Evaluating the impact of the capacity-building support of a collaborative network of implementation science technical assistance hubs: An Evaluation Protocol (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Implementation science (IS) plays a critical role in translating research into real-world health outcomes. Few studies have evaluated models that provide technical assistance (TA) and other resources to build IS capacity. The Coordinating and Capacity-building Hubs to Enhance the Science of HIV Implementation REsearch (CHESHIRE) network supports U.S.-based HIV research awardees participating in the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative. OBJECTIVE We describe CHESHIRE’s plan to evaluate the impact of hub TA activities on EHE-funded research team outcomes, including IS competencies, scientific collaboration, and research productivity. METHODS We will employ qualitative interviews (n=36 EHE-funded research teams), social network analysis (n=265 researchers), and secondary data analysis (NIH RePORTER, PubMed, and NIH ISCI EHE Project Final Progress Report Survey (n=248)) to assess whether CHESHIRE engagement improves researchers’ ability to apply IS frameworks, facilitates inter-institutional partnerships, and enhances scientific output. We will use social network metrics and thematic coding to identify shifts in collaboration and perceived benefits of TA. We will measure productivity by tracking grant submissions, awards, and peer-reviewed publications. RESULTS The findings will provide insight on whether structured IS support through CHESHIRE increases researchers’ self-efficacy, cross-institutional collaboration, and funding/publication success. CONCLUSIONS This evaluation will provide empirical evidence to guide the development and optimization of TA hubs in public health research and inform their future evaluation. Findings will inform strategies to optimize IS capacity-building models and accelerate the translation of evidence-based interventions into practice, especially in HIV prevention and treatment. Results will inform future use of similar hub-based models across public health domains addressing complex health challenges. CLINICALTRIAL N/A