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Research Development Team

The Foundation is assembling an IFS Research Development Team to support its goals of advancing IFS research within and beyond psychotherapy.

The Team will be announced on this page when its membership is finalized and approved by the Board.

Here is a list of specific information about the Team, followed by a description of functions.

Volunteers are needed to support members of the Team in addressing and implementing strategies relevant to various functions. If you are interested, please send your name, title, email address, and phone number to Research@FoundationIFS.org.

Team Specifics

- In the initial three years, The Foundation will maintain a strong focus on, and invest heavily in, supporting projects that will promote IFS research within the area of psychotherapy and seek to affirm and broaden the recognition of IFS as an evidence-based modality.

- This is primarily an action-and-implementation team; with individuals or pairs of team members engaged in leading specific functions deemed significant in advancing the research agenda.

- The Team will make recommendations to the Foundation’s Board regarding research funding priorities, strategic initiatives in support of research, and notable changes in the external landscape affecting the promotion or development of IFS research.

- Members of the Team are appointed by the Board for a period of two years. Selection is based on professional interest, experience with scientific or academic research, knowledge of IFS, leadership in areas relevant to IFS research, and/or previous involvement with the CSL-affiliated IFS research effort.

- The overall effort and collective teamwork will be coordinated by a Foundation Board member or designee, who will report to the Board on activities and achievements monthly.

- The Team will consist of volunteers, mostly—but not exclusively—from the IFS community.

- For certain projects, as deemed appropriate by the Board and consistent with Board policy, project leaders may receive an honorarium in recognition for the level of commitment needed to complete the work in a timely manner.

- The work will be done by function, but the Team may meet periodically to identify areas of congruence and synergy, discuss progress, and explore possible new directions for promoting IFS research. Logistics regarding collective team meetings will be left for the team to discuss and decide upon.

- To the extent possible, members of the Team will be given access to products and tools needed for their work; such products and tools acquired or created throughout the research development process will be supported where funding permits and maintained by the Foundation.

Functions & Areas of Engagement

Below is a list of over a dozen functions that the Board identified for members of the Team to lead and oversee. As state earlier, individuals or subgroups on the team will run these functions in parallel.

1. Research Facilitation. Providing oversight in the early pre-funding development phase of upcoming IFS research projects (initiated by the Foundation)

2. Adherence to Model. Overseeing the application of IFS adherence scales and managing the development of adherence scales beyond psychotherapy

3. Community Resource. Managing the effort to track and respond to inquiries from the broader community about IFS research (what exists, how to engage, etc.)

4. Online Library. Leading the compilation and development of a searchable online IFS library of resources (research papers, articles, graduate theses, books, DVD’s, online materials), and managing the effort to annotate these resources and provide editorial comments regarding IFS-oriented publications

5. Web Presence. Supporting the development and continuous update of Web content around IFS research

6. Outreach. Identifying new research developments pertinent to IFS within mental health and outside mental health (starting with health and medicine) and establishing contact with prospective researchers

7. Research Registry. Leading the effort to develop a registry of clinicians interested in participating in IFS-oriented research.

8. Research at the IFS Conference. Providing leadership and developing a “research” track at the IFS Conference.

9. IFS & Academia. Identifying and implementing strategies for bringing IFS to the academic world and regional as well as national conferences of professional societies first within mental health fields and then beyond.

10. IFS & Mental Health Agencies. Identifying and implementing strategies for bringing IFS to social service and mental health agencies.

11. Case and Timeline Studies. Leading ongoing research efforts to observe (self-reported) overall positive effects of IFS, in which IFS psychotherapists are invited to participate in the long term.

12. Public Communication. Managing the preparation of press releases or public documents about research developments involving IFS.

13. Research Beyond Psychotherapy. Encouraging the development of research projects in areas to include health coaching, organizational development, and legal mediation.