The Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science are Australia’s most prestigious and highly regarded awards for outstanding achievements in scientific research, research-based innovation and excellence in science teaching.
These awards are presented by the Prime Minister and the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science at a black-tie dinner in the Great Hall.
Cure Brain Cancer Foundation is committed to encouraging brilliant minds into brain cancer research and want to attract the best and brightest to work in this challenging and rewarding field.
Research Australia welcomes the news that the membership of the MRFF Advisory Board is to be announced today by the Health Minister, the Hon. Sussan Ley. The members are:
Professor Ian Frazer, AC (Chair)
Inaugural President of Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences
Former Director of the Translational Research Institute
Former Australian of the Year
Continue reading “Research Australia welcomes announcement of MRFF Advisory Board”
The Michael J. Fox Foundation‘s Co-Founder Debi Brooks breaks down the pharmaceutical development landscape in an easy to understand analogy and explains how the Foundation plays a critical role in bringing better and improved Parkinson’s disease therapies to patients.
Continue reading “Michael J Fox Foundation explains the pharmaceutical development process”
Welcome to the Autumn issue of Research Australia’s grassROOTS magazine. Activity in our sector has been at fever pitch for a while now and there have been some good outcomes. The National Innovation and Science Agenda (NISA) was announced by the Prime Minister in early December. Research Australia welcomes this clear focus by our Government on science and innovation as essential to Australia’s future and there is no doubt that health and medical research has an important role to play.
This agenda reconfirmed the importance of the Medical Research Future Fund, it has enabled the set up of a biomedical translation fund to quickly address the funding gap for mid to later stage clinical research and development, and it is also focused on developing a new plan for research infrastructure and championing the importance of STEM subjects such as maths and science, in our education system.
As part of the National Innovation & Science Agenda, the Government has commissioned Innovation and Science Australia to undertake a review of the R&D Tax Incentive.
While Research Australia proposed some possible minor amendments to the R&D Tax Incentive, we argued that on the whole the R&D Tax Incentive is already performing well against the Review’s criteria of effectiveness, integrity and encouraging additional R&D. Any changes to the R&D Tax Incentive at this point in time should be limited to improving the way it is administered.
As part of the National Innovation and Science Agenda (NISA) Treasury has undertaken a consultation on an initiative to provide tax incentives for early stage investors in innovative companies. Research Australia’s submission supports the proposal and suggests some amendments to improve its operation and reduce red tape. These include making registration for the R&D Tax incentive a qualifying condition for treating a company as an ‘innovation company’ in respect of which the tax incentive can apply, and allowing the tax incentive to be available to ‘retail’ investors. The tax incentive has the potential to increase the capital available to early stage innovative companies, including those seeking to commercialise new medicines, devices and therapies.
Private and Public Ancillary Funds allow individuals and organisations to create trusts that can receive tax deductible donations and then distribute these amounts to charities in later years. The Treasury proposed allowing Ancillary Funds to reduce the amount they must distribute to charities each year, and to link this amount to their investment returns. Health and Medical Research is a recipient of funds from Ancillary Funds.
Research Australia has opposed the changes because linking the funds to economic conditions and investment market performance could reduce the amount of funds made available and lead to greater year-to year-variation in distributions
Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia (PCFA) and the Movember Foundation have today announced funding towards two new clinical trials to address significant research questions that will potentially revolutionise the way prostate cancers are monitored and treated. These clinical trials involve the testing of a new scanning technique and the role of Vitamin D in preventing progression of prostate cancer.
