Students who are interested in solving problems in community health, health services, or health policy may want to supplement their training with the Certificate in Implementation Science and Community Health Outcomes.

Current research investments reflect an emphasis on research that looks for ways to translate what has been learned in controlled settings into positive outcomes in clinical practice and community health. This research requires the ability to:

• consider multiple factors that interact to influence a community or organization;
• form and manage research partnerships with communities and organizations;
• evaluate whether a health intervention or prevention method works or will be used; and
• articulate policy implications of health issues and interventions.

The Certificate in Implementation Science and Community Health Outcomes focuses on the development of these skills.

The certificate addresses a well-documented gap in what should be a continuum between basic health and medical research discoveries and the application of those discoveries in clinical and public health practice. To bridge this gap, new discoveries must move beyond efficacy studies to research that tests effectiveness in real-world settings, exploring factors that facilitate or impede positive health outcomes. This research requires engagement among community members, organizations, clinicians, and researchers as partners in the research process and draws on a distinct set of skills. This certificate focuses on the development of skills to engage successfully in clinical and community health outcomes research.

Admissions

Application Guidelines

The Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) is the administrative home of the Certificate in Implementation Science and Community Health Outcomes. Detailed information about the curriculum, admission requirements, application procedures, and student services coordinators is posted on the ICTR website.

Whether a student enrolls in the graduate/professional certificate or capstone certificate program will depend on their educational goals. (Course requirements are the same for all.) 

Prerequisites, Application and Enrollment Procedures

Graduate and professional students from any discipline are eligible to apply for enrollment in the graduate/professional certificate program. To be considered for admission, complete the following application procedures.

1. Print and complete the certificate application form (available on the program website).
2. Send the completed application to the Graduate Program Coordinator, 2112T HSLC, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53705; studentinquiry@ictr.wisc.edu.
3. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis by the certificate advisory committee.
4. Notification of admission to the certificate program: If the student has completed the application procedures described above, notification of the admission decision will be received within three weeks. Students with questions about the status of the application should contact Graduate Program Coordinator at studentinquiry@ictr.wisc.edu.
5. All Graduate School students must also utilize the Graduate Student Portal in MyUW to add, change, or discontinue any graduate/professional certificate. To apply to this certificate, log in to MyUW, click on Graduate Student Portal, and then click on Add/Change Programs. Select the information for this graduate/professional certificate. 
6. Once admitted, the certificate advisory committee will review the stated research interests and recommend an advisor. The objective is to match students with an advisor from a discipline other than their own, to expose students to a variety of perspectives. Students will be notified with the name and contact information of their advisor. They should schedule a meeting with the certificate advisor within the first month after being admitted to identify learning and career objectives, and to discuss the program in relation to student goals.

Note to PhD students:

PhD students should start the graduate/professional certificate program early enough to be finished before starting the dissertation. Refer to the Graduate School's policy on Dissertator Status.

Requirements

¹

This course can only be taken by students in the Master of Public Health (MPH) program.

²

Students enroll in 1 credit of independent study with their certificate advisor. For details about the Presentation/Video Option for the seminar, contact the certificate coordinator.

Electives

The certificate advisor may help students choose courses to fulfill the two elective areas: 

1. Working with Communities and
2. Qualitative Research Methods Relevant to Translational and Outcomes Research.

At least one of the courses must be from outside the student's major. Students may propose to their certificate advisor an alternative course (i.e., not on the list of approved electives) for consideration as elective credit, including a course that also fulfills a requirement for their degree program. For criteria and procedures, see the handbook on the program website.

Professional Development

Additional Resources and Opportunities

UW Institute for Clinical and Translational Research

Resources to support clinical, translational, and outcomes research

Mentoring

• Research Mentoring: https://mentoringresources.ictr.wisc.edu/
• The Individual Development Plan for mapping your mentee’s (graduate student and postdoc) academic and professional development: http://grad.wisc.edu/pd/idp

Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research Resources

Video lectures on topics relevant to translational and outcomes research (After you open this page, scroll to the bottom.)

HIP Xchange

Tools, videos, and data downloads to identify socioeconomic disadvantaged locations, improve patient engagement in research, identify patients with chronic conditions, and more.

Training-grant opportunities

Learning Outcomes

1. Develop a research question about a health concern of an actual community.
2. Select an evidence-based approach to addressing the health concern.
3. Involve investigators from two or more disciplines and/or stakeholders from two or more sectors as partners in your project.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of collaboration skills for sustainable partnerships, e.g., benefits to the community partner(s) are built into the project; evidence of partner input to project design.
5. Employ data gathering and analysis methods that respect community partners' organizational culture, values, staffing, and work flow.

People

Faculty Advisors

• Betty Chewning, PhD, School of Pharmacy
• Beth Fields, PhD, OTR/L, BCG, School of Education
• Barbara King, PhD, School of Nursing
• Marlon Mundt, PhD, School of Medicine and Public Health
• Kristen Pecanac, PhD, RN, School of Nursing
• Kristen Pickett, PhD, School of Education
• Andrew Quanbeck, PhD, School of Medicine and Public Health
• Maureen Smith, MD, MPH, PhD, School of Medicine and Public Health
• Olayinka Shiyanbola, PhD, School of Pharmacy
• Eva Vivian, PharmD, MS, PhD, School of Pharmacy
• Jennifer Weiss, MD, MS, School of Medicine and Public Health
• Douglas Wiegmann, PhD, College of Engineering, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

For online profiles, visit Handbook, Advisement.