Elaborates policies that can help European countries improve health and shape a better future through the promotion of goal-directed research in the biomedical, behavioural, and social sciences. Noting the increasing complexity and expense of scientific investigations, the report sets out to define a general framework that can guide the formulation of research policies in line with 38 health targets adopted by European countries. The objective is to give policy-makers criteria for choosing research priorities and then ensuring that the prerequisites for successful investigations are met.