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NHMRC review of public health research

In March 2008, Professor Warwick Anderson, CEO of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) appointed a Public Health Research Advisory Committee to review the ways in which NHMRC can marshal its funding to most effectively contribute to improved public health in Australia. The committee was chaired by Professor Don Nutbeam, Deputy Vice Chancellor and Provost of the University of Sydney.

A report was prepared by the Committee in late 2008. Following consultation with Research Committee and Council, NHMRC has released its response to the report.

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From the CEO

I would like to sincerely thank the public health research community, the Public Health Research Advisory Committee, and in particular the Chair of this committee, Professor Don Nutbeam, for the recommendations contained in the Report of the Review of Public health Research Funding in Australia.

This Report followed nation-wide consultation, kindly facilitated by the Public Health Association of Australia. It provided key recommendations to inform NHMRC on "the expansion of the volume and range of opportunities for public health research in Australia." In doing so, the Committee proposed "an important leadership role for coordination of investment in public health research that offers greatest potential to contribute to improved population health."

NHMRC provides the following response to the fourteen recommendations outlined in the Report, based upon advice from its Research Committee and Council. This response should be read in conjunction with the report, and is a statement of our intentions over the next 6 to 12 months. The Report, together with the response, will be incorporated into the development of NHMRC’s Strategic Plan 2010 – 2012, with planning commencing in 2009.

Professor Warwick Anderson
Chief executive Officer, NHMRC

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Report of the Review of Public Health Research Funding in Australia

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NHMRC’s Responses to the Report

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Background to the Nutbeam Review

In March 2008, Professor Warwick Anderson, CEO of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), appointed a Public Health Research Advisory Committee to review the ways in which NHMRC can marshal its funding to most effectively contribute to improved public health in Australia.

Professor Don Nutbeam, Provost and Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Sydney was appointed to Chair the Committee of experts in the field of public health research. The review is informally known as the Nutbeam Review.

The Review involved two stages. The first stage involved consultation with the public health researchers and users of public health information, and  led to the development of a draft report. The second stage involved further targeted consultation and preparation of a final report.

The Committee was encouraged by the participation of over 180 people in the consultations and by the receipt of 51 written submissions from a wide range of stakeholder groups including non-government organisation (NGO,), state health departments, public health research institutes, university research offices and individual public health researchers.

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Membership of the Public Health Research Advisory Committee (PHRAC)

Chair

Professor Don Nutbeam
Provost and Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Sydney

Members

Associate Professor Toni Ashton
Director, Centre for Health Services Research and Policy, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, NZ

Associate Professor Emily Banks
National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University

Associate Professor Alan Cass
Director, Renal Division, The George Institute of International Health, University of Sydney

Professor Mike Daube
Professor of Health Policy, Curtin University of Technology
President, Public Health Association of Australia

Dr Steve Farish, School of Medicine, University of Melbourne

Professor Rob Sanson-Fisher
Medical School, University of Newcastle

Professor Judith Lumley
Director, Mother and Child Health Research Centre, Division of Health Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne.

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Terms of reference for the Public Health Research Advisory Committee (PHRAC)

Within the context of the national public health research effort, and informed by stakeholder submissions and the recommendations of the International Review of the NHMRC, the Public Health Research Advisory Committee (PHRAC) will advise the NHMRC’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on the ways in which the NHMRC can most effectively contribute to public health research in Australia. 

To ensure that the NHMRC’s contribution to public health research maximises health outcomes, the PHRAC will advise the CEO on:

  1. the effectiveness of NHMRC mechanisms for supporting public health research, these mechanisms to include: the Project Grants, Program Grants, Training Scholarships and Fellowships, Career Development Awards, Research Fellowships, Practitioner Fellowships and Capacity Building Grants in Population Health Research funding schemes;
  1. whether current selection criteria and assessment processes should be modified to better support public health research;
  2. the nature of modifications to criteria and processes;
  1. whether there is a need for NHMRC to develop other means for funding public health research; and
  1. based on the above, draw conclusions on how the NHMRC can contribute to the wider Australian public health research infrastructure.

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