Health and medical research weathers 2011 budget

Health and medical research has dodged a budget bullet with funding to the National Health and Medical Research Council increasing to $850 million, up from $786 million and in line with the increases seen in previous years.

This comes after cabinet leaks suggests the government was considering cutting $400 million from the NHMRC budget over three years.

In the wake of the rumoured cuts researchers and supporters of health and medical research took to the streets to protest the reductions in funding.

Scientists expressed relief that the government had chosen to maintain existing levels of funding increases in the current budget.

“It is a relief to see the government recognises the importance of medical research for Australians and for the economy,” said Professor Doug Hilton, director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne.

“Our scientists have worked long and hard to establish Australia’s international reputation as a hub for biomedical research and the government, through its continued investment, has shown its support for this commitment.”

Professor Gary Jennings is Director of Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute was also pleased to see health and medical research funding remain uncut.

“Many of our researchers will breathe a sigh of relief tonight, knowing that the life-saving diagnosis and treatments they’re working on will be funded for another year.”

Not all aspects of research were untouched, with the government announcing that the Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) program will be cut by $33.4 million over four years, and the Collaborative Research Networks program will be cut by $20.7 million in the final two years of forward estimates

The government also announced a strategic review of federal funding of health and medical research, which was welcomed by some in the research community.

“We look forward to working out with the government where the investment needs to be and where the efficiencies will be gained so that we have a really vibrant sector,” Professor Hilton said.

“There are a lot of important things to get right in the next decade – not only improving diagnosis, prevention and treatment of disease, but making sure those benefits can be rolled out to the whole community and not just parts of the community.”