Annual Report 2015–2016

Target 3: Identify opportunities for education of researchers in skills related to
commercialisation
Corporate Plan
Work with others to identify opportunities for education of researchers in
skills related to commercialisation.
Work
ongoing
The NHMRC will continue to work with the Health Innovation Advisory Committee on strategies to improve
commercial literacy in the research sector.
Target 4: Present a Marshall and Warren award for highly innovative Project
Grants
PART 2 Performance Report
Corporate Plan
Continue to confer a Marshall and Warren award annually for highly
innovative Project Grants, in support of building an innovative
health industry.
Achieved
The Marshall and Warren Award is given to the applicant with the most highly innovative and potentially
transformative Project Grant application. In 2015, the award was presented to Professor Peter Thompson from
the University of Western Australia at the NHMRC Research Excellence Awards dinner. Professor Thompson
and his team will follow up on the promising results of a clinical trial to confirm whether a low cost drug
can reduce incidents that may damage the heart muscle in patients with stable coronary heart disease.
This follow‐up study will involve around 5,000 participants, up from around 500 in the earlier trial.
The award is named after Nobel Laureates Professors Barry Marshall and Robin Warren, who were awarded
the 2005 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori and
its role in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease.
Target 5: Establish the Health Innovation Advisory Committee
Corporate Plan
Establish the Health Innovation Advisory Committee and its work plan on
advice from Council.
Work
ongoing
The Minister for Health established the Health Innovation Advisory Committee (HIAC) on 29 June 2015.
The HIAC, which met three times in the reporting period, aims to develop strategies to improve commercial
literacy in the research sector and promote better collaboration between the health and medical research
and commercial sectors. It will also consider and advise on ways to further the development and uptake of
innovative technologies and practices to improve human health, including the health of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples.
Target 6: Report on the proportion of the MREA budget committed to research
translation
Corporate Plan
Report on the proportion of the total annual MREA budget committed to
research translation focused funding programs.
Achieved
As detailed in the NHMRC Corporate Plan 2015-2016, NHMRC will support the translation of health and
medical research into clinical practice, policy and health systems and the effective commercialisation of
research discoveries. A full breakdown of funding commitments to research translation is available at Target
1: Support translation-related research activities through a range of funding schemes.
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Annual Report of the National Health and Medical Research Council 2015–2016