Our translation initiatives

Moving research ideas from the lab to the clinic, so that medical discoveries become part of clinical practice for GPs, specialists, and hospitals.

Preventative and Public Health Research

The Preventative and Public Health Research initiative invests in research that tests innovative approaches to preventive and public health issues in Australia. It will provide $260.4 million over 10 years for research projects that address risk factors that contribute to chronic and complex diseases in Australia.

This initiative incorporates both previous and new MRFF initiatives:

Primary Health Care Research

The Primary Health Care Research initiative will invest $45 million over nine years in research that is relevant to primary care. This initiative supports health professionals and researchers with an interest in primary care to conduct research that is relevant to their needs. As a result, patients will experience improved, evidence-based primary health care in Australia.

To find out key information at a glance, access this initiatives MRFF snapshot.

Rapid Applied Research Translation Centre

The Rapid Applied Research Translation initiative will provide $218 million over 10 years to accredited Translation Centres. These centres ‘translate’ research findings into clinical practice and deliver solutions to health service problems that affect patients. The MRFF funds this initiative, but it is managed by the NHMRC.

So far, the NHMRC has accredited nine Translation Centres:

  • Brisbane Diamantina Health Partners
  • Melbourne Academic Centre for Health
  • Monash Partners Academic Health Science Centre
  • Health Translation South Australia
  • Sydney Health Partners
  • Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise (SPHERE) Maridulu Budyari Gumal
  • Western Australian Health Translation Network
  • NSW Regional Health Partners
  • Central Australia Academic Health Science Network

To find out key information at a glance, access this initiatives MRFF snapshot.

Medical Research Commercialisation

The Medical Research Commercialisation initiative provides $311.1 million over 10 years. It incorporates two activities:

  • Biomedical Translation Bridge, which funds and nurtures early-stage health and medical research to reach proof-of-concept with the potential to attract further capital and support. Research will have secured at least matched funding from third-party sponsorship or co-investment.
  • BioMedTech Horizons, which funds innovative and collaborative health technologies. It drives discoveries that address key health challenges towards proof-of-concept and commercialisation, maximising entrepreneurship, and idea potential.

To find out key information at a glance, access this initiatives MRFF snapshot.

National Critical Infrastructure

The National Critical Infrastructure initiative will provide $605 million over 10 years. It will increase Australia’s capacity to conduct health and medical research, including improving access to clinical trials for patients in rural, regional, and remote Australia by investing in:

  • facilities
  • research equipment
  • systems
  • services

To find out key information at a glance, access this initiatives MRFF snapshot.

Research Data Infrastructure

The Research Data Infrastructure initiative will fund the creation or extension of research data infrastructure with a focus on data registries, biobanks and data linkage platforms to support Australian medical research. It will provide $80 million over eight years, starting in 2020–21.

This initiative will support data infrastructure that helps researchers to collect, share and analyse data more widely. Access to health data:

  • makes evidence-based care easier for health professionals
  • drives efficient use of resources
  • advances healthcare

To find out key information at a glance, access this initiatives MRFF snapshot.