Northern Territory health and medical researchers have received more than $7 million in funding from the latest round of National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) project grants.
I am pleased to announce these 10 grants, which are part of $357 million funded nationally.
I commend the researchers who have been awarded grants. The high calibre of medical research in this country means that successful applicants are of an outstanding level, carrying out research that will benefit the health of Australians in both the long and short term.
Research funded in the Northern Territory reflects the health needs of the Indigenous community, with benefits potentially flowing to the wider community. We will continue to work to narrow the gap between the life expectancy of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
The Northern Territory projects include:
- Alternative treatments for skin sores in Aboriginal children: Prof Jonathon Carapetis, Menzies School of Health Research, receives $1.2 million to fund clinical trials with Aboriginal children to find a simple, cheap and effective oral alternative to injected penicillin for skin sores.
- Improving kidney function measurements to help Indigenous Australians: Dr Louise Maple-Brown, Menzies School of Health Research, receives $926,000 to find a way to more accurately measure kidney function to monitor the results of interventions designed to slow the progression of kidney disease in Indigenous Australians.
- Reducing respiratory illness in Indigenous infants: Dr David Thomas, Menzies School of Health Research, receives $864,875 to test whether a family-based program about environmental tobacco smoke will reduce the number of clinic presentations of infants for respiratory illness. Over 60 per cent of Indigenous children live in households with one or more regular smokers, where they are exposed to high levels of environmental tobacco smoke, a significant and preventable cause of respiratory illness. If successful, the study has the potential to improve the health of Indigenous children across Australia.
Fifty per cent of applications from Northern Territory researchers were funded, significantly above the national average.
Media contacts
Sean Kelly
Minister’s office
T 0417 108 362
Carolyn Norrie
NHMRC
T 0422 008 512