Tracy Mrochek, MPA, RN, Wisconsin Public Health Research Network (WPHRN) Research Program Manager, and Susan J. Zahner, DrPH, RN FAAN, WPHRN Co-Chair, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, and Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Nursing
Collaboration among organizations with overlapping research interests is important to consider when developing a research project. An example of a potential opportunity for collaboration among organizations is presented by two types of partnerships: public health practice-based research networks (PH-PBRNs) and academic health departments (AHDs). PH-PBRNs are partnerships between public health researchers and practitioners that aim to answer questions of relevance and importance to public health practice. The
Wisconsin Public Health Research Network (WPHRN) is one example of a PH-PBRN. AHD partnerships involve health departments that are formally affiliated with academic institutions and can provide educational and training opportunities for a variety of health professions, collaborative research opportunities, and enhanced public health service delivery.
The WPHRN and the
Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice (Council on Linkages) have each served to facilitate the development of research agendas. A comparison of these two research agendas, the
WPHRN Priority Research Questions and the
Academic Health Department Research Agenda, show areas of overlapping research interest related to shared services, workforce, AHD and local health department engagement with Accountable Care Organizations, finance, and accreditation. Another area of shared interest is in translation and dissemination, which aligns with the WPHRN’s organizational mission and the AHD Research Agenda. Intersections of overlap are important opportunities where targeted collaboration can further public health research.
Related Resources
- Wisconsin Public Health Research Network:
- Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice:
Acknowledgements
The project described was supported through donations to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Nursing, Translating Evidence to Practice in Public Health Internship and the Wisconsin Public Health Research Network, which receives funding from the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS, grant UL1TR000427) Clinical Translational Science Award at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.
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