Workshop on health systems research in low and middle income countries: the role of global health funders in the UK The Wellcome Trust, Gibbs Building, December 2011 Health systems research workshop, Dec 2011

Session 2: Global priorities in health systems research: where might the UK best focus its resources? Are there particular areas the UK is well placed to focus on? Is there a need for directed funding programmes to address particular subjects or areas or is a bottom up programme likely to be more fruitful at addressing needs? How do we enable the funding of projects that are embedded within a local context and involve close engagement with local actors? Health systems research workshop, Dec 2011

Session 2: Global priorities in health systems research: where might the UK best focus its resources? What is the most effective way of funding and doing health research with limited resources? How much would you suggest funders focus? What are the new and future challenges (eg managing NCDs, aging populations, rapid urbanisation, changing patterns of social and economic inequity, climate change, migration) that need to be considered more? How do we take these into account more? What is your experience of the best approaches to capacity building? What have we learnt and how can this be applied to funding programmes? How can we enable better coordination between existing or future programmes and projects? Health systems research workshop, Dec 2011

Session 3: Methodologies in health systems research: what components are needed for a robust and effective research? How can we enable a better understanding of different perspectives of research rigour in different disciplines or for different purposes? What can different methodologies bring to different research questions and problems ‘on the ground’? How do we address language barriers between different disciplines and provide incentives to encourage integration of different expertise? Health systems research workshop, Dec 2011

Session 3: Methodologies in health systems research: what components are needed for a robust and effective research? How can we learn more from health systems research expertise in the UK? How can we generally improve learning across countries from across the income range? How can research rigour be preserved and be recognised when integrating disciples? What incentives might encourage innovative, multidisciplinary methodologies? How generalisable can health systems research be? Health systems research workshop, Dec 2011

Session 4: What factors enable relevant research evidence to influence policy and practice? How might research funders best support this process? What practical steps can research funders take to ensure research is meeting the needs of policy and practice? How can funders facilitate and nurture better links between research, policy and practice so there is less of a divide (real or perceived) between them? Health systems research workshop, Dec 2011

Session 4: What factors enable relevant research evidence to influence policy and practice? How might research funders best support this process? Health systems are diverse and complex and contain more actors than policy makers and practitioners. What are the best ways for bringing together diverse groups, building relationships and involving them in research? How can we support them in using research? What is your experience of building demand for research evidence? What has been the role of funders in your experience? Health systems research workshop, Dec 2011

Session 5: Summary and recommendations What are the key points and main messages for participants and funders to take away with them? Health systems research workshop, Dec 2011