The Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (AAHMS) has made a submission to the Commonwealth Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s consultation on the draft National Health and Medical Research Strategy 2026–2036.

The Academy welcomes the release of Australia’s first overarching national strategy for health and medical research, describing it as a landmark opportunity to secure a coherent, coordinated, and sustainable future for the sector. The submission commends the inclusion of many long-held Academy priorities,  including embedding research in the health system, unified national funding, workforce development, and responsible use of emerging technologies, while identifying further opportunities to strengthen implementation and impact.

AAHMS has outlined ten key opportunities across five domains to ensure the Strategy delivers tangible benefits for the Australian community:

• Embedding research in the health system
• Advancing biomedical discovery science
• Strengthening horizon scanning
• Building and supporting the workforce
• Embracing diversity, equity and inclusion.

The Academy also calls for reforms to maximise the use of unspent Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) balances to support implementation of the Strategy, ensuring that Australia’s significant research investment delivers maximum benefit to patients, communities and the health system.

Read the full submission below.