$1.3 million means studies not lost in translation
Sunday, 12 July 2015
New consortium to support translation of health and medical research into clinical practice
Education and training initiative for local researchers
The State Government has announced $1.3 million in funding for two new initiatives to improve the translation of research into practical outcomes and increase research capacity among Western Australia’s health and medical researchers.
Health Minister Kim Hames said $650,000 would go to support the WA Health Translation Network, and another $650,000 towards a new training program for researchers.
“Western Australian researchers have been key contributors to many advances in health and medicine both locally and more broadly, so it’s important we recognise areas to support that work,” Dr Hames said.
The Minister said the translation network was a recently-formed consortium of the State’s major hospitals, medical research institutes and five universities, which would take responsibility for administering and co-ordinating the Research Education and Training Initiative.
“The education and training initiative will help local researchers hone key competencies in areas such as research methodologies, ethics and presentation skills, governance requirements and the principles of good clinical practice,” he said.
“This additional training and knowledge then helps researchers to be more competitive in bids to secure important funding opportunities such as the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grants.
“The NHMRC recognises the immense value of research that can be translated into clinical practice and that’s where the role of the translation network is so critical in guiding and overseeing the education and training initiative.”
Both initiatives are part of the State’s four-year $30 million FutureHealth WA program which has been established to enhance Western Australia’s health and medical research capability.
The training being offered under the program covers areas of training need that were identified by WA health and medical researchers following consultation and feedback.
Fact File
Training will be made available to all health and medical researchers in Western Australia, including researchers at secondary and tertiary hospitals, medical research institutes and universities
For information about research funding opportunities in WA visit the WA Health website
Minister’s office – 6552 5300