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Council

The Council of the NHMRC is established under the NHMRC Act to advise the CEO and perform functions conferred on it.

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Functions of the Council

The functions of the Council are:

  • to provide advice to the CEO in relation to the performance of his or her functions;
  • any other functions conferred on the Council in writing by the Minister after consulting the CEO; and
  • any other functions conferred on the Council by the NHMRC Act, the regulations or any other law.

The Council will enter into consultations before it provides a regulatory recommendation to the CEO, but may provide recommendations and guidelines to the CEO without consultation in urgent circumstances.

The Chair of the Council must convene at least one Council meeting in each financial year.

The manner in which the Council carries out its functions, and the procedure to be followed by the Council in relation to its meetings will be determined by the CEO, including, for example:

  • the convening of meetings;
  • the number of members to constitute a quorum;
  • who presides at meetings;
  • the manner in which questions arising at a meeting are to be decided;
  • the voting rights of members; and
  • the arrangements for non members to attend meetings.

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Role of the Chair of Council

The Chairperson of the Council is appointed by the Minister for Health and Ageing under section 21 of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992. The Chairperson is primarily responsible for ensuring the proper functioning of the Council in the pursuit of its objectives and the performance of its statutory functions.

The Chairperson’s major roles include:

  • Council policy and planning – facilitating the effective management of the Council’s business in setting its strategic directions and reviewing its performance, engendering debate and discussion amongst Council members on present and emerging health and research issues, and maintaining synergies in the functions of the principal and expert committees of the NHMRC.
  • Statutory responsibilities – exercising statutory responsibilities in support of the proper functioning of the Council.
  • Advocacy and government relations – engaging key ministers (state and federal) on matters of national health policy and strategic interest to research, providing senior counsel to representatives of governments and industry, and representing the views and concerns of constituent stakeholders.
  • Linkages and partnerships – promoting relationships with other government agencies that have common objectives for improving the health and wellbeing of the Australian community.
  • Representation – promoting the role and strategic directions of the NHMRC amongst senior constituent groups and stakeholders.
  • The Chairperson works in collaboration with the Chair of each Principal Committee to advance the objectives of the Council’s Strategic Plan and with the Chief Executive Officer to ensure the effective performance of Council business.

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Composition of the Council of the NHMRC

Appointees to Council of the NHMRC hold positions for a period of up to three years. Consequently, the work of Council is planned and reviewed on a triennial basis. All Council members, are part-time appointees. Members may be reappointed. The Council meets in full Session on several occasions each year and the proceedings of each Session are made available on the NHMRC website. It undertakes its work through a network of Principal Committees, working committees and expert panels, whose members are part-time and give much of their time and expertise.

The Council of the NHMRC consists of the following:

  • the Chair;
  • the chief medical officer for the Commonwealth;
  • the chief medical officer for each State and Territory;
  • a person with expertise in the health needs of Aboriginal persons and Torres Strait Islanders;
  • a person with expertise in consumer issues;
  • a person with expertise in business;
  • at least 6, but no more than 11, persons with expertise in one or more of the following:
    • health care training;
    • professional medical standards;
    • the medical profession and post graduate medical training;
    • the nursing profession;
    • public health research and medical research issues;
    • public health;
    • ethics relating to research involving humans;
    • other appropriate expertise.

Chairs of Principal Committees will generally be Council members. However, the Chair of a Principal Committee may be a person who is not a member of the Council if the Minister does not consider that any member of the Council has the appropriate expertise to be Chair of the Principal Committee, and another member of the Principal Committee is a member of the Council.

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Members of Council

» View Members of Council information

Chairperson Professor Michael Good
Chairperson of each Principal Committee:
National health Committee Professor Colin Masters
Australian Health Ethics Committee Professor Colin Thomson
Research Committee Professor James 'Jim' Best
Licensing Committee Professor John 'Jock' Findlay AM AO
Human Genetics Advisory Committee Professor Ron Trent
Chief Medical Officers from the Commonwealth
and each State/territory		 Professor John Horvath AO (Commonwealth)
Dr Denise Robinson (New South Wales)
Dr John Carnie (Victoria)
Dr Jeannette Young (Queensland)
Professor Paddy Phillips (South Australia)
Dr Simon Towler (Western Australia)
Dr David Boadle (Tasmania)
Dr Charles Guest (Australian Capital Territory)
Dr Steven Skov (Northern Territory)
Expertise in Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander health issues		 Professor Cindy Shannon
Expertise in consumer issues A/Professor Christopher Newell AM
Expertise in business Dr Colin Sutton
Other appropriate expertise Professor Timothy 'Tim' Davis

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