Category: Media, Uncategorized

Research Australia says it’s time for the Australian Government to formally sign up to European Union’s multi-billion Euro Horizon Europe program. Horizon Europe will unlock new opportunities for Australia’s researchers and innovators and secure our nation’s position as a global leader in science and innovation. Access to the €95.5 billion research program will enable key areas of national interest such as digital transformation and climate change and health innovation.

Research Australia, in its submission to the public consultation, has identified key recommendations for the Government to consider as it finalises its decision, including:
• Utilise Horizon Europe as part of a broader drive to ensure long-term sustainability and smarter investment in Australian health and medical research and innovation.
• Focus on developing international science and diplomacy through bodies like Austrade, especially in the Indo-Pacific.
• Clarify the membership fee to Horizon Europe and disclose how it would be funded, whilst safeguarding existing funding streams for research and innovation, as a priority.
• Develop dedicated resources and explore models of support for Australia researchers, such as New Zealand’s Catalyst: Seeding with an EMCR-focus to ensure emerging researchers can thrive within international networks.

“Australia’s flatlining R&D spend has become a mirror of complacency – we must align ourselves with research blocs committed to scaling research investment while prioritising Australia’s research needs” said Nadia Levin, CEO & Managing Director of Research Australia.

“This is a crucial opportunity for Australia to open new pathways for collaboration with leading international researchers and gives our scientists the opportunity to shape, and benefit from major international projects,” said Ms Levin.

Read our full submission here.

Research Australia, the national peak body for health and medical research & innovation, warmly congratulates Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian Labor Party on its re-election following the 2025 Federal Election.

The health and medical research and innovation sector is a fundamental pillar of a strong Australia, now and for our future – our sector directly contributes to productivity, better health outcomes, reduces costs across the health care system, and creates new industries, including through commercialisation, clinical trials, precision medicine, and digital health.

With more than a quarter of national R&D investment dedicated to health and medical research & innovation, our sector contributes to every aspect of our society.

However, Australia’s researchers and innovators and indeed, researchers across the globe, are working in a rapidly changing landscape. National and global challenges are becoming more complex. The rise of antimicrobial resistance; the impact of climate change on our health and health systems; our ageing population and the challenges to quality of life; and of course, the current fiscal environment for both Australia and the world – which impacts on the cost of healthcare as well as our capacity as a nation to undertake health and medical research.

Investment in Australia’s health and medical research innovation industry is critical.
As Australia’s leading voice for the health and medical research & innovation sector, Research Australia welcomes the opportunity to continue to work collaboratively with the incoming government to advance a strong, innovative, and sustainable future for health and medical research and innovation.

Research Australia was pleased to see the prominence of broader health policy during the election campaign and stands ready to partner in delivering on commitments made to strengthen Australia’s health and medical research and innovation ecosystem. Research, development and innovation underpins the success of the design, implementation and impact of all these election promises.

In order for our sector to thrive, Research Australia continues to call for key reforms including:
• A whole of systems approach to health and medical research & innovation;
• Smarter investment in health and medical research & innovation;
• A supported and diverse workforce;
• Advancing prevention policy.

“On behalf of Research Australia’s Board, we congratulate Prime Minister Albanese and the Labor Government on their election with an increase to their majority. Research Australia stands ready to work collaboratively to realise a stronger, more innovative health and medical research sector that delivers tangible benefits to all Australians,” said Nadia Levin, CEO & Managing Director of Research Australia.

“The 48th Parliament presents a generational opportunity to reform Australia’s R&D system and health and medical research and innovation sector to ensure it is more responsive, sustainable and future-focused.

“With the National Health and Medical Research Strategy and the Strategic Examination of R&D already underway, there is a lot of work for the incoming Government to progress, and I look forward to continuing to partner with government and champion the work of our members across the pipeline with them,” Ms Levin said.

Research Australia will continue to advocate for the priorities outlined in its 2025 Election Statement and work with both our members and the incoming government to realise the full potential of Australia’s world-leading health and medical research & innovation sector because our health and a healthy economy remain the cornerstone of Australia’s future.

Tuesday 25 March 2025

Research Australia, the national peak body for Australian health and medical research and innovation, welcomes a key focus on health services in this year’s Federal Budget.

Research Australia acknowledges that this Budget comes at an extremely difficult time not just for the Government but for all Australians as we continue to face a cost-of-living crisis.

“There is little doubt this Budget is seeking to provide much needed cost of living relief for Australians. However, a missed opportunity is the recognition that sustained investment in health and medical research and innovation, enables the Government to provide a more secure and sustainable future”, Ms Nadia Levin, CEO & Managing Director of Research Australia said.

A strong health and medical research and innovation sector enables greater health outcomes and productivity through better health; drives efficiencies across Australia’s health system; and delivers new revenue opportunities through creating Australian industries and the export of health innovations as well as the best possible healthcare in all of our communities,” Ms Levin said.

This coming year has the potential to offer a real opportunity to address the challenges underpinning our sector through the Australian Government’s development of the National Health and Medical Research Strategy, which Research Australia has advocated for since 2021, as well as the Strategic Examination of R&D.

A whole of systems approach to reforming the health and medical research and innovation sector is crucial. It is disappointing that this year’s Budget is not demonstrating the bold and ambitious reform or smarter investment needed for the health and medical research and innovation sector to continue to thrive now and into the future.

Research Australia continues to call for a commitment by all sides of politics to continue the development of both the National Strategy and the Strategic of Examination of R&D in the next Parliament. This commitment must also ensure adequate funding is provided for both the development and implementation of both key reform agendas for our sector.

The 2025-26 Federal Budget had an opportunity to enable the much needed reform for our sector, as detailed in our Pre-Budget Submission. Research Australia will continue to advocate on behalf of the health and medical research and innovation sector using the practical knowledge of our members who represent the whole ecosystem including universities, life sciences and health services.

Some additional funding in this year’s Budget relevant to the health and medical research sector:

• • • $33.9 billion in 2025–26 to extend the 2020–2025 Addendum to the National Health Reform Agreement (NHRA) to 30 June 2026
    • $8.5 billion investment in Medicare to increase bulk billing rates through to 2030.
    • $573 million for women’s health, which includes better access to long-term contraceptives as well as $100 million for to support national trials on access and treatments to uncomplicated urinary tract infections and contraceptives.
    • $10.5 million over two years for more scholarships for nurses and midwives, with an additional 400 scholarships for nurses and midwives to undertake postgraduate study to extend their skills and qualifications.

ENDS

The national peak body for health and medical research innovation, Research Australia, welcomes today’s government announcement of the Strategic Examination of Research and Development (R&D) Chair, Ms Robyn Denholm and the Terms of Reference.

More than a quarter (26%) of all Australian R&D is spent on health and medical research innovation and development (HMRI&D), accounting for $10 billion. HMRI&D accounts for more than one third (35%) of all R&D expenditure in higher education institutions. Over 30% of all HMR expenditure is within the private sector.

Investing strategically in Australia’s HMRI&D – across the entire pipeline – is critical. Investing strategically in Australia’s HMRI&D not only contributes to a healthy nation but also a healthy economy. It will improve our health outcomes now, and will set us up for future generations. It is because of this, Research Australia reiterates the call the Strategic Examination R&D must include a dedicated focus on health and medical research innovation and development.

Research Australia’s CEO, Nadia Levin highlights the crucial timing of the Strategic Review, “the review is being undertaken during the same period as the development of the National Health and Medical Research Strategy. These two national processes offer a once in a generation reform process to take a whole of government, including across portfolios and jurisdictions, and whole of pipeline approach to health and medical research. Both the Chairs need to work with the sector to ensure we bring our insights to this opportunity with enthusiasm and commitment.”

Ms Levin explains the focus the reforms need to take, “Australia needs to mobilise the disparate parts of the pipeline, activate policy implementation and remove barriers for the sector to thrive, and ignite the urgency of doing this now. The health and medical research innovation pipeline, including the policy and funding landscape, needs to be truly collaborative, transparent and competitive.”

Research Australia, as the national peak representing the entire pipeline – including universities, medical research institutes, health services and systems, industry and community/consumer groups – is looking forward to working closely with both the Strategic Examination and the National Strategy, focusing on the following four key priorities:

1. Australia needs to create momentum through a whole of pipeline and government approach, across portfolios and jurisdictions, by putting research, development and innovation at the heart of all government policy.

2. Australia needs smarter investment to remain globally competitive. We need to fund the full costs of research including infrastructure; we need a measurable pathway to R&D investment of 3% of GDP; and we need to incentivise the growth opportunities for our venture capitalists and develop companies that are attractive to private equity, are an integral part to any economic growth strategy. In addition, the Government should use its significant procurement power to support local health and medical research manufacturers to bring their products to market sooner and importantly, stay in Australia.

3. Australia needs a national health and medical research workforce plan that has a long-term vision with immediate incentives for, strengthening, boosting and building capacity across the current workforce. The focus needs to be on early-mid career development; clinician researchers; circular mobility; and creating the conditions for a research-active workforce.

4.Improving health outcomes requires investment in advancing prevention as well as a focus on how health and medical research innovation and development contributes back to policy platforms like climate change, cost of living, including poverty, global health and geopolitics.

Achieving equitable health outcomes through equity in HMRI&D underpins all four priorities.

Research Australia, on behalf of our members across the whole health and medical research pipeline congratulates and looks forward to working with Ms Robyn Denham and the other panel members.

Media release 5 July 2024

The national peak body for health and medical research and innovation, Research Australia, welcomes today’s announcement confirming a better alignment between the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).

This announcement sees the establishment of four new committees to advise on strategies and funding for the MRFF and NHMRC’s Medical Research Endowment Account (MREA), including:

• Consumer Advisory Group
• Industry, Philanthropy and Commercialisation Committee
• Public Health and Health Systems Committee
• Indigenous Advisory Group

“Research Australia has long championed the need for better coordination of the MRFF and NHMRC’s MREA. Achieving better coordination is essential for a nationally unified, strategic approach to health and medical research investment. This can bring clarity to funding availability at every stage of the research pipeline, ensuring smarter investment in Australia’s world-leading health and medical research and innovation sector,” said Nadia Levin, CEO & Managing Director of Research Australia

Research Australia has been advocating for a National Health and Medical Research and Innovation Strategy and was pleased to have the Hon Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care, re-commit the Australian Government to the development of a National Strategy in the 2024-2025 Federal Budget.

“The development of a National Strategy and better alignment between the MRFF and MREA creates a unique opportunity for smarter investment in health and medical research and innovation across the research pipeline.”

Research Australia continues to advocate for a 50% increase in the MRFF.

“The intent of the MRFF has always been to make $1 billion available each year for investment in medical research, and Australia needs to build to that level as a priority,” Nadia Levin said.

“The Board of Guardians overseeing the Future Fund says $973 million is available for grants in 2024-25, an almost 50% increase on the currently budgeted disbursement of $650 million. The release of this funding would benefit the health and wealth of all Australians”.

Read Research Australia’s response to the Australian Government’s consultation focused on improving strategic alignment and coordination between the MRFF and the MREA here.