Category: Submissions

Submission to Diabetes Inquiry calls for better data and action on diabetes research

The Minister for Health and Aged Care asked the Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport to conduct an inquiry into Diabetes in Australia. Research Australia’s submission highlights the failure of the most recent National Diabetes Strategy to develop useful measures of progress and the absence of funding for the proposed research agenda, or any mechanism or structure to implement it.

This is an issue that has arisen consistently with recent health agendas and plans (e.g. dementia, primary care) that propose a research agenda as part of the plan but have no funding and no means of implementing it. Research Australia has proposed the Inquiry consider a role for the Australian Centre for Disease Control in the application of research to chronic diseases.

Research Australia’s submission is available here.

The Committee published its report on 4 July 2024, available here. Among its recommendations are that the Government involve the Australian Centre for Disease Control in managing research priorities for diabetes and increase diabetes research funding.

Responsible AI in healthcare

In June 2023 the Department of Industry, Science and Resources announced a consultation on steps Australia can take to mitigate the potential risks of AI.

Addressing the questions posed in the Discussion paper, Research Australia’s submission endorses a risk based approach to the regulation of the development of AI in healthcare, and expresses support for the existing role of the Therapeutic Goods Administration in respect of AI in medical devices. It also calls for dedicated research to understand where AI is posing risk in health care and how these risks can best be mitigated.

Towards a National Health and Climate Strategy

In June 2023 the Department of Health announced the commencement of a consultation on development of Australia’s first National Health and Climate Strategy, in recognition of the urgent need to:

    1. reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the health system, and
    2. strengthen the resilience of the health system and communities to anticipate and respond to the health impacts of climate change.

Research Australia’s submission addresses many of the questions contained in the discussion paper, and proposes the creation and funding of a Centre for Sustainable Healthcare Innovation, to support the identification and develop of mitigation measures.

The Government published its National Health and Climate Strategy on 3 December 2023.

Getting better value from the MRFF and the NHMRC’s MREA

 

In May the Department of Health announced a national consultation focused on optimising the government’s funding arrangements for health and medical research by improving strategic alignment and coordination between the MRFF and the NHMRC’s Medical Research Endowment Account. Research Australia welcomes this initiative and the commitment that this reform will be undertaken within the broader context of a new National Health and Medical Research Strategy, a long-term campaign by Research Australia (and others).

Following consultation with our membership, Research Australia has made a submission in response to the Discussion paper.

Unified governance of the MRFF and the MREA presents a real opportunity to ensure the MRFF Priorities are developed with greater regard for what the MREA is funding, thereby ensuring better differentiation and complimentarily of the two funds. There is also an opportunity to address equity and health disparities through more coordinated and streamlined funding.

Research Australia has largely supported the proposed Model 2 as a way of improving coordination while recognising the distinct objectives and purposes of the two funds. Establishing one administrative funding body provides the opportunity for successful research projects to graduate more seamlessly from one funding program to the next including from an NHMRC program to an MRFF program. T

This new model must be delivered in such a way that preserves the MRFF’s funding for medical innovation, and that input from outside academia and medical research institutes is retained. Stakeholders from commercialisation, finance, and industry have a meaningful advisory role in both the priority setting and funding processes of the MRFF. Basic research can be funded by the NHMRC in a way that will ultimately support MRFF Priority areas if the two funds are better aligned.

Finally, a Workforce Plan must form part of the broader national HMR Strategy. This Workforce Plan should seek to address the challenges faced by early and mid-career health and medical researchers and identify careers/jobs critical to a future economy underpinned by a thriving innovation and modern manufacturing sector.

Consultation on changes to align the MRFF and MREA are ongoing and Research Australia is continuing to liaise with the Government on the sector’s behalf on these important reforms. If you would like to get involved please contact Research Australia’s General Manager Lucy Clynes at lucy.clynes@researchaustrlaia.,org or Head of Policy Greg Mullins at greg.mullins@researchaustralia.org

Research Australia’s submission is available here.  

The role of research in supporting Health Technology Assessment

The Health Technology Assessment Policy and Methods Review is a commitment in the 2022-2027 Strategic Agreement between the Commonwealth and Medicines Australia being conducted by the Department of Health.

The HTA Review is being undertaken by a Reference Committee. In this initial phase of the consultation, the Committee has sought feedback on specific questions, with responses to be made by electronic submission.

Research Australia has responded to two questions in the survey, highlighting the role that research in HTA can play in improving Australia’s system for HTA.

Research Australia’s submission is available here.

Research Australia looks forward to responding to the Reference Committee’s draft recommendations for change in the next phase of the Review.

Doubling Philanthropy by 2030

The Commonwealth Government has set an ambitious target to double philanthropic giving by 2023 and has asked the Productivity Commission (PC) to advise on how this can be achieved. The PC has launched an Inquiry, and in this first phase it is seeking data on philanthropy and ideas on actions the Government can take to achieve this goal.

Philanthropy plays a critical role in funding health and medical research and innovation in Australia. Research Australia’s submission has provided information about the nature of philanthropy in our sector and the role it plays in complementing other sources of funding. We have drawn on our many years of annual opinion polling to provide information about motivations for donating to research, tax deductions, trends in donations and attitudes to charities partnering with government to jointly fund research.

We have suggested that a more strategic approach by the Australian Government to working with charities could lead to efficiencies and greater effectiveness in the funding of HMR.

Research Australia’s submission is available here.

We will also respond to the second stage of the PC’s Inquiry, later in 2023. If you would like to join our working group on philanthropy, please email Greg Mullins, Head of Policy, at greg.mullins@researchaustralia.org

Research is central to the Universities Accord

Research Australia’s submission to the Universities Accord Discussion paper responds to two key issues. The first relates to the career prospects and professional development of early and mid-career researchers. Research Australia proposes that this be a shared responsibility of research funders, universities, researcher managers and researchers. We also welcome further consideration of programs to support exposure to roles in industry and government during the completion of a higher degree by research.

The second relates to the funding for indirect research costs. We propose a new structure for the future funding of direct and indirect research costs and two distinct principles to guide the structure. We also propose that funding for national research infrastructure be included in these deliberations.

In each proposal we outline the case for how and why these issues should be addressed by an Accord between universities and the Commonwealth Government.

Research Australia’s submission is available here.

Australia’s future includes medical products manufacturing

The Science and Industry Minister asked the House Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Resources to conduct an Inquiry into developing advanced manufacturing (AM) in Australia. The Terms of Reference include:

    • opportunities in relation to job creation and productivity;
    • international trends;
    • Australia’s competitive strengths and advantages;
    • barriers to existing manufacturers, particularly SMEs
    • financial and non-financial investment opportunities or possible reforms to support the growth of AM
    • opportunities to increase employment in AM; and
    • skills needed in advanced manufacturing.

Research Australia’s submission has responded in relation to the opportunities and challenges for manufacturing medical products in Australia. We have called for a National Medical Products Industry Plan, with a goal of making Australia a net exporter of medical products, supported by a medical products workforce plan.

Research Australia’s submission is available here.

Reforming the Privacy Act to better support health research

The Attorney General’s Department is undertaking a multi stage review of the Privacy Act 1988. In February 2023 the Department published the Report of the Review of the Privacy Act and of the consultation undertaken in 2021 and 2022. The Report contains many proposals for amendment of the Act, a few of which have direct implications for the use of personal information in research, and consent to the use of information for research purposes. Research Australia responded to these privacy related matters, supporting a broder research consent, and further consultation on the exceptions from consent which permit research to be undertaken.

Research Australia’s submission is available here.

The Government’s response to the report was released on September 2023 and is available here. The Government has accepted the report’s recommendations relating to research and will consult further before developing legislation. Research Australia will continue to participate with further consultations as legislation is developed.

Making better use of GP Data and enhancing GP decision making

Most GPs these days use a practice management system (PMS), software which helps capture and manage patient information. Many of these systems also use AI enabled Clinical Decision Support (eCDS) software to support clinical decision making by suggesting possible diagnoses and treatments.

The Australian Government is investigating options for making greater use of data held in PMSs, and also the options for oversight of the quality of eCDS.  Research Australia’s submission has provided examples of the types of research outcomes that can be achieved with GP data, and suggested how research could support the validation of eCDS and confidence in its effectiveness.

Research Australia’s submission is available here.