Policy

Independent, expert advice to tackle Australia’s most pressing health issues

The Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences provides an independent voice and expert advice to governments, their agencies, patients and the public. 

Our elected Fellows bring a wide range of professional expertise to the table. This collective understanding and knowledge allows us to analyse and synthesise the best available evidence on key policy issues in health, medicine, research and innovation.

The Academy undertakes a number of proactive projects to provide evidence-based, expert advice to policy makers, governments and their agencies. Our influential network and esteemed Fellows are key sector leaders and play an essential role in setting the policy agenda on Australia’s most pressing health and research issues.

Current major policy projects

The strategic direction of the Academy’s policy work is guided by the Policy Advice Committee, a group of Fellows engaged in the sector’s key issues. This committee is chaired by Professor Paul Scuffham and plays a key role in overseeing the policy-related activities and areas of engagement of the Academy.

We are currently working on and providing advice in four major policy areas:

Integrating research in the health system

We’re dedicated to improving the integration of research and innovation within the health system in Australia to improve outcomes for the whole community. This includes better enabling research to be conducted within healthcare settings as well as the translation of research findings into widespread health policy and practice.

Investigating the health impacts of climate change 

Climate change represents one of the most urgent areas for action in Australia. Fellows are working with other sector experts to advocate for action to address the health impacts of climate change

Navigating the COVID-19 pandemic

Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, the Academy has been providing expert and independent advice to help Australia respond to the ongoing crisis.

Enabling data-driven research excellence

AAHMS is working alongside the nation’s other Learned Academies to ensure researchers have access to the best tools and resources for data-led research, now and in the future.

Policy engagement

We’re dedicated to improving the integration of research and innovation within the health system in Australia to improve outcomes for the whole community. This includes better enabling research to be conducted within healthcare settings as well as the translation of research findings into widespread health policy and practice.

Find out more

Climate change represents one of the most urgent areas for action in Australia. Fellows are working with other sector experts to advocate for action to address the health impacts of climate change. 

Find out more

Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, the Academy has been providing expert and independent advice to help Australia respond to the ongoing crisis.

Find out more

AAHMS is working alongside leaders in health, industry and innovation on a horizon scanning project to identify the next big ideas that could transform the health of the Australian community in the coming decades.

Find out more

The Academy is actively engaged in influencing national health policy in Australia. We engage with the Australian government in a number of ways, including pre-budget submissions, working on Rapid Research Reports with the Chief Scientist, and more. 

The Academy also provides expert advice on a variety of topics for the Australian government’s funding programs in health and medical research and translation to maximise improvements in measurable health outcomes. Examples include:

 

Find more examples of our active areas of policy engagement below in our newsfeed.

Policy work

January 2024
In January 2024, the Academy responded to the Federal Government’s call for Pre-Budget submissions. AAHMS’ submission encouraged the Government to maximise the value of
January 2024
In December 2023, the Academy provided a submission to the Australian Government’s COVID-19 Response Inquiry. This submission responds to the Inquiry terms of reference

Learn more today

If you would like to learn more about our past, current and active policy work, please contact AAHMS chief executive officer  Catherine Luckin. 

To contribute to our healthcare policy projects, involvement and endeavours, please consider making a donation.

Keep up to date with the latest news

By providing your email address, you consent to it being added to our mailing list.