Our Training Program Strengths

The UW Health Services Ph.D. is currently the only program in the United States funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) that produces researchers and policymakers trained in occupational health services research.

The UW Department of Health Systems and Population Health, its Health Services Ph.D. program, and its research partners have an excellent record of producing highly qualified researchers. The average graduate writes three or more journal articles in training, and 90% of students pursue careers in health services research.

What to Expect

Our Occupational Health Services Research (OHSR) Training Program prepares Ph.D. students to become leaders in academia, public health, government, and the health industry. The training program offers multidisciplinary, applied research opportunities at the University, numerous research partners (including government agencies and health organizations), and in higher education institutions in the five-state region.

Curriculum Components

• Health services core competency courses
• Advanced health services theory and methods courses
• Occupational health emphasis courses
• Supervised research training

Mentorship is provided by experts, research teams, and program faculty. Trainees obtain advanced substantive knowledge of health policy, the health care system, social determinants, and population health. In addition, trainees pursue their individual interests by taking the Health Services Ph.D. program’s occupational health area of emphasis.

Trainees also obtain rigorous training in research methods, communication skills, and the translation of research into practice.

Collaborative Research Makes a Difference

The research mission of the Occupational Health Services Research (OHSR) Training Program focuses on questions pertaining to the delivery of occupational health services, health outcomes, and disability prevention.

While employment is an important social determinant of health, the focus of OHSR goes well beyond surveillance, prevention, health care, and outcomes related to occupational injury and illness. OHSR also addresses worker well-being, including topics such as precarious work arrangements, job strain and burnout, workplace health promotion, and health equity. OHSR may utilize the total worker health model.

Doctoral trainees will have the opportunity to become involved in a wide range of occupational health services research projects.

Research Project Types

• Occupational health care delivered through the workers’ compensation system
• Field-based studies on health and safety topics, including keeping workers healthy to decrease injuries and increase productivity

OHSR students conduct research projects using quantitative, qualitative, and/or mixed methods, while also developing conceptual models for interdisciplinary research that may include wide-ranging influences and outcomes, such as mental health and emotional well-being, labor law and policy, and the structures of our health systems.

The OHSR Training Program builds on principles of occupational health with additional training in health services research methodology, social and behavioral theory, and evaluation of workplace health, health care, and health systems that serve working populations. The interdisciplinary nature of OHSR supports a broad range of research interests.

Financial Support for Trainees

Trainees receive a monthly stipend, tuition support, and health insurance coverage. All stipend amounts are determined and updated annually by the Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety.

In addition, travel support is provided for students to conduct research and attend national and regional public health meetings.

Admissions

Selection of pre-doctoral trainees occurs during the annual Health Services Ph.D. admission process. Appointments are determined by the Admissions Committee in consultation with the OHSR program directors.

We highly recommend you meet with Jeanne Sears, training program co-director, before applying to the program. Please email her directly (jeannes@uw.edu) to schedule a time to meet.

Applicants should indicate and explain their interest in the OHSR Training Program in their statement of purpose for the Ph.D. program application.

Health Services PhD Admissions

Training Program Funding and Partnerships

The Occupational Health Services Research (OHSR) Training Program is jointly sponsored by the UW Department of Health Systems and Population Health (HSPop) and the UW Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) within the University of Washington School of Public Health (SPH).

The OHSR Training Program is administratively housed within the Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety (NWCOHS), which is in DEOHS.

Funding for the OHSR Training Program is provided by a training grant from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

OHSR Publications

Below are select publications of faculty, students, and/or alumni of the OHSR training program.

All Student Publications