Dissemination and Implementation Research: NCCIH Interests

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) supports dissemination and implementation science trials that test innovative approaches to overcoming barriers to the adoption, adaptation, integration, scale-up, scale-out, and sustainability of evidence-based complementary and integrative health interventions, tools, policies, and guidelines. NCCIH is participating in the following National Institutes of Health (NIH) Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health funding opportunity announcements (FOAs): 

R01 PAR-19-274: 
Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)

R21 PAR-19-275: 
Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)

(Please refer to the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts for any changes or updates to these FOAs.)

NCCIH held an expert panel meeting on implementation and de-implementation methodologies for complementary health approaches on December 10, 2019. The panel consisted of a combination of implementation science and complementary health intervention experts.

View the meeting summary:

• Implementation and De-implementation Methodologies for Complementary Health Approaches meeting summary (PDF)

For the purposes of these FOAs, dissemination research is defined as the scientific study of targeted distribution of information and intervention materials to a specific public health or clinical practice audience. The intent is to understand how best to spread and sustain knowledge and the associated evidence-based interventions. Implementation research is defined as the scientific study of the use of strategies to adopt and integrate evidence-based health interventions into clinical and community settings to improve patient outcomes and benefit population health.

For applications responding to the Dissemination and Implementation Research FOAs, NCCIH is especially interested in the following:

• Studies that test implementation strategies for evidence-based complementary approaches for pain management in health care settings.
• Implementation research studies that relate to providers such as naturopathic doctors (N.D.s), doctors of osteopathic medicine (D.O.s), and doctors of chiropractic (D.C.s), including but not limited to studies that:
  • Investigate the uptake, adoption, or adherence to best practice guidelines for pain or other symptom management or known beneficial health-related behaviors, such as childhood vaccination.
  • Test strategies for overcoming barriers to implementation of best practice guidelines for these providers and the patients who receive care from such providers.
  • Identify effective approaches to enhance implementation and promotion of best practice guidelines in patient care settings where providers such as N.D.s, D.O.s, and D.C.s provide care.

Researchers are highly encouraged to use an implementation science conceptual framework to guide their approach. The Fogarty International Center maintains a comprehensive list of frameworks.

Studies that test dissemination and implementation strategies at multiple ecological levels will have higher programmatic priority.

Hybrid effectiveness-implementation designs are supported by NCCIH. Hybrid Type 1 and Type 2 effectiveness-implementation studies should use the multisite clinical trial pathway described here: nccih.nih.gov/grants/funding/clinicaltrials. Hybrid Type 3 effectiveness-implementation studies should use the NIH-wide Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health FOAs (R21 PAR-19-275 or R01 PAR-19-274).

Please refer to the 2021 NCCIH strategic plan for information about NCCIH research priorities.