Developing partnerships for health and social science research: the International Clinical Epidemiology Network (INCLEN) social science component.

A decade after its inception, the International Clinical Epidemiology Network (INCLEN) adopted a social science component. Health social science concepts were added to a physician training curriculum encompassing epidemiology, biostatistics and clinical economics, and a position was created for qualified social scientists at 26 clinical epidemiology units in developing country medical schools. This paper describes the INCLEN model for strengthening partnerships among clinical epidemiologists and social scientists. The rationale for interdisciplinary training is presented along with the difficulties inherent in attracting social scientists to a new career path. These include problems of recruitment, training curricula, re-entry, and career sustainability. The need is identified for collaborative international efforts to promote an infrastructure for professional growth and sustainable careers in health social science.