The National Centre for HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research (NCHECR) will celebrate its 25th anniversary with the launch today of its new name and identity – the Kirby Institute for infection and immunity in society – while welcoming a $A10 million donation from US-based charity The Atlantic Philanthropies.
The Kirby Institute has been named in honour of former Justice of the High Court of Australia Michael Kirby, a passionate champion of health and human rights.
Michael Kirby has been a long-time friend and mentor to the University of New South Wales-based centre since its inception. He is the guest of honour at a ceremony on Monday 4 April to mark the centre's name change and its quarter century of achievements.
"We are greatly honoured that Michael Kirby agreed to lend his name and his standing to our ongoing work," the Director of the Kirby Institute, Professor David Cooper, said. "The name change is designed to convey the breadth of our work which, these days, is far greater than just HIV."
NCHECR was established in 1986 to focus on HIV research and prevention. Today, the Kirby Institute's 160 researchers work on a range of blood-borne diseases including HIV, viral hepatitis and other diseases of behaviour, as well as diseases affecting specific communities such as Indigenous people, prisoners, sex workers and injecting drug users.
"We research a range of infectious diseases, particularly those that occur in social groups that might be considered marginalised, disadvantaged, disempowered or voiceless. This is where our interests and those of Mr Kirby intersect," Professor Cooper said.
UNSW Vice-Chancellor Professor Fred Hilmer said: "Professor Cooper and his team are recognised internationally as leaders in the field of HIV research and the wider area of blood-borne infections. The renaming of the national centre as the Kirby Institute and the significant investment by The Atlantic Philanthropies mark another important step in the centre's evolution."
The Atlantic Philanthropies' $10m donation will go toward new $80m facilities for the Kirby Institute on UNSW's Kensington campus and a clinical centre in Darlinghurst. Initial funding for the facilities has been provided by the Federal and State Governments ($20m from each), with $20m coming from University resources.
UNSW Chancellor David Gonski said a further $10m needed to be raised to match the Atlantic Philanthropies' donation and the shortfall was a "call to arms" to philanthropists.
"We are deeply appreciative of the investment by The Atlantic Philanthropies in this important area of research at UNSW and we will be working hard to match this donation from other sources over the coming three years. We value highly The Atlantic Philanthropies Founder Mr Charles Feeney's financial commitment and leadership in assisting us to achieve the financing for this project," he said.
The donation is the latest in a series of international philanthropic gifts to the Institute. In 2009, the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research received AUD$18m from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to support a research project with the potential to extend drug therapy to millions of HIV-affected people worldwide.
About the Kirby Institute:
The Kirby Institute for infection and immunity in society is a centre of the University of New South Wales. Formerly the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research, established in 1986, the Kirby Institute is an infectious diseases research organisation which focuses on those diseases of behaviour which affect marginalised, disempowered and other communities.
About Michael Kirby:
When he retired from the High Court of Australia in 2009, Michael Kirby was Australia's longest serving judge. Prior to the High Court he served on the Federal Court of Australia, President of the NSW Court of Appeal and, concurrently, the Court of Appeal of Solomon Islands. In addition to this distinguished legal track record, Mr Kirby has served with many national and international bodies, including as a member of the World Health Organisation's Global Commission on AIDS; President of the International Commission of Jurists; and UN Special Representative Human Rights in Cambodia. He is presently a member of the High Commissioner for Human Rights' Judicial Reference Group and a member of the UNAIDS Reference Group on HIV and Human Rights. Mr Kirby has also been appointed to the UNDP Global Commission of HIV and the Law.
About The Atlantic Philanthropies
The Atlantic Philanthropies are dedicated to bringing about lasting changes in the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people. Atlantic focuses on four critical social problems: Ageing, Children & Youth, Population Health, and Reconciliation & Human Rights. Programmes funded by Atlantic operate in Australia, Bermuda, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United States and Viet Nam. To learn more, please visit: www.atlanticphilanthropies.org