A research agenda for public health workforce development.

In the past decades, public health research has focused on categorical rather than cross-cutting or systems issues. Little research has been carried out on the infrastructure required to support public health programs. This article describes the results of an interactive process to develop a research agenda for public health workforce development to inform all those with stakes in the public health system. This research is defined as a multidisciplinary field of inquiry, both basic and applied, that examines the workforce in terms of costs, quality, accessibility, delivery, organization, financing, and outcomes of public health services to increase knowledge and understanding of the relationships among workforce and structure, processes, and effects of public health services. A logic model and five priority research areas resulted from meetings of expert panels during 2000 to 2003. Innovative public and private partnerships will be required to advance cross-cutting and systems-focused research.