PERSPECTIVE article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Health Policy
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1612590
This article is part of the Research TopicImpact Evaluation using the Translational Science Benefits Model Framework in the National Center for Advancing Translational Science Clinical and Translational Science Award ProgramView all 11 articles
Taking the Translational Science Benefits Model from Concept to Operationalization: Opportunities and Challenges in Defining Impact using the Translational Science Benefits Model
Provisionally accepted
- Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
The Translational Science Benefits Model (TSBM) was developed to conceptualize and communicate the benefits and impact of translational research. While the TSBM was developed as a conceptual model rather than an operational process, it can be integrated into operational processes to provide evidence and clearly explain the impact of translational research and translational science. This paper discusses the use of the TSBM not only as a conceptual framework but also as a program-integrated operational mechanism. First, it discusses three TSBM-informed programmatic processes for addressing intended and achieved impact: case studies, Pilots program reporting, and an organizational database. Then, it outlines the key factors emerging from these processes that should be considered before employing TSBM as an integrated structure for collecting information on translational research outcomes. In particular, this paper discusses key who questions with a focus on who codes or reports TSBM data, including accounting for the coder or reporter’s understanding of the TSBM, while balancing feasibility with validity. Key how questions including a specific focus on how potential TSBM outcomes are defined and determined. Key when questions address potential limitations or adaptation needs in TSBM-based measurement based on specific areas of focus, particularly workforce development and translational science-specific outcomes. Ultimately, this paper provides key lessons to consider when using the TSBM as a data collection tool and also explores opportunities to expand the utility of the TSBM as a data collection tool to understand, demonstrate, and augment the impact of translational research and science.
Keywords: translational science, Translational research, Evaluation, Scientific impact, Research operations, translational science benefits model (TSBM)
Received: 16 Apr 2025; Accepted: 11 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Sperling, Ghanem, Quenstedt and Saxena. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Jessica Sperling, Duke University, Durham, 27708, North Carolina, United States
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.