Understanding and Measuring Shifts in Translational Science Abilities

Translational science aims to turn research discoveries into real-world health solutions faster and more effectively. But how do we know if researchers are gaining the skills they need to make that happen? To identify key characteristics of translational scientists, Gilliland et al. (2019) identified 5 key characteristics of translational scientists including boundary crosser, team player, process innovator, skilled communicator, and systems thinker. An emphasis has been placed on translational training programs to improve these characteristics, yet, currently there has been limited study on how to measure them. This presentation shares pre-post retrospective survey items developed to measure the key translational scientist characteristics based on data from a multi-site I-Corps@NCATS short course. These measures allow evaluators to assess changes in translational characteristics. In addition to the key characteristics found by Gilliland, open-ended responses provided qualitative evidence for two additional domains: intellectual humility and cognitive flexibility. Future opportunities include using and validating these items in different contexts and with different populations to further confirm their usefulness.

Stuart Henderson; Kady Nearing; Stacey Neves; Molly Wasko