HMRI leads national evaluation of medical research funding scheme

The Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) has been selected to lead the evaluation of the impact and effectiveness of Stream 3 of the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Rapid Applied Research Translation (RART) Grant.

The Rapid Applied Research Translation initiative is an Australian Government investment providing $230 million over 10 years to support the translation of evidence into clinical practice.

This project further reinforces HMRI's trusted reputation (nationally and internationally) as experts in research translation and the significant role we have in shaping national policy.

HMRI CEO and Institute Director, Professor Frances Kay-Lambkin, expressed her pride in the team and the project.

“We are honoured to be leading this vital evaluation of the MRFF RART Grant. This project is a testament to the expertise and dedication of our Health Economics team, Research Impact team and our partners,” Professor Kay-Lambkin said.

This initiative aims to translate research evidence into clinical practice, ultimately delivering higher quality care across the nation. Prof Kay-Lambkin is eager to implement the findings from the project directly back into HMRI.

“At HMRI, together with our partners, the University of Newcastle and Hunter New England Local Health District, we support the entire research translation journey. The findings from our investigation can be directly applied to our organisational funding frameworks to ensure we are also investing in projects that increase the likelihood of successful and impactful research translation. These findings will support research projects right here in the Hunter New England region, enabling our research discoveries to be embedded into healthcare practices more efficiently,” added Prof Kay-Lambkin.

The project, spearheaded by Dr Simon Deeming, will assess the 2020 and 2022 rounds of the MRFF RART Initiative.

“Our world-leading impact and health economic expertise will contribute to influencing national policy, potentially changing how we incentivise researchers to focus on health impact and outcomes. By evaluating these rounds, it will improve our understanding of the factors that promote the adoption, impact, and sustainability of evidence-based practices in healthcare,” Dr Deeming said.

The project will also prioritise assessing research projects focused on Aboriginal health and well-being.  The investigator team includes Aboriginal evaluators, Dr Megan Williams from Yulang Indigenous Evaluation and Toni Manton from the HNECC Primary Health Network, who will shape the evaluation of these projects.

The University of Newcastle Aboriginal Health Research Board has been briefed and has offered to provide ongoing guidance and input to the study.

HMRI affiliate researchers -   University of Newcastle Director Central Coast Research Institute Professor Nicholas Goodwin and Professor Luke Wolfenden and Emeritus Professor John Attia, join the strong team with considerable expertise and a reputation for leadership in research translation.

Other collaborators include the Agency for Clinical Evaluation within NSW Health, the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI), NSW Regional Health Partners, Flinders University, James Cook University, the Central Coast LHD, the University of New England, Liverpool University, Temple University, and the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.

The HMRI Health Economics team has a two-year timeline to complete the project.

HMRI is a partnership between the University of Newcastle, Hunter New England Health and the community.