The Federal Government will spend almost $63 million in new grants supporting Australia's health and medical researchers.
The Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, said it was essential to support the best and brightest researchers to investigate our major health problems.
"The programs operated by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) provide young scientists with support to work in teams with more experienced researchers," he said.
One prestigious NHMRC scheme, the Burnet Award, encourages world-class researchers back to Australia, allowing them to continue their work here while strengthening Australia's links with international teams.
This year, under the award, eminent Australian immunologist Professor Jonathon Sprent, a Fellow of the Royal Society, will return to Australia from the United States to continue his research at the Centenary Institute in Sydney. Professor Sprent is researching how the immune system works to protect people against cancer, virus infections and many other diseases.
Of the total of $62.6 million in funding, health and medical researchers across the country will receive $42.9 million for NHMRC Fellowships, $15.9 million for Career Development Awards, $1.8 million for Practitioner Fellowships and more than $31,000 for two short-term Indigenous Exchange/Study grants.
"Awards like the Burnet make it possible for our best expatriate researchers to undertake research here in Australia. Professor Sprent is the third recipient of a Burnet Award, which also brought home Nobel Prize winning scientist, Professor Peter Doherty in 2002." Mr Abbott said.