How is Medical Research funded?

 

Health and medical research funding comes from a range of sources:

 


Government
Many researchers are funded by Federal Government grants made through the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Australian Research Council (ARC), which is part of the Department of Education, Science and Training.

NHMRC or ARC grants are awarded on merit and most often go to researchers working in universities, hospitals or independently run medical research institutes. A portion of the Federal Government funding is also used for research infrastructure such as buildings and equipment.

Other government programs supporting health and medical research include innovation and biotechnology initiatives, the Cooperative Research Centres (CRC's), science prizes and also the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia's primary government research agency.

State Government funding of public hospitals and infrastructure and/or grants to medical research institutes and universities also supports research. In the last few years, State Governments have established biotechnology hubs with special budgets and expenditure to develop policy and foster joint ventures.

Federal and State Governments also provide a range of Government-Industry-Research support schemes to enable formation of research consortia, bringing public and private funding and research expertise together under one umbrella. Often, pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies will joint venture with research institutes, hospitals or government agencies such as the CSIRO.

 


Corporate
Pharmaceutical companies contribute to health and medical research funding by sponsoring clinical trials and also by funding their own research and development programs.

A growing number of biotechnology companies, both publicly listed and private, are being established in Australia and expanding their research and development activities.

Companies from outside the health and medical research sector also contribute through sponsorship (such as funding for Professional Chairs at Universities) or corporate philanthropy (such as retailers donating a percentage of sales to medical research).

 


The Community
Many people in the community have a strong sense of philanthropy and donate to health interest groups such as public health centres and disease-related charities. Just a few examples of the valuable contribution made by the community include response to special cause appeals and promotions, donations to hospitals, research institutes and universities, employee donations through salary sacrifice programs and service clubs raising funds for medical research.

Other sources of general community funding includes private investors in listed companies in the health and life services sector, private equity investors in technology companies and philanthropic trusts.


International
Australia has a strong international reputation for achievements in health and medical research and many researchers collaborate with colleagues overseas. Some researchers also attract funding from international sources. Overseas government agencies such as America's National Institutes of Health (NIH), international philanthropic trusts such as the UK's Wellcome Trust and multi-national commercial joint ventures are potential sources of funding for Australian health and medical research.

 

 

"For every $1 Kolling receives in research grant funding, we must raise another $0.42 to cover the cost of our work."

 

 

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