Upon receiving their approval letters and sharing the exciting news of the award with their community, the PSI Knowledge Translation (KT) Fellows begin preparing to get settled in their place at the starting line. As they embark on their KT Fellowship journey, we asked them few questions to know them beyond their recipient biographies, as well as some notes they could pass on to future applicants.

Please use 3 words to describe how you feel as you begin your KT Fellowship.

Grateful, inspired, supported

Why did you apply for the PSI KT Fellowship? How does this award align with your current research and career goals?

My journey as a trainee and early-career researcher has exposed me to different research methods and clinical settings. In both my research and clinical work, I have identified gaps in the reach and quality of services to young people with serious mental illness with clear sociodemographic disparities. As I look ahead to the rest of my career, I am increasingly motivated to bring effective models of care to all young people with serious mental illness. The focus of the PSI Graham Farquharson KT Fellowship is to move research discoveries into the real world to improve health outcomes; the PSI Graham Farquharson KT Fellowship will support me to bring research discoveries to youth with serious mental illness in real-world settings.

What are 3 to 5 general tips and notes you would pass on to those preparing their KT Fellowship application?

• Spend time getting to know your topic area by reviewing the research literature, speaking with clinicians or working in the area yourself, and engaging with people with lived experience. This will help you to develop thoughtful and informed approaches to research and demonstrate your expertise and suitability for funding in your application.
• Familiarize yourself with PSI’s definition of and approach to KT to ensure that your work aligns.
• Start identifying the people around you who have expertise in implementing research discoveries in your population of interest and can speak to your suitability to undertake your proposed programme of research. This will prepare you to select people who can act as a mentor and references for the application and provide you with the support and guidance to realize your vision.