About us

Established in 2009, the National Research School in General Practice seeks to stimulate creativity and sustainable environments in which to conduct research in primary healthcare.

The National Research School in General Practice wants to give doctoral students in general practice opportunities and experiences they would not have in an ordinary third-cycle programme. The hope is that the research school will stimulate creativity and sustainable environments in which to conduct research in primary healthcare and encourage multidisciplinary research. Through the research school, doctoral students are given the opportunity to establish contacts in Sweden and abroad. The research school is supported by all Swedish universities with faculties of medicine. The model has been highlighted as a success factor for strengthening research in primary healthcare by Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of the Lancet.

History

The National Research School in General Practice was established in 2009 as the result of a call by the Swedish Research Council for applications for funding for new graduate schools. The initial grant of SEK 15 million from the Swedish Research Council was sufficient to admit 50 doctoral students to the research school. Thanks to various levels of financial support from the Swedish universities with faculties of medicine, as well as Region Skåne’s Centre for Primary Health Care Research, the FRF Foundation and the Kamprad Family Foundation, we have been able to admit over 100 doctoral students. The school had a new start in 2019 when financing was secured and we were able to admit Groups 10 and 11.

Core aims

to create a vibrant clinical research environment and scientific added value.
to stimulate and strengthen third-cycle studies, thus furthering recruitment in the field of clinical research.
to create a solid base for networking and supervision and time for research to stimulate multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research.
to contribute to national and international collaboration.

Qualitative targets

To provide knowledge of:

general-practice research: background, conditions and opportunities;
common and important research methods in general-practice research; and
national and international perspectives on general-practice research.

To develop the ability to:

plan and implement research;
collaborate in research, in groups and in networks;
communicate research results; and
create networks and collaborate internationally and nationally.

Networking

As a result of the research school, a number of subject-specific networks have been created in fields such as infection, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.

Organisation

The management team is led by Chairman Carl Johan Östgren. Anna Myleus has the role of head of the graduate school. Lars H Lindholm is co-opted in the management team with responsibility for financing and international contacts and Cecilia Björkelund is co-opted with responsibility for the national contacts.

A reference group with members representing the contributing universities also exists and consists mainly of subject representatives at each higher education institution.