DEADLINE: Nominations for new Joint NHMRC-MRFF Advisory Committees and NHMRC Principal Committees

A national consultation on the governance and administration arrangements for Government funding through the MRFF and MREA has concluded, and Government is considering its formal response. In the meantime, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Department of Health and Aged Care (the Department) are progressing work to improve alignment and coordination, including establishing a range of shared advisory committees.

As part of these arrangements, NHMRC Council and the MRFF’s Australian Medical Research Advisory Board (AMRAB) will work more closely together to provide holistic advice on the health and medical research landscape in Australia, including the role of NHMRC’s MREA and MRFF, while a range of other advisory committees will support either NHMRC, or the Department, or both.

Research Committee (which is established as an NHMRC Principal Committee under the NHMRC Act) is expected to be asked to support both NHMRC and the Department, including advising on alignment between the funding policies and processes for the MREA and the MRFF.

Nominations are now open for the following NHMRC Principal Committees:

• Research Committee – advises on the quality and scope of health and medical research in Australia, including the application of the MREA, and on MRFF matters and policy.
• Australian Health Ethics Committee – advises on ethical issues relating to health and develop human research guidelines.

The following committees are being jointly established by NHMRC and the Department to advise on research strategies and funding policies (for both MREA and MRFF) in each of the respective areas:

• NHMRC-MRFF Consumer Advisory Group – which will advise on consumer and community involvement in health and medical research, including on strengthening consumer involvement in MREA and MRFF grant programs.
• NHMRC-MRFF Industry, Philanthropy and Commercialisation Committee – which will advise on industry and philanthropic involvement in health and medical research and strategies to foster greater research commercialisation.
• NHMRC-MRFF Public Health and Health Systems Committee – which will advise on strategies for strengthening preventive health, public health, primary care and health services, and for embedding research translation in the Australian health system.
• NHMRC-MRFF Indigenous Advisory Group – which will advise on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research and capacity building for Indigenous health researchers.

We are seeking nominations from individuals interested in the role of research in improving health outcomes for the Australian community, including but not limited to; consumers and community members, industry representatives, philanthropy representatives, physicians and other clinicians, and researchers in all areas of health and medical research and at all career stages.

Nominees may be asked to serve more than one committee, noting that all committees will have a consumer representative/s and an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representative/s.

A diagrammatic overview of the advisory committee structure is available to download below.

To nominate please complete the online nomination form, noting that you will be required to upload a completed Curriculum Vitae and Declaration of Private Interests form using the templates provided in the Downloads section below. Nominations will close 5PM AEST on Wednesday 31 July 2024.