Comprehensive Advancement in Research Education, Training, and Scholarship for Addressing the Conditions of People’s Life in Health and Well-being (CARES) - This proposed R25 program, Comprehensive Advancement in Research Education, Training, and Scholarship for Addressing the Conditions of People’s Life in Health and Well-being (CARES), at Yale School of Nursing, is designed to address existing gaps in the education and training of nursing researchers in identifying effective approaches to improve health and well-being. The purpose of this program is threefold: First, to prepare emerging researchers to recognize and incorporate conditions of daily life, including nutrition, physical activity, environmental exposures, healthcare access, and family and community conditions, into research on disease prevention and population health. Second, to provide interdisciplinary methods for evaluating how these multilevel factors, together with healthcare systems and policies, influence health behaviors and outcomes across the lifespan. Third, to develop researchers' capacity to design and implement evidence-based interventions at the individual, community, healthcare system, and policy levels to improve health and wellbeing. The curriculum is intensive and includes the development of professional networks designed to accelerate R25 fellows' transition to independent, established investigators. The education and training activities are in three segments that surround an intensive summer research residency. The first segment involves a 5-month monthly online introduction (over five months) to key concepts and frameworks for relevant research. The second is a month-long intensive, in-residence (in-person and hybrid) Summer Institute that delves into research methods, networking, and mentoring, culminating in proposal concept development. The third segment is on-demand coaching with mentors and research community-building with CARES cohorts through engagement in an active online network hub during and post-program. The outcome of the program is the delivery of research courses, with the expansion of a network of researchers that manifests peerreviewed publications and competitive grant proposals. Through social and academic networks, we will recruit and host three training cohorts (6-8/cohort) of early-career nursing scholars over the three-year program period. Eligibility for the program includes the applicant’s research interest in health and well-being research, evidence of institutional support, and a match of CARES’ mentor and scholar’s interests. Evaluation includes ongoing assessment of progress, mentoring, and productivity as reviewed by the Steering Committee and the External Advisory Board. Innovative aspects of the program include a focus on interdisciplinary, simulationbased, and community-based training and mentoring approaches. The CARES program is grounded in the Healthy People 2030 framework and the NIH Health and Well-being Research Framework and seeks to establish a robust foundation in relevant research, synthesize evidence across disciplines, enhance research methodology competencies, and cultivate effective engagement and support strategies. Ultimately, the CARES program will empower nurse researchers to conduct rigorous and impactful research and promote health.
