Clinical and social care governance provides a strategic climate in which research and development (R&D) is a key component. Within this context, nurses and midwives have the opportunity and responsibility to make a difference to the quality of patient care by raising the profile of their R&D activity. The R&D Best Practice Framework advanced in this paper has been developed as a mechanism to identify good practice and to help build a more positive culture within which nursing and midwifery research and development can flourish. The aim of the Framework was to identify explicit criteria for developing the nursing and midwifery R&D agenda, against which organisations can benchmark activity. The R&D Best Practice Framework was developed using a systematic approach, and resulted in the formulation of best practice statements relating to key stakeholder groups including health and care providers, education providers and R&D funders. Statements were themed under six headings: strategy development; building capacity; infrastructure; partnership working; research in practice; and outcome assessment. The potential exists for the Framework to be translated across a range of settings, to be used by organisations as a benchmark for current activity, and as a tool which can facilitate future planning.