Two consultation road shows will commence this week, with meetings to be held around the country on the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) strategy and priorities and Australia’s future research infrastructure priorities.
MRFF Strategy and Priorities
The MRFF Advisory Board is holding a series of public consultations around Australia, starting in Adelaide on 26 July. The sessions provide an opportunity to hear from the Advisory Board on the outcomes of the written submission component of the consultation that was completed in June and for the Board to outline the draft framework that has been developed.
To register for one of the consultation sessions or the webinar, visit the website.
Adelaide 26 July 2016
Perth 27 July 2016
Sydney 29 July 2016
Canberra 3 August 2016
Melbourne 4 August 2016
Brisbane 5 August 2016
Webinar To be advised
AusBiotech made a written submission in June 2016, which can be found at the AusBiotech website.
In its submission, AusBiotech publicly congratulated the Government on creating and prosecuting the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) and fully supports the initiative, as well supporting a portion of the fund being directed to Australian companies commercialising discoveries in the life sciences via the Biomedical Translational Fund (BTF).
AusBiotech urged the Australian Medical Research Advisory Board in setting its strategy to consider the need for commercialisation support beyond June 2017 and extend the BTF to be a reoccurring annual investment in translation and commercialisation.
Research Infrastructure Priorities
Australia’s Chief Scientist, Dr Alan Finkel, will also this week commence consultations on Australia’s future research infrastructure priorities and has released the National Research Infrastructure Capability Issues Paper, which identifies key areas of research infrastructure capability needed to keep Australian researchers at the forefront in future decades. The Issues Paper can be found on the Chief Scientist’s website. Submissions are open until 9 September 2016.
Consultation sessions will take place from 26 July to 5 September.
Perth 26 July
Adelaide 27 July
Brisbane 1 August
Townsville 4 August
Canberra 16 August
Sydney 19 August
Hobart 23 August
Melbourne 5 September
To register for the consultations, visit the Department of Education and Training website.