Griffith University Discovery Award Finalist – Dr Caitlin Jones from The Institute for Musculoskeletal Health

Introducing our 2023 finalists: Dr Caitlin Jones

It is an honour to be celebrating Australia’s research talent at this year’s Health and Medical Research Awards. Generously sponsored by Griffith University, the Discovery Award recognises an early-career researcher who is already making an important impact with their work.

Among the Discovery Award finalists for 2023 is Dr Caitlin Jones, who was awarded her PhD earlier this year and has already demonstrated research excellency through her leading role in the OPAL trial: a 12-month long study on the use of opioids for treating back pain.

BACK PAIN AND OPIOID PRESCRIPTION: MORE HARM THAN GOOD

Lower back and neck pain are two of the most burdensome conditions among adults. Over 619 million people worldwide experience back pain at any one time[1] and between 40-70% of those who present for care are prescribed an opioid.[2]

Despite opioid prescription being common, there is little evidence to support its effectiveness for back pain. The harms from opioid use range from minor side effects like constipation, dizziness and nausea, to long-term harms such as dependence, addiction, and overdose. In Australia alone, opioid use causes 50 hospitalisations, 14 emergency department admissions, and 3 deaths every day – at a cost of over $5 billion each year.[3]

A WORLD FIRST STUDY AND A CALL FOR CHANGE

Dr Jones was the first author on the OPAL trial, published in The Lancet earlier this year. OPAL was a study of 347 people with acute non-specific back and/or neck pain in which half of the participants received an opioid (oxycodone/naloxone) and the other received a visually identical placebo. The groups were treated for up to six weeks, monitored for 12 months, and evaluated at the 2, 4, 6, 12, 26, and 52 week marks. Participants also reported daily pain scores for the first 12 weeks.

Dr Jones and the team discovered that those in the opioid group had worse outcomes compared to the placebo groups in several measures including pain, quality of life/mental health and physical function.

Current clinical guidelines recommend the prescription of opioids when other treatments have failed or are not appropriate. However, the OPAL trial clearly shows that they should not be used at all for this condition.

“OPAL is the world’s first and largest placebo-controlled trial of opioids for acute back and neck pain. The previous guidelines for opioid use were based on indirect evidence,” explains Dr Jones.

“The OPAL trial will help shift international guidelines and, as a result, reduce the many unnecessary harms caused by opioid prescriptions.”

The winners of Research Australia’s Health and Medical Research Awards will be announced at a gala award ceremony in Sydney on November 2.

[1] World Health Organisation. (2023, June 19). Low back pain. World Health Organisation. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/low-back-pain

[2] Ferreira GE, Machado GC, Abdel Shaheed C, et al. (2019). Management of low back pain in Australian emergency departments. BMJ Quality & Safety, 28(10), 826-834.

[3] National Drug Research Institute. (2020). The cost of opioid use to Australia: $15.7 billion and 2203 deaths. NDRI News.

Data Innovation Finalist – Professor Georgina Chambers and the National Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistics Unit, UNSW

Introducing our 2023 finalists: Professor Georgina Chambers and the National Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistics Unit, UNSW

Research Australia is proud to recognise all of the outstanding finalists in this year’s Health and Medical Research Awards, and we look forward to celebrating their work at the Award gala on November 2.

This year, we’re sharing a few of their fantastic stories as an insight into some of the exciting research happening now in Australia. Keep an eye on our social media channels for more about this year’s finalists.

Research Australia is a passionate advocate for the importance of data in advancing Australia’s health sector. Through the Data Innovation category in the Health and Medical Research Awards, we celebrate an individual or team whose work could revolutionise the use of data in the medical research field.

This year, our finalists include the National Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistics Unit (NPESU) at UNSW, who are pioneers of data innovation in the Australian IVF sector.

SHAPING THE FUTURE OF FERTILITY

Infertility is a growing public health challenge, making IVF an important focus area for health researchers. Infertility affects 1 in 6 couples[1] and is amplified by the continuing societal trend towards later childbearing. As a result, more people are having children using Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) with 1 in 18 children born using ART in Australia[2].

Embarking on IVF treatment is a major life decision that can have profound effects on a person’s physical and mental wellbeing. Patient decision aids such as online calculators for success or risk have been shown to help patients feel more comfortable during the decision-making process. However, up until recently, there has been no way for patients to independently compare IVF clinics across Australia, or to gain an unbiased estimate of their own chances of IVF success.

INNOVATING DATA FOR DECISION-MAKING

Supported by a MRFF Emerging Priorities and Consumer Driven Research

Grant, the NPESU developed and launched the YourIVFSuccess website – the first Australian website to help consumers make informed decisions about IVF treatment. The website includes two consumer tools that were co-designed with end-users and demonstrate best practice in co-production, AI modelling, and interactive website design.

The website allows consumers to compare IVF clinics across Australia and utilises machine learning to provide those contemplating IVF with highly personalised predictions of their chances of success.

Since its launch in 2021, YourIVFSuccess has made a significant impact, with more than 110,000 visitors and 158,000 sessions, and monthly site visits continuing to increase.

“Our recent evaluation showed that the YourIVFSuccess Estimator has greatly helped those contemplating or going through IVF to realign their expectations of treatment success and to feel clearer in their decision-making,” says NPESU Director Professor Georgina Chambers.

“We are also updating the Estimator to include IVF success rates for same-sex couples, single females, and those contemplating using donor eggs or donor sperm. This will make YourIVFSuccess Estimator the only one in the world to cater for these patients, which is an important step for providing more inclusive IVF treatments.”

We look forward to celebrating the finalists and announcing the winners of the National Health and Medical Research Awards at a gala ceremony in Sydney on November 2. A small number of tickets remain: purchase here.

[1] IVF Australia. (n.d.). What is infertility? IVF Australia.

https://www.ivf.com.au/planning-for-pregnancy/what-is-infertility#:~:text=Infertility%20is%20defined%20as%20the,Australian%20couples%20of%20reproductive%20age.

[2] Chambers GM, Newman JE and Paul RC. (2023). Assisted reproductive technology in Australia and New Zealand 2021. (2023). UNSW Sydney.

Frontiers Award Finalist – Professor Jürgen Götz

Introducing our 2023 finalists: Professor Jürgen Götz

The Frontiers Award acknowledges research by an individual or group that transforms medical knowledge into practical solutions, with the promise of improving health outcomes within Australia and potentially abroad. The Frontiers Award is generously sponsored by the Australian National University.

Among this year’s outstanding finalists in this exciting category is Professor Jürgen Götz, Director of the Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research at the University of Queensland, who has helped develop a portable ultrasound scanning device with a range of applications in dementia treatments.

DEMENTIA: A COMPLEX AND COSTLY CHALLENGE

Dementia involves the loss of memory and cognitive abilities and is a serious health challenge both in Australia and globally. Every three seconds, someone in the world develops dementia and almost half a million Australians live with it[1]. Without a medical breakthrough, the number of people living with dementia is expected to increase to more than 800,000 by 2058[2].

So far, research efforts have focused on drug treatments, but with limited success. To date, more than 200 therapeutic drug candidates have failed, and despite decades of ongoing research there is still no cure for dementia.

A PORTABLE TREATMENT WITH GLOBAL POTENTIAL

Professor Götz and his team have created a non-invasive ultrasound device that can be used to directly treat dementia diseases such as Alzheimer’s as well as to enhance the effectiveness of current drug treatments.

Professor Götz has a long track record of showing how the peptide amyloid-β and the protein Tau lead to dementia. Through his studies, Professor Götz has further successfully demonstrated how various therapeutic ultrasound techniques can be used to clear these pathologies. In animal studies, Professor Götz and his team have also shown how ultrasound techniques can safely open the blood-brain barrier and help deliver drugs directly to target brain areas. Finally, they have built an investigational medical device that is currently being trialled in people with Alzheimer’s disease.

By 2036, the total cost of dementia is predicted to increase by 81 per cent to $25.8 billion[3].

The portable technology developed by Professor Götz and his team has the potential to be a low-cost, non-invasive treatment that can massively reduce healthcare costs and improve patient outcomes worldwide.

“The choice between ultrasound or drug treatment doesn’t have to be binary. Ultrasound therapy can go hand-in-hand with emergent drug treatments,” said Professor Götz.

“Given that 98 per cent of drugs developed for brain diseases do not enter the brain, the therapeutic potential of our strategy extends beyond Alzheimer’s and could go a long way in improving treatments for many other diseases of the brain.”

The winners of Research Australia’s Health and Medical Research Awards will be announced at a gala award ceremony in Sydney on November 2. A small number of tickets remain: purchase here.

[1] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2022). Dementia in Australia. AIHW, Australian Government.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Alzheimer’s Australia. (2017). Economic cost of dementia in Australia: 2016-2056. NATSEM, University of Canberra.

Budget 2023 Update

Summary

Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ mini Budget in October last year implemented some of the new Government’s election promises and cut some former Government’s programs. Tonight, the Government has delivered its first full Budget, setting the agenda and responding to the ongoing pressures of high inflation, a Medicare system in need of reform, a housing crisis and the need to decarbonise and diversify our economy.

The surprise Budget surplus for this year has been delivered, in part, by higher than expected commodity prices. Commodity prices are expected to fall in the future, and the Government has committed to diversifying our economy with more high value advanced manufacturing, including medical products. While some progress is made in this Budget, there is still more that can and must be done.

The rising cost of living has continued to be a key political issue. In the March 2022 Budget, the CPI was forecast to be 3.0% for 2022-23. The Budget tonight expects inflation to have peaked, at around 7% p.a. and to fall to 3.25% over 2023-24. Inflation increases the cost of undertaking health and medical research and innovation. Government funding for research has failed to keep pace with inflation over successive Budgets. This Budget delivers some relief with real increases in funding for ARC programs, while the NHMRC’s MREA is forecast to keep up with inflation.

Please read on for our summary of what this Budget means for health and medical research and innovation.

Health Portfolio

Improved digital health systems

The Budget includes a $951.2 million over 4 years investment in digital health technologies to build a more efficient, connected and collaborative healthcare system. This includes:

- $325.7 million, to make the Australian Digital Health Agency an ongoing entity, so that it can continue to deliver important digital health infrastructure, including upgrading My Health Record. Only one in 10 medical specialists currently use My Health Record and only one in five diagnostic imaging reports are uploaded. We continue to await further information on a Framework for secondary use of My Health Record data for research purposes.
- $429 million to ensure that My Health Record is easier to use, is compatible with the information and billing systems that health practitioners are already using, and connects the health system so that patients can access and securely share their health data.
- $126 Million to renew the Intergovernmental Agreement on National Digital Health for 4 years to progress the secure, safe and efficient sharing of information across the health system.

Australia’s first National Clinical Quality Registry Program receives $40 million over 4 years. Nominated areas are dementia, cystic fibrosis, and pelvic floor disorders. This is good news, reversing several years of delays; registries are a vital bridge between healthcare and research.

Australian Centre for Disease Control (ACDC)
The Government is fulfilling its election promise to create the ACDC, backing up the $3.2 million allocated in the October Budget for preparatory work with $91.1 million to establish an ‘interim’ Australian Centre for Disease Control in the Department of Health and Aged Care and replenish the National Medical Stockpile.

Other announcements include

$260m invested in a new national lung cancer screening program, with at risk Australians able to get a lung scan every two years, as recommended by the independent Medical Services Advisory Committee.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) will receive $61 million over 4 years for a range of activities aimed at protecting public health) including continued assistance to small and medium enterprises particularly those developing emerging technologies.
$26.3 million over 4 years to support equity in the healthcare system and improve the health of Australian women and girls), including through the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health and Australian Institute of Health and Welfare National Maternity Data development project.
$900,000 to develop a 10 Year National Action Plan for the Health and Wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ people, and to establish an LGBTIQA+ Health Advisory Group.

Consistent with Research Australia’s sustained advocacy on this issue, this Budget sees the Government’s funding to the NHMRC’s Medical Research Endowment Account appear to just keep up with projected inflation, but with an unexplained decline in funding in the last year of the forward estimates. The MRFF funding meanwhile is static at $650 million per annum, meaning it fails to keep up with inflation and is declining in real terms.

Medical Research Future Fund

The funding available from the MRFF each year is dependent on the investment return on its capital. For 2023-24 the Future Fund Board of Guardians has determined the amount available for grants of financial assistance is $870 million. [1] Despite this, only $650 million has been made available as funding in 2023-24. And this is despite an underspend in 2022-23 of more than $50 million.

$m.	22-23	23-24	24-25	25-26	26-27
Funding from MRFF 2023 Budget	598.0	650.0	650.0	650.0	650.0
Funding from MRFF 2022 Budget (OCT)	650.0	650.0	650.0	650.0
Funding from MRFF 2022 Budget (MAR)	650.0	650.0	650.0	650.0

There are programs that could be extended or expanded immediately, including support for early and mid career researchers and continuation of the highly regarded REDI program. Other programs could be established or piloted relatively easily, including the Clinical Research Fellowships proposed previously by Research Australia.

We will be working with the Government to understand why funding to the MRFF hasn’t been increased in 2023-24 even though more funding is available and what the intentions are for future years.

NHMRC Programs

Funding for the NHMRC’s Medical Research Endowment Account has increased slightly since the October Budget, to $910 million in 2023-24. An increase of around 3.6% over 2022-23, this is about equivalent to forecast inflation. There are similar annual increases in the next two financial years, before a drop of around $12 million in 2026-27. There is no explanation at this stage for the forecast decline. Overall, the MREA is set to at least keep pace with expected inflation over the next few years, an improvement on years of real declines in funding.

$m.	22-23	23-24	24-25	25-26	26-27
Funding to MREA 2023 Budget	877.952	910.652	940.330	962.039	949.747
Funding to MREA 2022 Budget (OCT)	877.952	905.160	922.365	938.095
Funding to MREA 2022 Budget (MAR)	877.952	891.094	905.355	918.985

Revamping Primary Care

This Budget responds to the recommendations of the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce, delivering $6.1 billion to strengthen Medicare through:

- A $3.5 billion investment to triple bulk billing incentives, for free GP consultations for 11.6 million children under 16, pensioners and other Commonwealth concession card holders; and
- A $1.5 billion indexation boost to Medicare rebates –the biggest increase in 30 years.

Additionally, more than 300 medicines will be cheaper for 6 million Australians who will be able to buy 2 months’ worth of medicine with a single prescription. Fewer visits to the GP and pharmacy will save patients an estimated $1.6 billion.

MyMedicare ($19.7 million over 4 years) will build a stronger relationship between patients and their primary care teams. It is voluntary and open to anyone, with patients able to register with their preferred practice, GP and care team. MyMedicare will also support access to longer telehealth consultations ($5.9 million over 4 years).

It is interesting to see focused funding for cutting-edge patient clinical services will be funded through Medicare ($118.2 million over 5 years) including:

- genetic testing for childhood hearing loss
- genetic testing for haematological malignancies
- profiling tests to determine a patient’s risk of recurrent breast cancer
- testing for the diagnosis of mitochondrial disease.

While the Research Australia welcomes the major changes this will make to the delivery of primary care in Australia for the next decade and beyond, there has been no commitment to fund research to guide the design and implementation of these measures, or to support their evaluation. Measures to boost the primary care workforce similarly, do not include support for researchers to generate the evidence for improved primary care.

Education Portfolio

Nearly half of all Australian health and medical research is undertaken in the higher education sector, and the Department of Education makes a significant contribution to the funding of this research through several programs, as outlined below.

ARC Programs

The Australian Research Council’s Funding Programs are critical to Australian publicly funded research, including to the life sciences and medical technologies.

Discovery Program

Over the forward estimates in this Budget, funding to the ARC for the Discovery Program increases by 8% in 2023-24 compared to this year, and by an average of 8% per annum in 2024-25 and 4% in 2025-26 and by 3%% in 2026-27. This means the Discovery Program is forecast to increase slightly in real terms (i.e. at a rate higher than inflation).

$m.	22-23	23-24	24-25	25-26	26-27
2023 Budget	511.074	552.390	599.499	629.581	646.895
2022 Budget (OCT)	511.074	551.867	596.388	622.986
2022 Budget (MAR)	511.074	535.915	562.406	585.206

Linkage Program

$m.	22-23	23-24	24-25	25-26	26-27
2023 Budget	317.251	343.808	373.989	402.784	430.918
2022 Budget (OCT)	319.503	345.731	374.289	400.792
2022 Budget (MAR)	340.820	357.704	375.595	390.950
2021 Budget	329.948	334.109	339.622
2020 Budget	325.240	327.074	N/A
2019 Budget	301.741	N/A	N/A

The ARC Linkage Program has been charged with delivering the Industry Fellows component of the University Research Commercialisation Scheme. Accordingly there is a boost to the Linkage Program’s funding in the next financial year of around $26 million compared to 2022-23, and annual increases in subsequent years of 8% to 9% per annum. This means that like the Discovery Program, the Linkage Program is forecast to increase in real terms (i.e. at a rate higher than inflation).

Research Support

In addition to providing funding for the ARC research programs, the Department of Education provides funding to universities to help cover the indirect costs of research.

In the 2020 Budget, the Government used the Research Support Program to provide a vital one off injection of $1 billion into higher education research in that financial year, with funding in subsequent years reverting to normal’. The 2023-24 Budget provides increases of around 5% per annum in the Research Support Program from 2023-24, meaning that funding for this program also increases slightly in real terms if inflation is as predicted.

Research Support Program

$m.	22-23	23-24	24-25	25-26	26-27
2023 Budget	951.188	1005.282	1064.389	1101.524	1131.792
2022 Budget (OCT)	951.188	1004.314	1058.779	1089.934
2022 Budget (MAR)	951.188	978.674	1,002.668	1,028.230

Funding for the indirect costs of research funded by the MRFF is provided from the Research Support Program. With the MRFF providing hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to universities, a substantial increase in the Research Support Program is needed just to maintain the levels of research support funding for research projects at their current already inadequate level. The issue of indirect research costs remains unresolved for the whole health and medical research sector and indeed publicly funded research more broadly. Research Australia continues to call for a whole of government approach to the issue of funding indirect research costs.

Research Training

The Research Training Program (RTP) provides funding to universities to support higher degree by research students (mostly PhDs). Funding for the RTP declined in absolute terms between the 2019 and 2020 Budgets, and only partly recovered in the 2022 Budget. Consistent with the October Budget, the latest Budget provides increases of around 6% per year in 2023-24 and 2024-24, before the annual increase drops to around 3%. Inexplicably, funding actually declines slightly in 2026-27, to $1.26 billion.

$m.	22-23	23-24	24-25	25-26	26-27
2023 Budget	1092.766	1154.911	1222.827	1264.691	1260.070
2022 Budget (OCT)	1092.766	1153.800	1216.372	1251.497
2022 Budget (MAR)	1092.766	1124.344	1151.909	1181.153

Australia’s Economic Accelerator

The Australia’s Economic Accelerator was announced in the March 2022 Budget, but the legislation was only passed earlier this year. This is a $1.6 billion program over 10 years, administered by the Department of Education to overcome the valley of death that currently exists between the point at which public research funding ceases (typically publication) and the point at which commercial investors are prepared to get involved. Unlike ARC programs, the Accelerator is open to application for medical products. The funding for the program reflects the delayed start in 2022-23 with higher funding over the forward estimates in subsequent years.

$m.	22-23	23-24	24-25	25-26	26-27
2023 Budget	10.172	99.536	163.247	161.646	212.089
2022 Budget (OCT)	10.172	99.444	162.395	159.95
2022 Budget (MAR)	49.160	99.444	149.498	154.601

National Collaborative Research Infrastructure (NCRIS) Program

The NCRIS Program funds vital national research infrastructure needed to support Australian research. The most recent National Research Infrastructure Roadmap nominated synthetic biology, digital research infrastructure, collections (biobanks) and facilities to scale up materials for clinical trials.

This Budget maintains the forecast annual boost to NCRIS of more than $100 million from 2023-24. The new Research Infrastructure Investment Plan should provide more detail about how this funding will be allocated once it is completed; hopefully it will be announced soon.

$m.	22-23	23-24	24-25	25-26	26-27
2023 Budget	286.043	402.290	503.116	462.850	372.323
2022 Budget (OCT)	286.043	400.028	499.848	458.338
2022 Budget (MAR)	286.043	396.826	496.739	454.441

Industry, Innovation and Science Portfolio

National Reconstruction Fund

Fulfilling another election promise, the Government earlier this year passed legislation to create the National Reconstruction Fund (NRF). The NRF will invest $15.0 billion over 7 years from 2023–24 to provide targeted co-investments in seven priority areas: resources; agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors; transport; medical science; renewables and low emission technologies; defence capability; and enabling capabilities.

The NRF is expected to generate revenue from investments, with estimated receipts of $188.7 million over the forward estimates from the $15 billion of investments in loans, equity investments and guarantees. The returns will be reinvested to ensure the NRF’s sustainability.

CRC Program

The Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) Program is important to health and medical research and innovation, with many of the CRCs funded over the 30 year life of the program being health related. Current CRCs include the Digital Health CRC and the Autism CRC.

The smaller CRC projects program is also relevant, with recently funded projects including the creation of better brain electrodes and development of a bionic medical device that delivers high-fidelity visual-spatial perception for blind people. Funding for the CRC Program is scheduled to increase slightly faster than forecast in the March 2022 and October Budgets, but not quite enough to keeping up with projected inflation.

$m.	22-23	23-24	24-25	25-26	26-27
2023 Budget	199.374	200.532	208.046	205.199	209.737
2022 Budget (OCT)	199.374	199.962	205.054	201.579
2022 Budget (MAR)	199.374	193.117	197.070	193.540
2021 Budget	197.815	191.042	193.807	N/A

CSIRO

The CSIRO has Flagship Programs relevant to health and medical research and is a key collaborator and partner in research. While it generates much of its own revenue it is also funded by the Government. The Government contribution to the CSIRO outlined in the Budget rises in the next two financial years before dropping back again. There are slight increases on the funding outlined in the October Budget.

$m.	21-22	22-23	23-24	24-25	25-26	26-27
2023 Budget		991.134	1,008.739	934.391	945.155	948.486
2022 Budget (OCT)	949.037	991.134	1.005.563	919.405	931.573
2022 Budget (MAR)	949.037	991.289	985.625	899.352	904.477

New beamlines for Synchrotron

ANSTO’s Australian Synchrotron continues its partner-funded $98 million BR-GHT beamline expansion program, with eight new beamlines being constructed. This will nearly double the Synchrotron’s capacity and allow for broader engagement with researchers and industry in a range of applications, from high-tech manufacturing, including aerospace and transport, to health, including drug development and medical implants.

Entrepreneurs’ Program makes way for Industry Growth Program

The Entrepreneurs’ Program is a long standing funding program to support the commercialisation and development of new innovations. This Budget signals the end of the program, with a slow decline over several years, presumably as existing commitments are concluded.

$m.	22-23	23-24	24-25	25-26	26-27
2023 Budget	126.900	53.384	9.208	2.298	3.008

The Entrepreneurs’ program is being replaced with a new $397 million Industry Growth Program, providing grants of between $50,000 and $5 million to startups. It is focused on the same target areas as the National Reconstruction Fund (NRF), including medical products, and is designed to support new businesses to the point where they are eligible for investment from the NRF.

Conclusion

Research Australia will continue to provide analysis and commentary in the coming days and weeks. We invite your responses and reactions to how the 2023 Budget affects you and your work.

You can share your views with us at our 30-minute budget analysis as part of our NEW – Member Event Series. We will provide a snapshot of Federal budget changes that affect the funding environment for Australian health and medical research and innovation.

When: Thursday 11 May 2023

Time: 12 midday – 12.30pm (AEST)

Platform: Zoom (details to be supplied after registration.)

If you have not yet registered, please click here.

Please contact Greg Mullins, Head of Policy, greg.mullins@researchaustralia.org

Ends …..

[1] Australian Government Future Fund, Determination pursuant to section 34(1) of the MRFF Act 2015 Maximum annual distribution for financial year 2023-24, obtained under FOI

FEDERAL BUDGET: MEDICAL RESEARCH INVESTMENT WELCOMED BUT WHERE’S THE EVIDENCE FOR PRIMARY CARE

9 May 2023

The national peak body for health and medical research, Research Australia, has welcomed long overdue investment in key research funding streams, the NHMRC and ARC.

“Like all parts of the economy, inflation has well and truly increased the cost of undertaking health and medical research and innovation. In past Budgets, Government funding for research has failed to keep pace with inflation. Tonight’s commitment to a 3.6% increase over 2022 / 2023 brings the NHMRC in line with inflation. While there is still a long way to go, this is welcome news for the research community that all Australians rely on to improve their health,” said Research Australia CEO, Nadia Levin.

Research Australia is pleased to see the attention being focused on the commercialisation of health and medical research, through programs such as the National Reconstruction Fund and Australia’s Economic Accelerator.

“For health and medical research and innovation to flourish, we must sustain the whole pipeline. Strategic and coordinated financial settings for all stages of the health and medical research pipeline will ensure Australian health and medical research can contribute to a healthy population and economy.

“The Medical Research Future Fund Board of Guardians approved up to $870 million for release from the MRFF to fund research in 2023-24. Of that available $870 million only $650 million is flowing through to the MRFF in 2023-24 and the subsequent three financial years. We will be working with Government to understand why,” said Research Australia CEO, Nadia Levin.

Research Australia has also welcomed the Budget’s $6.1 billion investment in strengthening Medicare and improvements in digital health but says that reform must be supported by evidence grounded in research.

“The health and medical research sector welcomes the necessary primary care improvements in tonight’s Budget which will benefit Australian health consumers for the next decade and beyond.

“All health system change must be informed by latest and best evidence. However, there has been no commitment to fund research to guide the design and implementation of these measures, or to support their evaluation. Measures to boost the primary care workforce similarly, do not include support for researchers to generate the evidence for improved primary care.

“It is heartening to see overdue digital health investment, particularly improvements to the My Health Record which could one day provide a wealth of secure, anonymous health data and accompanying research opportunities on a scale never before seen in Australia.

“All improvements to the My Health Record must be accompanied by a framework to guide safe, sensible secondary use of my health record for public-good health research. Research Australia stands ready to work with a reinvigorated Australian Digital Health Agency to progress this Framework,” said Nadia Levin.

ENDS

Research Australia is the national peak body for health and medical research, representing the entire health and medical research pipeline.

Research Australia member calls for action on A National Data Governance Framework

Friday 17 February 2023

Research Australia is delighted to share a terrific article from Research Australia Chair and Member, Digital Health CRC.

Associate Professor Annette Schmiede is CEO of Digital Health CRC and Chair of Research Australia. Associate Professor Schmiede said that Australia lacks a national health data and information governance framework, which was blocking digital health initiatives. To read Associate Professor Schmeide’s full article in the Australian Financial Review please click here.

The full Report from Digital Health CRC, Digital Transformation Of Healthcare In Australia Constrained – A Call To Action For A National Data Governance Framework, is available here.

Research Australia Welcomes Establishment of National Women’s Health Advisory Council and Appointment of CEO as a Special Advisor

January 2023

Research Australia Welcomes Establishment of National Women’s Health Advisory Council and Appointment of CEO as a Special Advisor

Research Australia has welcomed today’s announcement by the Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Ged Kearney, of a range of eminent Australian experts in women’s health.

The Council was announced by Minister Kearney at Research Australia’s national Health and Medical Research Awards and CEO of Research Australia, Nadia Levin, has congratulated all fellow appointees to the new National Women’s Health Advisory Council.

“I am honoured by this appointment as a Special Adviser to the Council and would like to thank the Minister for establishing the Advisory Council. I see this appointment as acknowledging the whole pipeline of great health and medical researchers that Research Australia represents,” Nadia Levin said.

“This Women’s Health Advisory Council fills an important gap. Despite the great strides we have made, there are still lingering issues around women’s participation in research trials. Women are still being ignored in medical trials and reports.

“Quite often clinical trials do not report specific results for males and females. There is a failure to account for the different effects a drug may have on men and women, and this undoubtedly compromises quality of care for women.

“I look forward to working with all the highly qualified and committed members of this Council to advise the Australian Government on all issues affecting women and their access to fair and equitable treatment by the Australian Health system, particularly in research.”

ENDS

Research Australia is the national peak body for health and medical research, representing
the entire health and medical research pipeline.

Research Australia Announces New Patron Emeritus Professor Christine Bennett AO and Life Membership to Professor Alexandra McManus

November 2022

Research Australia Announces New Patron Emeritus Professor Christine Bennett AO and Life Membership to Professor Alexandra McManus

Research Australia’s Board were delighted to appoint Emeritus Professor Christine Bennett AO, as their new patron, and to present a life membership to Professor Alexandra McManus.
These exciting announcements were made at the Research Australia’s Annual General Meeting, which was held in Sydney this week.

Professor Christine Bennett has a longstanding association with Research Australia, serving as both a past Chair and CEO of the organisation. Research Australia Chair, Associate Professor Annette Schmiede, said “Christine’s appointment as Patron is an important acknowledgement of her ongoing contribution to our organisation and the health and medical research sector more broadly.”

Professor Bennett has maintained an active leadership position as a commentator and strategist on health reform in Australia and internationally. In 2008, the Prime Minister appointed her to be Chair of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission that provided advice to governments on a long-term blueprint for the future of the Australian health system and aged care.

Annette Schmiede said “Christine’s continuing affiliation with Research Australia over these last 20 years has enabled us to achieve NHMRC funding reform, progress towards a National Health and Medical Research Strategy and so much more. “Together, with Sir Gustav Nossal AC, Christine’s patronage of Research Australia will formalise her ongoing role in supporting and guiding the advocacy positions Research Australia takes on behalf of the sector.”

Research Australia is pleased and proud to have her take up this patronage.

Professor McManus has a longstanding association with Research Australia, serving as past Board Director of the organization from 2012 to 2018. Research Australia Chair, Associate Professor Annette Schmiede, said that “presenting life membership to Professor McManus is an important acknowledgement of her ongoing contribution to Research Australia.”

Professor McManus is a public health practitioner with substantial experience in multi-disciplinary research in urban, regional, and rural settings. She has a particular skill in translating complex research outcomes into a variety of easy-to-understand formats.

Professor McManus is highly deserving of this award as she continues demonstrating outstanding commitment to Research Australia.

Research Australia is proud that Professor McManus joins an illustrious group of Life Members. They are Professor Christine Bennett, AO, Professor Emeritus John Niland, AC, Mt Peter Wills, AC, Ms Mary Woolley, Professor John Funder, AC, Dr Chris Roberts, and The Hon. Dr Michael Wooldridge.

ENDS

Research Australia is the national peak body for health and medical research, representing
the entire health and medical research pipeline.

Accolades for Australia’s health and medical research stars

November 2022

Accolades for Australia’s health and medical research stars

Australia’s leading health and medical researchers, and those supporting their ground-breaking work, have been recognised as finalists in Research Australia’s prestigious national Health and Medical Research Awards.

Representing a range of specialist fields, including immunology, public health, space biology and bioinformatics, these finalists are at the forefront of health and medical research with their work driving significant impact for patients and clinicians alike. Inspiring philanthropists and advocates for research have also been recognised.

Research Australia CEO Nadia Levin said the Awards, now in their 19^th year, celebrate Australian health and medical researchers whose achievements are driving innovation and transforming health on a national and global scale.

“The pandemic has shown how important comprehensive health and medical research is for our communities and our health systems,” she said.

“The critical skills of this sector cannot be developed overnight – nurturing and investing in early and mid-career researchers is essential, as well as supporting our more established world-leading researchers.

“Increasingly, health and medical researchers must work across disciplines to produce complex solutions to today’s most pressing health issues. As technology advances, researchers must also remain at the forefront, pioneering innovations for long-term health challenges.”

“COVID-19 has made Australians acutely aware of the impact health and medical research can have on their daily lives. It’s crucial that we continue to support and advance Australian health and medical research, so we can remain global leaders in the field, delivering life-changing breakthroughs and improvements.”

There are eight award categories in total, with finalists from six announced today. They are:

The Frontiers Award, sponsored by Australian National University
The Advocacy Award, sponsored by AbbVie
The Griffith University Discovery Award
The Health Services Research Award, sponsored by the Victorian Government (DJPR)
The Data Innovation Award
The Great Australian Philanthropy Award

In addition to the winners of the above categories, the winner of the Peter Wills Award will be announced at the on the night, as will the winner of the 2022 GSK Award for Research Excellence.

Find out who the finalists are here:

“As the only peak body for the entire health and medical research pipeline, Research Australia is proud to recognise these researchers who are leading the charge to improve health outcomes in Australia and across the world,” Ms Levin said. “We look forward to celebrate the finalists’ dedication, leadership and success at the Awards Gala next month.”

Winners will be announced at the 19th Health and Medical Research Awards in Melbourne on December 8. These Awards recognise and showcase the best research minds and research implementors along with those amazing individuals who support and promote Australia’s incredible health and medical research.

For the past 22 years, Research Australia, the national peak body for Australian health and medical research, has advocated for a sustainable research and innovation eco-system.

ENDS

Research Australia is the national peak body for health and medical research, representing the entire health and medical research pipeline.

FEDERAL BUDGET: NO NEWS ON HEALTH AND MEDICAL RESEARCH IS GOOD NEWS

25 October 2022

The national peak body for health and medical research, Research Australia, says that while tonight’s budget does not contain a lot of news – good or bad – for the health and medical research sector, it gives the sector breathing space to put current health and medical research spending under the microscope.

Research Australia CEO, Nadia Levin, said, “Australia has to look more closely at where health and medical research funding is spent now, where it should be spent to be most effective and efficient, and what sort of health and medical research workforce Australia will need for the future.

“Research Australia continues to champion the National HMR Strategy, as announced last year, to ensure investment has maximum impact on national priorities and exploits areas of international competitive advantage.

“There is almost no new funding for the grants programs of NHMRC, MRFF or ARC, despite rising inflation making the cost of undertaking research more expensive. It is however heartening to see the commitment to health and medical research as a driver of a better healthcare evident in the Government’s commitments to new Cancer Centres and the National Centre for Disease Control.

“The continued commitment to the National Reconstruction Fund is welcome. It is through the $1.5bn investment in medical science that we can translate Australia’s world-class health innovation into the industries of the future.

“We look forward to working with the Albanese Government to understand how Australia can invest smarter to provide a better quality of life for Australians and maximise the innovation potential of Australian health and medical research,” Nadia Levin said.

Research Australia has welcomed the handful of measures relevant to health and medical research, including:

A $2.9 billion package to drive an innovative revamp of Australia’s primary health care system including $100 million to co-develop and pilot innovative models with states and territories to improve care pathways and inform program roll out.
$452 million to support the establishment of 2 world class comprehensive cancer centres in Brisbane and Adelaide.
$47.2 million over six years to encourage young people, especially women, to forge brighter careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professions.
$13.5 million for developing Australia’s critical technology capability as part of the National Reconstruction Fund, as well as continued funding for the National Science and Technology Council.
$3.4 million to establish a National Health Sustainability and Climate Unit.
$3.2 million for preparatory work for the National Centre for Disease Control.

ENDS

Research Australia is the national peak body for health and medical research, representing the entire health and medical research pipeline.