funding models, service offerings, and organizational structures and practices of IS centers and programs within U.S. academic institutions.
methodsWe conducted a convergent mixed methods study using a structured web-based review and a REDCap survey. Targeted Google searches of .edu and .org domains were used to identify IS centers and programs based at U.S. academic medical and public health institutions. Forty-eight centers met the inclusion criteria after screening. Website data included institutional affiliation, leadership structure, focus areas, partnerships and service offerings. Program leaders from identified centers were invited to complete a survey examining funding sources, success metrics, workforce development, partnerships, and leadership succession. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, and open-ended responses were analyzed using rapid qualitative methods. Findings were integrated during interpretation.
resultsThe 48 centers and programs were distributed across all major U.S. regions, with 54.2% located at public institutions. Research combined with mentorship and/or teaching was the most common focus area (77.0%). Training (54.2%) and consultation (45.8%) were the most reported service offerings, whereas only 27.1% publicly described community engagement support. Among 12 of 13 survey respondents with complete funding data, grants were the most frequently reported funding source (83.3%), followed by institutional support (50.0%), with limited funding diversification. Integration of quantitative and qualitative findings suggested that workforce development, mentorship, and partnerships were viewed as important strengths among survey participants, while sustainability challenges were linked to reliance on external funding, staffing constraints, and limited succession planning. Quantitative findings related to funding concentration and traditional success metrics were reinforced by qualitative themes describing Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) dependence, workforce challenges, and misalignment between academic incentives and long-term implementation impact.
conclusionsAcademic IS centers and programs play an important role in workforce development, mentorship, training, and implementation support but continue to rely substantially on external funding to support core activities. Findings highlight the need for diversified funding strategies, stronger institutional investments, proactive succession planning, and broader impact-oriented success metrics that better capture long-term implementation impact and systems change.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.