The field of public health services and systems research (PHSSR) has emerged over the past decade to produce the evidence needed to address critical uncertainties about how best to organize, finance, and deliver effective public health strategies to all Americans. To advance these ef
forts, a national PHSSR research agenda-setting process was used to identify a broad inventory of in
formation needs and uncertainties that public health stakeholders face in the domains of public health work
force, public health system structure and per
formance, public health financing, and public health in
formation and technology. This paper presents the results of an expert review process used to trans
form the identified in
formation needs into a concise set of research questions that can be pursued through new scientific inquiry in PHSSR.
Established research frameworks were used to specify the contexts, mechanisms of action, and outcomes within the public health system that require further study. A total of 72 research questions were developed from the 113 original items in the PHSSR inventory of information needs. The questions include both persistent problems and newly emerging needs in public health practice and policy. The resulting research agenda provides a starting point for mobilizing the public health scientific enterprise around contemporary, high-priority uncertainties identified by broad cross sections of public health stakeholders. Regular updates to this agenda will be required to achieve continuous improvements in both the science and practice of public health.