An interdisciplinary approach to capacity building in applied research.

The Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF) has contributed to applied health and nursing services research in Canada by establishing the Regional Training Centres (RTCs). The interdisciplinary education and experience in applied health and nursing services research that the RTCs offer has produced graduates who are highly sought after by both academic and key health services decision-making agencies. Students educated in these multidisciplinary environments learn that different perspectives and methodological approaches enrich their capacity to define and complete research. This paper describes how the RTCs have helped build capacity in health services research through an interdisciplinary approach that considers the substantive, conceptual and methodological domains.