An interacting scalar field with largish coupling to curvature can support a distinctive inflationary universe scenario .
Previously this has been discussed for the Standard Model Higgs field , treated classically or in a leading log approximation .
Here we investigate the quantum theory using renormalization group methods .
In this model the running of both the effective Planck mass and the couplings is important .
The cosmological predictions are consistent with existing WMAP5 data , with 0.967 \lesssim n _ { s } \lesssim 0.98 ( for N _ { e } = 60 ) and negligible gravity waves .
We find a relationship between the spectral index and the Higgs mass that is sharply varying for m _ { h } \sim 120 - 135 GeV ( depending on the top mass ) ; in the future , that relationship could be tested against data from PLANCK and LHC .
We also comment briefly on how similar dynamics might arise in more general settings , and discuss our assumptions from the effective field theory point of view .