11 September 2023

Welcome to Tracker, NHMRC’s fortnightly newsletter with the latest information on major activities and funding opportunities.

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$1.5 million for research collaboration to develop a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder screening tool

A project in partnership with community organisations to explore the national expansion of a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) screening program is one of eight research collaborations sharing in over $10.5 million in NHMRC partnership funding.

A grant of almost $1.5 million to Griffith University will examine whether their Tracking Cube tool for screening and supporting children in remote areas at risk of FASD could be used by Indigenous health service providers nationwide.

This project is one of eight research collaborations sharing in over $10.5 million in NHMRC partnership funding.

Find out more about the project funded in our media release.

2024 Investigator Grants

Grant opportunity guidelines for the 2024 Investigator Grants will be published on GrantConnect on Wednesday 13 September 2023.

Application forms are undergoing additional testing and the sector will be notified when available in Sapphire.

Key dates:

  • Grant opportunity guidelines released Wednesday 13 September 2023
  • Minimum data is due Wednesday 11 October 2023 17:00 AEDT
  • PhD censes date is the close date for applications
  • Applications close Wednesday 8 November 2023 17:00 AEDT
  • Outcomes are expected to be advised in early May 2024
  • Grants will commence Wednesday 1 January 2025.

To assist applicants and RAOs in preparing applications, the following resources will become available on Wednesday 13 September 2023:

  • Investigator Grants 2024 Guidelines
  • Key Characteristics of Investigator Grant Applications
  • Investigator Grants 2024 Peer Review Guidelines
  • 2024 Eligibility Web Tool.

For more information on the use of app-centric peer review, visit NHMRC’s website

Public consultation now open: Staying Healthy (draft sixth edition) 

NHMRC is encouraging feedback on Staying healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services (draft sixth edition).

The consultation will help NHMRC understand what information could be further improved in Staying Healthy. This feedback will ensure that Staying Healthy is user-friendly and helpful to the relevant stakeholders.

The consultation opened on Wednesday 6 September 2023, and will remain open until Sunday 15 October 2023 17:00 AEDT.

For more information or to provide feedback, visit the consultation page.

TCR Improving infection prevention and control in residential aged care homes 2023 – applications opening soon

The Targeted Call for Research (TCR): Improving infection prevention and control in residential aged care homes 2023 will open for applications on Wednesday 13 September 2023.

Key dates:

  • Minimum data is due on Wednesday 25 October 2023 17:00 AEDT
  • Applications close on Wednesday 8 November 2023 17:00 AEDT. 

Further details, including the grant guidelines, will be available on GrantConnect.

Please email help@nhmrc.gov.au for further information.

Forecast opportunity – Centres of Research Excellence 2024 

The Centres of Research Excellence (CRE) 2024 grant opportunity is anticipated to open for applications on Wednesday 18 October 2023 AEDT. 

Potential applicants are advised to review the Forecast Opportunity published on GrantConnect to familiarise themselves with a number of key changes to the 2024 CRE scheme, including:

  • increased scheme funding allocation and changed funding distribution across CRE streams
  • availability of funding for CRE in basic science research grants, including for dementia research with a basic science research focus
  • CRE assessment criteria and score descriptors.

Draft: Australian National Persistent Identifier Strategy released

The Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) has united key stakeholders across the national research, innovation and impact ecosystem to develop a draft Australian National Persistent Identifier (PID) Strategy.

The strategy aims to accelerate Australian research quality, efficiency and impact through universal use of connected persistent identifiers.

To provide feedback on the draft Strategy, email contact@ardc.edu.au by Friday 10 November 2023.

Invitation for public submissions: Guidelines seeking NHMRC approval

The University of Sydney is seeking NHMRC approval under section 14A of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992 for its draft Physical Activity Clinical Practice Guidelines for People with Moderate-to-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.

The guidelines are currently open for public consultation until Friday 6 October AEDT 2023.

To view the guidelines and make a submission visit the Connectivity webpage.

New: NHMRC-approved third party guidelines 

NHMRC has approved the recommendations of a new guideline under section 14A of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992:
International Evidence-Based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome was developed by the Centre for Research Excellence in Women’s Health in Reproductive Life.

This guideline was approved by NHMRC on Thursday 27 July 2023.

Updated: NHMRC-approved third party guidelines

NHMRC has approved the recommendations of four updated (living) guidelines under section 14A of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992:

An Australian Living Guideline for the Pharmaceutical Management of Inflammatory Arthritis v3.0 developed by the Australian and New Zealand Musculoskeletal Clinical Trials Network and the Australian Rheumatology Association. Contains three new recommendations.

  • This guideline was approved by NHMRC on Thursday 27 July 2023.

Clinical Guidelines for Stroke Management (New and Updated Topics 2023) developed by the Stroke Foundation. Contains new and updated recommendations for the management of central post-stroke pain, oxygen therapy, neurointervention and assessing fitness to drive.

  • This guideline was approved by NHMRC on Thursday 27 July 2023.

Australian Evidence-Based Clinical Guidelines for Diabetes developed by the Living Evidence for Diabetes Consortium. Contains four new recommendations for the glycaemic management of hospitalised patients.

  • This guideline was approved by NHMRC on Thursday 27 July 2023.

Version 73 of the Australian Guidelines for the Clinical Care of People with COVID-19 developed by the National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce. Contains 13 new, nine updated and four reworded recommendations.

  • This guideline was approved by NHMRC on Thursday 27 July 2023.

Ideas Grants - peer review processes

NHMRC would like to thank the 790+ peer reviewers for the time they committed to the 2023 Ideas Grants peer review process, completing over 10,000 individual assessments for the 2,181 applications submitted. Thank you also to the mentors and community observers for their participation.

Peer reviewers had the opportunity to review de-identified comments provided by other assessors who reviewed the same application.

NHMRC will also circulate a survey to capture peer reviewers’ feedback. We appreciate participation in the survey to help evaluate and consider improvements.

NHMRC will be progressing through to funding recommendations including:

  • reviewing budget change recommendations made by peer reviewers
  • determining the top-ranked applications for funding based on peer reviewers’ assessments
  • seeking the necessary approvals to award the proposed grants 
  • generating the outcome documentation to notify applicants and RAOs
  • releasing outcome documents in late October/early November 2023.

Impact case study - health and built environment

Health and the built environment
Cities are powerhouses of the economy, providing access to employment, opportunities and resources. Yet when poorly planned, cities foster unhealthy and unsustainable lifestyles, exposing residents to environmental stressors such as air-, noise- and light-pollution, heat and motor vehicle traffic.

NHMRC funded researchers have advanced knowledge about how urban environments can be designed to positively affect health, informing public policy both domestically and internationally.

Read more about the impact of this NHMRC-funded project in these case studies.

Impact case study - treating chronic childhood cough

Treating chronic childhood cough
Chronic cough is a common problem in children that impairs quality of life of children and their parents and causes a high healthcare burden. Protracted bacterial bronchitis is the most common cause of chronic cough in children. Untreated, it leads to poor future lung health outcomes such as bronchiectasis.

NHMRC funded researchers at Queensland University of Technology and Menzies School of Health Research first described protracted bacterial bronchitis and have made substantial inroads into the understanding of its pathobiology and improving clinical outcomes in children with chronic cough.

Read more about the impact of this NHMRC-funded project in these case studies.
 

MRFF–Grant opportunity key dates

The following Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grant opportunities have opened for applications:

Details on how to apply for MRFF grant opportunities and all MRFF close dates are available on GrantConnect. Applicants are reminded that only applicants who have completed minimum data by the due date can submit an application. It is also the applicant’s responsibility to ensure they meet all eligibility requirements, including limits on the number of times a person can be named as a Chief Investigator on applications submitted to a grant opportunity.

Applicants should ensure:

MRFF Grant Assessment Committee self-nomination:
Register your interest to become a member of a MRFF grant assessment committee.

Key NHMRC grant program dates

Please see the funding schemes and calendar page.

Tracker

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