Genomics Health Futures Mission

About the Genomics Health Futures Mission

The Genomics Health Futures Mission is investing $500.1 million in genomic medicine research.  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 it is important

This Genomics Health Futures Mission supports research to:

• improve testing and diagnosis for many diseases
• help personalise treatment options to better target and improve health outcomes
• reduce unnecessary interventions and health costs.

The Genomics Health Futures Mission funds 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 will bring hope to Australians suffering diseases that are life threatening and currently untreatable.

Objectives

The objective 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
• support development of secure data storage, access, analysis and sharing to benefit Australians.

Meeting our objectives

The Genomics Health Futures Mission Expert Advisory Panel will refresh the existing Roadmap and Implementation Plan. This will advise the Minister for Health and Aged Care on the strategic priorities for research investment through the mission. These documents will inform future Genomic Health Future Mission grant opportunities. 

The current Roadmap and Implementation Plan for the Genomics Health Futures Mission were published in October 2021. The draft Roadmap and Implementation Plan:

• were reviewed by an international panel of experts on 11 November 2020. They provided expert feedback and advice in the context of relevant activities occurring internationally. See the Genomics Health Futures Mission International Review of the Roadmap and Implementation Plan report
• received community feedback through a national consultation between 14 December 2020 and 23 April 2021. See the Genomics Health Futures Mission Roadmap and Implementation Plan National Consultation Report.

Feedback from the international review panel and the national consultation informed changes to the final Roadmap and Implementation Plan.

An international panel of experts will review the refreshed Roadmap and Implementation Plan drafted by the Expert Advisory Panel. It will also go through a national consultation to seek community feedback. We expect these activities to happen in mid-2024.

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 we work with

The Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) funds the mission.

The Genomics Health Futures Mission Expert Advisory Panel will advise the Minister for Health and Aged Care. This guidance will include strategic priorities for research investment by refreshing the Roadmap and Implementation Plan. 

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 and Resources administer this mission.

Apply for funding

View the MRFF grants calendar to see which grants are open, when applications close and when we expect to award funding.

Register with GrantConnect to receive notifications about future funding opportunities under this Mission.

Grants awarded

See a list of all MRFF grant recipients.

Monitoring, evaluation and learning

We have engaged Nous Group to review the Genomics Health Futures Mission. Nous Group will assess the Genomics Health Futures Mission’s progress in:

• supporting genomics and genetics research in Australia
• meeting the objectives set out in the 
  • Genomics Health Futures Mission Roadmap and Implementation Plan
  • MRFF 10-year Investment Plan
  • MRFF Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Strategy.

We have also engaged Australian Genomics to undertake the desktop review component of this evaluation.

We expect the review findings will be available in mid-2024. They will help inform future investments through the Genomics Health Futures Mission.

More information is available from MRFF.evaluations@health.gov.au.

Contact

For more information contact us.