Kerman University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Health Policy and Management 2322-5939 14 1 2025 12 01 Embedded Research Fellows: Charting New Paths for Impact; Comment on “Early Career Outcomes of Embedded Research Fellows: An Analysis of the Health System Impact Fellowship Program” 1 3 4770 10.34172/ijhpm.9024 EN Patrick Feng Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada 0000-0002-4896-2730 Journal Article 2025 02 07 With more PhDs working outside of academia, embedded research programs are emerging as one way to broaden the skills of students and bridge the gap between theory and practice. Limited data has been collected on the impact of these programs. The paper by Kasaai et al provides a glimpse into the early career paths of alumni from Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s (CIHR’s) Health Systems Impact (HSI) Fellowship. The results suggest demand for embedded researchers is high and their career prospects are promising. Beyond that, the paper raises several issues that warrant further attention. First is the evolution towards learning health systems (LHSs) and the role embedded researchers might play in this. Second is the potential of embedded researchers to span the worlds of academia and practice. Third is how to measure impact in non-academic research roles. This commentary explores these issues and suggests ways that embedded researcher programs can contribute to each.

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