In bibliography studies, the UK shows a high output of medical research compared with other European countries. But less is known of public health research. With the European Public Health Association (EUPHA), we have created an EU-funded project PHIRE (Public Health Innovation and Research in Europe) to determine national structures for commissioning public health research, identify calls and programmes in 2010, and assess national uptake of European collaborative public health projects. The data were collated for each EUPHA member association to hold a national review workshop. We identified public health research structures, calls and programmes, and uptake of European projects through informants and web sources. We held the UK PHIRE workshop at the Royal College of Physicians, London, in May, 2012, tabling papers with the UK position. There were 20 representatives from the UK health departments, funding agencies, charities, and researchers. We made a report of the meeting discussion and conclusions. Although the UK biomedical bench-to-bedside research approach is strong, the position of public health population and organisational research—despite previous high-level reports—is less clear. The research councils fund biological, medical, and social research separately; they emphasise cohort studies, methods for analysis of population data, and centres of excellence. The National Institute for Health Research includes calls for public health research on interventions outside the National Health Service. With a wider definition of public health research, we identified 15 different calls and programmes in 2010. Some medical charities support health behaviour and policy research, but usually not health systems or services research. UK public health researchers have participated in both EU collaborative research and the EU Health Directorate's Public Health Programme, but there has been little knowledge or effect centrally. In France, the Institut de Recherche en Santé Publique (within INSERM) has created a database of public health research calls and projects, drawing from 28 national and regional agencies. Scandinavian countries have had national programme reviews with external experts. Germany is developing public health research networks. Some EU new member states have used the structural funds for public health research. Uptake of research varies across countries. In the coming EU research programme Horizon 2020, the small existing EU public health research programme might be fragmented across 15 health research strands. Further strategic issues within a European context include careers (European mobility, including transfers of research funds within a European Research Area), access to European infrastructure funds for trans-European cohorts and health-care databases, and maximisation of exchange and use of knowledge for innovation. Important issues include taxonomies, methods, and databases for recording and reviewing public health studies; funding, sustainability, comparative effectiveness, and cost-benefit of public health interventions; comparison of outputs and benefits from investigator-led, institute-based, and thematic research calls; and assessment of effects of research on policy and practice. As European researchers increasingly use English for research and communication, UK research organisations can enter and compete in the wider public health research market of Europe. The UK Faculty of Public Health is a partner in PHIRE, with co-funding from the European Commission Health Programme (2009–1214).