The purpose of this NRSA training grant is to provide pre- and postdoctoral training in health services research, health policy, and population health. The program at the Department of Health Services in the School of Public Health at the University of Washington prepares leaders for careers in academic institutions, health delivery systems, public health departments, and government agencies. The University of Washington School of Public Health ranks fifth in the nation. It is the only school in the Pacific Northwest and serves five states with 27 percent of the United States' land mass. The Department of Health Services and its research partners have an excellent record of producing highly qualified researchers. The average graduate writes two to three journal articles in training, and 85 percent have pursued careers in health services research. The program will admit two predoctoral and two postdoctoral trainees each year with support for two to three years, for a total of 20 trainees. Doctoral trainees obtain a Ph.D. and postdoctoral trainees obtain an M.P.H./M.S. in health services. The training offers multidisciplinary, applied research opportunities at the university and 14 research partners, including government agencies and health organizations. Mentorship is provided by individual experts, research teams, and program leaders. Trainees obtain advanced knowledge of health services, the theoretical frameworks for conceptualizing population health, health care, and health policy. They receive instruction in a variety of research methods from different disciplines. In addition, trainees pursue their individual interests by taking courses in an area of emphasis, such as evaluative science, maternal and child health, health economics, and finance. The program is flexible by allowing trainees to choose mentors and courses, yet it provides guidance in crafting an individual research program by strong mentorship, work-in-progress sessions, and plans and progress reports. [unreadable] [unreadable] Our training program's strengths include: 1) a competency-based curriculum, including strong methods, communication skills, and translation of research into practice; 2) a strong mentorship program; 3) our many research partners providing research opportunities and aiding in minority recruitment; and 4) a network of higher education institutions in the five-state area with an emerging interest in health services research. [unreadable] [unreadable]