A Snapshot of Recent Achievements

A snapshot of Research Australia’s recent achievements

A Snapshot of Recent Achievements CONNECTING As the national peak body for Australian health and medical research, Research Australia uses its unique convening power to bring members together to prosecute policy ideas and explore new opportunities for investment through public and private funding, philanthropy, and venture capital.

This past year, Research Australia briefed over 150 federal and state government ministers and MPs and their staff, on the response from our sector to COVID-19. Recently, Research Australia hosted a Federal Briefing focused on mental health research in conjunction with the Parliamentary Friends of Mental Health.

Research Australia continues to engage with politicians around the country to highlight the economic potential of health and medical research and the sector’s role in the post-carbon economy of the future.

ENGAGING The University Roundtable The University Roundtable brings together senior leaders from the country’s most reputable research focused universities to provide advice to our Board and guide Research Australia’s policy positions. In the last year we have focused on the impact on university research budgets of the loss of international students and examined how university research funding could boost private sector and public sector expenditure on R&D. We thank the speakers and influencers drawn from across government and medical innovation and the highly cited researchers from diverse disciplines who have participated in our Roundtables throughout the year.

We thank outgoing Chair, Professor Shitij Kapur for his leadership through COVID-19 and are delighted to welcome ANU Professor Russell Gruen as the new Chair of the University Roundtable.

The Health Economics Roundtable The Health Economics Roundtable connects health economists with the broader research community and government and was established to play a key and unique role in driving research-based evidence for health policy and program development. This year we established the Aged Care Working Group under the auspices of our Health Economics Roundtable convening eminent researchers and health economists with particular expertise in the economics of aged care. Thanks to Research Australia’s Interim Chair, Associate Professor Annette Schmiede for her invaluable leadership of this key policy forum and to all our members whose contributions to these Roundtables ensures its ongoing value.

PHILANTHROPY ROUNDTABLE A significant portion of our Research Australia’s member organisations raise funds for health and medical research. As the central convening point of the entire health and medical research pipeline, we are uniquely expert in both the ways in which charities and philanthropists invest in our sector and how this investment interacts with other sources of funding for health and medical research.

Our Philanthropy Roundtables convene philanthropists and key stakeholders in health and medical research and in doing so, ensure philanthropic funding for health and medical research achieves the absolutely lifechanging outcomes intended. The Roundtable aims to provide a forum to discuss the importance of attracting philanthropic investment in health and medical research and how to better work with government to coordinate and enhance funding for health and medical research.

INFLUENCING While some of our advocacy work is done behind the scenes, we make many submissions on topics ranging from the Commonwealth Data Availability and Transparency Bill, to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

Research Australia’s submission to the Treasurer ahead of the 2021-222 Budget focuses on the vital role of health and medical research and innovation in Australia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the manufacturing and innovation opportunities that health and medical research presents for Australia’s economic recovery. In addition to increasing NHMRC and ARC funding, Research Australia has called for continued support for universities and medical research institutes with meeting indirect research costs, and measures to support medical products R&D and manufacturing. Research Australia has also called for the Government to set clear and ambitious goals if we are to position ourselves for economic success. One such goal we recommend would be to become a net exporter of pharmaceuticals by 2035.

ADVOCACY Our advocacy emphasises the importance of health and medical research to the future health, wellbeing and prosperity of Australians, and the need for smart investment to achieve this. Research Australia was delighted to see further disbursements from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) and Frontiers Program, which Research Australia developed in partnership with the Department of Health. The MRFF reached its major milestone of full capitalisation at $20 billion in July 2020 and Research Australia continues to advocate for the crucial, translational role of the MRFF. This theme of translation, impact, transparency and equity of access are captured in the Evaluation Framework for the MRFF which Research Australia developed on behalf of the Department of Health.

Research Australia also developed our COVID-19 report series over the past year. This series covers the immense response from the health and medical research sector to addressing COVID-19, the impact our sector is facing due to this pandemic, and how the pandemic has impacted Research Australia’s philanthropic members and the research they fund. Research Australia has used this series of three reports and broader lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic to set our advocacy agenda as we enter a post-pandemic Australia.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Our board is comprised of a group of prominent, passionate professionals who proactively contribute to our uniquely placed organisation to ensure it fulfils its mission and to drive the change that is required to transform healthcare for Australians.

The Board reflects a balanced and effective governance structure. The members provide technical expertise drawn from industry associations, medical research institutes, universities and philanthropic foundations and companies.

Assoc. Prof Annette Schmiede

Professor Dawn Freshwater

Interim Chair Research Australia

Deputy Chair Research Australia Vice-Chancellor University of Auckland

Nadia Levin

Peter Wills AC

Managing Director Chief Executive Officer Research Australia

Chairman Biomedical Translation Fund Committee

Jenny Morawska

Professor Mary Foley AM

Assoc. Prof Greg Kaplan

Professor Nicholas Fisk

Managing Director Telstra Health

Chief Operating Officer Woolcock Institute of Medical Research

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) UNSW Sydney

Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director The Morawska Group

Dr Andrew Nash

Professor Melissa Little

Warren Bingham

Martin Bowles AO PSM

Senior Vice President Research CSL Limited

Theme Director of Cell Biology Murdoch Children’s Research Institute

Founder and Executive Chairman, MedTech International CEO, BioAnalytics Holdings

National Chief Executive Officer Calvary Healthcare Australia

Some of our illustrious alumni Anne Trimmer Secretary General, Australian Medical Association

Geoff Joyce Executive Director, Head of M&A, Macquarie Group Ltd

Dr Chris Roberts Chief Executive Officer, Cochlear Limited

Dr Anna Lavelle Chairman, Avatar Brokers

Dr Matthew Gillespie Associate Director, St Vincent’s Institute

Professor Peter Schofield AO Chief Executive Officer, NeuRA

Professor Christine Bennett AO Dean School of Medicine, University of Notre Dame Australia

Professor Garry Jennings AO Chief Medical Advisor, Heart Foundation

Professor Janet Hiller Dean School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology

Professor John Funder AC Distinguished Scientist, Hudson Institute of Medical Research

Professor John McGrath AM Executive Director, Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research

Professor John Niland AC Former Vice Chancellor and Principal, University of New South Wales

Professor Judith Whitworth AC Director, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University.

Professor Perry Bartlett AO Director, Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland

Adjunct Professor Richard Head Sansom Institute of Health Research, University of South Australia

Professor Shitij Kapur President and Principal of King’s College London

Professor Ian Jacobs President & Vice-Chancellor, University of NSW, Sydney

OUR ROLE CONNECT researchers, funders and consumers to increase investment in health and medical research from all sources

ENGAGE Australia in a meaningful conversation about the health benefits and economic value of its investment in health and medical research

SYDNEY 384 Victoria Street Darlinghurst NSW 2010 P 02 9295 8546 E admin@researchaustralia.org

INFLUENCE government policies that support effective health and medical research and its routine translation into evidence-based practices and better health outcomes for all

MELBOURNE Level 5, 215 Spring Street Melbourne 3000 P 03 9662 9420 E admin@researchaustralia.org

www.researchaustralia.org

Latest Publications Consumer Poll Reports – Keeping up with Australia’s opinions Research Australia’s strategies and priorities are influenced by the views and opinions of Australians who are, ultimately, the beneficiaries of the work undertaken by the HMR community.

Research Australia has polled consumers since 2003 on a range of topics to identify important trends to assist with policy and general advocacy.

Australia Speaks! 2020 Click on the image to read this report

INSPIRE – Showcasing members’ research, innovation and philanthropy Research Australia’s sector publication is produced quarterly and features articles on research and innovation from the membership. There are specific focus areas for each issue and regular features such as updates on our recent forums and The Last Word from featuring a topical piece from one of our sector leaders. Only members can contribute but we do offer paid advertising for other organisations.

Issue 18 – Translational Research

Issue 16 – HMR for Children & Youth

Issue 17 – Responding to Covid

Issue 15 – Preventive Health

Leadership INSIGHTS – Sharing the views of sector influencers.

The Leadership INSIGHTS on Health and Medical Research Innovation series is an opinion editorial publication. The leadership within our ecosystem is immense and given Research Australia’s position as

the national peak, we have access to leaders who either have great influence or should have greater profile in our sector. They are from organisations from the fundamental research end of the pipeline, through to the commercial end and ultimately to the all-important consumer.

The wisdom of the collective holds enormous brain power, and this series aims to share these insights on critical subjects.

Issue 1

Issue 2

Issue 3

Click covers to view

Responding to COVID-19 Following COVID-19 reaching Australia, and the resultant fear and misinformation, Research Australia also conducted regular briefings at both federal and state level to connect MP’s and their staff with researchers themselves to hear firsthand what work was been done and what work needed to be done.

Research Australia developed a series of reports to capture the sector’s response, the impact on researchers and the effects on the philanthropic organisations supporting health and medical research.

Report 1 COVID-19 How Australia’s the health and medical research sector is

Report 2 The impact of COVID-19 on health and medical researchers

responding Report 3 Philanthropy in health and medical Research

Policy Submissions RA is well known for its succinct and insightful policy positions on all areas relating to HMR. below are links to a few key submissions: R&D Tax Incentive Innovation 20-30 Pre-Election Tracker 2019 Pre-Budget Statement 2020 • The National Clinical Trials Governance Framework- Response to the Consultation • Pre-Budget Submission 2021 • • • •

Research Australia’s Annual Awards – celebrating Australia’s best in health and medical research, innovation and philanthropy Without doubt our signature event is the annual Awards program. 2020 attracted enormous support from the membership with record nominations in each category. As the event has to be moved to 2021 we’ve had the opportunity to showcase a range of the nominations through our various channels in the lead up and we look forward to announcing the finalists in July 2021.

Annual Report – featuring the a summary of advocacy, events and year’s highlights Each year Research Australia provides the financials and a summary of the financial year’s activities. It is a channel to thank the membership for their support and highlight our key achievements on their behalf.

Click the image to view the report

Our Digital Media Channels – broadening your reach across the sector and beyond Website Twitter Facebook Linkedin

researchaustralia.org @ResAustralia (nearly 10,000 followers) /researchaustralia (over 3,100 followers) research-australia (over 700 followers)