Collection

Areas of research interest

Areas of research interest (ARI) give details about the main research questions facing government departments.

From:
Government Office for Science and Cabinet Office
Published
28 June 2017
Last updated
8 April 2025 — See all updates

ARI also include information on:

  • departmental research systems
  • research and data publication policies
  • research and development strategies

Background

In response to the 2015 Nurse review of the UK Research Councils, the government accepted the review’s recommendation to provide:

  • a more strategic approach to departmental research and development programmes
  • a more sophisticated dialogue with academia
  • documents that set out the most important research questions facing each department

Aims

ARI aim to improve how government departments:

  • align scientific and research evidence from academia with policy development and decision-making
  • access a wide range of suppliers
  • engage with researchers
  • access stronger policy evidence bases at better value for money
  • share research commissions

Feedback

If you are interested in working with a department on a research question, please use the contact details within the relevant ARI.

If you have general comments to make on the format of the ARIs, please contact the Government Office for Science.

Guidance

Departments' Areas of Research Interest

Non ministerial departments' Areas of Research Interest

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) areas of research interest (PDF, 394KB)

The National Archives areas of research interest (PDF, 74KB)

Public bodies' Areas of Research Interest

Evaluation of Areas of Interest

Updates to this page

Published 28 June 2017
Last updated 8 April 2025 show all updates

  1. A link to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Areas of Research Interest has been added and the link to the National Archives Areas of Research interest has been updated.

  2. DSIT Areas of Research Interest 2024 have been added.

  3. Link to HM Revenue and Customs: Areas of Research Interest 2024 added.

  4. HM Treasury Areas of Research Interest added.

  5. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Areas of Research Interest have been added to the list of Departments' Areas of Research Interest.

  6. Added 'DWP Areas of Research Interest 2023' to collection

  7. I added a new "Areas of Research Interests" group - called "Public bodies' Areas of Research Interest" and added an already published page (“Trade Remedies Authority areas of research interest”) to this new group.

  8. Department for Business and Trade's areas of research interest added to the collection.

  9. Added DLUHC areas of research interest.

  10. Added ARI guidance.

  11. Defra group research and innovation interests 2021 added.

  12. Addition of 2 documents by the Government Office for Science looking into the evidence base and data and evaluation areas of research.

  13. Addition of DIT areas of research interest for 2020 to 2021.

  14. Added FCO coronavirus update and BEIS interim update 2020

  15. Added Home Office: areas of research interest document.

  16. Added DfT areas of research interest 2019.

  17. Added 'Cabinet Office Areas of Research Interest 2019'.

  18. Added 'DWP Areas of Research Interest 2019'.

  19. National Archives areas of research interest added.

  20. Added the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's Areas of Research Interest.

  21. Added the Department for Education's Areas of Research Interest.

  22. Added Health and Safety Executive (HSE) areas of research interest.

  23. DIT, DWP and MOD Areas of Research Interest added.

  24. Cabinet Office ARIs added

  25. BEIS ARI added.

  26. FCO areas of research interests added

  27. Added DH areas of research interest.

  28. Added DfT ARI

  29. Added the FSA's ARI

  30. First published.

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