The Royal College of General Practitioners Research Paper of the Year Award showcases the excellence of research in primary health care conducted in the UK or Republic of Ireland. This year, prizes for the best papers published in 2013 were awarded in six categories aligned to the NIHR Clinical Research Network divisions with one overall winner. The winning papers include large, hugely ambitious studies using a range of sophisticated research methods. Notably this includes three randomised-controlled trials of complex interventions that are challenging to both implement and evaluate. The 2013 Research Paper of the Year was awarded to Mark Ledwidge and colleagues for the STOP-HF trial of a screening programme using brain-type natriuretic peptide to identify asymptomatic patients at high risk of heart failure, followed by collaborative care to optimise their treatment.1 …