The Morrison Government is contributing more than $7.3 million for collaborative research projects between Australia, the European Union, the United Kingdom's National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) and the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD).
Delivered through the Governments National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), this funding will support ten collaborative research projects that tackle important global health research questions.
NHMRC-EU Collaborative Research Grant Scheme
The Government is providing $1.9 million for four projects that will enable Australian researchers to participate in leading international research that will benefit Australia.
The University of Technology Sydney will receive almost $0.5 million for an international study to test the effectiveness of the use of the drug Mirtazapine, a medication usually used in depression, in reducing breathlessness.
People with emphysema or lung scarring experience continued breathlessness at rest, dressing, showering or preparing meals, despite best treatment for the disease. Globally, no medication is approved for this breathlessness.
NHMRC-NIHR Collaborative Research Grant Scheme
Under the NHMRC-NIHR scheme, the Government is providing almost $0.6 million to the University of Western Australia to collaborate with UK researchers on the clinical effectiveness of anxiety medication for adults with autism.
This research will involve over 300 adults with autism in a clinical trial looking at the effectiveness of the anxiety medication sertraline across five sites in two countries.
Anxiety is a debilitating symptom affecting many people with autism. Yet there is no evidence for the effectiveness of anxiety medications when prescribed to people with autism.
Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD)
The Government is contributing almost $5 million to support five GACD research projects focused on the prevention or management of hypertension and/or diabetes.
The Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) is a collaboration of health and medical research funding bodies that initiates, facilitates and supports joint research activities on chronic non-communicable diseases in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) and in vulnerable and indigenous communities in High-Income Countries (HICs).
Morrison Government funding through the NHMRC helps strengthen international linkages and builds Australian research capacity by supporting collaboration between Australian and international researchers on projects of the highest calibre.
| Chief Investigator | Application Title | Administering Institution | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| NHMRC-EU Collaborative Research Grant Scheme | |||
| Associate Professor Prue Cormie | Project on Exercise for Fatigue Eradication in Advanced Breast Cancer To Improve Quality Of Life | Australian Catholic University | $415,826.50 |
| Professor Anne-Louise Ponsonby | Novel Testing Strategies for Endocrine Disruptors in the Context of Developmental NeuroToxicity: Australian Component | Murdoch Children's Research Institute | $498,150.70 |
| Professor David Currow | Better Treatments For Breathlessness In Palliative And End Of Life Care | University of Technology Sydney | $499,430.90 |
| Professor Roger Reddel | Individualized Paediatric Cure: Cloud-based virtual-patient models for precision paediatric oncology | Children's Medical Research Institute | $494,315.20 |
| NHMRC-NIHR Collaborative Research Grant Scheme | |||
| Associate Professor Helen Leonard | A multicentre double-blind placebo-controlled randomised trial of SerTRaline for AnxieTy in adults with Autism (STRATA)-Australian component | University of Western Australia | $557,029.40 |
| GACD: Scaling-up of evidence-based interventions for the prevention or management of hypertension and/or diabetes | |||
| Associate Professor Jacqui Webster | Scaling up food policy interventions to reduce non-communicable diseases in the Pacific Islands | The George Institute for Global Health | $948,957.20 |
| Professor Bruce Neal | An evaluation of the Resolve to Save Lives salt reduction program in China | The George Institute for Global Health | $952,376.25 |
| Professor David Peiris | Strengthening China's essential public health package for hypertension and diabetes care in rural village clinics through meaningful use of health information systems | The George Institute for Global Health | $891,048.20 |
| Professor Anushka Patel | Scale-up of a primary care intervention for cardiovascular risk management in Malang, Indonesia | The George Institute for Global Health | $756,087.65 |
| Professor Brian Oldenburg | Scaling up interventions to improve the control of hypertension and diabetes in partnership with the governments of Kerala and Tamil Nadu: Leveraging India's national Non-Communicable Diseases program | University of Melbourne | $1,364,054.50 |
