The launch of the National Health and Medical Research Strategy (NHMRS) is a welcome step towards providing certainty for the research and development industry in a critical portfolio.
The NHMRS comes two months after the release of the Ambitious Australia report, which provided a blueprint for the future of Australia’s broader research development and innovation (RD&I) system.
Science & Technology Australia (STA) CEO Ryan Winn said it’s essential that the NHMRS is implemented as part of that more comprehensive and wider RD&I system blueprint.
“It is pleasing to see the inclusion of a National Strategy Advisory Council (NSAC) for health and medical research, which was a key recommendation of the Ambitious Australia report. We look forward to seeing more NSACs created across the other five National Innovation Pillars of Agriculture and Food, Defence, Energy and Environment, Resources and Technology,” Mr Winn said.
STA acknowledges the proposal to create a Health and Medical Research Infrastructure Roadmap, and notes that this must be developed in close coordination and nest underneath National Research Infrastructure Roadmaps, with the next to be released later this year.
“Research infrastructure provides the tools scientists and technologists need to do their work. Often it is discipline agnostic, such as high performance computer and microscopy, and some health and medical research infrastructure is used by other areas of research, so it is essential that future infrastructure roadmaps and investment decisions are closely aligned.”
The NHMRS comes after a welcome commitment in the Federal Budget to invest an additional $508.5 million in health and medical R&D over the next four years from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF). This was strongly advocated for by stakeholders across the R&D industry.
“The disbursement of additional funding from the MRFF, while not new money, has been much needed to ensure the life-saving work of our researchers can continue.”
“Additional funding alongside the release of this strategy provides a level of certainty that health and medical researchers have been desperately seeking,” Mr Winn said.
Media contact: Paul Richards – media@sta.org.au or 0412 145 905
