Alberta has developed outstanding medical researchers and facilities in selected areas.  However, the health research base needs to expand and flourish in the community at large where the majority of health care occurs – i.e. family practice. 

Appropriate, meaningful collaboration among researchers in primary, secondary and tertiary care settings, medical research institutes and academic environments would result in substantially improved patient outcomes, disease prevention strategies and health service delivery methods.

The ACFP is the home for AFPRN (Alberta Family Practice Research Network) – a provincial network that is designed to advocate for family physician researchers and promote the discipline.  Efforts have been made to lend more direct assistance to individual researchers in terms of teaching skills, holding workshops, strengthening the links between academia and community physicians, and seeking donations for research projects.