RESUMO
Health research oriented to solve the most relevant sanitary problems in Chile must be encouraged. In 2001, the National Health Research Fund (FONIS) was created by the National Research Council of the Ministry of Health and the National Scientifc Research Commission, to stimulate relevant health research that contributes to develop health care policies. In 2008 an experts meeting proposed eighty research areas. These areas were grouped in twelve thematic containers. Each of these containers were classifed as having maximal, intermediate or minimal priority. The seven most important containers were grouped in three areas. Among the latter, two were selected. One is evaluation of the Ministry programs and, within this area, with the following priorities in decreasing importance: primary prevention, health care priorities, and diseases included in the Explicit Guarantees plan. The second area corresponds to diseases with high prevalence, incidence, costs or impact, including the following priorities in diminishing importance: mental health, diseases of high prevalence and problems with social impact.