NHMRC Research Committee (RC)

The Research Committee covers the spectrum of health and medical research, including public health. It awards grants on the basis of scientific quality as judged by peer-review across the entire spectrum of health, medical and public health research. It also provides research support through a variety of mechanisms, including support for individual research projects, broad programs of research, training awards and fellowships and special research units.

on this page

» Functions
» Membership
» Contact NHMRC Research Committee

Functions

The functions of RC, as set out in Section 35(2) of the NHMRC Act, are:

to advise and make recommendations to the Council on the application and monitoring of the Medical Research Endowment Account (MREA); and
to monitor the use of assistance provided from MREA; and
to advise the Council on matters relating to medical research and public health research, including the quality and scope of such research in Australia; and
such other functions as the Minister from time to time determines in writing after consulting the CEO; and
any other functions conferred on the Committee by the NHMRC Act, the regulations or any other law.

Membership

RC comprises 16 individuals (including the Chair). The members all have demonstrated leadership and extensive experience in various fields of health and medical research. A member of AHEC also sits on RC - this is a requirement of the NHMRC Act.

NHMRC Research Committee

» Research committee member details

Member	Position
Professor James Best	Chair
Dr Nikolajs Zeps	Member in common with Australian Health Ethics Committee
	Members with demonstrated leadership and extensive experience in health and medical research (in field)
Dr Mick Adams	Indigenous Health
Professor Jon Currie	Clinical Research
Professor Simon Foote	Genetics
Professor Lin Fritschi	Public Health Research
Professor Matthew Gillespie	Biomedical/Translational Research
Professor Robert (Bob) Graham AO	Biomedical/Translational Research
Professor Jane Gunn	Primary Care/Rural Health
Professor Caroline Homer	Nursing/Allied Health
Professor Louisa Jorm	Public Health Research
Professor Melissa Little	Biomedical/Translational Research
Mr Mitchell (Mitch) Messer	Consumer Issues
Professor Rob Norman	Clinical Research
Dr Nicholas Samaras (Nick)	Biotechnology/Commercialisation
Associate Professor Amanda Thrift	Public Health Research

RC membership in the previous 2006-09 triennium

Professor James Best

Professor Jon Currie

Professor Timothy Davis

Associate Professor Jacinta Elston

Professor Matthew Gillespie

Professor Robert Graham

Mrs Elizabeth Grant

Professor D'Arcy Holman

Associate Professor Bronwyn Kingwell

Professor Kerin O'Dea

Dr Nicholas Samaras

Professor Peter Silburn

Professor Ron Trent

Contact NHMRC Research Council

Postal address	Research Committee Secretariat NHMRC GPO Box 1421 Canberra ACT 2601
Email address	nhmrc.secretariat@nhmrc.gov.au
Telephone	(02) 6217 9404

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