Research led by nurses and the contributions they make as members of multidisciplinary research teams can drive change. Evidence from research influences and shapes the nursing profession, and informs and underpins policy, professional decision-making and nursing actions. It is the cornerstone of high-quality, evidence-based nursing.

Making research matter – The Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) for England’s strategic plan for research is for all nurses working in health and social care, whether they are already or thinking about getting involved in research), colleagues in academia and the third sector and all those who support research.

The CNO for England’s strategic plan for research sets out the ambition to “create a people-centred research environment that empowers nurses to lead, participate in and deliver research, where research is fully embedded in practice and professional decision-making, for public benefit”. Fulfilling this ambition will strengthen and expand nurses’ contribution to health and care outcomes through research of global significance. This provides the scientific basis for: the care of people across the lifespan; during illness, through to recovery and at the end of life, preventing illness, protecting health and promoting wellbeing.

Five themes underpin this ambition:

1. aligning nurse-led research with public need – identifying, prioritising and articulating research questions most pertinent to nursing practice
2. releasing nurses’ research potential – to create a climate in which nurses are empowered to lead, use, deliver and participate in research as part of their job, and the voice of the profession is valued
3. building the best research system – so that England is the best place for nurses to lead, deliver and get involved in cutting-edge research
4. developing future nurse leaders of research – to offer rewarding opportunities and sustainable careers that support growth in the number and diversity of nurse leaders of research
5. digitally-enabled nurse-led research – to create a digitally-enabled practice environment for nursing that supports research and delivers better outcomes for the public

The plan builds on existing commitments and priorities set out in the NHS Long Term Plan and closely aligns with the UK Clinical Research Delivery (UKCRD) a cross-sector programme that brings together delivery partners and key stakeholders to achieve a common aim of creating a faster, more efficient, more accessible and more innovative clinical research delivery system. Monthly UK clinical research updates and clinical research bulletins can be found on the UKCRD website.

Publication links

• The Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) for England’s strategic plan for research – full version
• The Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) for England’s strategic plan for research – executive summary
• NHS England » Research toolkit for matrons and other health and care leaders
• NHS England » Self-assessment of organisational readiness tool (SORT)
• Multi-professional Practice-based Research Capabilities Framework – Advanced Practice
• NHS England » Research demand signalling: mental health nursing

How we are implementing the CNO strategic plan for research

We are delivering the strategic plan through close collaboration with colleagues across NHS England and Health Education England (HEE), the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR), in particular the NIHR Nursing and Midwifery Office, Council of Deans of Health (CoDH) and Royal College of Nursing (RCN).

Below is a summary of the activities underway or planned during 2025-2026 to turn the plan into reality, organised by the five themes listed above.

Strategic focus 1: Aligning nurse-led research with public need

Activity: Collaborate with colleagues at University of Salford, the NIHR Nursing and Midwifery Office, and the Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care at the Department of Health and Social Care to explore, describe and prioritise evidence uncertainties in adult social care nursing.  Find out more.

Impact: By developing top 10 research questions for adult social care nursing, funders will know what research is most needed to underpin this field of practice and improve patient care and inform workforce development.

Strategic focus 2: Releasing nurses’ research potential

Activity: Scope what support and resources executive chief nurses in provider organisations need to enable and sustain a research positive culture and design a programme of learning and development and supporting resources in response to this.

Impact: By promoting the benefits of involving nurses in the leadership, delivery and support of research with senior nursing leaders in provider organisations, the voice of the profession will be heard when and where decisions are made about prioritisation, commissioning, management and translation of research.

Activity: Build confidence in establishing and sustaining effective research partnerships across health and care providers and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) amongst regional, system level and provider organisation nurse representatives for research

Impact: Growth in partnership working across health and providers and HEIs will help release potential of research and innovation to address contemporary issues in nursing practice surrounding quality, safety and productivity.

Strategic focus 3: Building the best research system

Activity: Contribute to delivery of Senior Research Leader Programme for nurses and midwives | NIHR by offering regional and national learning and development opportunities.

Impact: Programme participants are pivotal in implementing the CNO strategic plan for research, as well as the Future of Clinical Research Delivery 2022-2025 Implementation Plan and Best Research for Best Health: Next Chapter, propagating effective system leadership.

Activity: Ensure strategic co-ordination and harmonisation of work with senior leaders across NHS England, relevant NHS England deputy directors of nursing (for example but not limited to, primary and community nursing, mental health, children and learning disabilities), NIHR Director of Nursing and the Midwifery and Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care and Chief Public Health Nurse Office (both at DHSC).

Impact: By co-ordinating activity across England we will stay on track to deliver the ambition and communicate a clear and consistent message. Cross-programme connections will ensure efficient and effective plan implementation, provide opportunities to address diverse population health needs and health inequalities, and maximise impact across the different fields of nursing and sectors.

Strategic focus 4: Developing future nurse leaders of research

Activity: Contribute to task and finish group convened by Office for Strategic Coordination of Health Research to address challenges limiting growth in number and diversity of nurses wishing to pursue a research-focused career in the NHS, social care and public health settings.

Impact: Clinical academic staff are central to driving discovery and innovations to improve patient care and population health. Determining challenges and defining necessary actions across stakeholders will enable a joined-up approach to enable growth in research leadership capacity.

Advise on introduction of new investments designed to increase research opportunities for nurses so benefits are fully realised for individuals, the profession and provider organisations.

Impact: Collaboration between NIHR and NHS England during introduction and implementation of funding opportunities designed to strengthen opportunities available, expand existing schemes and introduce new initiatives to facilitate shared learning about the successes and challenges experienced by health and care professionals and provider organisations.

Strategic focus 5: Digitally enabled nurse-led research

Work in partnership with North West Digital Nursing Research Network to increase capacity and capability in nurse-led digital research through regional expansion across England of communities of practice and dedicated support for aspiring clinical academics.

Impact: Building on the expertise of this established network, through application of a hub-and-spoke model, this will enable dissemination of best practice across regions and test the impact of direct academic support for applications to NIHR (or other relevant) personal development awards.

We will keep you updated on progress and plans by making updates to this page and via the CNO Bulletin Nursing and Midwifery Matters and the dedicated CNO Research workspace on Futures (requires a login).

If you would like to get involved in the CNO’s strategic plan for research, please contact england.researchcno@nhs.net.