New cardiovascular clinician & senior scientists grants

With the NSW Government’s announcement in June to invest $150 million to fight heart disease in NSW over the next 10 years, NSW Health has launched two new grants offering funding for cardiovascular researchers in NSW.

Cardiovascular disease is Australia’s number one killer. Supporting innovative research programs through these grants will drive discoveries that allow researchers to find ways to better diagnose, treat and prevent these conditions, improving the health and wellbeing of people living in NSW.

Image: Medical Device Commercialisation Training Program graduate Dr Carmine Gentile is researching how to mend a broken heart by 3D bioprinting human heart tissues using patient-specific stem cells

Grants are part of the new NSW Cardiovascular Disease Research Capacity Building Program. A total of $12 million in funding is available across the two grants in the inaugural year.

The program aims to build research capacity in NSW by increasing the number of outstanding cardiovascular researchers, and increasing NSW’s national and international competitiveness by building a strong and highly-skilled workforce.

The NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant PSM said this investment will enable NSW to attract, support and retain the best and brightest cardiovascular disease researchers and clinicians, and establish itself as a preferred destination for investment by the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry.

“NSW is well positioned through its Cardiovascular Research Network to identify and prioritise key areas for this research investment to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and improve patient outcomes” Dr Chant said.

The NSW Cardiovascular Disease Clinician Scientist Grants will provide research support and funding for clinicians working within the NSW public health system. Expressions of Interests for these Grants close on 14 November 2018.

The NSW Cardiovascular Disease Senior Scientist Grants will support exceptional senior researchers who are 10 or more year’s post-PhD. Expressions of Interests close on 7 November 2018.

The NSW Cardiovascular Disease Research Capacity Building Program builds on the work of the NSW Cardiovascular Research Network, a collaborative of 13 member organisations and more than 50 affiliated research institutions supporting cardiovascular research and the NSW research workforce.