Improvement ScIence FellowShIpS

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1 Improvement Science Fellowships The Health Foundation is launching an ambitious fellowship programme in the emerging field of improvement science. We are offering funding for three years to develop original, applied research dedicated to improving healthcare in the UK.

2 IMPROVEMENT SCIENCE FELLOWSHIPS The Health Foundation is an independent charity working to continuously improve the quality of healthcare in the UK. Through the Improvement Science Fellowship programme we aim to make a major contribution to the development of the field of improving health services. GP 2

3 We are looking to recruit four outstanding individuals who are seeking an opportunity to put their research experience into practice to improve healthcare. Our new fellows will be creative, passionate and talented people who will produce world class research over a period of three years and raise the status of this emerging discipline. The Health Foundation funds a wide range of leadership development fellowships for people working in the health service, as well as our Clinician Scientist Fellowships, which focus on bio-medical research. The Improvement Science Fellowships build on the knowledge and experience we have gained from these fellowship programmes. The fellowship has given me the time and support that have enabled me to establish a research team, drive forward a new area of research and use my research to help change public health policy and practice. This opportunity is unique and without it, I would certainly not have made the progress I have. Professor Anna Gilmore Health Foundation Clinician Scientist Fellow and Professor of Public Health, University of Bath 3

4 Improvement Science Fellowships: key facts 1 We are seeking four fellows to develop original, applied research, which will make a real difference to improving healthcare in the UK and contribute to the knowledge base of the science of improvement Over three years, fellows will receive funding for full-time salary and research costs. Fellows will need to have a track record in research or healthcare practice that relates to improvement science and a PhD or MD. Fellows will be given personalised leadership development training as part of the programme. Fellows will have access to the Health Foundation Improvement Science Network, an international network of experts from disciplines within the field of improvement science. The deadline for submitting an application form and research proposal is 5pm Monday 14 February

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6 What is improvement science and why is it important? We all want to see better quality healthcare. But improving quality in other words, making healthcare safer, more responsive to patients needs and better value for money is about more than good intentions, narrowly-focused research studies or individuals skills. 6

7 Improvement science is about building a knowledge base for improving health services and translating this knowledge into practice to deliver the best possible patient care. It requires a systematic, scientifically rigorous approach to close the gap between current and best practice. The developing field of improvement science embraces disciplines across health services research, from sociology to statistics, psychology to health economics. Ultimately, to help build practical knowledge about what works to improve healthcare we need to understand a range of complex dynamics, from how patients view their care to how attitudes, processes and different approaches to delivering health services can impact on outcomes. 7

8 What will the Improvement Science FellowshipS involve? This programme is a new and innovative kind of fellowship. It will provide four fellows with a unique mix of: research funding leadership development access to an international network of improvement science experts. Research funding Improvement Science Fellows will receive: a full-time salary for three years, matched to their current salary funding to develop original, applied research. Understanding what makes a great leader has been a key part of developing my emotional intelligence. Even with great ideas and great science, we still need to be great leaders if we want to take that work forward to benefit patients. Leadership development and coaching has made me much more self-aware. I now do things differently to bring the best out of others and myself. Damian Mole Health Foundation Clinician Scientist Fellow, University of Edinburgh 8

9 Leadership development Leadership development is included as part of the fellowship, as we believe that for healthcare improvement to be effective and sustainable, strong leadership is vital. As part of the programme fellows will learn about what it takes to become an improvement leader, exploring the theory and practice of leadership for improvement. The fellowship includes a package of specially designed leadership development, which will include: individual and group learning varied approaches such as action learning sets, peer learning processes and coached assignments analysis of models of leadership, organisational culture, change, and aspects of health and research policy mentoring by experts from a range of different disciplines who make up the Health Foundation Improvement Science Network. 9

10 Health Foundation Improvement Science Network The Health Foundation Improvement Science Network is a new virtual network of international experts from disciplines within the emerging field of improvement science. It will contribute to the development of improvement science as an international discipline through the sharing of ideas and knowledge. The network will be a valuable resource for the Improvement Science Fellows. Fellows will have the opportunity to contribute to new publications, take part in online discussions and deepen their understanding of the different disciplines that contribute to improvement science. The network is chaired by Professor Paul B Batalden, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, The Dartmouth Institute of Health Policy & Clinical Practice and Community & Family Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School. For more information about the network and its members, please visit 10

11 Developing the science of improving healthcare today is one of the basic challenges facing all societies. Improving the quality-safety-value of healthcare invites the contributions of differently prepared experts who bring diverse ways of knowing to the task. Working with and across these knowledge systems requires new forms of inquiry and creativity. The Improvement Science Network is aimed at this challenge, inviting international exchange and fostering collaborative development of the leadership of the science of improvement. Fellows in this programme will enjoy the resource and the interaction that this group can bring to their own development. Paul B Batalden Chair of the Health Foundation Improvement Science Network 11

12 Who can apply? We are seeking applicants for this fellowship with a passion for improving healthcare. Applicants must have the ability to: raise the status of the emerging field of improvement science, bringing researchers, clinicians and patients closer together build a knowledge base about what works best to improve healthcare influence policy and decision-makers at the highest level to invest in improvements that are backed up by sound research knowledge. All applicants will need to meet the eligibility criteria described below. For more information, please visit Applicants must have a proven track record in research or healthcare practice that relates to improvement science. We will consider any discipline that supports scientific efforts to improve healthcare, including any clinical or health-related subject, social sciences or appropriate broader scientific fields. Applicants must have a PhD in a relevant area, or an MD. They may already be pursuing an academic career, or they may have gained experience in improvement through a career in healthcare and want to make a transition into the pursuit of improvement science in an academic environment. 12

13 We are looking for applicants who can show expertise in using appropriate research methods including: health services research statistics operational research clinical trials epidemiology ethnography. Fellows must have the active support of an academic institution. A fellow s academic institution will need to have: strong links with health service organisations research interests that are contributing to the improvement of health services a commitment to working in the field of improvement science a member of staff who can supervise the fellow a commitment to advancing the career of the fellow. What we will not fund We will not fund research assistants, PhD students, additional staff or general institutional overheads. 13

14 what is the application process? This programme is now open for application. To apply, applicants need to submit a completed application form, research proposal and supporting documents by 5pm Monday 14 February In February 2011 proposals will be peer-reviewed and a shortlist drawn up. Shortlisted applicants will attend an assessment centre in the week commencing 28 March 2011 for an assessment day involving interviews, discussion and reflection, followed by a panel interview. The successful fellows will be announced in early April 2011, with the fellowships commencing in September For more information and to apply online, please go to You will be able to download the application form and proposal specification, and read the eligibility criteria and frequently asked questions. If you would like to speak to someone in confidence about the fellowships, please , impsci@health.org.uk. Please specify your query, and someone from the Health Foundation will get back to you by phone or . What are we looking for in a proposal? Research proposals should: be directly applicable to the UK healthcare service demonstrate innovative and original thinking have substantial potential to improve the quality of healthcare, and build new knowledge in the emerging field of improvement science draw on knowledge from different disciplines within improvement science. 14

15 How will the academic institutions that host the fellows benefit? This is an opportunity for academic institutions to be at the forefront of the development of this important academic discipline. Organisations will benefit from having secure funding for three years for a fellow who is working on applied research, directly relevant to the UK healthcare service. As well as the high status that will go with hosting this fellowship, institutions will also have the opportunity to develop international links through the Health Foundation Improvement Science Network. While undertaking my Health Foundation fellowship I have come to realise that the leader who can harness the diverse skills of a multi-talented team committed to a single objective offers the greatest possible force for change. Professor Robert Maclaren Health Foundation Clinician Scientist Fellow and Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Oxford 15

16 The Health Foundation is an independent charity working to continuously improve the quality of healthcare in the UK. We want the UK to have a healthcare system of the highest possible quality safe, effective, person-centred, timely, efficient and equitable. We believe that in order to achieve this, health services need to continually improve the way they work. We are here to inspire and create the space for people to make lasting improvements to health services. Working at every level of the healthcare system, we aim to develop the technical skills, leadership, capacity, knowledge, and the will for change, that are essential for real and lasting improvement. Identify Innovate Demonstrate Encourage The Health Foundation 90 Long Acre London WC2E 9RA T F E info@health.org.uk Registered charity number: Registered company number: