Request for Practice-Based Research Applications

Summary

The UC San Diego Krupp Center for Integrative Research (KCIR) is pleased to announce a Request for Applications (RFA) for Research Collaboration Support. This program provides mentoring, collaboration, and in-kind research resources for integrative medicine clinician-scientists interested in practice-embedded research.

KCIR has a long-standing commitment to advancing rigorous, patient-centered integrative health research. Through this RFA, KCIR seeks to expand the scope, reach, and impact of research embedded in real-world clinical, community, and integrative health practice settings.

This opportunity aims to:

  • Accelerate the generation of actionable evidence from clinical integrative medicine practice
  • Strengthen research-practice partnerships across UC San Diego
  • Foster collaboration across University of California Integrative Medicine & Health Centers and Institutes
  • Build capacity for sustainable, scalable, and accessible integrative health research

Definition of Practice-Embedded Research

For the purposes of this RFA, practice-embedded research is defined as research conducted in real-world practice settings that is designed to improve clinical care, health outcomes, delivery models, patient experience, and/or system-level performance, while simultaneously generating generalizable knowledge.

Projects typically involve:

  • Active engagement of clinicians, staff, and/or patients
  • Integration of research activities into routine care or service delivery
  • Pragmatic, mixed-methods, implementation, or quality-improvement–informed approaches
  • Bidirectional learning between researchers and practitioners

Program Goals

  • Advance Integrative Health Evidence. Support research on integrative, complementary, and whole-person approaches to health and care delivery.
  • Bridge Research and Practice. Embed research within clinical settings to improve relevance, feasibility, and uptake of findings.
  • Foster Cross-Campus and Systemwide Collaboration. Encourage partnerships across UC San Diego departments and among University of California integrative centers and institutes.
  • Build Research Capacity. Support early-stage, pilot, or developmental projects that may lead to external funding (e.g., NIH, PCORI, foundations).
  • Promote Impact. Address access to integrative care, high-ROI projects, and community-identified priorities.

Scope of Supported Projects

KCIR invites applications proposing innovative, practice-embedded research projects, including but not limited to:

  • Pragmatic clinical trials in integrative health settings
  • Implementation or dissemination research
  • Mixed-methods or participatory research
  • Practice-based outcomes research
  • Learning health system approaches
  • Evaluation of integrative care models or workflows
  • Community-engaged or patient-centered research
  • Pilot studies to support future extramural funding

Projects may be conducted in:

  • UC San Diego Health clinical settings
  • University-based integrative practices
  • Community clinics or partner organizations
  • Multi-site collaborations across UC campuses

Research Support Information

Type of Support: In-kind research services customized to each project

Project Period: Up to 12 months

Number of Projects Supported Annually: Approximately 3–5, contingent on available resources

Research services may include:

  • Study design
  • Data collection, management, and analysis (clinical informatics)
  • Project management
  • Manuscript development
  • Publication costs
  • Materials and supplies

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include:

  • UC San Diego integrative medicine and health clinicians / scientists
  • Investigators affiliated with University of California Integrative Medicine and Health Centers and Institutes, in collaboration with UC San Diego faculty
  • Interdisciplinary teams (strongly encouraged)

Early-career investigators and clinician-scientists are especially encouraged to apply.

Application Requirements

Please see the online form for application instructions and related details.

Review Criteria

Applications will be reviewed by a multidisciplinary panel using the following criteria:

  • Relevance to Integrative Health and KCIR mission
  • Scientific merit and rigor
  • Strength of practice-embedded engagement
  • Feasibility and appropriateness of methods
  • Potential for impact and scalability
  • Alignment with equity and community needs
  • Likelihood of leading to external funding

Key Dates

  • Applications reviewed on a monthly basis
  • Notification within 30 days

Administration and Reporting

Investigators will be expected to:

  • Participate in KCIR-supported learning and activities
  • Submit interim and final progress reports
  • Acknowledge KCIR support in publications and presentations
  • Share findings across UC integrative research networks

Contact Information

For questions regarding this RFA, please contact:

Krupp Center for Integrative Research (KCIR)
University of California, San Diego
Email: KruppREC@ucsd.edu
Website: KCIR.ucsd.edu