Recommendations for Writing a National Institutes of Health Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (F31) Training Grant in Dissemination and Implementation Science

Early career training is an essential component of building the future dissemination and implementation (D&I) science. The United States National Institutes Health Ruth L. Kirschstein Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (F31) award offers a mechanism for doctoral students to acquire specialized D&I mentorship, pursue independent research in science, receive financial support their graduate studies. Due scarce resources on preparing early grant proposals focused this commentary guidance developing successful application specific type proposal—the NIH F31 mechanism. We offer strategies components based themes identified across six funded applications our experiences process (grants from 2019 2020). are diverse fields (clinical psychology, school public health, epidemiology) with varied foci (global mental infectious diseases). Applications were both F31-Diversity mechanisms. Funded projects included strategies, treatment adaptions, piloting new methods, pre-implementation inquiry. Common goals content expertise understanding science methodologies, learning working community partners, enhancing knowledge analytic methods. activities journal clubs, meeting consultants, attending trainings, conferences. Mentored methods research-practice partnerships as students.