Creating a sustainable residency research program is necessary to develop a sustainable research pipeline, as highlighted by the recent Society for Academic Emergency Medicine 2024 Consensus Conference. We sought to describe the implementation of a novel, immersive research program for first-year emergency medicine residents. We describe the curriculum development, rationale, implementation process, and lessons learned from the implementation of a year-long research curriculum for first-year residents. We further evaluated resident perception of confidence in research methodology, interest in research, and the importance of their research experience through a 32-item survey. In two cohorts, 25 first-year residents completed the program. All residents met their scholarly project requirements by the end of their first year. Two conference abstracts and one peer-reviewed publication were accepted for publication, and one is currently under review. Survey responses indicated that there was an increase in residents’ perceived confidence in research methodology, but this was limited by the small sample size. In summary, this novel resident research curriculum demonstrated a standardized, reproducible, and sustainable approach to provide residents with an immersive research program.

Online interventions for older adults should be tailored to their unique needs to increase the efficacy of and adherence to the intervention. The agile development cycle is a dynamic model to solicit and incorporate feedback from older adults during the design process. We combined this approach with the framework of Harvard University’s clinical and translational phases that provide a clear structure for evaluating new health programs before they are offered in the community. We based our online memory program on the empirically validated in-person Memory and Aging Program. The aim of the present study was to combine the agile development cycle with the clinical and translational phases framework to develop and pilot an online memory program tailored to the unique needs of older adults. Study 1 involved piloting individual program modules on site and integrating participant feedback into the program’s design to optimize usability. Study 2 involved two sequential pilots of the program accessed remotely to evaluate preliminary clinical outcomes and obtain feedback for iterative modifications. Plans for further validation and limitations are discussed. The successful application of the agile development cycle implemented in this series of studies can be adapted by others seeking to offer online content for targeted end users.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assist and facilitate introduction and development of a health technology assessment (HTA) program in Romania.

Methods: Mentoring of an initiative group in Romania was provided by an HTA program in Canada. Mentoring activities included provision of HTA materials, participation in local seminars, facilitating contact with HTA and funding organizations, and in-house training of a professional from Romania.

Results: Since 1998, when the relationship was initiated, the Romanian group has been successful in developing an understanding of HTA and awareness of its utility among various decision-makers in the health system. Currently, although the need for HTA in Romania exists and interest in developing this activity has been officially expressed, HTA is still early in its development phase. The mentoring support helped to identify and define the need for HTA in Romania. Continuation of the existing relationship can be expected to strengthen the expertise in this country. However, while mentoring has been a valuable activity, it is not, by itself, sufficient to ensure development of an HTA program in Romania. The actions and decisions that could lead to implementing HTA in Romania depend on the local context.

Conclusions: Mentoring services assisted the initiative group in promoting HTA in Romania. The implementation of HTA in Romania has not happened yet, and efforts need to continue to sustain the existing momentum. However, success in implementing an HTA program will depend on essential factors such as local political, economical, and educational support for this initiative and others like it.