8 May 2023

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

Professor Helena Teede AM

$7.9 million for research collaboration on policy and practice 

Projects aiming to improve leadership equity in health care, mental health, children’s wellbeing and patient safety are among those sharing in $7.9 million in grants for research collaboration with health sector partners across Australia. 

One grant, led by Professor Helena Teede AM, Director of the Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, aims to improve equity and health outcomes through research on organisational interventions to advance the representation of women in healthcare leadership. 

Collectively, the funded projects will be supported by 34 funding partners, which together are contributing a further $10.5 million bringing the total investment in the collaborative research to over $18 million. 

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

Pictured: Professor Helena Teede AM

Seeking Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumer and community representatives

NHMRC is forming a panel of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumer and community representatives to assess grant applications for the Targeted Calls for Research scheme.

The lived experience that consumers and community representatives bring to the assessment process ensures the research selected for funding values Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ cultural practices, concepts of health and wellbeing, knowledge, and learnings. This helps to ensure that the research funded is relevant to improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

If you are interested in participating, please visit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community and Consumer Representatives or contact targeted.research@nhmrc.gov.au. Nominations are due by Thursday 31 August 2023 17:00 AEST.

Research excellence: Transforming midwifery in the Asia-Pacific region  

As a midwife of 30 years and an award-winning researcher, Professor Caroline Homer AO of the Burnet Institute is committed to improving the quality of care provided to childbearing women, their babies and families. 

International Day of the Midwife, 5 May 2023, honoured the efforts of midwives and their associations to action critical evidence, and Professor Homer’s research focusses on the role and capacity of well-educated and supported midwives to reduce maternal and newborn deaths and stillbirths. 

“Midwives can provide high quality care that is kind, respectful, meets women’s needs and helps families have a good start to parenthood.” Professor Homer said.

Professor Homer received an NHMRC Investigator Grant in 2022 and the Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant Award – Health Services (Leadership) at the NHMRC Awards in March this year. Read more from Professor Homer on NHMRC’s website. 

Development Grants - minimum data due next week

Key dates:

  • Minimum data is due Wednesday 17 May 2023 17:00 AEST
  • Applications close Wednesday 14 June 2023 17:00 AEST

Applicants must complete the required fields with correct information. Use of placeholder text will not be accepted. For more information on minimum data requirements, refer to Appendix C in the Development Grant 2023 Guidelines (available on GrantConnect).

Failure to meet the minimum data requirements by the deadline will result in the application not proceeding. New applications cannot be started after the minimum data deadline.

Research Help Centre  and Sapphire requests

Applicants should ensure:

  • their Sapphire account is active or access to Sapphire has been requested, and
  • any intended participating institutions are listed in Sapphire or request that a new participating institution be added by emailing help@nhmrc.gov.au including the institution's website address (URL) and ABN (if applicable).

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

Investigator Grants 2023 assessment phase commencing soon

Thank you to all peer reviewers for your substantial effort in completing your conflict and suitability declarations. Assessment of Investigator Grant applications will start mid-May 2023 and assessments are due in June 2023.

Peer Review Mentors will be available during assessments to provide guidance. Peer reviewers should contact their secretariat to seek advice from a mentor. 
Starting this year, we are also introducing  informal drop-in sessions twice a week during the 4-week assessment period. These will be hosted by peer review mentors.

Further details will follow in the coming weeks.

Peer reviewers are reminded of the following resources during the assessment period:

Peer reviewers should contact their secretariat for all peer review enquiries. Technical Sapphire enquiries should be directed to help@nhmrc.gov.au.

Ideas Grants 2023 key peer review dates  

The Ideas Grants 2023 round closed for applications on 3 May 2023 with 2178 applications submitted (2194 applications were submitted in 2022). 

The conflict of interest and suitability survey process for peer reviewers is scheduled to commence in late May, with the assessment process to begin in early July.

Peer review key dates*: 

  • May 2023 (2 weeks): Peer reviewers provide conflict of interest and suitability declarations.  
  • June: Peer reviewers are assigned to applications (based on results of the conflict of interest and suitability survey results) and are invited to attend a peer review question and answer session.  
  • July - August 2023 (4 weeks): Peer reviewers review applications, submit scores and provide qualitative feedback against Ideas Grants assessment criteria for each allocated application.
  • August (2 weeks): Peer reviewers will be provided with the opportunity to review the assessment comments provided by other peer reviewers on the same applications they assessed to gauge how their own assessments compared to those of their peers.

* NHMRC will notify peer reviewers of any timing changes.

For further details, please refer to the Ideas Grants 2023 Peer Review Guidelines available on GrantConnect or NHMRC’s website. 

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

At-home pulmonary rehabilitation: Case Study

The average adult takes up to 20 breaths every minute, something most people give little thought to. However, breathing can be a daily struggle for people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Pulmonary rehabilitation is an essential part of patient care, providing people with the skills needed to exercise safely and manage their breathlessness day to day.

NHMRC-funded researchers at Monash University have been at the forefront of developing and trialling in-home pulmonary rehabilitation. Usually, patients need to travel to a rehabilitation facility to participate in regular appointments. In-home care improves access for patients with COPD by offering an alternative to the traditional in-person delivery at outpatient facilities.

Their work has resulted in a transformative shift of clinical practice towards a more integrated model of disease management, using both in-person and at-home via web-based platforms. Read more about the impact of this research in this NHMRC case study. 

Medical Research Future Fund – New Grant Opportunities

The following MRFF Grant Opportunities have opened for applications:

2023 Cardiovascular Health (GO6226)

  • Applications opened 26 April 2023
  • Minimum data is due Wednesday 2 August 2023 at 17:00 AEST
  • Applications close Wednesday 30 August 2023 at 17:00 AEST

2023 Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care (GO6225)

  • Applications opened 26 April 2023
  • Minimum data is due Wednesday 2 August 2023 at 17:00 AEST
  • Applications close Wednesday  30 August 2023 at 17:00 AEST

2023 Stem Cell Therapies (GO6227)

  • Applications opened 26 April 2023
  • Minimum data is due Wednesday 2 August 2023 at 17:00 AEST
  • Applications close Wednesday 30 August 2023 at 17:00 AEST

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 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 Funding schemes and calendar.

Tracker

See previous editions of Tracker.

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If you have any questions about the newsletter, email communications@nhmrc.gov.au. 
 

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