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The Clinician Research Fellowship program is an initiative of the Department of Health in partnership with the Raine Medical Foundation.

The program is designed to encourage clinicians employed by Health Service Providers to develop their research capability while continuing some clinical duties. The program also facilitates high quality research which will ultimately provide better health care outcomes. The research must be undertaken in WA and be of direct relevance to the WA health system.

The program is open to eligible clinicians:

• Working in healthcare disciplines including allied health and health sciences, dental, medical, nursing and midwifery professions
• Who are either early or mid-career researchers
• Who have minimal or no paid research time

Fellowship funding will provide salary support for research duties up to 0.5 FTE, as well as contribute to minor research costs. The duration of each Fellowship can be up to three years, depending on the extent of the research proposal. During the term of the Fellowship, clinical duties in a Health Service Provider institution(s)  must be maintained at a minimum of 0.3 FTE

The Fellowships will be announced in December 2020. Read the guidelines and apply now

Applications close 1pm (AWST), Thursday 26 March 2020.

Round 2 of the Barry Marshall Travel Award is opening on Wednesday 19 February 2020. Applicants can apply for research-related travel funding of up to $5000. The grants are open to health professionals and medical researchers based at a campus of the South Metropolitan Health Service (SMHS) or collaborating universities and research institutes within south metro Perth.

The new eligibility criteria:

• The grants are open to all health care professionals and medical researchers, including clinicians, allied health staff and scientists based at a campus of SMHS or collaborating universities and health research institutes with a formal collaboration with a research project or initiative at a campus of SMHS
• Applicants must demonstrate how attendance will assist research and/or the application of research, and/or the development of research pathways at SMHS or their own research objectives and aspirations
• Applicants must be able to demonstrate how their research benefits the community of south metropolitan Perth and demonstrably impacts, influences or informs treatment and patient care in the hospitals of SMHS
• Travel must be completed within 6 months of the date of award

Successful applicants will be invited to attend the annual Spinnaker Awards Ceremony (December) and the ASPIRE Awards Ceremony (June) to celebrate their success.

The awards are supported by Prof Barry Marshall AC and Mrs Adrienne Marshall, Perth Convention Bureau ASPIRE Awards and Spinnaker Health Research Foundation.

See the full application guidelines and download the application

Applications close Sunday 15 March

One of our key state goals is to continue to embed Consumer and Community Involvement (CCI) in health and medical research through all parts of the research cycle. We’re happy to see that nationally there have been more CCI toolkits made available.

We’re happy to share with you the:

• National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) CCI Toolkit
• Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre’s CCI Toolkit

We also have our own WA based Consumer and Community Health Research Network (CCHRN) who can assist you to involve consumers and community in your health care or medical research project or program. Contact the CCHRN team to find out how they can assist you, and the services they offer.

The Stan Perron Charitable Foundation is launching a new funding opportunity in the area of child health research. This includes research initiatives covering antenatal health as well as projects to address the health and well-being of adolescents and young adults.

The Foundation prioritises research which has impact, translates to positive outcomes for children, involves community and consumers and builds research capacity within Western Australia.

The following three areas are being considered for funding by the Foundation:

• Platforms supporting outstanding research
  • Includes applications for clinical and scientific personnel from any health-related discipline to conduct research
  • Includes infrastructure needed to support research
  • Examples of which may qualify for consideration in this category include those requiring consumer or community involvement, data solutions, equipment, facilities, biobanks and research training
• Major research Programs which are collaborative and outcome driven for up to five years
  • Programs involving partnerships and funding contributions from out bodies
  • Involves significant innovation and/or build capacity within Western Australia are especially encouraged
• Partnerships encouraging collaborations between researchers and institutions to improve health outcomes for children in Western Australia
  • Maybe single research projects or a program
  • funding will be contingent on partnership support and co-funding with the lead organisation based in Western Australia

Applications will be accepted from applicants with their lead organisation / institution based in Western Australia. Applications must make clear the innovative and transformative ideas to improve children’s health in Western Australia. Applications may originate from basic, clinical, population health or health services research. Early and mid-career researchers, with the support of a senior researcher, are encouraged to apply.

If you have any questions or want more information contact Dr Barbara Sheil, Research Grants Manager at the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation.

See the full application guidelines, templates and to apply.

Applications close: 4pm (AWST), Monday 23 March, 2020

The WA Cancer Plan 2020-2025 is a blueprint for action over the next five years to provide the best possible cancer services for Western Australians.

The Plan includes:

• Establish a central system to capture, manage and share data across WA hospitals
• Planned improvements to the delivery of cancer care throughout the State
• Development of genomic testing for Western Australians

A recent study published in The Lancet Oncology found Western Australia’s cancer survival rates were among the best in the world. WA beat New South Wales and Victoria to record the highest five-year survival rates for ovarian, colon, pancreatic and stomach cancer. Australia was found to have outperformed all countries in survival rates for five of the seven tracked cancers – oesophageal, stomach, colon, rectal and pancreatic.

The number of Western Australian cancer patients who live five years after diagnosis is up from 52% (30 years ago) to 71% in 2017. Despite this progress, cancer remains a significant burden for Western Australians especially for Aboriginal people and those living in rural and remote locations. There are more than 158,000 cancer related hospital admissions throughout WA each year, making up 14.4% of the State’s total hospitalisations.

Read the WA Cancer Plan 2020-2025

Asahi Kasei Pharma works in research and development of new drugs and pharmaceutical technologies. Currently they’re promoting and strengthening open innovation activities worldwide. As such they are calling for new proposals related to drug development research as part of their efforts to open innovation, to promote pharmaceutical research and development through enhanced co-operation with universities, research institutes and enterprises around the world.

Research topics sought by Asahi Kasei Pharma include:

• New drug candidates or drug discovery technologies in:
  • Chronic pain, Neurodegenerative disease
  • Autoimmune disease
  • Critical care medicine
  • Bone and/or Cartilage disease
  • Muscle-related disease
• New technologies aimed at addressing challenges in drug discovery:
  • Core technologies for drug discovery
  • Pharmacokinetics technology
  • Formulation technologies

If you need further information please contact Asahi Kasei Pharma directly or read their Open Invitation

More information and to apply now

Applications close: 4pm (AWST), Wednesday 26 February, 2020.

The Raine Medical Research Foundation provides Priming Grants for health or medical scientists and clinicians at an early stage in their research career, to assist them to become more competitive for national and international peer-review grants. This program is intended particularly for those who are progressing towards an independent research career.

The Foundation will award a number of two-year Priming Grants for 2021-2022. These Grants provide funding for research into any area of health and medical science which investigates the nature, origin and cause of human disease and the prevention, cure, alleviation and combating of such disease.

Grants may including funding (or part funding) for salaries of researchers and/or technical staff, small equipment and consumables. All of which shall not exceed $250,000 total.

Visit the Raine Medical Research Foundation website for the Guidelines, Conditions and to view the online application form.

Applications close: 1pm (AWST), Monday 16 March, 2020.

CCRM Australia is supporting the two-week workshop Summer by Design by offering a number of travel awards worth $2,500 for Australian PhD and early career researchers. CCRM Australia supports Summer by Design as part of their annual training program.

Summer by Design will be held in Toronto, Canada during the northern summer of June 6 to 21. The workshops focuses on skill development in the areas of clinical translation and commercialisation of regenerative medicine.

Please note Summer by Design is a full-time, intensive, two-week program. Sessions run from roughly 8:30am to 5pm on weekdays with some evening sessions. Participants must commit to attending the entire program. Admission is competitive.

Applicants must send completed applications and supporting documents to Dr Chih Wei Teng by Friday, 14 February 2020.

Read the application flyer for more information about how CCRM Australia could support you.

More information about Summer by Design

In October 2019, the Australian Clinical Trials Alliance (ACTA) held a conference around ‘better health through best evidence’.

The video presentations from the plenary sessions are now available.

The Traumatic Brain Injury Mission and the 2020 Grant Opportunity will support clinical research which improves knowledge and its translation into practice in order to enhance personalisation of care after traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Some examples of the research that can be funded through this grant opportunity include:

• Identifying clinical biomarkers that are prognostic of outcomes
• Novel imaging technologies and methods that could be used for prognostic purposes
• Understanding genetic factors that impact outcomes
• Investigating the novel use of artificial intelligence on administrative or other data collections to assist clinical decision making

The expected outcome of the research is innovative diagnostic and prognostic methods that facilitate longer term advances in TBI treatment and drive improvements in health and social outcomes for patients after TBI and the people around them.

Total amount available is $5 million, with the estimated grant value to be from $1 million to $2 million.

Mininmum data close: 2pm (AWST) Wednesday, 26 February, 2020.

Applications close: 2pm (AWST), Wednesday, 4 March, 2020.

More information about this grant opportunity.