Research themes and national leadership areas
Each NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARCs) undertakes research on a range of themes. They also work together on a number of national leadership areas.
Research projects and collaborations between the ARCs drive progress in applied health research and implementation science in areas of national priority.
ARC National leadership area Research themes
NIHR Applied Research Collaboration East of England
Mental health over the life course
Palliative and end of life care
Research themes:
Ageing and multi-morbidity Population evidence and data science Inclusive involvement in research for practice-led health and social care Mental health over the life course Palliative and end of life care Prevention and early detection in health and social care
Cross-cutting theme:
Health economics and prioritisation in health and social care
NIHR Applied Research Collaboration East Midlands
Equality, diversity and inclusion of under-represented groups
Multimorbidity
Research themes:
Mental health and wellbeing Managing multi-morbidity Building community resilience and enabling independence
Cross-cutting themes:
Translating and implementing sustainable service improvement
Ethnicity and Health Inequalities Data2health
NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Greater Manchester
Economics
Research themes:
Digital health Healthy ageing Organising care Economic sustainability Mental health
Cross-cutting themes:
Evaluation Implementation science
NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Kent, Surrey and Sussex
Social care
Research themes:
Social care Starting well: Children’s mental health Ageing Well: Living well with dementia Primary and community services
Cross-cutting themes:
Co-production Public health Digital innovation Health and social care economics
NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North East and North Cumbria
Inequalities
Prevention
Research themes:
Supporting children and families Multimorbidity, ageing and frailty Integrating physical, mental health and social care Prevention, early intervention and behaviour change
Cross-cutting themes:
Inequalities and marginalised communities Enabling methodologies Knowledge mobilisation and implementation science
NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North Thames
Population health
Research themes:
Mental health: tackling social and institutional inequalities in mental health systems Multimorbidity: understanding clusters and evaluating care Population health and social care
Cross-cutting themes:
Innovation and implementation science Health economics and data
NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Northwest London
Cardiovascular
Research themes:
Child population health Multimorbidity
Cross-cutting themes:
Digital health Innovation and evaluation Information and intelligence Patient, public, community engagement and involvement Collaborative learning and capacity building
NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North West Coast
Research themes:
Person-centred complex care Improving population health Equitable place-based health and care Health and care across the life course
Cross-cutting themes:
Methodological innovation, development, adaptation and support Care and health informatics
NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Oxford and Thames Valley
Behavioural science
Research themes:
Disease prevention through health behaviour change Patient self-management Mental health across the life course Community health and social care improvement Applied digital health
Cross-cutting themes:
Novel methods to aid and evaluate implementation
NIHR Applied Research Collaboration South London
Mental health
Palliative and end-of-life care
Research themes:
Alcohol Children and young people Maternity and perinatal mental health Palliative and end of life care Patient and public involvement research Public health and multimorbidities Social care
Cross-cutting themes:
Applied informatics Economics and biostatistics Implementation science and research
NIHR Applied Research Collaboration South West Peninsula
Child health
Operational research modelling
Research themes:
Dementia Mental health Public health Complex care
Cross-cutting theme:
Methods for research and improvement
NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Wessex
Ageing and dementia
Main themes:
Long-term conditions: integrating person centred approaches to optimise healthy living
Ageing and dementia: supporting independent living for people with complex health needs
Healthy communities: improving public health across the life course
Health systems & workforce: supporting health and social care by improving service delivery
NIHR Applied Research Collaboration West
Applied health informatics
Research themes:Healthier childhoods Integrated and optimal care Mental health Public health and prevention
Cross-cutting themes:Applied data science Behavioural and qualitative science Evidence Health economics
NIHR Applied Research Collaboration West Midlands
Research themes:
Long-term conditions Acute care interfaces Integrated care in youth mental health Maternity
Cross-cutting themes:
Organisational science Research methodology, informatics and rapid response Public health Social care
NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Yorkshire and Humber
Urgent and emergency care
Research themes:
Older people with frailty Early life and prevention Urgent and emergency care Mental and physical multimorbidity
Cross-cutting themes:
Health economics, evaluation, equality Improvement science
National priority areas
The ARC national priority areas programme brings together the 15 regional ARCs from across England to work with partners, patients and the public to deliver collective projects that investigate and tackle the most pressing health and care problems.
The national priority areas are seven areas of applied health and care research that benefit from £13.1 million NIHR funding over three years to deliver ‘real world’ impact. The priority areas have been identified by the NIHR as areas that will benefit from national cross ARC collaboration.
Working together, the NIHR ARCs will look to develop evidence to inform decision making, enable effective implementation and change practice to address the identified areas.
