Consultation on the MRFF Strategy and Priorities: Submissions in Response to the Consultation

This document collates eight submissions made by Research Australia to the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Advisory Board’s May 2016 consultation on the Australian Medical Research and Innovation Strategy and Related Priorities, drawing on Research Australia’s 2015 consultation with its members. The Strategy submission proposes two goals, health and wellbeing and economic prosperity, underpinned by collaboration. It recommends funding of translation through commercial and non-commercial pathways, health services, public health and health economics research, milestone-based funding, syndicated funding with other bodies, and payment of indirect costs where needed. It notes health expenditure rose from 6.5% of gross domestic product in 1989–90 to 9.7% in 2013–14. Seven priority proposals follow: inviting the four NHMRC Advanced Health Research and Translation Centres to nominate rapidly implementable initiatives, given forecast MRFF funding of $61 million in 2016–17 and $122 million in 2017–18; a health and medical research stream of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Program; an Institute of Health Services Research; engaging health economists to design the MRFF evaluation framework; building capability in data preparation, linkage and analysis; a Centre of Research Excellence for the evaluation of health outcomes; and MRFF funding for research to support the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) health reform agenda.