Dissemination and implementation science travel award and conference event (DISTANCE) - the "dissemination and implementation science travel award and conference event" (DISTANCE) is designed to build…

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) awarded $299,430 to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association through a Cooperative Agreement under the Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173), effective September 17, 2025, through August 31, 2028. This award funds the Dissemination and Implementation Science Travel Award and Conference Event (DISTANCE) program, which supports scientific capacity building in dissemination and implementation (D&I) research across NIDCD's mission areas including hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language disorders.

Under this agreement, the awardee will provide annual conference attendance and professional development support for 12 scientific awardees and 6 mentors to participate in the Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health (CSDIH) and a specialized DISTANCE Workshop designed specifically for D&I researchers working within NIDCD's mission areas. The workshop curriculum will address critical D&I topics including stakeholder identification and engagement, selection of appropriate D&I frameworks and strategies, outcomes measurement, and funding mechanisms. This initiative directly addresses documented gaps in scientific capacity and mentorship infrastructure within the D&I research community, ultimately supporting the accelerated translation of evidence-based practices in communication disorders from research into clinical and educational settings.

Dissemination and implementation science travel award and conference event (DISTANCE) - the "dissemination and implementation science travel award and conference event" (DISTANCE) is designed to build scientific capacity to accelerate the uptake of dissemination and implementation (D & I) research across nidcd's mission areas (i.e., hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language). D & I science aims to narrow the GAP between scientific discovery and its application in health care and educational settings to promote the adoption and integration of evidence-based practices, interventions, and policies. The research-to-practice GAP has been durable and presents a significant challenge to furthering evidence-based practices for many disciplines. For example, despite the considerable evidence base in communication disorders (asha N.D.), its clinical uptake has been disappointing (douglas ET AL., 2022B). This GAP negatively impacts the health and education of millions of individuals with communication disorders (nidcd N.D.). Several factors have been identified that impede scientific progress in D & I (nidcd, 2023), but primarily, there is insufficient scientific capacity in D & I to support noticeable growth. The need for mentoring support and cultivation of the D & I research community have been recognized as being critical to advancing D & I research in nidcd's mission areas (douglas ET AL., 2022A, nidcd, 2023). The DISTANCE program aims to increase scientific capacity and address unmet needs in D & I across nidcd's mission areas by supporting 12 awardees and 6 mentors annually to attend (1) the "conference on the science of dissemination and implementation in health" (CSDIH) and (2) the new DISTANCE workshop, which will immediately follow the CSDIH. The DISTANCE workshop will focus on topics highly relevant to nidcd's mission areas such as identifying and engaging stakeholders and choosing appropriate D & I frameworks, strategies, outcomes, and funding mechanisms (e.g., douglas ET AL., 2022A, nidcd, 2023). Critically, half of the workshop time will be spent in mentoring periods wherein awardees work with their mentors to refine their draft grant proposals that incorporate D & I aims and methods. Through in-person discussions, group functions, post-workshop virtual meetings, and a dedicated online community, DISTANCE will strengthen the developing D & I research community. Within the year following the DISTANCE workshop, awardees will broadly disseminate information learned at CSDIH and DISTANCE through presentations, seminars, articles, and other broad dissemination tactics. Outcomes data regarding awardees' success in securing funding for grant proposals that includes D & I aims and methods will be collected at 3-years and 6-years following their participation. Over the 5-year funding cycle, DISTANCE aims to support the funding success of 60 promising scientists focused on D & I research within nidcd's mission areas and to promote broad dissemination about the value of D & I to nurture the pipeline of future D & I researchers and clinical implementation partners.