In this issue

1. AAMRI news – AAMRI 2022 Election Statement
2. Government update –  2021 National Research Infrastructure Roadmap
3. Sector news – New Global Science and Technology Diplomacy Fund
4. NHMRC update – Update to Investigator Grants
5. MRFF update – Grant opportunity gender data
6. Funding and award opportunities – Snow fellowships close end of May
7. Reports and resources – Latest from AIHW
8. Events and courses – The role of AI and big data in personalised medicine

Do you have something that you would like featured in a future newsletter? Send it through to communications@aamri.org.au

1. AAMRI news

AAMRI 2022 Election Statement

This election AAMRI is calling on all parties and candidates to prioritise, fund and ensure the long-term security of medical research, and its highly skilled workforce. AAMRI has outlined three critical priorities:

1. Develop a national health and medical research strategy that sets out Australia’s research priorities and investments.
2. Develop a national health and medical research workforce plan, paired with immediate initiatives to attract and retain Australia’s next generation of research leaders.
3. Build Australia’s medical research investment through the NHMRC and MRFF to $3 billion per year by 2032.

You can read our Election Statement on our website.

Election statements from around the medical research sector:

• The Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences
• Research Australia
• Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR)

Professor Elizabeth Hartland appointed as new VicAAMRI Chair

The Victorian Chapter of the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (VicAAMRI) is delighted to announce that Professor Elizabeth Hartland will take over as Chair of VicAAMRI.

Victorian Near-miss Awards narrow the gap for emerging researchers

VicAAMRI and veski are proud to launch the Victorian Near-miss Award Pilot as part of the Victorian Health and Medical Research Workforce Project. The Victorian Near-miss Award Pilot is open to medical researchers who have narrowly missed out on a 2021 NHMRC Investigator Grant in the Emerging Leaders 2 stream (aimed at our early to mid-career researchers).

AAMRI Policy and Operations Forum – links to recordings

Last month AAMRI held its Policy and Operations Forum. You can view any of the presentations and discussions you may have missed here.

AAMRI Research Impact webinar – what is research impact, and how can plan for and measure it

Earlier this month Ken Knight from MCRI gave an outstanding webinar to AAMRI members looking at what research impact is and how we can plan and measure for it. The feedback we’ve had from members on this webinar has been excellent, making this essential viewing for those interested in research impact. You can view Ken’s webinar here.

2.  Government update

2021 National Research Infrastructure (NRI) Roadmap

The Roadmap identifies the tools, technologies and expertise Australia’s researchers and innovators need for the coming decade to continue to deliver research excellence and innovation and address pressing global challenges.

Consultations

Research block grant reform

The Government is proposing changes to the research block grant funding framework to incentivise further collaboration between universities and industry and to increase investment in research and development from industry partners. Closes 31 May 2022.

Closing the gap review

Parties to the National Agreement on Closing the Gap agreed that the Commission will undertake a comprehensive review of progress every three years. This is the first review. Details TBA.

National Ethics Committee Quality Standard

The full name for the consultation is “Development of a National Accreditation Scheme for Human Research Ethics Committees and Expansion of the National Mutual Acceptance Scheme”. Register your interest to receive updates on how to be involved.

Tabled reports

• Senate Select Committee on COVID-19 Final Report – Tabled 7 April 2022

3.  Sector news

New $77m Bragg Comprehensive Cancer Centre (BCCC) in SA

The BCCC is a broad collaboration guided by the Adelaide Health Innovation Partnership and it’s principal partners – SAHMRI, the Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Women’s and Children’s Health Network and the University of Adelaide. The funds have been pledged by the Federal Liberal Government, and the commitment has been matched by the Labor Party.

$60.2 million Global Science and Technology Diplomacy Fund

The new strategic element of the Global Science and Technology Diplomacy Fund will boost Australia’s science and technology diplomacy by promoting cooperation with global partners in priority areas.

Go8: Securing Australia’s medical workforce will avert pending health crisis

The Group of Eight (Go8) has called on an incoming Government to move quickly to avert a looming medical crisis as Australia’ depleted healthcare workforce copes with increasing demand and pressure in a post pandemic world. The policy paper is one in a series from the Go8 in the lead up to the Federal election.

Newest CRC to tackle existential threat of antimicrobial resistance

the Cooperative Research Centre for Solving Antimicrobial Resistance in Agribusiness, Food and Environments has been confirmed as the newest Cooperative Research Centre in the first of the Round 23 CRCs announced.

Call for tenders – training program to improve consumer involvement in research (WA)

A new program, funded through the Future Health Research and Innovation Fund, will enable health consumers to be at the forefront of health and medical research.

Ear Science announced national winner of ‘Championing Health in Australia’

National winners of the Telstra Business Awards were announced in Sydney last month. The judges said they were blown away by the tremendous impact that Ear Science has in Australia and internationally.

NSW 20-Year R&D Roadmap

The NSW 20-Year R&D Roadmap is a recommendation of the Turning ideas into jobs: Accelerating R&D in NSW Action Plan.

Funding awarded:

• $28 million to establish a National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health – $8 million over two years for the establishment of the Centre and $20 million for a grant round through the MRFF.
• $26.9 million to support allergic diseases and anaphylaxis to establish a National Allergy Council, and support research at MCRI.
• $24 million for 10 research projects from the MRFF 2022 Models of Care to Improve the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Acute Care Grant Opportunity.
• $22 million in funding will go to established organisations as part of the Government’s National Suicide Prevention Leadership and Support Program.
• $18.2 million for The Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, in collaboration with the Australian Academy of Science to deliver the Government’s “Global Science and Technology Diplomacy Fund – Strategic Element”.
• $9.1 million for 4 projects from the MRFF Clinical Trials Activity Initiative – International Clinical Trial Collaborations Grant Opportunity
• $6.5 million in WA for the Research Institute Support program.

Appointments:

• Ms Judi Zielke PSM has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Research Council.
• Stuart Dignam is the newly appointed CEO of MTPConnect.

4. NHMRC update

2022 Investigator Grant CEO peer reviewer briefing

The video and transcript are now available on the NHMRC website.

Investigator Grants 2023

As announced in Tracker on 11 April, the 2023 Investigator Grants funding round will open for applications in January 2023 (instead of August 2022 as previously planned). The funding commencement date will remain unchanged as 1 January 2024.

NHMRC’s Research Translation Symposium – save the date

It will be held 17 – 22 November 2022 as a hybrid online and in-person event.

Is COVID impacting your NHMRC/MRFF funded research?

The NHMRC and the MRFF have put in place measures to help assist researchers whose research has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Further information is available on the NHMRC website or in the latest MRFF newsletter.

5.  MRFF update

MRFF grant opportunity gender data

The Department of Health has released a report on MRFF grant outcomes by gender. This is the first time that there has been an analysis by gender of any MRFF grant outcomes.

Update on the proposed changes to the Medical Research Future Fund Act 2015

The Investment Funds Legislation Amendment Bill 2021 has lapsed following the federal election announcement. This legislation would have allowed the MRFF to be invested more ambitiously with the objective of delivering greater returns which could then be invested in medical research. The decision to progress any proposed changes to the MRFF Act will be a matter for the new government.

MRFF grant opportunities

See what MRFF grant opportunities are open and what their status is. You can also track MRFF opportunities through AAMRI’s own calendar.

Subscribe to the MRFF newsletter

To stay updated about MRFF-related changes, you can review the previous editions of the MRFF newsletter and subscribe to their email list.

6.  Funding and award opportunities

Artificial Intelligence and Digital Capability Centres Grants, closes 12 May 2022.

2022 Monash Global Executive MBA (open to BioMelbourne Network members). 5 x sponsorships for $20,000. Interested participants must register for one of two information sessions delivered in May, register your interest no later than Monday 16 May.

ARC Discovery Projects for funding commencing in 2023, closes 17 May 2022.

NHMRC Targeted Call for Research: Improving Indigenous maternal and child health in the early years 2022, minimum data due 18 May 2022, closes 1 June 2022.

2022 NHMRC Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme, minimum data 18 May, closes 08 June.

RACP Research Entry Fellowships, closes 18 May 2022.

Cardiovascular Postgraduate Scholarship, closes 18 May 2022.

2023 Dr John Dixon Hughes OAM Medal for Medical Research Innovation, self-nominations are not accepted, closes 6pm 20 May 2022.

Research Fellowships by the Cancer Institute NSW, early career and career development fellowships available, closes 25 May 2022.

WA Child Research Fund (WACRF) 2021/22, closes 30 May 2022.

The National Breast Cancer Research Foundation 2023 Investigator Initiated Research Scheme, closes 30 May 2022.

Snow Fellowships 2022, biomedical research, up to $1M per year for 8 years, closes 31 May 2022.

The Academy of Science – fellowships Nominations, closes 01 June 2022.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scientist awards, closes 01 June 2022.

Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities for funding commencing in 2023, closes 01 June 2022.

2022 GACD A Life Course Approach to Common NCD Risk Factor Prevention and Reduction for funding in 2023, closes 02 June 2022 (AEST).

NHMRC-AMED 2022 Dementia Collaborative Research Scheme funding commencing in 2022, minimum data 08 June, closes 22 June 2022.

Healthcare sector women’s leadership scholarship, $1,000 – $5,000, closes 10 June 2022.

NHMRC Development Grants 2022 for funding in 2023, closes 15 June 2022

MRFF 2022 National Critical Research Infrastructure Grant Opportunity, minimum data 16 June 2022, closes 7 September 2022.

MRFF 2021 Clinical Trials Activity grant opportunity, minimum data 22 June 2022, closes 06 July 2022.

Arthritis Australia Grants Programme 2023, including fellowships, overseas awards and scholarships. Closes 08 July 2022.

PhD Scholarships – Blood Cancer – from The Leukaemia Foundation and the Haematology Society of Australia and New Zealand, closes 10 July 2022.

MRFF – 2021 Early to Mid-Career Researchers Grant Opportunity, minimum data 29 June 2022, closes 13 July 2022.

MRFF – 2021 Chronic Respiratory Conditions grant opportunity, minimum data 29 June 2022, closes 13 July 2022.

MRFF – PPHRI & EPCDRI – 2022 Effective Treatments and Therapies Grant Opportunity, minimum data 13 July, closes 27 July 2022.

MRFF – 2021 mRNA Clinical Trial Enabling Infrastructure Grant Opportunity, closes 15 July 2022.

MRFF Clinical Trials Activity Initiative – 2022 International Clinical Trial Collaborations Grant Opportunity, minimum data round 1, 20 July 2022.

MRFF – 2022 Clinician Researchers: Nurses, Midwives and Allied Health Grant Opportunity, minimum data 27 July, closes 10 Aug 2022.

MRFF – Preventive and Public Health Research Initiative – 2021 Consumer-Led Research grant opportunity, minimum data 29 June 2022, closes 13 July 2022.

MRFF – Primary Health Care Research Initiative – 2021 Primary Health Care Digital Innovations grant opportunity, minimum data 29 June 2022, closes 13 July 2022.

MRFF – Preventive and Public Health Research – 2021 Maternal Health and Healthy Lifestyles grant opportunity, minimum data 29 June 2022, closes 13 July 2022.

MRFF – PPHRI & EPCDRI – 2022 Effective Treatments and Therapies grant opportunity, minimum data 13 July 2022, closes 27 July 2022.

MRFF CTAI and EPCDRI – 2022 Pancreatic Cancer Research Grant Opportunity, minimum data stream 1, 24 Aug 2022.

MRFF – Stem Cell Therapies Mission – 2022 Stem Cell Therapies Grant Opportunity, minimum data 24 Aug, closes 07 Sept 2022.

MRFF – 2021 BioMedTech Incubator, closes 25 Aug 2022.

MRFF – EPCDR Initiative – 2022 Mitochondrial Donation Pilot Program Grant Opportunity, minimum data 31 Aug, closes 14 Sept 2022

Register with GrantConnect to receive notifications when new opportunities open.

7.  Reports and resources

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reports

• Younger people in residential aged care
• Alcohol and other drug treatment services in Australia: early insights
• Alcohol, tobacco & other drugs in Australia
• People using aged care
• Use of Medicare chronic disease management items by patients with long-term health conditions
• OECD Health Care Quality and Outcomes Indicators, Australia 2021
• National Strategic Framework for Chronic Conditions: reporting framework
• National Cervical Screening Program Data Dictionary: Version 1.1
• Residential Aged Care Quality Indicators — October to December 2021
• Acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in Australia, 2016–2020
• Suicide & self-harm monitoring
• National Partnership on Essential Vaccines: performance report 2020–21

8.  Events and courses

Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Inspections Program Webinar – 12 May 4-5pm (online)

Following a successful pilot program, the TGA is implementing the ongoing risk-based GCP Inspection Program. An education webinar is being held to provide an overview of the new guidance and the GCP Inspection program.

Clinical Trials 2022: National Tribute and Awards Ceremony, Darlington, NSW

The 2022 ceremony will include the announcement of the ACTA Trial of the Year Award winners as well as presentations from keynote speakers including Professor Anne Kelso AO, CEO, NHMRC.

The Role of AI and Big Data in Personalised Medicine – webinar, 25 May 2022

In collaboration with AAMRI member the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research – Australian Friends of Tel Aviv University invites you to this compelling webinar and Q&A.

Bionics Institute Graeme Clark Oration, 12 July, 6-7:30pm, MCEC, Melbourne

Australia’s most prestigious free public science event to learn about the future of engineering in medicine.

Bionics Institute Innovation Lecture, 8 Sept, 6pm, Melbourne Museum

Join leaders in Australian medical technology at the inaugural Innovation Lecture event.