Smarter Investment and value realisation

Australia spends $7.6 billion a year on health and medical research and innovation. We make the case for investing in strategically.

Our position: health and medical research and innovation needs strategic investment across the full pipeline, from discovery to implementation. That’s how we maximise its health, economic and social impact, and strengthen Australia’s global competitiveness. We produce evidence and bring the sector together to make that case.

CASE STUDY

What we did, and what happened next

A funding gap we identified saw the government commit to lifting MRFF disbursements to $1 billion a year from 2030-31.

What we Focused On

When the Medical Research Future Fund was set up, the Government of the day promised that once the fund reached $20 billion, it would release $1 billion a year for research. That never happened. In 2023, we identified that the funding available for MRFF grants exceeded the $650 million a year being released, so money meant for research was going unspent.

What we did

We convened the sector around the evidence and advocated for the full funds to be released. We made the case in our pre-budget submissions (2025 and 2026-27) and met with decision-makers to press for disbursement transparency and long-term funding certainty.

What happened in the system

In the May 2026 Budget, the Government committed to lifting MRFF disbursements to $1 billion a year from 2030-31, up from $650 million. It’s a commitment, not yet a disbursement.

The Case for Investing