Despite decades of medical progress, research shows it takes an average of 17 years for proven health innovations to be widely adopted in clinical practice and fewer than 20 percent of effective interventions ever make it that far. To change that, AcademyHealth, with support from Amgen, is launching the Applied Implementation Science Fellowship Program, a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to train early- to mid-career researchers to accelerate the translation of evidence into everyday care.
The two-year fellowship will provide embedded researchers with advanced training, expert mentorship, and hands-on experience conducting applied implementation science projects in health systems. Fellows will focus on real-world challenges in areas such as bone health, inflammation, and rare disease; domains where proven evidence can make an immediate difference for patients. A call for applications will launch in December 2025.
“AcademyHealth exists to ensure that evidence drives smarter policy, stronger systems, and healthier communities,” said Aaron Carroll, president and CEO of AcademyHealth. “By building the implementation science workforce, this program directly supports our mission and our commitment to elevate the profession, broaden our reach, and focus on impact.”
Elizabeth Cope, Chief Science and Programs Officer at AcademyHealth, who leads the program, emphasized why this training matters now.
“The best research in the world won’t help patients if it never gets put into practice,” she said. “This fellowship ensures that talented mid-career researchers get the mentorship and support they need to bridge that gap and bring meaningful change to health systems and communities.”
“At Amgen, we know that breakthrough science has its greatest impact when it reaches patients quickly,” said Paul Burton, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Amgen. “That’s why we’re investing in implementation science, to help ensure discoveries translate into real-world improvements in care. Supporting AcademyHealth gives us the opportunity to support the next generation of leaders.”
The fellowship is guided by a steering committee of independent experts, ensuring scientific integrity and meaningful oversight. Fellows’ work will be disseminated through national conferences, peer-reviewed publications, and AcademyHealth’s extensive network, creating ripple effects across the field.
About AcademyHealth
As the non-partisan professional home for health services and policy research, AcademyHealth connects evidence, policy, and practice to accelerate solutions that improve health and health care for all. We do this by supporting the people behind the research, strengthening the system behind the science, and working to ensure evidence gets used by those who need it most to improve health and health care for all. Learn more at www.academyhealth.org.
Media Contact:
Lauren Adams, AcademyHealth, lauren.adams@academyhealth.org