Epidemiological research has been growing markedly in Brazil, which can be partly attributed to the expansion of graduate training. Changes in the evaluation of programs, combining quality and efficiency, have posed challenges for research training, driving the development of many teaching strategies. This paper intends to debate the proposal of the "research consortium" of the Graduate Epidemiology Program of Pelotas Federal University, highlighting some educational implications of this model and presenting, in contrast, the strategy adopted by the Graduate Collective Health Program of Bahia Federal University for training on epidemiological research. I have tried to set the context for the debate by outlining a brief background of Brazilian epidemiology, describing its main features in terms of development, and identifying the potential of home surveys as a health diagnosis tool to support public policies. After addressing the main advantages and limits of the models adopted in two important centers of epidemiological education and research in Brazil, I conclude by raising some issues that are challenges for graduate research education today.
Education; Graduate; Graduate programs; Research training; Public health; Epidemiologic methods; Cross-sectional studies