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So many great research ideas haven’t been explored due to a lack of @NHMRC investment.
It’s time to #AdvanceAustraliaCare
Tell us your discoveries + the research you didn’t get funding for, so Australians have a glimpse of how much we could achieve with more investment.
1/15
It’s time to #AdvanceAustraliaCare
Tell us your discoveries + the research you didn’t get funding for, so Australians have a glimpse of how much we could achieve with more investment.
1/15
Eg.
Thanks to @NHMRC funding we discovered how cells spread so quickly in some forms of breast cancer. If there was more investment, we could understand how to stop it @TheASMR1 #AdvanceAustraliaCare #auspol
2/15
Thanks to @NHMRC funding we discovered how cells spread so quickly in some forms of breast cancer. If there was more investment, we could understand how to stop it @TheASMR1 #AdvanceAustraliaCare #auspol
2/15
We encourage you to tag Australian MPs on your twitter post too, where space permits, so the message is heard far and wide.
You can find a list of MPs here: https://asmr.org.au/federal-mps/ .
#auspol makes sure it is heard by those following Australian politics.
3/15
You can find a list of MPs here: https://asmr.org.au/federal-mps/ .
#auspol makes sure it is heard by those following Australian politics.
3/15
The goal is to catch widespread public + media interest (there’s so many great research ideas and researchers in Australia!) and show Australia that we have the capacity to do so much more, but only if there is increased investment into health and medical research.
4/15
4/15
The health + medical research sector provides solutions. Today’s discoveries form the backbone of innovation in our country. They are tomorrow’s preventions + cures.
Many Australians don't realise that our sector is collapsing, while a pandemic rages around us
How did it happen?
Many Australians don't realise that our sector is collapsing, while a pandemic rages around us
How did it happen?
Chronic underinvestment into @NHMRC grant schemes + COVID has led to:
-Unprecedented low grant success rates
-Sweeping job losses at Unis
-Reduced funding
Highly trained and skilled researchers can't survive + are being forced to leave, taking their expertise + ideas with them.
-Unprecedented low grant success rates
-Sweeping job losses at Unis
-Reduced funding
Highly trained and skilled researchers can't survive + are being forced to leave, taking their expertise + ideas with them.
Not every research proposal is judged worthy of funding, but a great many are.
Category 5 and 6 grants are assessed by our peers to be ‘Excellent’ or ‘Outstanding’ and definitely fundable.
7/15
Category 5 and 6 grants are assessed by our peers to be ‘Excellent’ or ‘Outstanding’ and definitely fundable.
7/15
As an immediate band-aid to the problem, the government would need to invest an estimated $488m extra this year to cover all the Category 5 + 6 @nhmrc Ideas grants that missed out on funding.
8/15
8/15
~$488m/year is a small investment for a huge return in discovery, innovation and untold value to our population.
Although this would go a long way toward the current situation, underfunding has been an ongoing issue that requires a sustainable, long-term investment solution
Although this would go a long way toward the current situation, underfunding has been an ongoing issue that requires a sustainable, long-term investment solution
We continue to advocate for health + medical research being increased to 3% of total health expenditure. This was echoed by the Federally commissioned 2013 McKeon review into research investment. The federal Government currently invests just ~0.7% of total health expenditure 
Not to mention, investing in health and medical research is simply good business. Did you know health + med research returns $3.20 per $1 invested in the NHMRC? More in our Deloitte report here: https://www2.deloitte.com/au/en/pages/economics/articles/australias-health-and-medical-research-workforce.html
11/15
11/15
Right now, Australian health and medical research is at a crisis point. More NHMRC funding is urgently needed to prevent the collapse of discovery science. There are untold costs of training researchers and then underfunding the system.
12/15
12/15
The @NHMRC research Project grant funded workforce decreased by 16% between 2012-17.
Imagine where it was in January 2020.
Now consider this: COVID made it worse.
An estimated 7000 Australian research jobs have been lost as a result of the pandemic: https://www.science.org.au/covid19/research-workforce
Imagine where it was in January 2020.
Now consider this: COVID made it worse.
An estimated 7000 Australian research jobs have been lost as a result of the pandemic: https://www.science.org.au/covid19/research-workforce
Despite its central role in the pandemic response, the health and medical research sector is collapsing.
We need long term government vision and investment into health + medical research, so we can deal with current and future health crises & better prepare for the future
14/15
We need long term government vision and investment into health + medical research, so we can deal with current and future health crises & better prepare for the future
14/15
Lend your support to this movement by telling Australia what great research you’ve done, and what you could potentially achieve with @NHMRC funding, tagging us @TheASMR1 followed by the hashtag #advanceaustraliacare #auspol
15/15
@AcademicChatter #phdchat #ecrchat #research
15/15
@AcademicChatter #phdchat #ecrchat #research
