Tag: NHMRC

WAHTN awarded Federal Budget funds for the Rapid Applied Research Translation program

Today the Australian Government’s Minister for Health, Hon. Greg Hunt MP, has announced eight national translation research centres, including the Western Australian Health Translation Network (WAHTN), will receive more than $33 million for research into health care practices and interventions. The funding will focus on people with, or at risk of, developing chronic conditions.

The WAHTN has been awarded $4.14 million in the latest round of the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) as part of the Rapid Applied Research Translation (RART) program. This round of RART grants was targeted to primary care research, with an emphasis on multidisciplinary care and public health interventions which address lifestyle factors which lead to chronic disease. This builds on $1.97 million previously awarded to WAHTN in 2018, totalling $6.1 million provided by the Australian Government over three years.

Commenting on the successful funding application, Executive Director of WAHTN, Professor Gary Geelhoed, said “The awarding of these funds to WAHTN and to similar bodies around Australia, comprising the Australian Health Research Alliance (AHRA), confirms the ongoing commitment of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and MRFF to the importance of these entities in promoting medical research and its timely application.”

The grant will provide funding for 12 research projects from WAHTNs Health Service Translational Research Projects (HSTRP) initiative, three Targeted Translational Research (TTR) Fellowships and several National System Level Initiatives, which are projects carried out across the nine AHRA Centres throughout Australia.

The TTR Fellowships align with WAHTNs aim to support our emerging research talent. Along with building and strengthening the research workforce within WA and enhancing our capacity and capability to undertake high quality translational research. The Fellowships will be targeted to the research areas of:

Wound Care
Biostatistics

The HSTRP program attracted 68 applications from the public and private health sector, PathWest and the WA Primary Health Alliance. The large number of quality applications made the process highly competitive. It also provided an encouraging snapshot of the strength and breadth of translational health research occurring in WA hospital and primary health settings. The successful projects, listed in the table below, will be supported by $2.84 million in MRFF funding, with matched funding from the health services.

Read the Australian Government’s media release

The successful HSTRP recipients are:

Recipient	Project Title	Health Service
Dr Christopher Brennan-Jones	PCH Ear Portal: Improving access to specialist ENT and Audiology services in metropolitan Perth	Child and Adolescent Health Service
Dr André Schultz	Implementation of solutions to improve follow-up for Aboriginal children hospitalised with lower respiratory tract infections	Child and Adolescent Health Service
Prof Graham Hillis	Community based education and exercise training in heart failure: Harnessing an existing resource to bridge a gap	East Metropolitan Health Service
Prof Christobel Saunders	Measuring the cost of continuous improvement in care-cancer at Royal Perth Hospital – a ‘proof-of-concept’	East Metropolitan Health Service
Assoc Prof Paul Cohen	Getting the MOST out of follow-up: a randomised controlled trial to compare three-monthly nurse-led telephone follow-up, including monitoring serum CA125 and patient reported outcomes using the MOST (Measure of Ovarian Symptoms and Treatment concerns) with routine clinic-based follow-up, following completion of first-line chemotherapy in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer	North Metropolitan Health Service
Prof Michael Millward	Integrating Tumour Mutational Burden (TMB) testing for appropriate selection of immuno-oncology therapy in metastatic melanoma fit for the modern era	North Metropolitan Health Service
Prof Girish Dwivedi	High Performance Medicine through Artificial Intelligence in the Emergency Department	South Metropolitan Health Service
Assoc Prof Andrew Maiorana	Primary Care Adherence to Heart Failure guidelines IN Diagnosis, Evaluation and Routine management (PATHFINDER) Study	South Metropolitan Health Service
Dr Wei-Sen Lam	TeleTrials in WA: A feasibility study to develop and pilot a TeleTrials framework to bring clinical trials closer to home for country patients	WA Country Health Service
Ms Jo Moore	A community and health system partnership to prevent hospitalisation and improve outcomes through a Compassionate Communities Model of End of Life Care	WA Country Health Service
Prof Desiree Silva	Embedding E-Health (Pregnancy Lifestyle, Activity, Nutrition (PLAN)) into routine clinical practice pathways to provide a healthy start to life	Ramsay Health Care
Mr Richard Varhol	Unlocking the potential of health system integration through data linkage: Combining primary and secondary data across the continuum of care to support policy development and clinical management of chronic disease in WA	WA Primary Health Alliance

September 18, 2019

$21 million in funding for dementia research

WAHTN commends the Australian Government for setting aside an additional $21 million for dementia research. This is a significant area of research and the funds will help focus research on risk reduction, prevention and tracking of dementia – which is Australia’s second leading cause of death.

The need for investment in research to develop new treatments and to improve dementia care is evident. The $21 million is in addition to the $185 million Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care 10 year mission which is funded through the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).

We congratulate the recipients of the 13 funded projects (listed below) who are all part of our Australian Health Research Alliance (AHRA) partner organisations.

Funded Projects from Round 5 – Dementia Risk Reduction and Prevention:

Chief Investigator	Project Title	Organisation
Assoc Prof Lisbeth Evered	The PROJECT Trial: PeRiOperaTive Enhancement of Cognitive Trajectory	University of Melbourne
Prof Kaarin Anstey	Translating the evidence on dementia risk reduction to generate assessments, advice and training for health professionals, policy makers, patients and public	University of New South Wales
Prof Andrew Pipingas	Mediterranean diet and exercise to reduce cognitive decline and dementia risks in independent living older Australians: the MedWalk randomised controlled trial	Swinburne University of Technology
Dr Ashleigh Smith	Living your best day – Optimising activity and diet compositions for dementia prevention	University of South Australia
Prof Sharon Naismith	REducing Sleep Apnoea for the PrEvention of Dementia (REShAPED): a multi-site feasibility RCT	University of Sydney
Prof Katherine Samaras	Preventing cognitive decline with metformin: a randomised controlled trial	The Garvan Institute of Medical Research
Dr Paul Gardiner	Taking a whole of day approach to optimising activity to prevent dementia in people with type 2 diabetes	The University of Queensland
Dr Yen Ying Lim	BetterBrains: Person-Centred, Multi-Domain, Primary Prevention Strategies to Delay Memory Decline	University of Melbourne
Dr Johnson George	Holistic Approach in Primary care for Preventing Memory Impairment aNd Dementia (HAPPI MIND)	Monash University
Assoc Prof Amy Brodtmann	Cardiovascular exercise to prevent cognitive decline in high risk patient populations: a post-ischaemic stroke exercise intervention study	University of Melbourne
Assoc Prof Edward Strivens	Reducing dementia risk in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities	James Cook University

Funded Projects from Round 6 – Improving Dementia Data and Methods:

Chief Investigator	Project Title	Organisation
Prof Annette Dobson	Improving Australia’s Dementia Statistics	The University of Queensland
Prof Velandai Srikanth	Leveraging electronic medical records and routine administrative data towards a population approach for monitoring dementia frequency, risk factors and management	Monash University

July 29, 2019

Authorship Guide and the Management of Data and Information in Research Guide

The Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research, 2018 (2018 Code) is a document which articulates the broad principles and responsibilities which underpin the conduct of Australian research. The Authorship Guide and the Management of Data and Information in Research which accompany the 2018 Code are now available for download.

Developed jointly by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), the Australian Research Council (ARC), and Universities Australia, the 2018 Code and accompanying Guides have relevance across all research disciplines.

Adherence to the 2018 Code is a prerequisite to receive funding by the NHMRC.

Read more and download your copy now

NHMRC, ARC and Universities Australia are currently developing further guides to support the 2018 Code which are planned for release later in 2019.

July 22, 2019
NHMRC-NIHR Collaborative Research Grant Scheme funding in 2020
The National Health and Medical Research Council and the National Institute for Health Research Collaborative Research (NIHR) Grant Scheme supports Australian participation and collaboration in leading international collaborative research through the United Kingdom’s NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme. This round will focus on priorities for funding in 2020.

The HTA Programme funds independent research about the effectiveness, costs and broader impact of healthcare treatments and tests. Projects involving Australian researchers based in Australia which are chosen by the NIHR for funding maybe eligible for NHMRC support.

NHMRC is supporting Australian researchers for the following NIHR HTA research topics:
- Antipsychotics for anorexia nervosa
- Combination treatment for dementia with Lewy Bodies and Parkinson’s disease dementia
- Care planning intervention for people with dementia who do not have regular contact with an informal carer
- Vagus nerve stimulation for highly treatment-resistant depression
- Extended treatment in early intervention in psychosis services
Successful applicants will have grant funding for five years and a total of $3 million is available.

Applications close Friday 26 July 2019

Read more about the National Institute for Health Research Collaborative Research Grants 2020

Or visit the GrantConnect page
June 13, 2019
Research Translation Projects (RTP) Grant Opportunity now open
The Research Translation Projects (RTP) program is now open for its 13th round.

The RTP grant program seeks to support high quality research projects which have the potential to improve policy and/or practice in WA Health, and aim to investigate efficiencies which can be delivered while maintaining or improving patient outcomes. Projects may be awarded up to $270,000 and must be completed within 24 months.

To be considered applications must include:
- Addresses relevant contemporary challenges faced by WA health
- A solid economic analysis of the predicted benefits
- Demonstrate a commitment to the translation and implementation of research findings into health care policy and practice improvements in WA
Applications which feature projects for subsequent grant applications to external programs, such as the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) are encouraged. Applications from persons in the clinical service delivery environment with suitable multi-disciplinary and cross-institutional collaborations are also encouraged to apply.

The 2019 (Round 13) Guidelines for Applicants and the Application Form can be downloaded from the Research Development site.

Applications close: 1pm, Monday 24 June 2019

For queries or advice on submitting applications and accessing health economics expertise contact the Research Development Unit.
May 16, 2019
Apply now for the 2020 NHMRC Postgraduate Scholarships

The NHMRC Postgraduate Scholarships scheme funds successful applicants to attain a research based postgraduate degree (Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Research Masters Degree).

The objective of the Postgraduate Scholarship scheme is to support outstanding graduates early in their careers so they can be trained to conduct health and medical research that is internationally competitive. The intended outcome of the Postgraduate Scholarship scheme is to build research capacity within Australia.

Applications close: 3pm, Wednesday 12 June 2019

Read more about the NHMRC Postgraduate scholarships

Register with GrantConnect to receive notifications on current Australian Government grant opportunities.

May 6, 2019
International Clinical Trial Collaborations (ICTC) Grant Opportunity
The NHMRC International Clinical Trial Collaborations (ICTC) grant opportunity is now open for the second round of Peer Reviews.

The grants will provide support for Australian research teams to conduct clinical trial research in collaboration with international counterparts. Applications for this grant opportunity must propose a single clinical trial which will achieve the following outcomes:
- Promote Australian involvement in international collaborative investigator-initiated clinical trials research through the establishment and co-ordination of clinical trial site(s) in Australia; and
- Provide high-quality evidence of the effectiveness of novel health treatments, drugs or devices in ‘usual care’ settings, which will support a decision on whether to deliver the intervention in an Australian setting
Novel health treatments include new and innovative applications of existing interventions.

Minimum data due: Wednesday 31 July, 2019

Applications close: Thursday 15 August, 2019

More information on ICTC 19.2

Register with GrantConnect to receive notifications on current Australian Government grant opportunities.
May 6, 2019
NHMRC Partnership Project Peer Review Cycle 2

The second round of the NHMRC Partnership Projects Peer Review Cycle (PRC) are open.

Partnership projects create partnerships among decision makers, policy makers, managers, clinicians and researchers. Partnership Projects answer a specific research question to influence health and well-being through changes in the delivery, organisation, funding and access to health services.

The Partnership Projects are a continuous cycle of applications review – depending on when they are submitted to NHMRC. For example if you submit your project to the second round of the Peer Review Cycle (PRC2) applicants must ensure minimum data requirements are met by Wednesday 31 July, 2019 and the application must be submitted by Wednesday 14 August, 2019. Applications which have met minimum data requirements but are not submitted by the application due date will remain active. The applicant may continue to work on the application and submit to the next available PRC.

Duration of the funding is over 5 years, and the level of funding is up to $1.5 million.

Minimum data due Wednesday 31 July, 2019

Applications close Wednesday 14 August, 2019

More information on PRC2

Register with GrantConnect to receive notifications on current Australian Government grant opportunities.

May 6, 2019
2019 NHMRC Symposium on Research Translation calling for Abstracts

The 8th Annual NHMRC Symposium on Research Translation will be held in Melbourne on 19 – 20 November, 2019.

The theme for this year is Research Translation in the digital age: harnessing the power of data and analytical technologies.

The call for Abstracts to be submitted is now open. Successful authors will be offered either an oral or poster presentation. All Abstracts must be submitted by Monday 1 July, 2019.

For enquires on submission please contact NHMRC

Click here to submit an Abstract to NHMRC

April 11, 2019
2018 NHMRC Symposium on Research Translation videos now available

The 7th Annual National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Symposium on Research Translation was held in Sydney, on 27 – 28 November 2018.

Under the theme of “Ensuring Value in Research” the Symposium explored how Australian researchers can develop the right questions from the start of their projects, that the studies are necessary and well-designed, and the results are reported in a fashion which is unbiased and widely usable.

320 delegates, and 100 speakers attended the Symposium in 2018. The theme for 2019 Symposium will be “Research Translation in the digital age: harnessing the power of data and analytical technologies”.

View the videos from all of the 2018 plenary and keynote presentations

February 11, 2019