Masterclasses

Programme content will include an introduction to the science of scale up, the people and politics of scale up, selecting and applying frameworks for implementing programmes at scale, assessing and understanding the context of scale up, building the scale up team, and developing and showcasing your personal project concept.

More details will be announced soon but the provisional programme structure is:

• February 2025: Four online sessions (90 minutes each).

• Tuesday 1 to Friday 4 April 2025: One half-day and three full day sessions in-person.

• June 2025: One online session (90 minutes).

Successful applicants are expected to attend ALL sessions. All live sessions are ‘synchronous’, meaning instructors and trainees gather at the same time and (virtual or physical) place and interact in real-time.

The online sessions will be delivered via Zoom. The in-person sessions will take place at the International Centre Goa, India (Dr. E Borges Road, Dona Paula, Goa – 403 004, India).

Participation in the full programme is offered at no cost to successful applicants.
In addition, GACD will cover the following:

• Accommodation at the International Centre Goa for three nights on Tuesday 1st, Wednesday 2nd, and Thursday 3rd April 2025, which includes breakfasts.

• Light refreshments in the afternoon and a welcome reception in the evening on Tuesday 1st April 2025.

• Lunches and light refreshments during programme breaks on Wednesday 2nd, Thursday 3rd, and Friday 4th April 2025.

• A special group dinner in the evening (optional) on Thursday 3rd April 2025.

For the in-person sessions, trainees must cover their own costs for travel, travel insurance, additional nights of accommodation, and any other expenses not noted above.

All teaching and instruction will be delivered in English. Applicants should be proficient in English in order to take full advantage of the programme.

In addition, each applicant must fulfil ALL the eligibility criteria:

• A researcher with 5+ years of research experience.

• Sound foundation in the principles and application of implementation science and/or experience of scaling up programmes or interventions.

• Has a concept for an implementation science project targeting scale up/out of a NCD programme in a low- or middle-income country or with an underserved population in a high-income country.

• Has the support of their project’s principal investigator, team leader, or line manager to participate fully in the Masterclass, with full understanding of the time commitment.

• Agrees to open science fair principles and to share progress of project concept development with other participants during the Masterclass.

To apply for the GACD Masterclass, each applicant must complete the online application form.

For reference, the following information is requested:

• Part 1: About you
  Name, institution, job title, email address

• Part 2: Suitability and time commitment
  A statement of motivation, your implementation experience, confirmation of time commitment, letter of support from your line manager or project lead, your consent to fair science principles

• Part 3: Your project concept
  Target disease(s) or condition(s), target population(s), project concept summary, prospective stakeholder groups, how the Masterclass will help you to develop your project concept

All complete applications submitted on time will be reviewed by the selection committee. The following criteria are used to inform their scores of each application:

• Applicant’s commitment to, and motivation for, implementation research and/or scale up.

• Applicant’s previous theoretical and practical experience of implementation science and/or scale up.

• Robust team or institutional support for the applicant to attend the Masterclass.

• A project concept that demonstrates a sound foundation in implementation science principles, a clear research question and objectives, innovative approaches to tackling NCD challenges, and potential for significant impact on public health.

• Evidence of intention and a supportive environment for action beyond the Masterclass training period (e.g., developing the project concept into a full grant proposal, meeting with local policymakers, etc).

• The potential for the applicant to benefit from the MasterclassAccess to learning materials

All Masterclass participants are asked to watch the relevant lecture recordings in advance of the first live session. The lectures are publicly available on the GACD Implementation Science e-Hub under the e-Hub Advanced Programme tab. The lectures are presented by experts in the field of implementation science and scale up. Please note the e-Hub Advanced Programme content is being reviewed and is subject to change. Any modifications will be in line with the overall aim and scope of the Masterclass.

To access the lecture recordings used in the Inaugural Masterclass 2022, please see the GACD e-Hub.

After completing the Masterclass, trainees will be able to:

1. Compare and contrast how implementation science informs scale up of health interventions and vice versa. Identify and discuss potential tensions or gaps between the two fields.

2. Differentiate between scaling up and scaling out and analyse the implications for different contexts and interventions.

3. Describe the importance of stakeholder engagement, identify key players, and develop meaningful engagement strategies based on their roles and interests.

4. Describe and critically evaluate key frameworks for implementing and evaluating health interventions at scale, identifying their strengths, limitations, and applicability in different contexts.

5. Select, integrate, and justify the use of appropriate frameworks into scale up/out research proposals, demonstrating a deep understanding of their theoretical underpinnings and practical application.

6. Explain the role of, and different approaches to assessing, context when implementing health interventions at scale.

7. Meaningfully contribute to the design, critique, and improvement of effective strategies for implementing health interventions at scale, demonstrating a collaborative and iterative approach.

8. Design and critically appraise a robust plan to evaluate scale up efforts.

9. Appraise ethical considerations for implementing health interventions at scale, considering diverse perspectives and potential trade-offs.

10. Appraise the different skills and knowledge required across a multidisciplinary team to deliver a scale up project.

11. Review and critically analyse proposals for studying the implementation of health interventions at scale, providing constructive feedback and suggestions for improvement.