AAMRI welcomes a decade of good research infrastructure thanks to Investment Plan

Released today, the Government’s Research Infrastructure Investment Plan, gives the sector a much welcomed long-term (10 year) commitment to ensuring Australian researchers have the tools they need to make new discoveries in medical research.

This will give the sector confidence to make co-investments, and researchers the confidence to undertake long-term projects that will deliver health and economic benefits to the nation.

“The Investment Plan recognises an important fact – that we can only do world class research when we have access to world class research infrastructure.” said Professor Tony Cunningham AO, President of the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI).

Professor Cunningham applauded the commitment of nearly $2 billion of funding announced in the Budget for this Plan. “This investment will make Australia a more attractive research destination, providing new opportunities for our best and brightest to stay here in Australia for their research career, and allow us to attract the very best global talent.”

Our world-class research sector supports in excess of 150,000 jobs, and to keep supporting these jobs we need to keep supporting the infrastructure that underpins them.

AAMRI was particularly pleased to see new investment in supercomputing facilities, microscopy and imaging capabilities, complex biology – including next generation sequencing – and support for clinical trials infrastructure.

This investment will help find ways to speed up identification of diseases such as cancer, develop new medical devices to deliver needle free vaccines and help develop new medical treatments to reduce future medical costs.

The Investment Plan provides a strategic, whole-of-government view to investing in Australia’s national research infrastructure system. It was developed following the Government’s detailed consideration of the 2016 Roadmap, including nearly 500 written submissions and consultations with over 580 stakeholders.

Media Contact: Aimee Sanderson, 0414 611 334, aimee.sanderson@aamri.org.au.