Launching Public Health Areas of Research Interest at Newcastle City Council
Newcastle City Council has adopted Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) as a practical way to identify and communicate research needs that could help improve policy, services and outcomes for residents. Through HDRC Newcastle, the council has adapted a model used in national government to create a clear pipeline of research priorities across local government.
The purpose of ARIs is to set out areas of interest where the council wants more evidence, making it easier for researchers, funders and partners to understand local needs and identify opportunities for collaboration. In public health, this is especially important because many major health challenges are shaped by wider determinants such as housing, transport, food, education, employment, commercial influences and the physical environment. Newcastle’s Public Health ARIs cover a broad range of topics, including early years, children and young people, substance use, commercial determinants of health, healthy places, food poverty, Health in All Policies, public mental health, inclusion health, digital public health and better use of data.
Developing the Public Health ARIs
HDRC Newcastle ran one-hour workshops with public health teams to identify evidence gaps, areas of uncertainty and questions where research could support better decision-making. These were then themed, written up in plain English, reviewed with senior leaders and published as a working document. The ARIs are intended to be reviewed annually so they remain relevant and useful.
The ARIs are not intended to be final research questions. They are a starting point for conversation, helping researchers and policymakers work together to develop more specific, feasible and impactful projects. Newcastle is mobilising them through publication, targeted researcher engagement, events, Research Interest Groups, postgraduate projects, placements, PhD topics, internal council research and collaborative funding applications.
Early impact and benefits
The approach is already having an impact. ARIs have helped Newcastle move from more ad hoc research engagement towards a clearer pipeline of priorities. They have supported funding and career development applications, placements, PhD projects and wider collaboration with universities and partners. They have also helped the council respond more strategically to external research enquiries, focusing our efforts on work that can inform policy and practice.
Value for local government, researchers and funders
For the council, ARIs provide a transparent way to prioritise research activity and connect evidence needs across directorates. For researchers, they offer a clearer route into policy-relevant collaboration and help demonstrate impact to funders. For funders, they provide insight into the practical evidence needs emerging from local government and could help shape future funding priorities.
Overall, Newcastle’s use of ARIs shows how local authorities can take a more strategic approach to research. In public health, ARIs are helping to connect complex local challenges with research capacity, supporting better use of evidence to reduce inequalities and improve outcomes for communities.