Applied metaphor research turns on interventions in behaviour. This is work done to examine and evaluate scientifically how metaphor can contribute to problem solving. Examples include how metaphor works in science and health communication, in organization and management, in politics and government, and in journalism and the media. What is more, applied research seeks to test how metaphor can work better in these environments.

It may be suggested that all applied metaphor research in this way involves deliberate metaphor use. The goal of the professional intervening in some practice is to utilize the potential power of metaphor to change and hopefully improve that practice. For this purpose, researchers examine how particular classes of metaphor can be recruited to alter the experience of people involved in that practice. If this works, people will be advised to intentionally apply this new tool for thinking, talking or writing, and interacting, themselves. This is deliberate metaphor use.

At this moment, there is not much applied research yet that explicitly follows this agenda (but see Slowing down metaphor for some exceptions). It is the aim of DMT to make this part of its agenda more explicit across the wide range of domains that are eligible for this approach. And since this involves intervention by professionals in the behaviour of people in concrete situations, this swill also lead to more experience with  deliberate metaphor production and deliberate metaphor use in interaction–two activities that are part of the future challenges of DMT.