About

The voice of Australia’s health and medical research sector

Research Australia is the national alliance representing the entire health and medical research pipeline, from the laboratory to patient and the marketplace. Research Australia works to position Australian HMR as a significant driver of a healthy population and a healthy economy.

Research Australia is the trusted, unifying platform for the health and medical research sector’s collective voice to ensure health and medical research is a significantly higher national priority.

View our Collaborative Strategy that has been developed following detailed consultation with the health and medical research sector. Our three core strategic priorities represent the core priorities for our sector as a whole:

  • Data and its transformative role in our health
  • Embedding evidence-based research in healthcare delivery and
  • Encouraging smarter investment in health and medical research that balances resources with need, capacity, and opportunity.

We can draw on expert spokespeople across our alliance to provide commentary on a range of topics including:

  • Health and medical research
  • Medical innovation including biotechnology, medical technology, pharmaceuticals and clinical trials
  • Public funding for HMR including the Medical Research Future Fund, the NHMRC and the Biomedical Translation Fund
  • Philanthropy

Our International Alliance

Research Australia, Research!America, Research Canada, Research Sweden and New Zealanders for Health and Medical Research all have a vision that health and medical research is a shared benefit and responsibility. It is also an important investment for the future of health within each country. The alliance with our international sister organisations is about fostering greater collaboration with each other to leverage expertise, advancements, and approaches in health and medical research advocacy.

Our History

Research Australia was established in December 2000. It was formed as a result of recommendations in the Australian Government’s Strategic Review into Health and Medical Research headed by Peter Wills AC.

A major outcome of the Wills Review was the doubling of the National Health and Medical Research Council budget for the five years from 1999-2004. However today, Australia still ranks below the OECD average for expenditure on health and medical research. It has never been more critical than right now to strengthen the research sector to secure Australia’s economic position in the global marketplace.

The establishment of Research Australia was made possible through the foresight and support of our Foundation Partners and Foundation Donors, including the late Dame Elisabeth Murdoch. This group provided significant funding over three years, enabling Research Australia to build a solid operational platform, secure members and to develop a diverse range of programs.

Foundation Donors

Dame Elisabeth Murdoch
The Garnett Passe and Rodney Williams Memorial Foundation
The Ian Potter Foundation
The Perpetual Foundation

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