Member organisations from the Alfred Research Alliance have received a total of more than $30 million in the latest round of National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Grants, announced yesterday.
The Investigator Grant scheme is the largest of the NHMRC’s funding schemes, and aims to support the research program of outstanding investigators at all career stages. The scheme provides five-year funding security for high-performing researchers through its salary and research support packages.
The total amount received by the Alliance member organisations came to $30,345,012. This represents more than 8% of the total nationwide funding allocation for this round of Investigator Grants, a testament to the Alliance’s reputation of research excellence not only here in Melbourne but across the country.
The grants cover a range of areas including chronic respiratory disease, mental health, infectious diseases such as HIV and malaria, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease, and optimising health outcomes for infants in developing countries.
The successful applications included:
Monash University
Prof Rachelle Buchbinder – “Better evidence more rapidly implemented to optimise health for people with musculoskeletal conditions” – Investigator Grants Leadership 3, $2,914,215
Prof Flavia Cicuttini – “Optimising the management of osteoarthritis through research and innovation” – Investigator Grants Leadership 2, $2,889,164
Prof Anne Holland – “Optimising patient and health system outcomes in chronic respiratory disease” – Investigator Grants Leadership 1, $2,613,220
Prof Helmut Butzkueven – “Revolutionising Multiple Sclerosis care and trials through e-health” – Investigator Grants Leadership 1, $2,182,124
Prof Paul Fitzgerald – “Brain stimulation therapeutics for mental health disorders: from concept to clinical application” – Investigator Grants Leadership 2, $2,116,312
Prof Allen Cheng – “Preventing illness and death from severe influenza in Australia” – Investigator Grants Leadership 1, $1,719,110
A/Prof Jason Ong – “Leaving no one behind: community-driven approaches to eliminate HIV in Australia” – Investigator Grants Emerging Leadership 2, $1,562,250
A/Prof Anneke van der Walt – “Multi-dimensional monitoring of cognition and cerebellar function to prospectively define disease progression in multiple sclerosis” – Investigator Grants Emerging Leadership 2, $1,462,250
A/Prof Zoe McQuilten – “Improving patient outcomes through better use of blood products” – Investigator Grants Emerging Leadership 2, $1,412,250
Dr Darshini Ayton – “Patient-centred volunteer program for people with dementia: a stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial of the MyCare Ageing program” – Investigator Grants Emerging Leadership 1, $645,205
Dr Emma Halmos – “The role of a low emulsifier diet to treat Crohn’s disease” – Investigator Grants Emerging Leadership 1, $447,603
Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute
A/Prof Andrew Murphy – “Controlling the haematopoietic system to treat cardiovascular disease” – Investigator Grants Leadership 1, $2,163,220
Dr Nitesh Nerlekar – “Breast arterial calcification and cardiovascular disease – exploring mechanisms and outcomes” – Investigator Grants Emerging Leadership 1, $645,205
Dr Kevin Huynh – “Elucidating metabolic dysregulation in Alzheimer’s disease: profiling the peripheral immune cell lipidome to unravel pathological mechanisms” – Investigator Grants Emerging Leadership 1, $645,205
Dr Aleksandr Voskoboinik – “Improving outcomes in patients with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias” – Investigator Grants Emerging Leadership 1, $606,009
Burnet Institute
Prof Margaret Hellard – “The elimination of viral hepatitis and ending HIV/AIDS as global health threats” – Investigator Grants Leadership 3, $2,114,215
Prof Brendan Crabb – “Therapeutically targeting malaria pathogenesis” – Investigator Grants Leadership 3, $2,000,000
Dr Joshua Vogel – “Improving health outcomes of preterm newborns in low- and middle-income countries” – Investigator Grants Emerging Leadership 2, $1,562,250
Dr Lindi Masson – “Risk factors for HIV acquisition in women” – Investigator Grants Emerging Leadership 1, $645,205
Congratulations to all of the successful applicants from across the precinct!