2022-23 Budget investment in health and medical research

As announced in the 2022-23 Budget, the Australian Government will invest $6.3 billion from 2022-23 to 2031-32 in its second Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) 10-year Investment Plan. It will enable the MRFF to continue supporting the nation’s best and brightest researchers in life-changing, life-saving work to improve health outcomes for all Australians.

The Government is also providing $303.5 million in new grants and funding opportunities, including $50.4 million for 19 newly announced research projects, and $253.1 million for 16 new MRFF funding opportunities.

Read more about these investments and funding opportunities in this newsletter.

Giving researchers funding certainty through the MRFF 2nd 10-year Investment Plan

The MRFF’s $6.3 billion 2^nd 10-year Investment Plan gives researchers the funding certainty to make breakthroughs in treatments, devices, therapies, and ultimately, cures.

The 2^nd 10-year Investment Plan carries forward all of the funding allocated from 2022-23 to 2027-28 in the MRFF’s 1^st 10-year Investment Plan (2018 19 to 2027-28), as well as committing to additional expenditure of $3.1 billion.

It includes $384.2 million in new funding to enable Australia’s early to mid-career researchers to work on our greatest health challenges; and enhances and expands existing MRFF initiatives.

Learn more about the MRFF’s 2^nd 10-year Investment Plan.

$18.4 million for improving the health and wellbeing of Indigenous mothers and babies

 Five projects will receive $18.4 million under the MRFF’s Emerging Priorities and Consumer-Driven Research initiative to support Indigenous-led Australian medical research projects to translate existing knowledge through culturally safe care for pregnancy, birthing and the post-natal period, for example on-country birthing and continuity of family and midwifery care.

Read more about the five projects awarded funding under 2021 Improving the Health and Wellbeing of Indigenous Mothers and Babies grant opportunity.

$32 million for applied research in health

Fourteen projects will receive $32 million under the MRFF’s Clinician Researchers initiative to validate and implement new approaches for improving the quality and consistency of patient care.

Read more about the 14 projects awarded funding under the 2020 Clinician Researchers: Applied Research in Health grant opportunity.

$37.8 million to support Australian leadership of international clinical trials

The International Clinical Trial Collaborations grant opportunity will support Australian leadership of, and participation in, high quality international collaborative clinical trials, across six grant opportunities over the next three years. Up to $37.8 million is available from the MRFF’s Clinical Trials Activity initiative.

Read about the 2022 International Clinical Trial Collaborations grant opportunity.

$12 million for research to help people with pancreatic cancer

The 2022 Pancreatic Cancer Research grant opportunity will support therapeutic approaches for managing the pain and symptoms of individuals with pancreatic cancer, and provide access to clinical trials that offer new treatments.

Up to $12 million is available from the MRFF’s Emerging Priorities and Consumer-Driven Research and Clinical Trials Activity initiatives.

Learn about this grant opportunity.

$73 million to enhance Australia’s research infrastructure

The MRFF will invest $73 million through the 2022 National Critical Research Infrastructure grant opportunity to enhance Australia’s research infrastructure, to promote new research approaches that will address health challenges.

Funding is from the MRFF’s National Critical Research Infrastructure initiative.

Read more about this grant opportunity.

$18 million for research into multiple sclerosis

The 2022 Multiple Sclerosis Research grant opportunity will support projects that:

• provide access to clinical trials and accelerate the availability of effective therapeutics for the treatment of Epstein Barr Virus infection
• improve understanding of how immune responses to viruses vary across individuals, to inform disease prediction and treatment pathways, and ultimately reduce the prevalence and severity of multiple sclerosis and post-viral diseases.

Up to $18 million is available from the MRFF’s Clinical Trials Activity and Emerging Priorities and Consumer-Driven Research initiatives.

Find out more about this grant opportunity.

$15 million to support the safe and effective use of medicines

Up to $15 million is available under the 2022 Quality, Safety and Effectiveness of Medicine Use and Medicine Intervention by Pharmacists grant opportunity to generate evidence that:

• supports the safe and effective use of prescription medicines
• improves the quality of care provided to patients with cancer
• reduces hospital readmissions due to medication related complications
• supports the safe and effective use of medicines in residential aged care facilities.

$13 million to help reduce the risk of disease

The 2022 Effective Treatments and Therapies grant opportunity will support the development and implementation of effective exercise programs that:

• reduce the risk of disease in Australian adults aged over 45 years
• increase physical activity amongst priority populations
• ameliorate symptoms of progressive neurological deterioration and mental impairment in children and adolescents.

Up to $13 million is available from the MRFF’s Preventive and Public Health Research and Emerging Priorities and Consumer-Driven Research initiatives.

Read more about this grant opportunity.

$20.3 million to support applied research in health care

The 2022 Clinician Researchers: Nurses, Midwives and Allied Health grant opportunity will support nurses, midwives and allied health professionals to improve the quality of health care, practice and systems by undertaking applied research in health care.

The MRFF’s Clinician Researchers initiative will provide $20.3 million for this grant opportunity.

Learn more about this grant opportunity.

$10 million to transform clinical care through stem cell-based therapies

The 2022 Stem Cell Therapies grant opportunity will support projects that generate novel approaches to stem cell-based therapies that have the potential to transform clinical care and generate new treatments using human tissues made from stem-cells for pre-clinical development.

Up to $10 million is available from the MRFF’s Stem Cell Therapies Mission.

Find out more about this grant opportunity.
 

$24 million for research to help Australians with dementia and to support healthy ageing and quality of life 

Up to $24 million is available under the 2022 Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care grant opportunity for research that:

• improves the wellbeing of Australians living with dementia and their carers, and enables earlier and more effective diagnosis of dementia
• addresses inequalities in the uptake of prevention activities to support healthy ageing and quality of life for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, rural and regional and remote populations, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
• enhances the utility of neuropsychological tests for dementia.      

Funding is from the MRFF’s Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission.

Read more about this grant opportunity.

$24 million to support cardiovascular disease and stroke projects

Up to $24 million is available under the 2022 Cardiovascular Health grant opportunity for projects that generate knowledge to improve the detection, prevention and treatments for cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Funding is from the MRFF’s Cardiovascular Health Mission.

Learn more about this grant opportunity.

$6 million to accelerate brain cancer research

The 2022 Australian Brain Cancer Research Infrastructure grant opportunity will provide $6 million to generate knowledge that enables the development of new approaches, treatments and therapies that accelerate progress in improving the diagnosis and care for patients with brain cancer. 
  
Funding is from the MRFF’s Australian Brain Cancer Mission.

Find out more about this grant opportunity.

Supporting the development of a thriving and vibrant biotechnology sector

Biotechnology, or technology based on biology, has ushered in an era of new and improved therapeutics and treatments that are saving the lives of Australians.

As part of the 2022-23 Budget, the Australian Government has announced the new Biotechnology in Australia – Strategic Plan for Health and Medicine, which brings together a range of Government initiatives to foster the research and application of biotechnology under three pillars:

• supporting world-class research and development
• facilitating high-quality and secure clinical development
• accelerating commercialisation.

Read the Biotechnology in Australia – Strategic Plan for Health and Medicine to learn more.

MRFF grant opportunity gender data report

The first Medical Research Future Fund Grant Opportunity Gender Data Report is now available. This report provides gender information about applicants and grantees of competitive MRFF grant opportunities, including findings relating to research areas, Chief Investigators, and the proportion of women and men on a grant. Read the full report.

To celebrate our first gender data report, we have also published an article featuring the work of three female Chief Investigators currently leading MRFF Projects. Learn about these Brilliant Women Leading MRFF Projects.

World’s first lung scanner brings hope for people living with lung conditions

Funding from the MRFF’s Frontier Health and Medical Research initiative has supported the development and commercialisation of the world’s first dedicated lung scanner.

Located at the Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, the XV Scanner can detect disease earlier and more accurately monitor chronic respiratory conditions. 

Learn more about how the XV Scanner will benefit Australians with lung conditions.

Join our next MRFF webinar 

You are invited to join us for our next MRFF webinar at 10:30am (AEST) on 12 April 2022.

Host Dr Masha Somi, Chief Executive Officer of the Health and Medical Research Office, within the Department of Health, will talk about:

• the MRFF 2^nd 10-year Investment Plan
• MRFF programs with a focus on commercialising and translating medical research and medical innovation outputs and outcomes
• recent MRFF programs, news, grant opportunities and outcomes.

Our guest speaker Ms Sue MacLeman, Chair of the MTPConnect Board, will talk about progress being made with commercialising and translating medical research and medical innovation outputs and outcomes in Australia. As part of this, Ms MacLeman will discuss the programs being deployed to accelerate the growth of the medical technologies, biotechnologies and pharmaceuticals sector, including those funded through the MRFF.

Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions at the end of the presentation.

Register for the webinar.

Watch previous webinars and other videos about the MRFF.

Department of Health staff participation in MRFF-funded activities

The Department of Health has a policy statement about staff involvement in MRFF grant applications and grants.

Read the MRFF Policy Statement – Participation by Department of Health employees in research activities funded by the MRFF for more information.

Let us know about your research

We would like to hear about the achievements of researchers who have received MRFF funding for their work.

Write to us about your research outcomes at: MRFF@health.gov.au.

Remember to include information about how your research outcomes have made a difference, for example, their application in programs, clinical practice or guidelines, or published findings.