grantwatch
More funding for medical research Research into new treatments, improved research translation and Indigenous youth suicide are some of the areas that will benefit from the latest round of 95 NHMRC grants, totalling $71.2 million. Announced by Health Minister Peter Dutton, funding of $54.6 million will support 74 NHMRC Research Fellowships and 28 current fellowship extensions. A further $8 million will go towards 17 Practitioner Fellowships and $4.5 million will support four grants that form part of the one-off Mental Health Targeted Call for Research (TCR) into Indigenous youth suicide. Professor Anthony Jorm from the University of Melbourne and his team are one of the lucky four groups to receive a TCR grant. They will use the funding to develop new guidelines to support Indigenous communities to prevent suicide and self-injury amongst their young people. Community members will be trained to act as gatekeepers, identifying young people who are at risk and referring them to health workers with greater health expertise. Senior researcher Associate Professor David Booth, from the University of Sydney, © iStockphoto.com/kerriekerr
received an NHMRC Research Fellowship to build on his work into the causes of multiple sclerosis as well as test a number of therapies he has helped develop. He will apply similar ‘omics’-based techniques to evaluate treatment for viral diseases such as HIV. Further information can be found on the NHMRC website.
veski Innovation Fellowships Applications are open for one of Victoria’s leading research fellowships
- including food science and bioengineering, environmental technologies and
programs, the veski Innovation Fellowships.
enabling sciences.
Announced by the Victorian Minister for Innovation, Louise Asher,
The fellowships are managed by veski and funded by the Victorian
the veski Innovation Fellowships provide $150,000 over three years against
Government. veski was established in 2003 with an endowment from the
matched and in-kind funding to support researchers working overseas in
Victorian Treasury. The annual interest earned is used to help fund the
relocating their research activities to Victoria.
fellowships.
The fellowships are open to expatriate Australian and non-Australian researchers working in biotechnology, biomedical, advanced manufacturing
Applications close on Friday, 14 November 2014. Go to the veski website for more information and how to apply.
Call for ideas to partner with GSK GSK is calling on scientists, researchers, innovators and start-up companies to submit ideas to the Open Innovation challenge. Ideas that match specific criteria will have the chance to partner with GSK and be developed through to commericalisation. Ideas will need to be health-related and in the areas of nutrition, wellness, oral health or skin health. Successful entrants will be provided with resources and support to potentially turn their idea into a commercial reality. GSK has a proven track record of turning inspired product ideas into household names. For example, Sensodyne Repair and Protect toothpaste began as an initiative by two Florida dentists, who adapted US military technology for mending bones © iStockphoto.com/jgroup
into an oral health solution. This created NovaMin which, combined with saliva and water, crystallises to form a mineral similar to natural tooth mineral. GSK saw the potential in the innovation and built a partnership with the team. Together they developed the first daily toothpaste to repair sensitive teeth, which has helped millions of people with tooth sensitivity. GSK Innovation healthcare spokesperson Montse Pena said that GSK is excited to be promoting this opportunity to innovators in Australia and New Zealand. “We feel certain there are bright, new healthcare product ideas in this part of the world that just need support to progress to the next level. We offer Australian
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and New Zealand innovators the reach, resources, scientific development and world-class marketing to help their product ideas become a commercial success.” Submissions can be made via the Open Innovation website.
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