Australian Medical Research & Innovation Priorities 2018–2020 released

The Commonwealth Department of Health has released the Australian Medical Research and Innovation Priorities 2018–2020. These will inform future Commonwealth Government decisions on funding opportunities under the Medical Research Future Fund. The new priorities were developed by the Australian Medical Research Advisory Board following a national consultation process which NSW Health and members of the State’s research community contributed.

The new priorities are divided across six ‘strategic platforms’. These are:

Strategic and international horizons

• One health – Antimicrobial resistance
• Global health and health security
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
• Ageing and aged care

Data and infrastructure

• Digital health intelligence

Health services and systems

• Comparative effectiveness research
• Primary care research

Capacity and collaboration

• Clinical researcher capacity
• Consumer-driven research

Trials and translation

• Drug repurposing
• Public health interventions

Commercialisation

• Translational research infrastructure

These priorities will help shape the $700 million (approximately) worth of new funding programs to be made available between now and 2020-21. By this time, the Medical Research Futures Fund will distribute around $650 million in research funding each year. This is in addition to National Health and Medical Research Council funding which will remain at around $800 million a year.

This is a fantastic opportunity for health and medical researchers in NSW to find new funding for their projects. The overlap of the national priorities with our research and health system strengths is a great result for the State. NSW researchers are encouraged to investigate whether the Medical Research Futures Fund could support their research in the future. A list of all current programs is available on the Department of Health website.

To stay informed of these new funding opportunities and to apply for these Commonwealth grants, please ensure you are registered with GrantConnect. The Office for Health and Medical Research will also continue to offer a range of programs and initiatives to support NSW health and medical research each year. For the latest information subscribe to our newsletter below or follow us on Twitter.