Genomics Health Futures Mission
The Genomics Health Futures Mission will invest $500 million over 10 years in genomic research. It will improve testing and diagnosis for many diseases, help personalise treatment options to better target and improve health outcomes, and reduce unnecessary interventions and health costs.
What is the Genomics Health Futures Mission?
The Genomics Health Futures Mission will invest $500 million in genomic medicine research from 2018–19 to 2027–28. ‘Genomics’ is a technology that can transform clinical medicine.
Genomics can use information about genes to:
- identify genetic disorders
- diagnose rare diseases more quickly (about 80% of all rare diseases are genetic in origin)
- predict their likely response to different treatments, so doctors can more precisely tailor treatment for individuals
- predict their risk of developing disease, which can guide prevention strategies
- classify cancerous tumours to guide treatment choices
The Genomics Health Futures Mission will build on existing research to demonstrate the benefits of genomics and related technologies for patients and the health system. As the use of genomics becomes more widespread, there will be increasing opportunities to tailor and refine the management of disease. This means more expensive and avoidable diagnostic procedures and treatments will stop.
Why is the Genomics Health Futures Mission important?
The Genomics Health Futures Mission will fund research to integrate genomic knowledge and technology into clinical practice. This research will support clinical use of genomics that is:
- safe
- cost-effective
- equitable
- sensitive to the associated ethical, legal and social issues of using genomic information in health care
The Genomics Health Futures Mission aims to:
- ensure Australians live longer and healthier lives through access to genomic knowledge and technology
- position Australia as a global leader in genomics research
- deliver improved diagnostics and targeted treatments
- avoid unnecessary health costs
- improve patient experience and outcomes
The Genomics Health Futures Mission will bring hope to Australians suffering diseases that are life threatening and currently untreatable.
What are the goals of the Genomics Health Futures Mission?
The goal of the Genomics Health Futures Mission is to save or transform the lives of more than 200,000 Australians through genomic research to deliver better testing, diagnosis and treatment.
It will:
- help Australia move towards routine use of genomics in healthcare
- support new clinical trials and technology applications allowing Australian patients to benefit from the latest medical research
- create a new highly skilled workforce and new career pathways
- support new industries
- talk with the Australian community to share the value of genomics
- listen and respond to the perspective of communities on issues like privacy, family impact, and the legal and social aspects of using genomics in health care
- develop secure data storage, access, analysis and sharing to benefit Australians
How will we meet these goals?
See the initiative snapshot for details of how we plan to meet these goals.
MRFF snapshot – Genomics Health Futures Mission
This snapshot shows this mission at a glance. It includes budgets, early funding priorities and grant timelines, as at November 2019. Researchers and other stakeholders can use it to plan for upcoming opportunities and see how the mission will be established, expanded and embedded over time.
Early investments under the Genomics Health Futures Mission include:
- Mackenzie’s Mission, the Australian Reproductive Carrier Screening Project. This project offers genetic screening to couples to:
- identify couples with an increased chance of having children with serious genetic conditions
- test for conditions where early treatment can improve a child’s health
- ProCan. This project is developing a comprehensive research database of genomic information related to cancer. It will help develop technologies and tools to more precisely diagnose and treat individual cancer patients. This will improve survival rates and avoid unnecessary treatments that will not work for each patient. ProCan involves cancer researchers across Australia and around the world.
Who works with us on the Genomics Health Futures Mission?
The Genomics Health Futures Mission Expert Advisory Committee provides advice to the Minister for Health and Aged Care on the strategic priorities for research investment through the mission by developing a Roadmap and Implementation Plan. Public consultation on the Roadmap and Implementation Plan was undertaken between 14 December 2020 and 23 April 2021. Submissions through the consultation will be used to inform any further development of the Roadmap and Implementation Plan by the Expert Advisory Committee.
The Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) funds the mission.
Our Health and Medical Research Office oversees this and other MRFF initiatives.
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources administer this initiative.
Apply for funding
We list grants on GrantConnect when they open. If you want GrantConnect to notify you about future MRFF grants:
- register with them
- enter ‘MRFF’ in the keyword section of your GrantConnect profile
Status
Upcoming grants
There are currently no upcoming grant opportunities.
Open grant rounds
There are currently no open grant opportunities.
Grants being assessed
We are currently assessing applications received under the 2020 Genomics Health Futures Mission opportunity.
Grants awarded
We have awarded or announced the following grants under this initiative, as at 25 March 2021.
| Funded Institution | Project Name | Chief Investigator/s | Total Funding |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Murdoch Children's Research Institute |
Mackenzie's Mission: The Australian Reproductive Carrier Screening Project |
Professor Edwin Kirk, Professor Martin Delatycki, and Professor Nigel Laing |
$19,982,540 |
|
University of Sydney |
ProCan: The human cancer proteome project |
Not applicable |
$20,400,000 |
|
University of New South Wales |
Developing synthetic DNA reference standards (sequins) to ensure accuracy in emerging genomic techniques |
Doctor Ira Devison |
$1,443,588 |
|
The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research |
Statistical methods for analysing next generation sequencing data |
Doctor Yunshun Chen |
$639,750 |
|
The University of Queensland |
The history of the human genome and the mechanisms of genomic disease |
Doctor Adam Ewing |
$1,554,485 |
|
Macquarie University |
Cascade testing in intellectual disability: social and economic impact |
Not applicable |
$486,897 |
|
Monash University |
Preventing mitochondrial disease using genomics |
Not applicable |
$499,417 |
|
Monash University |
Moratorium on Genetic Testing and Life Insurance: Monitoring the impact |
Not applicable |
$500,000 |
|
Murdoch Children's Research Institute |
A Centre for Ethics of Paediatric Genomics to Improve Paediatric Care |
Not applicable |
$463,471 |
|
Swinburne University of Technology |
Towards a trusted genomic respository: Tackling commercialisation fears |
Not applicable |
$484,000 |
|
University of Melbourne |
Achieving Equity in Genomic Health for Indigenous Australians |
Not applicable |
$499,990 |
|
The University of Queensland |
We need to talk: Genomics and disability |
Not applicable |
$497,213 |
|
University of Tasmania |
Genome Editing: Formulating an Australian Community Response |
Not applicable |
$460,631 |
|
University of Tasmania |
Returning Raw Genomic Data: Patient Autonomy or Legal Minefield? |
Not applicable |
$388,026 |
|
Queensland University of Technology |
Genomic architecture of chronic disease in Australia’s First Peoples |
Not applicable |
$1,368,256 |
|
University of Melbourne |
SUPER-NEXT: Complete genome profiling for cancer of unknown primary |
Not applicable |
$4,993,323 |
|
University of Melbourne |
Precision Medicine for a Life-Threatening Infantile Epilepsy |
Not applicable |
$4,079,947 |
|
The University of Queensland |
Whole Genome Sequencing in high-risk breast cancer patients |
Not applicable |
$2,801,185 |
|
University of South Australia |
Genomic autopsy of perinatal death |
Not applicable |
$3,401,790 |
|
Murdoch Children's Research Institute |
National rapid genomic diagnosis program for critically ill children |
Not applicable |
$4,848,331 |
|
The University of Queensland |
Host gene expression signatures to diagnose sepsis in children |
Not applicable |
$2,406,970 |
|
University of New South Wales |
PreGen: Filling the Gap – antenatal genomics and newborn care |
Not applicable |
$4,828,094 |
|
University of Melbourne |
Precision Public Health in Australia through Integrated Pathogen Genomics |
Professor Benjamin Howden |
$9,999,499 |
|
University of New South Wales |
H2Seq: Viral genomics for public health interventions in HIV and HCV |
Professor Anthony Kelleher |
$6,629,162 |
|
Monash University |
Genomics, Digital Health and Machine Learning: the SuperbugAi Flagship |
Professor Anton Peleg |
$3,403,772 |
|
University of Melbourne |
META-GP: Delivering a Clinical Metagenomics Platform for Australia |
Associate Professor Deborah Williamson |
$6,984,360 |
|
Total |
$104,044,697 |
||
Related information
The Genomics Health Futures Mission aligns with work led by Australian Governments to implement the National Health Genomics Policy Framework 2018–2021.
Contact
For more information contact us.
Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) contact
Contact for more information about the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), or to provide feedback on the MRFF website.
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) funds high quality health and medical research to build research capability, support researchers, encourage the translation of research into better health outcomes and promote the highest ethical standards for health and medical research.
Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources
Contact the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).