Annual Report 2015–2016

ABOUT US
OVERVIEW
NHMRC’s mission:
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has been Australia’s government body for
supporting health and medical research since 1937.
The principal functions of the organisation are to foster improved health and medical knowledge through:
PART 1 Overview
• funding research and translating research findings into evidence-based clinical practice
• administering legislation governing research
• issuing guidelines and advice for ethics in health
• promoting public health.
On behalf of the Australian Government, NHMRC is the leading national investor in health and medical
research, advancing health and medical knowledge to improve the health of all Australians.
The organisation develops evidence-based health advice for the Australian community, health professionals
and governments, and provides advice on ethical practice in health care and the conduct of health and
medical research.
Key stakeholders include governments, researchers, research institutions, health consumers,
health professionals and the Australian community.
NHMRC is a statutory authority within the Commonwealth health portfolio. Our activities within the
2015–16 reporting period were subject to the Public Service Act 1999, the Public Governance, Performance
and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act), and the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992
(NHMRC Act).
The NHMRC Act requires NHMRC to:
• raise the standard of individual and public health throughout Australia
• foster the development of consistent health standards between the various states and territories
• foster medical research and training and public health research and training throughout Australia
• foster consideration of ethical issues relating to health.
NHMRC also has statutory obligations under the Prohibition of Human Cloning for Reproduction Act 2002
and the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002.
As at 30 June 2016, the CEO was accountable to the Hon Sussan Ley MP, Minister for Health and
Aged Care.
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Annual Report of the National Health and Medical Research Council 2015–2016