Fifteen grants ranging from $5.3 million to $100 million will fund the development and expansion of medical research facilities across Australia, and the operation of the Australian synchrotron in Victoria.
Research Australia CEO Rebecca James said the funding provided a much needed boost to the sector’s ageing infrastructure.
"Our health and medical researchers are among the best in the world."
"They require access to state-of-the-art facilities to maximise their research capacity and international competitiveness," she said.
Funding includes:
- •$30.0 million for the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute, New South Wales
- $15.0 million for the Westmead Millennium Institute, New South Wales
- $10.0 million for the Sydney Cancer Centre, New South Wales
- $6.0 million for the Brain and Mind Institute, New South Wales
- $14.0 million for the Baker Heart Research Institute, Victoria
- $5.3 million for the Menzies School of Health Research, Northern Territory
- $100.0 million for the Princess Alexandra Hospital and University of Queensland, Queensland
- $55.0 million for the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Queensland
- $10.0 million for the Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer, South Australia
- $50.0 million for the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Victoria
- $50.0 million for the Australian Synchrotron, Victoria
- $15.0 million for the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute,Victoria
- $6.0 million for the Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, Victoria
- $100.0 million for the Western Australian Institutes for Health, Western Australia
- $19.5 million for the Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Western Australia
An additional $5.6 million over four years was awarded to the National Health and Medical Research Council to develop a streamlined approach to eliminate the need for multiple ethics approvals of health and medical research conducted at multiple sites.
Other measures welcomed in the package include the $5 billion Higher Education Endowment Fund to support university capital works and research, incentives to attract foreign-owned research and development to Australia, new medicines to treat diabetes, osteoporosis and other conditions, and new vaccines.
"This package will enable Australia to build its international profile on health and tackle global health issues," Ms James said.