Embedded Research Fellows: Charting New Paths for Impact; Comment on "Early Career Outcomes of Embedded Research Fellows: An Analysis of the Health System Impact Fellowship Program"

With more PhDs working outside of academia, embedded research programs are emerging as one way to broaden the skills of students and bridge the gap between theory and practice. Limited data has been collected on the impact of these programs. The paper by Kasaai et al. provides a glimpse into the early career paths of alumni from CIHR’s Health Systems Impact Fellowship. The results suggest demand for embedded researchers is high and their career prospects are promising. Beyond that, the paper raises several issues that warrant further attention. First is the evolution towards learning health systems and the role embedded researchers might play in this. Second is the potential of embedded researchers to span the worlds of academia and practice. Third is how to measure impact in non-academic research roles. This commentary explores these issues and suggests ways that embedded researcher programs can contribute to each.