Latest news and stories
$75 million funding supports Australian clinical trials and cohort studies
More than $75.3 million to support 33 clinical trials and cohort studies through the National Health and Medical Research Council has been announced, close to a quarter funding studies to improve the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Internship brings entirely new set of skills
Sharna Motlap has always been interested in creating and implementing evidence-based programs specifically tailored to Indigenous communities.
"I leave not only a more confident worker but also a more confident person."
Emily McDonald’s journey to becoming an intern at NHMRC has not been exactly straightforward.
To solve the healthcare gaps, we need Indigenous problem solvers
Sara Lai found her first Indigenous intern experience with NHMRC in 2017-18 so rewarding that she applied again for the 2021-22 program.
Research Excellence: Answering one of the most important questions in gastrointestinal oncology
Professor Trevor Leong is a Consultant Radiation Oncologist and past Director of Radiation Oncology at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and University of Melbourne. He received the David Cooper Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies Award for his work leading a randomised phase II/III trial of preoperative chemoradiotherapy versus preoperative chemotherapy for resectable gastric cancer.
Research Excellence: Advancing precision nutrition to improve health and wellbeing
Laureate Professor Clare Collins is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and nutrition researcher specialising in eHealth at the University of Newcastle (UON). She received the 2021 Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant Award - Clinical Medicine and Science (Leadership) for her work on nutrition technologies and methods to support personalised medical nutrition therapy, including dietary biomarkers and telehealth models of care.
Research excellence: Sharing data and ideas for the largest impact for patients with ovarian cancer
Professor Susan Ramus is Professor of Molecular Oncology in the School of Clinical Medicine at the University of New South Wales. She received the 2021 Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grants Award - Basic Science (Leadership) for her work improving the prognosis of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
Research Excellence: Transforming the prevention and treatment of child and adolescent obesity
Professor Louise Baur holds the Chair of Child & Adolescent Health at the University of Sydney and is a consultant paediatrician at the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network. She received the 2021 NHMRC Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Award – Public Health (Leadership) for her work leading an interdisciplinary program of research in preventing obesity in childhood and providing safe, effective treatments to children and adolescents living with obesity.
Regional research collaborations fighting dengue fever
The spread of Japanese encephalitis virus in south eastern Australia is a reminder that mosquito-borne viruses pose an ongoing threat to lives and livelihoods, particularly in our region. That includes dengue fever spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Australian researchers are collaborating closely with colleagues on two fronts – to eradicate the virus and find biomarkers that will lead to better diagnosis and treatment.
A passion project to make the heart sing: Urban planning for healthier lives
Professor Billie Giles-Corti was a “lone wolf”, she says, when she started her research career. In 2022, the time has come for public discourse about the direct links between city planning and health. She is part of a global network making the connections between liveability and health outcomes.
HEAL national research network addressing the health effects of environmental change
The Healthy Environments and Lives National Research Network (HEAL) was announced at the end of 2021 with a grant of $10 million over five years, as an NHMRC Special Initiative to provide national and international leadership in environmental change and health research. HEAL formally starts in May 2022; a lot of groundwork has been done to create the foundations for a large and diverse collaboration to deliver its ambitious work plan over the next five years and beyond.
Research Excellence: Developing biological mosquito control tools to prevent vector-borne disease
Associate Professor Nigel Beebe works in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Queensland with a joint appointment at CSIRO. He received the Marshall and Warren Ideas Grant Award (Innovation) for his work on the role of mosquitos in vector-borne disease, answering fundamental questions about which species transmit pathogens, where they exist and why – and developing a species-specific biocontrol for Australia and beyond.
NHMRC Research Excellence Award named to honour Australian immunologist Professor David Cooper
At the 2021 NHMRC Research Excellence Awards presentation in Canberra on 30 March 2022, NHMRC CEO Professor Anne Kelso AO introduced the newly named NHMRC David Cooper Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies Award, honouring Australian HIV/AIDS clinical researcher and immunologist Professor David Cooper AC. Professor Kelso spoke about the significance of Professor Cooper’s legacy and his humanity in placing patients at the centre of his clinical research.
NHMRC annual awards celebrate excellence in Australian health and medical research
National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) annual awards recognising excellence in health and medical research were announced this evening in Canberra at a ceremony attended by NHMRC's Council Chair Professor Caroline Homer AO and members of NHMRC's Council, including leading Australian researchers and chief health officers from across the nation.
Budget 2022-23
Support for excellent health and medical research in Australia continues in the 2022-23 Budget handed down on 29 March 2022.
Research Excellence: Making the impossible possible - engineering transplantable kidney tissue
Professor Melissa Little leads the Kidney Regeneration Laboratory at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute where she holds an NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellowship and CEO of the Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW). She received the 2021 Marshall and Warren Ideas Grant Award for her work generating kidney organoids from human pluripotent stem cells and developing novel engineering approaches to integrate transplanted tissue to the host kidney.
$21.9 million funds research partnerships that meet real-world health needs
NHMRC welcomes today’s announcement by the Australian Government of more than $5.6 million to fund the latest round of Partnership Projects.
Gender disparities in NHMRC’s Investigator Grant Scheme
CEO Communique – February 2022
Speech is a uniquely human skill many take for granted
Professor Angela Morgan is head of speech and language at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and Professor of Speech Pathology at the University of Melbourne and was the recipient of the 2020 NHMRC Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant Award (Leadership in Clinical Medicine and Science).
Changes to Publication Assessment
From 2022, researchers applying for National Health and Medical Research (NHMRC) funding through its track record based schemes will be asked to list up to 10 of their top publications in the past 10 years (accounting for career disruptions).
NHMRC statement on iBlastoids
Nature paper: Modelling human blastocysts by reprogramming fibroblasts into iBlastoids
New Principal Committees to advise NHMRC Council
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) welcomes today’s announcement by the Minister for Health Greg Hunt of the membership of the Principal Committees of NHMRC for 2021–2024.
To improve child health, focus on conception
Professor Sarah Robertson from The University of Adelaide is recipient of an NHMRC Investigator Award and was awarded the Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant Award (Leadership in Basic Science) at the 2020 NHMRC Research Excellence Awards.
How Anne McKenzie went from ‘just a mum from Morley’ to consumer engagement champion
Pioneering health consumer advocate Anne McKenzie AM has been awarded NHMRC’s Consumer Engagement Award in recognition of an almost 30-year career during which she has helped thousands of Australian clinicians and researchers understand the value of listening to consumers.
Developing innovative vaccines to tackle influenza B virus
Dr Marios Koutsakos is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne. He works on the development of a universal influenza B vaccine and on understanding the fundamental biology of immune responses to vaccination. Dr Koutsakos received the 2020 NHMRC Frank Fenner Investigator Grant Award.
Developing innovative interventions to eliminate parasitic worm infestations
Professor Don McManus is senior scientist at QIMR Berghofer and an internationally acclaimed parasitologist. This year, he was awarded the 2020 NHMRC Peter Doherty Investigator Grant Award (Leadership).
Patient collaborators in groundbreaking brain cancer research
Patients are collaborators along with structural biologists, immunologists and neurosurgeons in the groundbreaking brain cancer research being conducted by the tight, multidisciplinary team being led by WEHI’s Associate Professor Misty Jenkins.
Science to art: Research behind the science behind the image
Professor Frédéric (Fred) Hollande is Deputy Head at the Department of Clinical Pathology, University of Melbourne, and a group leader at the University of Melbourne Centre for Cancer Research. He’s also behind the image recognised in the Science to Art NHMRC Biennial Award.
Game-changer for cancer research and therapeutic development
2021 ANSTO Eureka Prize for Innovative Use of Technology
Research on a potential biomarker for fatal influenza
Developing an early warning system to predict fatal respiratory viral infection outcomes.
Crossing disciplines to answer complex research questions
University of Adelaide's Professor Ian Olver received the 2021 NHMRC Ethics Award in recognition of his significant contribution to Australian health and medical research ethics over the last decade. As chair of NHMRC’s Australian Health Ethics Committee, and as a valued member of NHMRC Council from 2012 to 2018, his balanced and considered leadership style and willingness to engage sensitively on tough issues supported a wider understanding of the ethical impact of emerging health and medical research innovations and technologies.
New research on boosting killer immune response to cancer
Drugs already approved and available could be the answer to boost the production of killer T cells and improve the success rate of immunotherapies for cancer.
Working beyond our own borders for a better world
Associate Professor Joshua Vogel is a Principal Research Fellow at the Burnet Institute in Melbourne, where he co-heads the Global Women’s and Newborn’s Health Group. His research focuses on addressing maternal and perinatal health issues affecting women and families in limited-resource settings. Associate Professor Vogel was the winner of the 2020 Peter Doherty Investigator Grant Award, and the Commonwealth Health Minister’s Award for Excellence in Health and Medical Research.
Australian research delivers rapid Hep B test for earlier treatment
Hepatitis B is an infectious disease that causes the liver to become inflamed and contributes to increasing rates of liver cancer in Australia and globally.
Gain of Function Research Review
Terms of Reference
Getting to the cause of type 2 diabetes
The daily burden of living with diabetes can be significant. It’s estimated that people with diabetes face up to 180 diabetes-related decisions every day. That’s more than 65,000 extra decisions a year. These decisions can range from managing daily blood sugar levels, food intake and exercise to the management of serious diabetes complications.
Driven to improve mental health and intergenerational trauma through research
Having experienced two Indigenous internships with NHMRC, Vernon Armstrong has now started his journey in mental health research.
NHMRC Research Excellence Awards and Biennial Awards
The 2020 NHMRC Research Excellence Awards and 2021 NHMRC Biennial Awards were announced on 16 June 2021. Below is an extract of CEO Professor Anne Kelso's opening remarks before announcing the awards.
Diamond-enriched silk dressings the answer to next-generation smart wound treatment
A diamond-enriched smart dressing made of silk that enables doctors to read the chemistry of an infected or healing wound could be the answer to more effective therapies, particularly for burns.
Addressing Australia’s national transfusion research priorities
Professor Erica Wood is head of the Transfusion Unit at Monash University. Her research describes how blood is used in Australia, and how its use can be improved and made safer and more cost-effective. Through registry data and clinical trials, and studies of novel blood products, Professor Wood and her team aim to improve access and transfusion outcomes for patients.
Indigenous female researcher inspires next generation
As one of NHMRC’s first Indigenous Interns, Nada Powell is about to embark on her next journey which is likely to now include research.
Unlocking the secrets of the brain
Professor John Bekkers from the John Curtin School of Medical Research and his team are currently working on the neurons and circuits in the brain that underlie the sense of smell. His team focus on the olfactory cortex, a brain region that is responsible for our ability to recognise and remember odours.
Partnership with Aboriginal communities for a meaningful contribution
Professor Kate Conigrave from The University of Sydney is an Addiction Medicine Specialist and Public Health Physician based at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Her work combines treating individuals with alcohol, drug and tobacco problems; promoting the health of communities and research and teaching. She is currently the chair of the NHMRC's Alcohol Working Group, which is charged with reviewing the guidelines to reduce the health risks from drinking alcohol.
Budget 2021-22
Support for excellent health and medical research in Australia continues in the 2021-22 Budget handed down on 11 May 2021.
Breathing easy – Improving access to respiratory disease rehabilitation
The average adult takes up to 20 breaths every minute, something most people give little thought. However, breathing can be a daily struggle for people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), an umbrella term for a group of lung conditions that includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis and chronic asthma.
Australia’s investment in eradicating malaria
Over the last 10 years NHMRC has invested more than $191 million in research on malaria1
Ensuring evidence is translated into practice
Professor Rachelle Buchbinder is an NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow. She is the Director and Professor in the Monash University Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine since 2007.
Music therapy to support people living with dementia
Dr Jeanette Tamplin from The University of Melbourne is using therapeutic singing groups to support people living with dementia.
Working to stop Parkinson's disease
Associate Professor Antony Cooper from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research is a cell and molecular biologist / geneticist with strong interests in elucidating how cellular dysfunction results in human diseases, with a specific interest in neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson’s Disease.
Tracker - 6 April 2021
Welcome to Tracker, NHMRC’s fortnightly newsletter with the latest information on major activities and funding opportunities.