Improvement Science Fellowships

In brief

This ambitious fellowship programme is 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.

We have recruited outstanding individuals who are seeking an opportunity to put their research experience into practice to improve healthcare. Our fellows are creative, passionate and talented people who will produce world class research and raise the status of this emerging field.

Key facts

The fellows are developing 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.

Fellows will develop original, applied research, that makes a real difference to improving healthcare in the UK and contribute to the knowledge base of the science of improvement.
Over three years, fellows receive funding for full-time salary and research costs.
Fellows have a track record in research or healthcare practice that relates to improvement science and a PhD or MD.
Fellows are given personalised leadership development training as part of the programme.
Fellows have access to the Health Foundation Improvement Science Development Group, an international group of experts from disciplines within the field of improvement science.
Applications for the current round of fellowships are now closed.

Comments

kate bloor 17 March 2012

Is there any similarity or differences, between policy analysis, as in analysis for (or of), policy, and 'improvement science'. I always thought that the role of research in the policy -making process, ensured if done correctly, that improvements in delivery of outcomes defined by that policy would improve, or be re-defined. Is improvement science a 'new methodology' or is it existing techniques to policy making, that are being used in a new way or set into a new context or language.?

Helen Crisp, Assistant Director Research and Development, the Health Foundation 29 May 2012

Improvement science is broader than policy analysis. It is research which is focused on developing and testing methodologies for improvement of the delivery of health services and then researching how best to implement these in practice to improve the safety, value and quality of care. Improvement science research may involve policy analysis, to investigate a particular approach to improve healthcare. For example researching changing policy on healthcare regulation to understand how regulation either facilitates improvement or acts as a barrier to improvement, but improvement science does not stop at the policy analysis. The next stage is to work with healthcare services to understand the methods for local improvement which best work with the regulatory framework, then disseminate these methods to enable wider implementation.