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Over five million dollars in funding helps Australian researchers

Researchers wanting to develop their discoveries to a point where they can take them to the marketplace, that is, commercialise their discovery - will be helped by new NHMRC grants announced today by the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Kay Patterson.

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22 August 2002

Over five million dollars in funding helps Australian researchers

Researchers wanting to develop their discoveries to a point where they can take them to the marketplace, that is, commercialise their discovery - will be helped by new NHMRC grants announced today by the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Kay Patterson.

In this first round for 2002, research teams in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia will receive funding, totalling $5.106 million, to support work in a human health related field, for example, diagnostics, medical devices or pharmaceutical product development, biotechnology, bioinformatics and biomaterials.

"These grants will help researchers develop their discoveries to a point where commercialisation is practical. The funding will help bridge the gap from early research outcomes to product development, providing essential support for our best ideas," Senator Patterson said.

"In recent years, the research community has become more interested in finding ways to develop Australian innovations and discoveries here in Australia, rather than seeking opportunities overseas.

"Since the NHMRC simplified the process for applying for Development Grants, the new-look scheme has generated considerable interest amongst the research community, which illustrates the demand for this type of support."

In this, its first year of operation, 46 applications were received - a 300 per cent increase on the old scheme. Fifteen of the top ranked applications will receive total funding of $5.106 million over 3 years. Details of the grants are attached.

Applications for NHMRC Development Grants will open twice a year.

Attachment

1. Dr Chris J Jackson

A/Pr Alan J Cooper
A/Pr Lyn M March
University of Sydney NSW
Activated protein C to promote wound healing $390,000

2. Prof Barry J Allen

Prof John H Kearsley
University of New South Wales NSW
A new therapy for the control of secondary breast cancer $330,000

3. Dr Kay L Double

Dr Dominic B Rowe
University of New South Wales NSW
Development of a new diagnostic test for movement disorders $325,000

4. Prof David L Morris

University of New South Wales NSW
$101,000

5. Prof Michael S Humphreys

Dr Nancy A Pachana
A/Pr Gerard Byrne
Prof Chris B Del Mar
A/Pr Gerald Tehan
University of Queensland QLD
Memory Screening in General Practice $300,000

6. Dr Ian Findlay

A/Pr Fung Yee Chan
University of Queensland
Improving first trimester prenatal diagnosis screening - rapid prenatal screening for everyone $225,000

7. Prof John D Pettigrew

University of Queensland QLD
Manic depression diagnosis $140,000

8. Dr Sarah A Robertson

Dr Jeremy G Thompson
University of Adelaide SA
GM-CSF and Human Embryo Development $480,000

9. Prof James C Paton

Dr Adrienne W Paton
Dr Renato Morona
University of Adelaide SA
Harmless bacteria for prevention of gut infections $450,000

10. A/Pr Keryn A Williams

Dr Helen M Brereton
Prof Douglas J Coster
Prof Heddy Zola
Flinders University of South Australia SA
Antibody fragments for treating eye diseases $435,000

11. Prof Andy Choo

Dr Richard E Saffery
Dr Lee H Wong
Murdoch Children's Research Institute VIC
Development of a novel tool for delivering corrective genes in human gene therapy $495,000

12. Dr David J Phillips

Prof David M de Kretser
Dr William Sievert Monash University VIC
The use of follistatin in the treatment of liver disease $330,000

13. Dr Michael MD Lawrence-Brown

Dr Kurt Liffman
Dr James B Semmens
University of Western Australia WA
Understanding the fatigue forces in arterial blood flow with a focus on the implications for endoluminal technology. $300,000

14. A/Pr Karin A Eidne

University of Western Australia WA
Development of BRET technologies: tools for proteomics and drug discovery $375,000

15. A/Pr Yogesan Kanagasingam

Dr Mei-Ling Tay-Kearney
Dr Marc Tennant
University of Western Australia WA
Development of a multipurpose imaging device $430,000


Media Contact: Marnie Gaffney, Senator Patterson's office
(02) 6277 7220
Dr Greg Ash, (NHMRC) (02) 6289 9503