[Organization of methodological support and cross-project research activities in multicenter research programmes -...

On completion of the funding period of six years within the federal programme for research in medical rehabilitation, an evaluative summary is given of the work performed and the experiences made in the cross-sectional projects offering methodological support. While specific research profiles had prevailed in each of the eight regional research networks, two institutions had been implemented with similar task assignments within all networks; i. e., (i) a central office, and (ii) a center for methodological support (CMS) had been available in order to enhance methodological research infrastructure and research quality of the clinical projects. This article outlines the support offered as well as further tasks of the CMS. Further, it is argued that organized, scientifically based methodological support and consultation should be part of any research network. Finally, a number of important aspects are discussed which should be taken into account to enhance research quality in medical rehabilitation in the future.