96 Evidence to impact: Developing a workforce of translational research professionals

Abstract

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: The goal of the Translational Research Program (TRP) at the University of Toronto is to provide structured and adaptive competency-based training around the translation, mobilization, implementation, and commercialization of research for the current and future Canadian healthcare workforce. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Guided by the Toronto Translational Framework, the TRP is a two-year hybrid master’s degree program that integrates courses, case-studies, mentorship, and experiential learning to facilitate real-world student-led translational projects. Focusing on skills development and competency-based assessment, the curriculum emphasizes ongoing reflection, interprofessional collaboration, and multidisciplinary problem-solving using human-centered principles. Learners identify problems using contextual inquiry to define unmet needs and frame design requirements. Systematic ideation is used to generate, select, and validate promising concepts for further iterative prototyping and evaluation. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Throughout the program, students demonstrate a range of collaborative skills and activities around developing, assessing, and implementing new health interventions. Learners apply the Toronto Translational Framework and refine their professional competencies during the final year of the program in a student-led Capstone project. The unconventional combination of a guided framework and a learner-driven curriculum has produced over 120 graduates in a variety of careers within government, industry, clinical settings, and start-ups. The program’s focus on problem-solving and lifelong learning is growing Canada’s translational workforce and advancing translational health science education. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The TRP addresses the need to educate healthcare professionals in Canada about translational research and accelerate the transformation of scientific discoveries into tangible interventions that benefit human health, improve clinical medicine, and enhance patient care.