Manning the battlements of research epidemiology

International trends and recently proposed changes risk confining the duties of epidemiologists to support of health services delivery or to serving as functionaries within exclusively clinical departments pose a threat to the future role and training of epidemiologists. It is argued that these attempts would weaken the academic focus for epidemiologists and compromise the system of recognition and rewards available through the hierarchy of the discipline. (Am J Public Health 1981; 71:70-72.)