Academy welcomes National Health and Medical Research Strategy as a major step for Australian health and medical science

The Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences has welcomed the release of the Federal Government’s National Health and Medical Research Strategy 2026-2036, describing it as a significant step towards a more coordinated, sustainable and impactful health and medical research system.

Academy President Professor Louise Baur AM FAHMS said the Strategy recognises that health and medical research is not only a driver of discovery and innovation, but a system of national capability that underpins better health, better care, and a stronger Australia.

“This Strategy matters because it takes a whole-of-system view of health and medical research,” Professor Baur said.

“It recognises that Australia’s research system must be strong from discovery through to translation, from basic science through to clinical care, public health, policy and practice.”

“The Academy has long argued that Australia needs a national strategy that joins up funding, workforce, infrastructure, translation and priority setting. This Strategy provides that architecture.”

Professor Baur said the final Strategy reflects several priorities the Academy has consistently advanced through its policy reports, submissions and engagement with government.

In particular, the Academy welcomes the Strategy’s commitments to:

• Embed research and innovation as core functions of the health system by creating a learning health system that delivers high-value care by translating research findings into policy and practice. The Academy’s landmark 2022 report, Research and innovation as core functions in transforming the health system, set out a roadmap for how Australia can achieve this, with many of its recommendations included in the Strategy.
• Strengthen clinician researcher career pathways, including through protected research time, part-time fellowships, non-traditional pathways, and the embedding of research within clinician training and health service delivery. This has been a long-standing Academy priority and was a priority recommendation in the Academy’s 2022 report and in our submissions to the Strategy.
• Better align the NHMRC and MRFF, including by bringing together the management of the Medical Research Endowment Account and the Medical Research Future Fund, while preserving the distinct purpose of each funding stream. The Academy has consistently advocated for a more coherent, coordinated funding system that supports the full research pipeline.
• Elevate discovery and basic science, including through the introduction of a new high-risk, high-reward funding stream to support ambitious research. The final Strategy explicitly recognises discovery and basic science research as the foundation for future translation, innovation and public benefit, reflecting concerns raised by the Academy throughout the consultation process.
• Broaden national horizon scanning so that it identifies not only emerging challenges, but also opportunities, technologies and areas of unmet need. The Academy specifically called for this broader framing in its submission on the draft Strategy.
• Properly resource consumer and community involvement, including through national guidance on remuneration and reimbursement. The Academy has argued that consumer and community involvement must be treated as a core part of research, with appropriate funding and recognition.
• Accelerate Indigenous-led research and its translation to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ health and wellbeing, which was a crucial component of our 2022 vision for the future of health in Australia.
• Support and expand Research Translation Centres, including those focused on Indigenous health, rural, regional and remote communities, and underserved populations. The Academy has long championed RTCs as critical infrastructure for connecting research with health services, communities, policy and practice, including in its submission on the draft Strategy.
• Improve national funding transparency, including through an annual National Health and Medical Research Investment Statement covering government, philanthropic and private investment, with disaggregated data on priority populations. This reflects the Academy’s call for clearer visibility of how public and other research funds are invested across the system.

The Academy has also welcomed the accompanying announcement of $508.5 million over four years to grow MRFF disbursements to $1 billion annually by 2030–31, having consistently called for the full capacity of the MRFF to be unlocked.

Professor Baur said these commitments and the addition funding show the value of sustained, expert and independent policy advice.

“One of the clearest advances is the commitment to strengthen clinician researcher pathways,” Professor Baur said.

“For many years, the Academy has called for research to be embedded as a core part of clinician training and health service delivery. The Strategy’s focus on protected research time, part-time fellowships, non-traditional pathways and stronger clinician researcher careers is an important recognition that research must be part of the health system, not an optional extra.”

Professor Baur said the Strategy’s approach to funding alignment was also an important reform.

“Better alignment between the NHMRC and MRFF has been a long-standing priority for the Academy and the broader sector,” Professor Baur said.

“A more seamless, coordinated funding system will reduce duplication, improve efficiency and support research across the full continuum, from discovery to implementation.”

The Academy also welcomed the Strategy’s stronger recognition of discovery science.

“Discovery science is the foundation on which future breakthroughs are built,” Professor Baur said.

“It is very welcome that the final Strategy is explicit about the importance of discovery and basic science, and includes new mechanisms to support ambitious, high-risk research. Without strong foundations, Australia cannot expect world-leading translation, innovation or commercialisation.”

Professor Baur said the release of the Strategy was also a strong demonstration of the role the Academy and its Fellows play in shaping national policy.

“The Academy’s Fellowship brings together some of Australia’s most outstanding leaders in health and medical science,” Professor Baur said.

“The inclusion of these priorities in the final Strategy shows the value of sustained, evidence-informed advocacy by the Academy and its Fellows.”

“This is a Strategy that reflects many of the issues the Academy has highlighted to government over several years: stronger clinician researcher pathways, better funding coordination, support for discovery science, national horizon scanning, resourced consumer involvement, translation infrastructure and greater transparency.

“The task now is implementation. The Academy looks forward to working with government, the sector and our Fellows to help turn this Strategy into lasting national impact.”

Academy media contact: Khaled Chakli: [email protected] (0423 099 568)