4P: Prevention, Promotion and Public Policy
The Strategic Training Program in Transdisciplinary Research is aimed at PhD students and post doctoral fellows interested in conducting their research on the topic of public health interventions. These are defined as actions aimed at changing the distribution of health risks within the population by targeting multiple health determinants. These actions are the promotion, prevention and public policy (4P).

Bilingual training
The program is offered in French and English. It is funded by the Strategic Training Initiative of Health Research Program of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Quebec Population Health Research Network (QPHRN/RRSPQ).

A unique and innovative program
The 4P Training Program is recognized as one of the best in Canada in the field of population health. Its particularity is to promote the integration of students in public health settings as the National Institute of Public Health (INPSQ), public health departments (DSP), or CSSS.

• Each fellow is supervised by a mentor who accompanies his/her academically and professionally.
  
• Participating in monthly seminars, congresses and summer schools in public health reinforces the knowledge, attitudes and learning needed to pursue a successful career in intervention research.
  
• A major program strength lies in the use of transdisciplinarity in partnerships with organizations of public health. Applicants are admitted for a period of 3 years for doctoral students and 2 years for post doctoral fellows.
  
• The students are part of teams using a variety of disciplinary perspectives and diverse methodologies.
  

A dynamic learning environment
The program provides the opportunity to do internships in public health research, to rub shoulders with policy makers and health professionals, to participate in diversified training activities, and attend conferences of renowned Canadian and international researchers.

Adapted financial support
Various scholarships are offered under the 4P Training Program 4P. The doctoral and postdoctoral burseries cover the duration of program participants and are granted following the Annual Admission Competition. Grants for projects in remote areas and additional training grants are also available to 4P participants. In addition, research studentships are offered to students who wish to carry out a project on the theme of public health interventions in Quebec.

Some statistics

Since September 1st 2009:

• 26 fellows were admitted in the 4P Training Program: 17 doctoral students et 9 post-docs;
• 13 of them received funding from major Canadian research granting agencies.

About the Transdisciplinary Training Research Program created in 2003 et which ended on August 31st 2009:

• 33 fellows completed their training: 20 doctoral students et 13 post-docts;
• they have published 61 articles in peer-reviewed journals;
• they have written 8 book chapters;
• they have presented 148 abstracts at conferences with jury;
• and 14 have received funding from major research granting agencies.

Amongst the 33 fellows of the Transdisciplinary Research Training Program:

• 11 are now establish as researchers in public health organizations;
• 11 have obtained positions at universities and also do applied research;
• 9 fellows have transfered over to the 4P Training Program on Public Health Interventions;
• 1 fellow is a teacher;
• 1 is pursuing studies in medicine.

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Specific Objectives

1. encourage students to pursue research careers on (4P) public health interventions (ie on the priority themes of public health and health systems and public policy linked the public health system) and create a community of researchers interested in this topic of research.
   
2. Provide students training laboratories in practice and decision settings of public health and health systems and public policy.
   
3. To promote the adoption of a broad and interdisciplinary vision, in formulating hypotheses, designing studies, data analysis and interpretation of results, as well as the identification of solutions.
   
4. To increase the skills of future researchers to conduct research in partnership with various interest groups (stakeholders, managers, service users and decision makers).
   
5. Training future researchers to the ethical dimensions of applied research in public health and public health and health systems and public policy.
   
6. Increase the capacity for knowledge sharing and research findings with policy makers, planners, professionals and the public, and the application of such knowledge.
   
7. To promote the development of new collaborations between university researchers and researchers in public health.