Pre Budget Submission 2014

Each year the Treasurer invites the Australian community to make submissions in relation to the preparation of the budget for the following financial year. Research Australia’s recommendation are:

  • Maintain the aggregate real value of Commonwealth Government funding for health and medical research across all funding programs.
  • Fund the implementation and monitoring of the McKeon Review recommendations.
  • Increase funding for research to support the effective and rapid translation of new discoveries into practice.
  • Increase funding for health systems research to increase our capacity to analyse and identify best practice for the Australian health care system and to increase research into the most successful, effective and efficient delivery mechanisms and structures for implementing best practice.
  • Expand the mandate of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care to include efficiency as well as safety and quality, and provide incentives for health care providers to nominate existing practices and initiatives to the Commission for adoption as part of the Healthcare Standards.
  • Increase funding for population health and preventive health research to improve the effectiveness of preventive health campaigns and identify emerging trends in the health and disease profile of the Australian population.
  • Retain programs that support Australian research and development (R&D) and innovation, including Commercialisation Australia and the R&D tax incentive.

Pre Budget Submission 2014

National commission of Audit

The Government has established a National Commission of Audit (NCOA) to identify areas of waste and duplication in Commonwealth Government Expenditure. Research Australia has made a submission to the NCOA. The Government has given a commitment to protect funding for health and medical research, and Research Australia has sought to ensure that the Commission is aware of the breadth and extent of HMR funding, and that this goes far beyond NHMRC grants. Research Australia has also urged the Commission to support implementation of the McKeon Review’s recommendations as a means of making our health system safer, more effective and efficient; even small improvements in efficiency in the $140 billion health sector can generate significant savings.

National commission of Audit

Pre Budget Submission 2013

Each year the Treasurer invites the Australian community to make submissions in relation to the preparation of the budget for the following financial year. Research Australia recommended:

  • A real increase in Commonwealth Government funding for health and medical research, to enable continued improvements in the health and wellbeing of all Australians.
  • A specific allocation to fund the implementation and monitoring of the McKeon Review recommendations and the development of a coherent national health and medical research strategy
  • Increased funding for health systems research to increase capacity to analyse and identify best practice for the Australian health care system and to increase research into the most successful, effective and efficient delivery mechanisms and structures for implementing best practice.
  • Increased funding for research to support the effective and rapid translation of new discoveries into practice.
  • Greater funding for population health and preventive health research to improve the effectiveness of preventive health campaigns and identify emerging trends in the health and disease profile of the Australian population.
  • Retention of the R&D tax credit as an important mechanism for supporting the commercialisation of Australian research.

Pre Budget Submission 2013

Strategic Review of Health and Medical Research in Australia

In 2011, the Australian Government commissioned a Strategic Review of Health and Medical Research in Australia, led by Mr Simon McKeon, AO. The Review called for submissions on the terms of reference to be made by 31 March 2012. In October 2012 it issued a draft report and sought further comments. Research Australia made submissions on the terms of reference and the draft report.

Strategic Review of Health & Medical Research

Strategic Review of Health & Medical Research Response to Consultation Paper