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The Australian Academy of Science has created a COVID-19 Expert Database so governments, the business sector, research sector and other decision-makers can easily access experts across many fields.

The fully searchable database is a collaboration between Australia’s leading academies; Australian Academy of Science, Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, Australian Academy of the Humanities, Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering and the Australian Council of Learned Academies.

It is championed by Australia’s Chief Scientist, Dr Alan Finkel AO and represents more than 3000 of Australia’s scientists, researchers and other experts.

Search for an expert or register your expertise

A coalition of peak Australian experts have come together to develop new ‘living guidelines’ that will provide continuously-updated, evidence-based guidance to clinicians treating people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infections across primary, acute and critical care settings.

The guidelines will form a key part of Australia’s response to COVID-19. Clinicians are being encouraged to submit questions or suggestions.

The National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce is convened by the Australian Living Evidence Consortium, based at Cochrane Australia at Monash University. The Taskforce received $1.5 million from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) to deliver the guidelines.

The initial focus of the guidelines will be:
• definitions of disease severity
• monitoring and markers of clinical deterioration
• antiviral medications and other disease modifying treatments
• respiratory support

The Guardianship and Administration Amendment (Medical Research) Bill 2020 has been passed by Parliament and has been in effect from yesterday, 8 April 2020. The Guardianship and Administration Act 1990 now provides an avenue for the inclusion of incapacitated adults in research. This is particularly relevant at this point in time when clinical trials related to COVID-19 are of critical importance.

For your information please see the following documents:

• Media statement from the Attorney General and Minister for Health dated Tuesday 31 March 2020.
• Position Statement released by the Office of the Public Advocate.
• The Guardianship and Administration Act 1990 with tracked amendments (Blue Bill).

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) have been working hard and consulting with Research Committee and a number of peak stakeholder groups to develop a way forward in these very uncertain and challenging times.

As a number of grant schemes are currently open with deadlines approaching, NHMRC have focused in the first instance on providing clarity about those schemes. There are other matters to consider over coming days and weeks, but the most urgent issue is to provide advice to researchers in the middle of putting together grant applications.

This is the revised plan for 2020. It is important to note that this plan relies on a number of factors, many of which cannot be predicted or controlled. They include the health and availability of applicants, peer reviewers and NHMRC staff. NHMRC will be relying even more than usual on strong support from the sector and peer reviewers to make this happen, acknowledging that many of their regular peer reviewers will not be available, given their involvement in the clinical and public health response to the COVID-19 outbreak, and additional teaching and caring responsibilities.

These changes will have consequences for the timing of round outcomes and the commencement of funding. Further information will be provided as NHMRC work through the details.

Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies Scheme (CTCS) – delayed
NHMRC has received considerable feedback about the extraordinary impact of the pandemic on clinical, allied health and public health researchers.

Acknowledging this and the importance of funding these projects, the closing date for the CTCS scheme will be extended to 25 November 2020.

It will likely be necessary to streamline peer review processes to ensure that funding is delivered in a timely manner while maintaining high quality peer review, equity and transparency. NHMRC is aiming to have funding outcomes from this round known in mid-2021.

Ideas Grant Scheme – extra time
Recognising the size of the scheme and the role of Ideas Grants as the complement to Investigator Grants in the system, NHMRC will proceed with the Ideas Grant scheme in 2020.

The deadline will be extended by 5 weeks, with a new closing date of 10 June 2020.

Ideas Grants will also be assessed with a streamlined peer review process, to reduce the burden on peer reviewers and in an attempt to finalise funding outcomes by the end of 2020.

Research Administration Officers (RAOs) in Administering Institutions will be under significant pressure and dealing with their own uncertainty around staffing and resources. NHMRC encourage Ideas Grant applicants to support their RAOs by getting their applications in early where possible. If your Ideas Grant application is already close to being finalised, please don’t wait until the extended deadline to submit.

Synergy Grant Scheme – cancelled for 2020
NHMRC has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Synergy Grant round. This will be very disappointing for many researchers who have worked hard to develop their research plan and build the collaborations underpinning this important scheme.

A key factor leading to this decision is the anticipated “all hands on deck” that will be required both of peer reviewers and the office of NHMRC to deliver the Ideas Grant round this year. NHMRC won’t be able to do everything and have decided to prioritise completing the Ideas Grant round due to its size and broad impact across the sector.

Peer reviewers who had agreed to provide reviews of Synergy Grant applications will be asked to consider instead undertaking review of Ideas Grant applications later in the year.

NHMRC will consider whether it is possible to run an expanded Synergy Grant round in 2021.

Investigator Grants 2020
Thank you to everyone who applied for Investigator Grants in the current round, and to the many people who completed peer review. NHMRC are expecting outcomes from the 2020 Investigator Grant round to be available soon.

NHMRC expect that updated documentation for CTCS, Ideas and other grant schemes with changed due dates will be available in GrantConnect and on the NHMRC website over the next two weeks.

The McGowan Government is urging all Western-Australia-based researchers to apply for a new $3 million funding program to support COVID-related research.

The new COVID-19 research grants will be awarded on merit. While all projects will need to be scientifically and ethically sound, every effort will be made to expedite high-quality research through the governance process to enable earlier commencement.

Projects could involve anything from trials of new treatments or testing regimes to data or epidemiological studies.

The funding will also be available to provide infrastructure support for COVID-19 research.

Applicants will have until Wednesday April 8, 2020 to lodge applications for research projects and infrastructure support.

The new funding program will be overseen by the WA Department of Health in conjunction with the WA Health Translation Network, which includes consumer representation through the Consumer and Community Health Research Network.

The full media statement can be found on the Government of Western Australia’s website.

The Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme (PdCCRS) is Cancer Australia’s innovative annual national research project grants funding scheme which brings together government and other funders to collaboratively fund cancer research in identified priority areas in Australia. PdCCRS project grant applications must directly relate to a research priority area specified by Cancer Australia and/or its Funding Partners. Experienced investigators as well as Early Career Researchers with less than 7 years post-PhD or post-MBBS are eligible to apply.

The estimated grant value is anywhere between $10,000 and $600,000.

Applications close: 5pm (ACT), Wednesday 13 May 2020.

Visit the Grant Connect website for more information about this grant opportunity.

The Western Australian Government Pandemic Plan has been updated to respond directly to the potential impacts of COVID-19.

The Pandemic Plan, which was last updated in 2014, sets out arrangements for protecting the community and minimising potential impacts of the coronavirus, and recovery afterwards.

Sustained community transmission of the virus will signal an imminent pandemic and the State Government will continue to take the best advice from health authorities in assessing the situation here in WA.

The Plan ensures the Government will continue to deliver essential services and outlines roles, responsibilities and actions to prevent, prepare, respond and recover from a pandemic, providing practical guidance and advice for government agencies, private businesses, the community, households and individuals.

This Plan also considers potential health, community, social and economic impacts, ranging from demands on the health care system to pressures on workplaces, businesses and law and order, disruption to community events and gatherings and demands on goods, services and supplies.

The Plan supports a suite of specific health and emergency management plans including the State Hazard Plan – Human Biosecurity, which is managed by the Department of Health and includes detailed arrangements for managing and responding to a pandemic.

These are further supported by legal and emergency powers the State Government is able to exercise if needed to further protect the community.

Currently WA’s emergency management is at the ‘response’ stage, in line with the National Communicable Disease Plan.

Members of the public can telephone the COVID-19 Health Information Line on 1800 020 080 for advice and find more information, including specific clinic locations, by visiting http://www.healthywa.wa.gov.au

The Western Australian Government Pandemic Plan is available at http://www.wa.gov.au/covid19

The full media release can be found on the Government of Western Australia’s website.

Nominations are now open for the Western Australian Science Hall of Fame.

The Western Australian Science Hall of Fame was established in 2007 to recognise exceptional lifelong contributions from Western Australians to science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM). Inductees are announced at the annual Premier’s Science Awards presentations.

Each year, members of the community are invited to nominate outstanding Western Australians who are pre-eminent in their field to be considered for induction into the WA Science Hall of Fame.

To be admitted to the WA Science Hall of Fame, an individual must:

• have undertaken a substantial portion of their work in Western Australia
• have a substantial track record as a scientist
• be internationally renowned in their field
• have been instrumental in developing a school of thought and/or policy in WA
• be engaged in outreach
• have been influential in the mentorship of others through developing the careers of STEM practitioners
• be a member of a learned academy or be of similar stature.

Nominators are encouraged to resubmit nominations for any nominees not inducted into the WA Science Hall of Fame, including any new information or achievements. Suitable Hall of Fame nominations from previous years may be considered in subsequent years at the discretion of the judging panel.

For more information and to nominate a candidate for The WA Science Hall of Fame please visit the WA Government Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation website.

Nominations close 10am (AWST), Wednesday 29 April 2020.

Applications for the 2020 Premier’s Science Awards are now open.

The Premier’s Science Awards recognise and celebrate the outstanding scientific research and engagement taking place in Western Australia. The Awards cover all fields of science, including natural, medical, applied and technological science, engineering and mathematics. The Awards are an initiative of the Western Australian Government and administered by the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation.

In 2020 the five categories are:

• Scientist of the Year ($50,000 prize)
• Woodside Early Career Scientist of the Year ($10,000 prize)
• ExxonMobil Student Scientist of the Year ($10,000 prize)
• Shell Aboriginal STEM Student of the Year ($10,000 prize)
• Chevron Science Engagement Initiative of the Year ($10,000 prize)

For more information and to apply please visit the WA Government Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation website.

Applications close 10am (AWST), Wednesday 27 May 2020.

In 2020 the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) is launching new Indigenous Visiting Research Fellowships, providing funding support for up to two Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander researchers to advance their research and scientific training at the Institute’s campus in Melbourne. Confirmed PhD students through to mid-career researchers, including clinicians, are eligible to apply.

The fellowships, lasting 3-24 months, will provide flexible funding for researchers to utilise the expertise of an Institute laboratory and associated research infrastructure, to analyse samples or data from their own project or undertake new experiments to complement their research, and to develop their own skills and experience. Researchers can either attend our Melbourne campus themselves or, where this is not possible, use the fellowship to fund a research assistant to progress the research under the fellowship holder’s direction. The funding can cover salary where this is not provided by the fellowship holder’s organisation.

The program’s goal is to support the career development and progression of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander researchers around Australia, and it is anticipated that fellowship recipients would return to their current employers/place of education at the conclusion of the fellowship to continue their research.

Deadline for expression of interest: Friday 13 March 2020.

Full application information is available from the WEHI website.

Enquiries can be made to Dr Sant-Rayn Pasricha and Dr Tracy Putoczki, Co-chairs, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute Reconciliation Committee: indigenousfellowships@wehi.edu.au