Research and Clinical Innovation (RCI) Research
Source: gov.uk (2025-10-17)

RCI Research works with academia and industry to carry out military medical research.

RCI Research is part of Defence Medical Services (https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/defence-medical-services) (DMS).

RCI Research contains 9 areas:
- anaesthesia and critical care
- emergency medicine
- general practice
- mental health
- medicine
- nursing
- rehabilitation
- surgery and trauma
- trauma and orthopaedics
The DMS’ 6 priority research areas are:
- optimising mental health
- preventing and treating musculoskeletal injury
- delivering a workforce that is ‘ready and able’
- tackling endemic, epidemic, and environmental threats
- closing the sophistication gap between hospital-based and far forward care
- Combat Casualty Care – pushing the envelope of care far forward
Contact and express interest in funding

RCI Research works with academic and industry collaborators and funds research activity.

Express interest in funding on Contracts Finder (https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/fe8eac49-fc38-4220-9102-74281fcb9263)

Email xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) for more information.

RCI Research teams

Anaesthesia and critical care

Improves outcomes for critically ill and injured military patients by optimising diagnosis and treatment.

Recent publications (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Academic+Department+of+Military+Anaesthesia%5BAffiliation%5D+AND+Critical+Care%5BAffiliation%5D&sort=date)

Research priorities:
- increasing understanding of the pathogenesis of shock states and impaired tissue perfusion in order to develop more effective treatments
- adapting point of care diagnostics, relevant to critical illness, to the deployed environment
- exploiting data, particularly from physiological monitoring, to better understand the pathogenesis of critical injury and direct treatments
Emergency medicine

Optimising operational emergency care through research and education.

Recent publications (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Academic+Department+of+Military+Emergency+Medicine%5BAffiliation%5D&sort=date)

Research priorities:
- large-scale combat operations (LSCO)
- resuscitation
- trauma pathophysiology
- environmental, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) medicine, and toxicology
- evacuation and prolonged care
- data exploitation
- optimising the emergency care team
General practice

Improves health outcomes and experiences of UK Service Personnel through research, GP training and educational delivery.

Recent publications (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Academic+Department+of+Military+General+Practice%5BAffiliation%5D&sort=date)

Research priorities:
- developing an evidence base for educational interventions which improve the abilities and capacity of Defence General Practitioners
- bridging the gender gap in military research with specific focus on improving outcomes and lived experience
- understanding behaviours and decision making of military clinicians
- interventions for lifestyle behaviour change
Mental health

Acts as the uniformed focus for military mental health research for the UK Armed Forces.

Recent publications (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Academic+Department+of+Military+Mental+Health%5BAffiliation%5D&sort=date)

Recent publications via King’s College London (https://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/admmh)

Research priorities:
- providing advice for the Surgeon General about international developments in military mental health
- assisting in the development (and evaluation) of military mental health support interventions
- undertaking Operational Mental Health Needs Evaluations
Medicine

Improves the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease, injury, and illness in military personnel through research, clinical innovation and educational activities.

Recent publications (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Academic+Department+of+Military+Medicine%5BAffiliation%5D&sort=date)

Research priorities:
- infectious diseases and tropical medicine (including enteric diseases)
- environmental medicine (for heat, cold and altitude illnesses)
- military aspects of cardiovascular medicine
- medical aspects of human performance
- CBRN medicine
- laboratory aspects of transfusion medicine
Nursing

Provides leadership, mentorship and educational support to nurses and allied healthcare professionals. Enhances patient care by improving practice and service delivery.

Recent publications (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Academic+Department+of+Military+Nursing%5BAffiliation%5D&sort=date)

Research priorities:
- operational healthcare ethics
- wellbeing and resilience
- advancing practice in the evolving operational environment
- optimising patient care in the evolving operational environment
Rehabilitation

Advances the science of rehabilitation to maximise the number of personnel fit for operations.

Recent publications (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Academic+Department+of+Military+Rehabilitation%5BAffiliation%5D&sort=date)

Research priorities:
- provide a central hub for clinical research activity across UK Defence Rehabilitation
- deliver, develop and maintain a programme of class-leading research to promote continuous improvement in the effectiveness and quality of clinical rehabilitation provided to injured UK military personnel
- trauma rehabilitation and outcomes
- treatment and prevention of musculoskeletal injuries
Surgery and trauma

Pioneers military surgical research and innovation to save lives and restore health.

Recent publications (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Academic+Department+of+Military+Surgery%5BAffiliation%5D+AND+Trauma%5BAffiliation%5D&sort=date)

Research priorities:
- trauma physiology
- general surgery
- vascular surgery
- global and humanitarian surgery
- surgical informatics
- surgical education
- oral and maxillofacial surgery
- plastic surgery
- acoustic trauma
Trauma and orthopaedics

Improves outcomes for limb injuries through research and innovation.

Recent publications (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Academic+Department+of+Military+Trauma%5BAffiliation%5D+AND+Orthopaedics%5BAffiliation%5D&sort=date)

Research priorities:
- understanding and protecting from blast and ballistic injury
- development of skeletal fixation devices following combat trauma
- reducing bleeding from extremity and pelvic trauma
- optimising bone healing following trauma
- reducing musculoskeletal injury by occupational exposure