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Aimed at developing promising health care policy researchers and practitioners in the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand, the Harkness fellowships provide a unique opportunity for individuals to spend up to 12 months in the U.S. conducting a policy-oriented research study, gaining firsthand exposure to managed care and other models of health care delivery, enhancing methodological skills, and working with leading health policy experts. Two Canadian Harkness Associates, selected in collaboration with the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation, participate in the fellowship seminars, adding a valuable perspective to the program. Beginning with the 2006-07 class, the Fund will expand the Harkness Fellowships to include a fellow from Germany. Nicole Lurie, M.D., senior natural scientist and professor of health policy at the RAND Corporation, serves as the Fund's senior fellowships advisor.
The seventh class of fellows (2004-05) completed a productive year, ending with a final reporting seminar in Boston, Massachusetts, in June 2005. In October, fellows attended the Fund's International Symposium on Health Care Policy and participated in a visit to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. A Washington policy briefing in February gave the fellows exposure to the political process and the views of a wide range of senior policymakers and stakeholders. In May, the fellows traveled to Calgary and Vancouver for briefings with senior government officials and health care leaders and a closer look at the Canadian health care system.
In July, The Commonwealth Fund co-sponsored, with the Nuffield Trust and Health Foundation, the first Harkness Fellowships in Health Care Policy Alumni Health Policy Conference. The event, held in England, brought together the first seven classes of Harkness Fellows to exchange views on policy developments in their home countries and to stimulate cross-national research collaborations. The retreat reinforced the Harkness Fellowship network while strengthening the Fund's international network of health policy experts.
The 2005-06 Harkness Fellows in Health Care Policy arrived in the U.S. beginning in August, including two U.K. Harkness/Health Foundation Fellows. Under the guidance of distinguished U.S. and home country mentors, the fellows will conduct research projects, with a final paper or report for senior policymakers the expected end-product. Many of these projects will include cross-national comparisons.
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