Archived News for Research Sector Professionals - January, 2012
Two research grants worth a total of almost $7 million have been awarded to NSW research groups in the latest injection from the NSW Government’s translational cancer research program.
The grants, administered by the Cancer Institute of NSW, have been awarded to the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute (ADRI) and the ANZAC Research Institute, based at the Concord Repatriation General Hospital in Sydney.
The ADRI, group led by director Professor Nico van Zandwijk, has been awarded $3.5 million to improve outcomes for people with asbestos-related cancer and their families.
Applications open for Victorian Mental Illness Research Fund
The Victorian Government has called for submissions to the $10 million mental illness research fund that will aim to bolster collaborative research and achieve improved outcomes for Victorians affected by a mental illness.
New centre to research tailored cancer treatments
For more information on the new Centre go to www.adelaide.edu.au/cpcm/
Funding supports National Institute of Complementary Medicine
The National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM) at the University of Western Sydney has received $2.9 million in funding from philanthropic and industry supporters.
The major part of the funding has been received from the privately owned Jacka Foundation of Natural Therapies (JFNT). Their $2 million bequest will be used to establish The Jacka Foundation Chair in Complementary Medicine in partnership with the University of Western Sydney (UWS). UWS has committed to endowing the Professorial Chair to support research undertaken by NICM. The Chair will oversee NICM operations and provide clear, expert support for research development and integration of evidence-based complementary medicine into healthcare services.
Leading companies Flordis, Blackmores and Catalent will become supporting partners of NICM, each committing additional financial support.
According to NICM's interim executive director Professor Alan Bensoussan, the donation from JFNT combined with industry and university support will secure NICM as a strong, national agency for Australia.
"This is an extraordinary gift and it is truly exciting to see this level of philanthropic support for complementary medicine research in Australia," says Professor Bensoussan. "Our supporting partners recognise the importance of NICM's work and the need for a national agency."
"Our primary goal will still be to increase the integration of well-evidenced complementary medicine into routine healthcare by enabling translation of evidence into clinical practice and relevant policy to benefit the health of all Australians."
NICM will continue to work alongside government and other industry agencies to guide sector reform and policy development, review and develop clinical practice guidelines, disseminate information on relevant evidence-based research and encourage further investment in the sector.
Priority will be given to the identification and refinement of research priorities and the development of clinical guidelines. Further studies on the cost effectiveness of complementary medicines in the prevention and treatment of a range of health conditions will also be undertaken.
More information is at http://www.nicm.edu.au/
UTS in intelligent systems collaboration with Chinese university
A joint research centre in Intelligent Systems has been launched in a research collaboration between the University of Technology Sydney and China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU).