Author: Max Chester

Research Australia welcomes the launch of Australia’s inaugural National Health and Medical Research Strategy at Flinders University Health and Medical Research Building by the Hon Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Ageing. We were pleased to join Minister Butler and colleagues in South Australia for the release event, which marks a significant milestone for our sector.

The Strategy provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to strengthen Australia’s position as a global leader in health and medical research and innovation, while ensuring Australians benefit more rapidly and equitably from new discoveries, treatments and technologies.

“Australia’s greatest health and economic challenges demand bold thinking, collaboration across sectors and a commitment to keeping people at the centre of innovation – and that is exactly what a strong Strategy will need to achieve”, said Research Australia Chair, Professor Dawn Freshwater FRCN.

Today’s launch follows sustained advocacy by Research Australia on behalf of our members and the broader health and medical research and innovation sector. This includes initiating national consultations with the sector in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic to elevate the urgency for a coordinated, long-term strategy to strengthen Australia’s health and medical research and innovation ecosystem. It was the trust and sharing of stories directly from our members that led to an unambiguous call for a national strategy.

Since 2020, Research Australia has championed the need to bring together the entire sector – universities, medical research institutes, public and private health systems, industry, patient advocacy organisations, and government – to create a strategically coordinated and long-sought vision and roadmap to deliver better health outcomes, a stronger economy, productivity and national resilience.

“Today’s launch is a pivotal moment for Australia’s health and medical research sector, and for the patients and communities who ultimately benefit from research and innovation,” said Nadia Levin, CEO and Managing Director of Research Australia.

“Investing in health and medical research is not only about better care – it’s about building a more productive, resilient and sustainable Australia. The development of a dedicated Strategy recognises this”.

Throughout the Strategy’s development, Research Australia has worked closely with the Strategy Chair, Ms Rosemary Huxtable AO PSM, and the broader sector to ensure the Strategy reflects the priorities and expertise of Australia’s world-leading research and innovation community.

“In this year’s Federal Budget, we began to see a welcome shift in the national conversation – recognising that investment in research and development is fundamental to productivity and long-term economic growth and with the release of MRFF. The Strategy now gives Australia the opportunity to build on that momentum with real ambition,” said Nadia Levin. “It’s time for industry and health to work together to create a healthier, wealthier Australia”.

Research Australia thanks our members for their insights and contributions throughout this campaign and remains resolved to continuing to work with Government, researchers, consumers and industry on the details to support implementation of the Strategy and ensure its long-term success over the next decade and beyond. This must not sit on a shelf, and the government needs to continue to resource its implementation and ensure all reforms are moving in the same direction – Ambitious Australia, clinical trials reforms, and the HTA Review.

A new Research Australia report released today by Arthritis Australia confirms one of our leading causes of disability and pain – arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions (including back pain) – remains significantly deprived of research funding, despite costing the health system a staggering $16 billion a year.[1]

Arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions (AMSK) affect almost one in three Australians[2], from young children to people of working age through to retirees,[2] but are starved of research funding to advance how we manage them effectively – receiving just 5% of MRFF funding and 1.6% of National Health & Medical Research (NHMRC) funding in 2023-24.[1]

AMSK are a leading cause of chronic pain and early retirement and are one of the top three contributors to Australia’s disease burden (13%) alongside cancer (16.4%) and mental health (14.8%).[1]  They generate a significant financial and productivity drain with $1.1 billion per year to be spent on extra welfare payments and lost tax revenue and $9.4 billion per year on lost GDP due to arthritis related early retirement by 2030.[2]

The analysis by Research Australia, comparing different research funding models, confirms a focussed MRFF Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Mission, over the next decade, will not only yield significant gains to the community living with these debilitating conditions but also generate a twofold reduction in the health system and productivity burden.[1] A net return of $361 million would also result for the economy, and over 600 research and clinical jobs would be created over the period.

In light of the alarming findings, Arthritis Australia is calling for an MRFF Mission commitment of at least $100 million to ensure arthritis and musculoskeletal (AMSK) conditions no longer limit Australian’s participation, productivity or quality of life.

“We have reached a crisis point with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions and the unprecedented strain they place on communities, hospitals and health budgets. We need to move urgently to give them the attention they deserve and finally address the long-term research underfunding,” states Louise Hardy, CEO Arthritis Australia.

You can read the full joint media release here.

Consumers who are involved in health research would receive a standard hourly rate of remuneration, under a framework developed by the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at the Australian National University (ANU) in partnership with Research Australia.

Recognising Consumers’ Contributions to Health Research was co-designed with health consumers and representatives of universities, a local health district, and not for-profit and consumer-led bodies.

Associate Professor Jane Desborough said individuals with lived experience of specific health conditions make important contributions to high-quality health research, for example through being involved in research teams, on steering groups or by participating in focus groups and interviews.

“While consumer engagement is now widely expected in Australian health research, approaches to recognising and rewarding those contributions have not kept pace,” Associate Professor Desborough said.

Dr Talia Avrahamzon, Head of Policy, Projects and Advocacy at Research Australia, said the development of the framework reflected the importance of consumer participation in health research.

“Research Australia is proud to have been a part of this important work, and we would like to thank the members of Research Australia’s Consumer Remuneration Working Group for their contributions to this framework,” Dr Avrahamzon said.

“Consumers are central to high-performing health and medical research and innovative systems. Research Australia has consistently championed formal recognition of lived experience, and this work reinforces that valuing their contributions is not optional – it is essential to delivering research that is relevant, impactful and truly centred on patient outcomes.”

Recognising Consumers’ Contributions to Health Research is published on the Research Australia website. You can read the full joint media release here.

For decades, Australia’s health and medical research (HMR) ecosystem has been shaped by short political horizons rather than long-term national vision. Yet meaningful change in science and innovation takes time.

Our nation could be a global contributor – developing, exporting, and commercialising the next generation of diagnostics, therapies, and technologies that will define the future of healthcare. But it all comes down to how we invest.

As Research Australia set out in our Pre-Budget Submission, a high-functioning HMR sector is a foundational, economically generative and cross-cutting solution to the interconnected national challenges facing Australia, and should be treated as strategic public investment rather than discretionary spending.

You can read our full opinion piece here.

Research Australia welcomes the release of Ambitious Australia: Strategic Examination of Research and Development Final Report. The report marks a significant step toward strengthening Australia’s research, development and innovation (RD&I) system and improving national productivity.

The report, commissioned by the Australian Government and led by an independent expert panel chaired by Robyn Denholm, outlines a comprehensive reform agenda to strengthen Australia’s RD&I system.

Given that health and medical research and innovation accounts for close to a quarter of all Australian RD&I, Research Australia welcomes the inclusion of health and medical research as a key pillar of the Strategic Examination of R&D.

“The report confirms what the health and medical research and innovation sector has been saying for some time – RD&I is crucial not only to Australians’ health and wellbeing but to our nation’s economic future, boosting economic resilience, sovereign capability and productivity,” said Ms Nadia Levin, CEO of Research Australia.

Research Australia’s submission emphasised the need for a coordinated national approach to RD&I, stronger industry engagement and sustained investment across the research pipeline. These priorities are strongly reflected in the final report.

Research Australia’s submission similarly called for:

• A national, long-term strategy for research and innovation aligned with economic and societal priorities.

• Greater investment in research from discovery through to translation and commercialisation, ensuring discoveries deliver real-world benefits.

• Stronger collaboration between industry, health services, universities and research organisations. These priorities are echoed in the review’s focus on improving coordination across the R&D system, increasing industry participation and ensuring research investment delivers national impact.

“This report shows clearly the urgent need for bold reform to boost Australia’s RD&I capabilities, the real test now will be how the Australian Government responds to the review’s recommendations, Ms Levin said.

“Research Australia looks forward to working with government, industry and the research sector to ensure these recommendations translate into meaningful action and look forward to seeing the long-awaited release of the National Health and Medical Research Strategy to ensure these reforms are aligned.”

You can read Research Australia’s full submission and summary of recommendations to the Strategic Examination of R&D here.