Australia injects $311M for dementia, cancer and additional medical research
14 December 2020 | News
Twelve grant opportunities from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) to support health and medical research and innovation projects in key areas such as dementia, aged care, and applied research led by clinicians.
Photo Credit: Freepik
Australian Government is launching twelve grant opportunities from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), with a total value of almost $311 million.
The funding aims to generate improved health care and outcomes by supporting health and medical research and innovation projects in key areas such as dementia, aged care, and applied research led by clinicians.
A total of $17.5 million is on offer for research into dementia and aged care. Almost half a million people are currently living with dementia in Australia, with this number expected to reach around 1.1 million in less than 30 years.
The 2020 MRFF grant opportunity from the Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission targets large scale, interdisciplinary research into dementia and aged care in four streams.
- $1 million to develop measures to assess dementia care at a local organizational level and improve its quality
- $6 million to develop interventions for holistic and multidisciplinary care, including new digital technologies to support care, managing transitions between care types, and managing the progression of dementia
- $8 million for research to develop better diagnostic and prognostic tools for dementia, including biological markers of disease onset and progression
- $2.5 million for research into effective infection control practices in aged care settings and during transitions.
The MRFF is a capital preserved fund that matured at $20 billion in July 2020. It is long-term, sustainable investment in Australian health and medical research and innovation to improve lives, build the economy and contribute to health system sustainability.
The Australian Government will invest a record $6.6 billion in health and medical research between 2020-21 and 2023-24.
Details of the 2020 MRFF grant opportunities are below.
| Grant opportunity | MRFF stream | Funding |
|---|---|---|
|
2020 Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission |
2020 Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission |
$17.5 million |
|
2020 Clinician Researchers: Applied Research in Health |
Clinician Researchers |
$25 million |
|
2020 Paediatric Cancer |
Emerging Priorities and Consumer Driven Research (EPCDR) |
$9.6 million |
|
2020 Improving Diagnosis in Cancers with Low Survival |
EPCDR |
$25 million |
|
2020 Rapid Applied Research Translation |
Rapid Applied Research Translation |
$55 million |
|
2020 Early Stage Translation and Commercialisation Support |
Medical Research Commercialisation |
$79 million |
|
2020 Genomics Health Futures Mission |
Genomics Health Futures Mission |
$45 million |
|
2020 Stem Cell Therapies Mission |
Stem Cell Therapies Mission |
$19 million |
|
2020 Cardiovascular Health Mission |
Cardiovascular Health Mission |
$20.3 million |
|
2020 Traumatic Brain Injury Mission |
2020 Traumatic Brain Injury Mission |
$4.3 million |
|
2020 Indigenous Health Research Fund |
Indigenous Health Research Fund |
$11.1 million |
|
Total |
|
$310.8 million |
Further to the launch to the 11 MRFF grant opportunities, public consultation opened on 14 Dec 2020 on the Roadmaps and Implementation Plans for six MRFF Missions: Cardiovascular Health Mission; Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission; Genomics Health Futures Mission; Indigenous Health Research Fund; Stem Cell Therapies Mission; and Traumatic Brain Injury Mission.
