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Media Releases 2007
The media releases for 2007 are listed below. To view media releases from previous years, select the relevant year.
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DECEMBER 2007
NHMRC awards outstanding achievers in health and medical research
Sixteen outstanding achievers have been recognised by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for their significant contributions to health and medical research.
NOVEMBER 2007
Evidence supports fluoridation of drinking water
The NHMRC has completed a review of the latest scientific evidence in relation to fluoride and health. Based on the research the NHMRC recommends artificial fluoridation of water as an effective community measure to protect the population from tooth decay.
A copy of the report is now available.
» Download: Public statement (PDF, 384kb) 
» View: A Systematic Review of the Efficacy and Safety of Fluoridation
OCTOBER 2007
‘Thank You’ to our researchers
Some of Australia’s leading health professionals gathered at the John Curtin School of Medical Research at the ANU today, to celebrate the contribution of health and medical research in Australia.
CEO of the National Health and Medical Research Council, Professor Warwick Anderson, launched a new book—Great minds in Australian research, which highlights the work of 10 of Australia’s most eminent medical researchers including locals Professors Judith Whitworth and Tony McMichael.
NHMRC releases revised draft—Australian alcohol guidelines for low-risk drinking
The draft NHMRC guideline—Australian alcohol guidelines for low -risk drinking is now available for public consultation.
SEPTEMBER 2007
2008 Medical Research Grants
The Prime Minister announced today grants worth $560 million for health and medical research to more than 50 universities and research institutes. These successful grants are the outcome of the major funding round for the Australian Government’s 2008 National Health and Medical Research grants.
» Download: NHMRC Health and Medical Research Grants 2008 (PDF 101KB)
NHMRC-funded trial shows blood pressure drugs can cut diabetes deaths
NHMRC CEO Professor Warwick Anderson today congratulated the George Institute for International Health on the success of a worldwide clinical trial showing that a combination of blood-pressure-lowering drugs can cut deaths from complications of type 2 diabetes by almost one-fifth.
AUGUST 2007
New code on responsible research practices and handling misconduct
Integrity in research, meeting community expectations, and handling allegations of misconduct are the focus of a new national code released today by the NHMRC, the Australian Research Council (ARC) and Universities Australia. The Code replaces the Joint NHMRC/AVCC Statement and Guidelines on Research Practice(1997).
$291,190 for Palliative Care Research in SA
Research into end-of-life and palliative care practices will be supported by two NHMRC grants announced in South Australia.
$36 million for Australia’s medical researchers
The Commonwealth Government’s $36 million Australia Fellowships, through the National Health and Medical Research Council, have been awarded to researchers in cancer, infectious diseases and mental health.
JULY 2007
$1.1 Million for Palliative Care Research in NSW
Research into end of life and palliative care practices will be supported by six National Health and Medical Research Council grants announced on 27 July by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Brett Mason.
$1.1 Million for Palliative Care Research in Victoria
Research into improving health issues associated with end-of-life and palliative care practices will be supported by seven NHMRC grants announced today.
Australian scientists awarded $2.3 million for international research
More than $2.3 million over 3 years has been awarded to seven of Australia’s leading health and medical researchers under the prestigious international Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP).
JUNE 2007
New guidelines for communicating end-of-life issues
Clinical practice guidelines for communicating prognosis and end-of-life issues with adults in the advanced stages of a life-limiting illness, and their caregivers was launched today by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Brett Mason.
NHMRC Ethics Report
The Commonwealth Government has released a report- Challenging Ethical Issues in Contemporary Research on Human Beings. The report includes ten case studies based on ethical issues considered by Human Research Ethics Committees (HREC).
In Australia, all health and medical research projects involving humans must be approved by a HREC. In considering research proposals, HRECs refer to the guidance developed by the Australian Health Ethics Committee, a principal committee of the National Health and Medical Research Council on best-practice standards of ethical conduct for research involving humans.
Health Minister’s Award for Excellence in Health and Medical Research 2007
The winner of the 2007 Commonwealth Health Minister’s Award for Excellence in Health and Medical Research is Professor Jamie Rossjohn from Monash University.
Professor Rossjohn is one of Australia’s eminent infectious disease experts. He is investigating the molecular basis of diseases such as listeria, streptococcus and tuberculosis, and has published over 100 papers in Australia and internationally.
National Ethical Guidelines on Organ and Tissue Donation
The NHMRC has released new ethical guidelines on organ and tissue donation after an extensive public consultation with community groups and health professionals as well as State and Territory Governments.
These guidelines will assist the medical community in dealing with the ethical complexities associated with organ donation. They are intended as a resource to assist hospital administrators and health professionals working in the organ donation sector follow ethical practices.
The 2007-08 Budget and the NHMRC
Among the many health- and ageing-related initiatives in the Australian Government's 2007-08 Budget are two items of particular interest and relevance to the NHMRC, and the health and medical research sector generally:
- $5.6 m to the NHMRC to establish a national system to streamline ethics reviews of multi-centre or cross-jurisdictional human research/clinical trials. NHMRC will work with the States and Territories to establish national committees that can conduct single reviews of such research proposals, replacing the current system where multiple reviews are required.
- $485.8 million to 14 medical research institutes and to the Australian Synchrotron facility (in Melbourne) to build health and medical research infrastructure capacity. The grants to the 14 medical research institutes will be administered by the Department of Health and Ageing, and the grant to the Synchrotron will be administered by the Department of Education, Science and Training.
More information on the Streamlining Human Research Ethics Reviews initiative:
media release; fact sheet
More information on the Building Health and Medical Research Infrastructure Capacity initiative: media release; fact sheet
As part of its Budget materials the Commonwealth Government has produced Foundations for the Future, a booklet outlining the Government's commitment to health and medical research, both now and in the recent past. The booklet may be accessed here.
Researchers awarded NHMRC healthy start to life grants
The Commonwealth Government has awarded more than $6.2 million to seven Australian research projects to investigate a range of environmental and hereditary factors that have the potential to affect the health of Australian children.
The awards will focus on early detection and prevention of children’s health problems covering areas such as childhood allergies, hereditary mental health, low birth weight and associated consequences, behavioural problems and aboriginal health services for women and children.
MAY 2007
New cardiac rehabilitation service for Indigenous Australians
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has released a cardiac geographic information system CD-ROM that not only locates cardiac rehabilitation services for Indigenous Australians across Australia, but also aids understanding of the distribution of cardiac illness in local areas.
The CD-ROM complements the practical guide released in 2005 for health professional—Strengthening Cardiac Rehabilitation and Secondary Prevention for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
Australian Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Guidelines Launched
Australian health practitioners now have their own guidelines to help people with posttraumatic mental health problems.
The Australian Guidelines for the Treatment of Adults with Acute Stress Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (ASD and PTSD) were launched today by the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Bruce Billson, at Parliament House, Canberra.
Nutrient needs now online
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has released a new interactive user-friendly website that allows health professionals to quickly and easily determine nutritional needs without having to consult complex tables for every nutrient.
The new website is based on the nation’s most authoritative nutritional needs publication, Nutrient reference values for Australia and New Zealand, published by the NHMRC last year. The site will be invaluable to health professionals for developing eating plans or diets for their clients.
NHMRC says link between HIV and AIDS ‘overwhelming’
Australia’s peak medical research and advice body, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), has spoken out strongly today in support of the link between the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
The comments come in light of a recent Supreme Court of South Australia case, where a man who was HIV-positive appealed against a conviction on three counts of endangering life.
FEBRUARY 2007
Australian medical researchers join top-ranking European research groups
Internationally renowned Australian researchers working in the areas of malaria, gene mapping, musculoskeletal disorders and microbiology have been awarded $1.8 million by the NHMRC to join forces with leading research teams from the European Union (EU).Date: 26 Feb 2007
Health of mothers and babies are the focus of the NHMRC review of Australian Alcohol Guidelines
The Australian Alcohol Guidelines: Health Risks and Benefits were first produced by the NHMRC in 1996 and revised in 2001. They set standards for all sectors of the population on “how much is too much” when drinking alcohol is concerned.
Ensuring the health of pregnant women and their children will form an important part of a new review. The review will also examine the impact of alcohol use on the length and quality of life; addiction; and, alcohol consumption and Indigenous Australians.
» See Minister’s media release
Date: 15 Feb 2007 Released by: The Hon. Christopher Pyne MP Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing
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JANUARY 2007
ARC and NHMRC encourage access to research findings
The Australian Research Council (ARC) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) today called on researchers to make the results of research funded by the Australian Government publicly available, whenever possible and appropriate.
The ARC and NHMRC Chief Executive Officers are keen to ensure that research findings are available to other researchers and to the community.Date: 18 Jan 2007
NHMRC alliance enhances research on
heart disease and cerebral palsy
Australia’s brightest young researchers working in the areas of cardiovascular disease and cerebral palsy have been awarded co-funding through a unique alliance announced today by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
The NHMRC, the National Heart Foundation of Australia (NHFA) and the Cerebral Palsy (CP) Foundation will support 15 co-funded Fellowships and Scholarships worth over $1.5 million to commence in 2007.
NHMRC CEO, Professor Warwick Anderson, said his organisation had matched, dollar for dollar, selected NHFA and CP Foundation grants.
Date: 5 Jan 2007
$60 MILLION FOR MEDICAL RESEARCHERS
Research into the risk of foetal alcohol disorder and a new test to identify women most at risk of pre-term labour as well as research into osteoporosis fractures of people aged over sixty are among National Health and Medical Research Council grants announced today by the Commonwealth Government.
Over $60 million will fund 326 grants awarded to Universities and research institutes across the country to enable Australia’s best and brightest health and medical researchers to continue their research at home. The grants include 130 Postdoctoral Fellowships and 161 general scholarships within Australian Universities. A further six Travelling Scholarships will be awarded to young researchers to receive training at overseas research institutions with the aim of returning home to share global research practices.
Health Services Research Grants and Development Grants for research commercialisation at early ‘proof of concept’ stage are also among the grants announced.» See Ministers' media release
Date: 4 Jan 2007
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