$630 million for health and medical research projects

Minister for Health Sussan Ley has announced $630 million to support Australia’s researchers in their search to find the next prevention of disease or cure.

The grants were selected by independent panels that drew on the expertise of thousands of researchers to assess applications across 12 different National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) schemes.

The funding will be shared amongst 2200 researchers working on 836 projects. These projects cover areas such as obesity prevention; a new medication to help treat severe ice addiction; new treatment for drug-resistant depression; different treatments for PTSD; and the impact shift working has on pregnancy outcomes.

“The projects span the full spectrum of health and medical research — from commercialising new ideas to improving healthcare delivery, to a basic understanding of diseases at genetic or molecular levels,” Ley said.

Ley said the announcement includes $122 million for cancer research, $50 million for mental health research and $25 million for dementia research, amongst other diseases and conditions. Highlights include:

• The second largest grant in NHMRC history, worth $25 million over five years, to support the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in its evaluation of the case for clinical genomics across inherited disease and cancer.
• Over $4 million to support seven collaborative projects between Australia’s and China’s peak health and medical research agencies in their work to prevent, predict and treat type 2 diabetes.
• $2.5 million to support Australia’s first Centre of Research Excellence for venom and antivenom, to be established at the University of Newcastle.

“The research funded today is at the forefront of our knowledge of health and disease,” Ley said.

For the full list of grant recipients, visit the NHMRC website.