National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC), 21 August 2008

Organisations and researchers now have access to over $100m for research to improve health programs.

The new NHMRC Partnerships scheme aims to build direct relationships between health providers and researchers, to strengthen the evidence base that decision makers work from. The scheme is ongoing, with the initial funding of over $100m available in the first two years. 

Health providers and researchers will be able to form partnerships to apply for a grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for any research project that has the potential to improve the health of Australians. 

Announcing the program today Professor Warwick Anderson, CEO of the NHMRC, said "This new scheme encourages community, health and government organisations to create a partnership with a researcher to answer a question they have about improving the effectiveness of their organisation's work. In this way, research outcomes will feed directly into policy and future actions.

"For example, if a major community-based aged-care provider is unable to find adequate evidence-based information on safe building designs to reduce falls, they and their partner researcher or research team can submit a proposal for funding through NHMRC Partnerships.

"Benefits will flow into the community as research funding reflects the needs of particular groups.  Researchers will have the satisfaction of knowing that their work contributes directly to better health practice, both in their partnership organisations and through their publication of this work.

"This approach to research represents a major new direction for the NHMRC."

Professor Anderson said health and medical research teams will be encouraged to draw members from all areas of knowledge, not only biomedical, clinical and public health but also economics, social sciences, engineering and education in order to solve problems and improve health outcomes.

Partner organisations are expected to provide funding or in kind support to the value of the NHMRC grant, however a group of partners can get together to make this easier for smaller organisations.

The NHMRC is Australia's peak body for supporting health and medical research, developing health advice and health ethics. Grant applications will be subject to the NHMRC's rigorous peer evaluation process to ensure funded research produces applied science of the highest quality.

Interested organisations and researchers can find more information on the scheme at www.nhmrc.gov.au/grants/partnerships.htm. 

Applications close on Friday December 19, 2008

Source: NHMRC