The German Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP), which started in January 1996, is part of a national effort to improve research capacity for the epidemiology of infectious diseases in Germany. The aim of the two year programme is to develop a cadre of epidemiologists capable of performing outbreak investigations, epidemiological research, and surveillance at an international standard measured in articles published in international peer-reviewed journals. These epidemiologists will also be instructed to train future epidemiologists and public health personnel. The programme is similar to the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States and the European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET). The German Federal Ministry for Education and Research funded the costs of a senior epidemiologist who was seconded from the CDC to help initiate this programme.