Australia's capacity for health and medical research translation is receiving a $3.7 million funding boost to help improve public health policy and service delivery.
Through the National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) 2024 Partnership Project Peer Review Cycle 1 (PRC1) funding scheme, the Australian Government is providing $1.87 million for two collaborative research projects. An additional leveraged investment of $1.87 million has been committed by funding partners.
This funding will support researchers in answering specific research questions to influence health and wellbeing through changes in the delivery, organisation, funding and access to Australian health services.
Dr Myles Murphy from Edith Cowin University in Western Australia is co-designing and implementing a sustainable injury prevention program for police force recruits.
By implementing a prevention program as standard practice in recruit training, this project aims to improve workforce health and reduce healthcare costs associated with injuries in the police force. The effectiveness of the intervention will be assessed by comparing injury rates with the past 10 years of injury data.
Professor Valsamma Eapen of the University of New South Wales will lead the integrated Kids Connect program that aims to address inequities in child and family service system access and improve childhood developmental outcomes.
Kids Connect will extend across priority communities to identify children with developmental needs early and provide early intervention and support through the co-production of equitable strengths-based models of care.
The research project will evaluate the impact and implementation outcomes of the program and integrate new knowledge to address service gaps.
NHMRC's Partnership Project scheme provides funding and support to create new opportunities for researchers and policy makers to work together to define research questions, undertake research, interpret the findings and implement the findings into policy and practice.
Full details of these grants are available to download on NHMRC's outcomes of funding rounds webpage.
Quotes attributable to NHMRC CEO, Professor Steve Wesselingh:
"NHMRC's Partnership Project scheme provides funding and support to create opportunities for researchers to collaborate with partner organisations to deliver meaningful outcomes.
"The support we receive from our funding partners, is vital to the success of these collaborative research projects.
"Congratulations to both Dr Murphy and Professor Eapen, we can't wait to see the impact of your research on health policy, practice and service delivery."
