Fellowships ยป Harkness Fellowships
The U.K. Harkness Fellowships have been supported by the Nuffield Trust since 2009, and beginning in 2010 will additionally be supported by the U.K. National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The Nuffield Trust, with strategic focus on the reform of health systems to improve quality, efficiency, and equity of health care, aims to encourage the next generation of policy leaders. The NIHR Programme, which funds research on service design and delivery challenges - such as service and system arrangements, teamwork, management, and leadership - aims to engage NHS managers with research.
Starting with the 2006–07 class of Harkness Fellows, The Commonwealth Fund expanded the program to include Fellows from Germany. Since 2007, through a partnership with the Robert Bosch Stiftung, support has been provided for a Harkness/Bosch Stiftung Fellow, enabling two German Harkness Fellows to be selected annually. The Harkness/Bosch Stiftung Fellowship especially aims to encourage the translation of knowledge into practice and health care policy, improve the quality and coordination of care, and advance nursing science.
The Commonwealth Fund was pleased to announce a new partnership with the B.Braun Stiftung that will fund a third Harkness Fellowship in Germany beginning in 2008. The Harkness/B.Braun Stiftung Fellowship, which aims to advance nursing science and encourage the next generation of leaders in nursing policy, is targeted to nursing health services researchers, managers, and policymakers.
Since 2008, the Commonwealth Fund has collaborated with the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport (VWS) to establish and support the Dutch Harkness Fellowships, with two Dutch fellowships available each year. Beginning in 2012-13, one fellowship will be designated a Commonwealth Fund/VWS Harkness Fellowship, aimed at policy analysts working in Dutch health care agencies who will undertake work that is highly relevant to current Dutch health care policy and can inform senior policymakers at the Ministry. Priority themes for projects come from the strategic knowledge agenda of the Ministry and are related to U.S. and Dutch health policy. The second Harkness fellowship, aimed at policy analysts, academics, clinicians, and journalists, will support a broader range of projects on a high performing health system.
The Commonwealth Fund is proud to announce the expansion of the Harkness Fellowships program to Switzerland. Through a partnership with The Careum Foundation, which is based in Zurich, support will be provided for a Swiss Harkness Fellow, starting September 2009. The Careum Foundation aims to ensure the professionalism of health care education and encourages research on the future roles of health care professions in its strategy to make a significant contribution to a better, more efficient health care sector. The Harkness/Careum Fellowship is targeted toward research on improving health care system performance and/or the health care workforce.
Staring in 2010, the Research Council of Norway through its health services research programme, in collaboration with the Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services, will support a Norwegian Harkness Fellow to promote stronger international links and inputs to Norwegian health policy and systems research.
Starting in 2011, The Commonwealth Fund is pleased to announce a collaboration with the Swedish Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. The Ministry will provide support for one Swedish Harkness Fellow, and this Fellowship will support research promoting a high performance health care system.
Since 2001, a collaboration with the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF) has brought a Canadian perspective to the program. Beginning with the class of 2012, with co-funding from CHSRF, the Canadian Harkness Fellowship will now only be offered as a full time Fellowship, based in the U.S.