Clinical application and evaluation of pharmaceutical small molecules, therapeutic vaccines, antibodies and hormones in humans including:

• small scale settings and pilot studies
• phase I, II, III and IV trials
• assessing sensitivity, efficacy, specificity, relapse, survival, therapeutic value, pharmacokinetics, reproducibility and safety
• studies monitoring response, outcome, drug resistance and side effects

Clinical application and evaluation of cellular, tissue and gene therapies in humans including:

• small scale and pilot studies
• phase I, II, III and IV trials
• gene therapy, stem cell therapy, in vitro fertilisation, tissue engineering
• Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT)
• evaluation of applied delivery systems

Application and evaluation of medical devices in humans in a clinical, community or applied setting including:

• implantable devices, mobility aids, dressings, medical equipment and prostheses
• validation of design and post market surveillance

Clinical and applied application and evaluation of surgical, obstetric and dental interventions in humans including:

• small scale and pilot studies
• phase I, II, III and IV trials
• procedures including organ and bone marrow transplantation, tissue grafts and transfusions
• monitoring outcomes, side effects and rejection

Clinical application and evaluation of interventions in humans including:

• small scale and pilot studies
• phase I, II, III and IV trials
• radiotherapy, radioimmunotherapy and radiosensitisers, microwaves, ultrasound, laser and phototherapy
• monitoring side effects

Application and evaluation of psychological and behavioural interventions in humans in clinical, community and applied settings including:

• phase I, II, III and IV trials
• cognitive behavioural therapy, electro-convulsive therapy, counselling, therapy and social interventions

Testing and evaluation of physical interventions in humans in a clinical, community or applied setting including:

• physical therapies, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, dietetics, osteopathy and exercise

All aspects of testing, evaluation and provision of complementary approaches to conventional medicine in humans in a clinical, community or applied setting including:

•  hypnotherapy, massage, acupuncture and homeopathy
• issues relating to health and social services and health care delivery
• attitudes and beliefs of patients and health care professionals

• provision and distribution of resources related to clinical and applied therapeutic interventions
• infrastructure support for clinical and applied research networks and trials, consortia and centres

Examining the organisation and provision of health and social care services and evaluating factors affecting the quality of care, including:

• workforce and career issues
• organisation and management of services
• access to health and social care and geographical variations in outcomes
• effectiveness of different care settings and models of service delivery
• evaluating quality of care including patient safety issues
• evaluation of experiences of service users
• assessment of current and future health care demands
• development and evaluation of interventions to improve services

Economic evaluation of health and social care interventions and delivery including:

• cost-benefit analysis of services including economic modelling
• cost effectiveness or economic feasibility of implementing new interventions or technologies within health services
• economic assessment of service productivity and outcomes
• health care costs
• development and evaluation of economic models of health care

• evaluation of local, regional and national healthcare policy
• impact of legislation
• synthesis and evaluation of evidence to inform policy
• dissemination and implementation of research evidence
• research ethics including use of personal data and biological material, consent and confidentiality
• research governance and regulation processes including interpretation of guidelines
• issues surrounding research subjects and donor recruitment

Development of research designs and novel methodologies for health care including treatment, management and health services research, including:

• analytical innovation, methodological research, statistical methods and modelling
• development of research measurements including outcome measures
• development of methods of research assessment and evaluation
• development and evaluation of research designs and methodologies

• development and/or distribution of resources for general use by the research community including equipment, cell lines, tissue and DNA banks, and genomic and proteomic sequence resources
• infrastructure to support research networks, consortia and centres

Studies of patients and service user care needs including:

• quality of life, management of acute and chronic symptoms, management of side effects, rehabilitation, long term morbidity and reproductive issues
• psychological impact of illness
• social and economic consequences of ill health
• behaviour affecting disease management including secondary prevention, compliance to treatment and attitudes and beliefs relating to seeking treatment
• assessment of social care and health services needs
• educational or communication interventions to promote self-care or improve health care by carers
• impact on carers

Studies involving all issues related to palliative care and end of life care including:

• assessment of patient, service user and carer needs
• provision and evaluation of palliative and end of life care services
• quality of life for patients and carers
• evaluation of interventions for health and social care professionals
• social, economic and policy issues
• pain management for terminally ill people
• bereavement

Studies into all aspects of the management of diseases, ill health and conditions by health and social care professionals, including:

•  attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of health and social care professionals
• investigation of decision making including factors influencing diagnosis, treatment, referral and management strategies
• educational interventions and communication practices
• development of guidelines, interventions or models to assist decision making and management, including identifying symptoms, predicting outcomes and identifying individuals at risk
• testing and evaluating management regimes and strategies

• development and/or distribution of resources and equipment for use by the community including informatics systems
• infrastructure support for trials, networks, consortia and centres

Identification and development of pharmaceutical small molecules, therapeutic vaccines, antibodies and hormones including:

• drug screening and development of delivery systems
• mechanism of action including side effects and drug resistance
• pharmacogenetics, prediction of genetic variation and responses to drugs
• testing in in vitro and in vivo model systems

Discovery and development of cellular, tissue and gene therapies including:

• gene therapy, stem cells therapy, in vitro fertilisation and tissue engineering
• Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT)
• development of delivery systems
• development of culture systems
• testing in in vitro and in vivo model systems

Discovery and development of medical devices including:

• implantable devices, mobility aids, dressings, medical equipment and prostheses
• biological safety assessments and investigation of adverse events
• sterilisation and decontamination of equipment or surfaces
• testing in in vitro and in vivo model systems

Development of surgical, obstetric and dental interventions including:

• histocompatability, transfusions, transplantations including xenograft studies and bone marrow transplants
• mechanisms of recovery, tolerance, rejection and side effects including infection
• testing in in vitro and in vivo model systems

Discovery and development of interventions including:

• radiobiology, radiotherapy, radioimmunotherapy, radiosensitisers, microwaves, ultrasound, laser and phototherapy
• development of delivery systems
• investigation of mechanisms of action and side effects
• testing in in vitro and in vivo model systems

Development of psychological and behavioural interventions including:

• cognitive behavioural therapy, electro-convulsive therapy, counselling, therapy and social interventions
• testing in model systems

Development of physical interventions including:

• physical therapies, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, dietetics, exercise and osteopathy
• mechanisms of action
• testing in model systems

Discovery and development of complementary approaches to conventional medical therapies including:

• hypnotherapy, meditation, massage, acupuncture and homeopathy
• mechanisms of action
• testing in model systems

• development and/or distribution of resources for general use by the research community including equipment, cell lines, tissue and DNA banks
• infrastructure support for networks, consortia and centres