Table 5. Factors Contributing to Research/Health System Partnerships .

Key Themes	Sample Quotes
Increasing interest in research by leadership within the health system	“More and more ... they [health system managers] say they appreciate more and more research to support the paths they go down...they talk about needing to link up more kinds of academic activities and more of thatrigourto support decision-making” (23). “And I think we have, over the past five or 6 years, seen a great increase in the receptivity of our leadership in engaging in discussions to support research… We never would have seen this before where clinical leaders are absolutely embracing opportunities to collaborate with researchers” (31).
Actions by research funders	“Funders at every level want a better understanding on their investment in research and so, I think, the funding competitions have shifted in recent years, and are continuing to shift, to more application. I think the funders are moving in that direction and requiring it, so there’s a lot of it happening” (10). “This is kind of changing with the creation and supporting of grants around teams, and teams that are made up of different groups outside of the traditional health sector…the grant requirements are kind of forcing that...” (23).
Increasing numbers of staff with research degrees	“I think things have really improved, and part of that has nothing to do with us but because on the academic side, they’re turning out so many people with graduate degrees now. And now... it’s not just people with master’s degrees, its people with PhDs that are looking for work” (09). “We’re seeing more and more of PhD level [staff], as PhDs become less of a commodity. And I think there are a lot of people with PhDs who aren’t going to get an academic position” (25).
Changes within academia	“Academics, particularly in the health services area… they’re waking up to what are the priorities for the health authority... so there’s way more activity, there’s way more awareness. There’s people coming forward that want to develop acentrefor this or that” (09). “(About negative interactions). This is a problem that hopefully will not be around in the next like 5-10 years, because a lot of what I’m hearing, it’s the older academic physicians who have a set way of doing things and working that doesn’t always align well with what we need to be doing. But once they retire…” (18).