Strategic Examination of Research and Development Submission

This document summarises the key recommendations of Research Australia’s submission to the Strategic Examination of Research and Development (SERD), organised by the consultation questions of the SERD Discussion Paper. Noting that 26% of Australia’s research and development (R&D) spending goes to health and medical research, Research Australia advocates for a dedicated focus on health and medical research, development and innovation, and for the SERD to be aligned with the forthcoming National Health and Medical Research Strategy. It describes an integrated system as a seamless pipeline from discovery to commercialisation, with health innovation treated as a sovereign capability. Its funding recommendations include a measurable path to R&D investment of 3% of gross domestic product, funding the full cost of research, bridging translational gaps, using government procurement, and investing in infrastructure such as the Australian Centre for Disease Control, a clinical trials one-stop shop and digital health data platforms, as well as growing venture capital, philanthropy and international funding such as Horizon Europe. It recommends more NHMRC and Australian Research Council discovery funding and the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), a National Medical Products Industry Plan, and a national health and medical research workforce plan supporting circular mobility, gender equity and a longitudinal survey of early- and mid-career researchers. It also proposes business incentives, First Nations leadership aligned with the Closing the Gap Priority Reforms, action on the Innovation Metrics Review and restored Australian Bureau of Statistics funding for R&D data.