In the 2010 budget the Government reaffirmed its commitment to NHMRC’s forward estimates. There were no changes in government policy on the Medical Research Expenditure Account (MREA).
However, NHMRC is aware that some concerns have been raised regarding interpretation of the Government's Portfolio Budget Statements 2010-11, and would like to explain in more detail. In each year's portfolio budget statement, the figures for NHMRC (Table 2.1.1, page 746 in the 2010 Statement) provide an estimate of forecast expenditure. This expenditure table is not the amount of funding that the Government has appropriated to medical research (which is provided on page 743), it reflects past funding decisions. That is, this table is an estimate of anticipated withdrawal from the MREA in a particular financial year to pay institutions for existing grants.
NHMRC’s Council has already recommended the amount of funding for grants in the 2010 round and all NHMRC funding schemes are expected to be able to be funded at levels at least equal to last year, dependent of course on the outcomes of peer review.