Table 1.

Ten key ingredients for implementation research proposals

Proposal ingredient	Key question	Review criteria	Check (yes/no)
1. The care gap or quality gap	The proposal has clear evidence that a gap in quality exists?	Significance Impact
2. The evidence-based treatment to be implemented	Is the evidence for the program, treatment, or set of services to be implemented demonstrated?	Significance Innovation
3. Conceptual model and theoretical justification	The proposal delineates a clear conceptual framework/theory/ model that informs the design and variables being tested?	Approach Innovation
4. Stakeholder priorities, engagement in change	Is there a clear engagement process of the stakeholders in place?	Significance Impact Approach Environment
5. Setting’s readiness to adopt new services/treatments/programs	Is there clear information that reflects the setting’s readiness, capacity, or appetite for change, specifically around adoption of the proposed evidence-based treatment?	Impact Approach Environment
6. Implementation strategy/process	Are the strategies to implement the intervention clearly defined, and justified conceptually?	Significance Impact Innovation
7. Team experience with the setting, treatment, implementation process	Does the proposal detail the team’s experience with the study setting, the treatment whose implementation is being studied, and implementation processes?	Approach Investigator team
8. Feasibility of proposed research design and methods	Does the methods section contain as much detail as possible, as well as lay out possible choice junctures and contingencies, should methods not work as planned?	Approach Investigator team
9. Measurement and analysis section	Does the proposal clarify the key constructs to be measured, corresponding to the overarching conceptual model or theory?	Approach Investigator team
	Is a measurement plan clear for each construct?
	Does the analysis section demonstrate how relationships between constructs will be tested?
10. Policy/funding environment; leverage or support for sustaining change	Does the proposal address how the implementation initiative aligns with policy trends?	Impact Significance