The Research Institute

Mapping the Landscape, Journeying Together

Mapping the Landscape, Journeying Together (MTL) was an initiative of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Research Institute. Our community of practice engages in research and advocacy to advance humanism in healthcare. The goals included:

  • promote widespread understanding of the state of research on humanism in healthcare;
  • catalyze further research in this area; and
  • promote the integration of humanistic principles into health professions education, clinical learning environments, accreditation standards and healthcare policy.

The Research Institute sunsetted in Fall 2018. The final Mapping the Landscape 2017-2019 cohort is continuing their work, and we will continue to spotlight publications and work from all cohorts.

Literature Review Grants

A rigorous review of the literature is foundational to any effort to advance practice, theory, or research in a given field of inquiry. Each Mapping the Landscape Literature Review team received a $5,000 grant to complete a submission-ready manuscript within 18 months. Grantees have commented that this external funding provided an impetus for researchers and in turn, their institutions, to prioritize humanism-focused projects.

Advocacy and Discovery Grants

This grant option was available to individuals who have previously been awarded a Mapping the Landscape literature review grant. Advocacy Grants supported projects in which a team uses information or evidence derived from their literature review to advocate for change. Discovery Grants supported studies designed to fill a research gap identified in their literature review. Grantees have told us that this funding provides a viable way to move research into practice-based projects.

Annual Symposium

Each year in May, from 2015 to 2018, we held a symposium for Mapping the Landscape teams. See past program books

Published Papers

Sixty-nine percent of teams from our first Mapping the Landscape cohort have published their papers in peer-reviewed journals. Teams from our subsequent cohorts are beginning to publish their work, as well. See publication list