Grant options that facilitate implementation

ZonMw designs and executes implementation programmes. We often do this together with parties in the field, who can be the project leaders. Examples include:

• The 2019-2022 Prevention Programme, knowledge utilisation and implementation programme line
• Subprogramme Implementation of Effectiveness Study. An evaluation of this completed programme shows that implementation of an effective intervention was successful in 41 of the 73 projects. This will result in potential savings of more than 50 million euros per year.
• Palliantie improvement programme. ZonMw helps to enhance the quality of healthcare through its improvement programmes.
• Programme implementation and scaling up coaching of the elderly at home
• Pregnancy and Birth programme II

Change, learning and knowledge development go hand in hand in action research. Change and learning make use of knowledge about actions that facilitate implementation. This can include factors that facilitate or inhibit implementation and ways in which project managers can respond to these factors. Examples of action research at ZonMw include:

• Programme on action research on distressed behaviour
• Safety II and safety ergonomics action research
• Action research on innovative healthcare

Practice-based research focuses on developing and applying knowledge that can provide immediate solutions for use in practice. It requires close collaboration between practice, clients and/or loved ones, and research.

• Practice-based research in mental healthcare
• Have a look at practice-based research on young people with mild intellectual disabilities
• Here you can find good examples of the merging of science and working practice
• Here you can find publications on this topic

Within a large number of ZonMw programs, grant rounds are launched for projects focused on knowledge dissemination, (de)implementation, scaling up, or embedding. These can range from a small implementation boost to large-scale implementation projects. Sometimes, submitting to implementation rounds is only possible after successful completion of a previous ZonMw project.

ZonMw sometimes issues knowledge vouchers to foster upscaling of interventions. With a voucher, a consultant can be hired to give advice on local implementation. Below are a number of examples.

• Call for implementation and scaling up of coaching, ‘Zorg voor innoveren’ (Care for innovation) programme
• View the page of the ‘Op één Lijn’ (Heading in the same direction) programme, in which knowledge vouchers were positively received by both applicants and advisors.
• 2023 Sportinnovator Vouchers
• Implementation science practioner Fellowships Tailored Healthcare
• View the page with the contact details of implementation fellows previously trained in university or other hospitals. Their experiences have been collected in the publication Capitalising on gold; the value of implementation experts).

Terms that are frequently used and often overlap with implementation are valorisation and transfer. These terms are often used by partner institutions such as the Dutch Research Council (NWO), Health~Holland and universities. In areas of work outside or bordering on healthcare, the term implementation is often not commonly known. This is why other funding instruments are used in these sectors, such as Take-off, Impact-explorer, Impact Scout and Demonstrator.

Projects with exceptional results or applications can be awarded a ZonMw Pearl. These may be projects, for instance, that help solve current healthcare issues. The impact of the project is an important criterion for awarding this prize.

> See the Pearls page