Research Australia’s Pre-Budget submission to the Australian Treasurer recognises the positive policy developments in the last 12 months and the not so positive. It provides 16 recommendations across 8 broad themes for implementation in the 2019/20 Budget.
These include fully capitalising the MRFF; reversing funding cuts to NHMRC and ARC funding programs and the research block grants; finalising and implementing the Digital Economy Strategy; and leaving the R&D Tax Incentive alone.
Better use of data is once again a key theme of Research Australia’s submission. If we are to make the most of our national investment in digital health we need to increase data capability in Government departments and agencies. Beyond this we need to raise levels of digital health literacy across the community to enable all Australians to better manage their health and avoid exacerbating existing health inequities in Australian society.