Australian Medical Research and Innovation Strategy 2021-2026 Determination 2021

I, Ian Frazer, Chair of the Australian Medical Research Advisory Board, make the following instrument on behalf of the Advisory Board, under subsection 32D(1) of the Medical Research Future Fund Act 2015.

Dated  2 November 2021   

Professor Ian Frazer, AC

Chair, Australian Medical Research Advisory Board

Contents

1.  Name

2.  Commencement

3.  Cessation

4.  Authority

5.  Schedules

Schedule 1

1.  Name

  This instrument is the Australian Medical Research and Innovation Strategy 2021-2026 Determination 2021.

2.  Commencement

This instrument commences on the day after it is registered.

3.  Cessation

This instrument will cease to be in force as if repealed at the end of five years after the instrument is registered.

4.  Authority

  This instrument is made under 32D(1) of the Medical Research Future Fund Act 2015.

5.  Schedules

  Schedule 1 to this determination contains the Australian Medical Research and Innovation Strategy 2021-2026.

Schedule 1

Australian Medical Research and Innovation Strategy 2021-2026

Guiding principles to support the strategy

The following principles recognise the unique role of the MRFF within the health and medical research system in Australia and are intended to guide the activities and initiatives funded by the MRFF.

To the greatest extent possible, these Principles will inform the identification of the MRFF’s Priorities and serve as the foundation upon which all grant opportunities are designed in order to realise the strategic objectives of the MRFF for 2021-26.

Research funded through the MRFF will address:

1. New or emerging areas of health need with high potential for generating innovative approaches, tools, or technologies to transform health care and practices.
2. Existing areas of unmet health need, to address underinvestment and support capacity development with a focus on achieving equity in health outcomes, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other priority populations[1].
3. Improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of the health system, by promoting adoption of evidence-based practices, enabling equitable health outcomes, and focussing on the needs of patients, their families, and carers.
4. Social, environmental, and cultural factors that impact health and wellbeing, including strengths-based approaches that leverage patient/consumer and community knowledge and experience to deliver improvements in population health and wellbeing.
5. Enhancements to the translation of research outputs to deliver impact through health and economic outcomes, including through commercialisation of research outcomes and implementation of policy changes nationally and globally.
6. Promotion of capacity and capability in the health and medical research workforce, through investments in priority areas, by fostering collaboration between research groups and across disciplines and addressing gender equity.
7. Encouragement of adaptive approaches to emerging challenges[2], supporting rapid response and effective collaboration both nationally and internationally with other public and private sources of health and medical research funding.

[1] ‘Priority populations’ is intended to be read broadly as including, without being limited to, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, rural and remote Australians, Australians with a disability, the elderly, those experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage, and LGBTQIA+ communities.

[2] ‘Emerging challenges’ is intended to be read broadly as including, without being limited to, pandemic responses, emerging pathogens, the health impacts of climate change, and antimicrobial resistance.