THE HON MARK BUTLER MP
Minister for Mental Health and Ageing
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Mental Health Reform
Mental health research in Australia is being massively boosted by the Gillard Labor Government with $26.2 million to go towards research into better mental health treatment and improved clinical outcomes.
This is the first time in Australian history that any Government has made a strategic and targeted investment in mental health research.
Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler, today announced how the Government’s Budget commitment to strengthen Australia’s strategic research capacity would be allocated and implemented by the National Health and Medical Research Council.
In summary, the NHMRC will:
- Issue a Targeted Call for Research for up to $13 million into the prevention of, and early intervention in, mental illness in children and young people.
- Allocate up to $5 million for Centres of Research Excellence, focussing on mental health research in a collaborative team-based environment, which emphasises research translation and training clinical researchers to be future research leaders.
- Allocate up to $8 million in new NHMRC Fellowships to support leadership in the field of mental health research.
“The Gillard Labor Government identified mental health as a priority for this term of Government and we’re now delivering the single largest investment in new initiatives in our nation’s history,” Mr Butler said.
“But, we also want to see long term improvements in the treatment and prevention of mental illness which is why we are making this strategic and targeted investment in mental health research.
“This is the first time any Government has made a strategic investment in mental health research and will ensure that we continue to build capacity in the mental health research workforce.
“Our investment in mental health research will ensure that the Gillard Government continues to deliver evidence-based policies to improve treatments and health services for all Australians with a mental illness.”
Applications for the Centres of Research Excellence funding scheme close on 30 January 2012. Applications for the Targeted Call for Research close on 4 April 2012.