Get involved
Your support can help us to protect medical research funding in Australia. Make your voice heard and support medical research! Encourage your family, friends and colleagues to do the same.
Have your say on the future of health and medical research in Australia
Australia has had a long history of success in health and medical research, and the government invests significantly in the sector, particularly through the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
In the wake of the April 2011 campaign to protect NHMRC funding from cuts in the 2011-2012 budget, the Minister for Health and Ageing, Mark Butler MP, announced a strategic review of the health and medical research sector. In July 2011, Discoveries Need Dollars collated feedback from its supporters on the review’s draft terms of reference.
The review will address questions including:
- Why is it in Australia’s interest to have a viable, internationally competitive health and medical research sector?
- How might health and medical research be best managed and funded in Australia?
- What are the health and medical research strategic directions and priorities and how might we meet them?
- How can we optimise translation of health and medical research into better health and wellbeing?
Find out more about the review, and how you can contribute to it.
How else can you support medical research in Australia?
If you value the many benefits which medical research brings to Australia, make your voice heard. To help, you can:
Write to your politicians
Tell your politicians that you support maintenance of medical research funding by state and federal governments. Find out contact details for your local politicians from the Australian Electoral Commission website.
Remember that personalised messages carry more weight, so if you have the time, we strongly recommend sending a personal message (preferably hard-copy) about why medical research is important to you and should be protected. Read out about many of the benefits of Australian medical research.
Write to your local paper, or call talkback radio
Explain how medical research has helped you, or, if you are a researcher, explain how your research will help others. If you disagree with medical research funding cuts or other changes in government policy, speak out.
The letters page is one of the most read pages in the newspaper so your letters can make a real difference. View contact details for where to submit your letter to newspapers and numbers for talkback radio stations.
Discuss the importance of medical research using social media
You can support Discoveries Need Dollars on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (@protectresearch). On Twitter you can also use the #protectresearch hashtag so other supporters can find your messages. The MP Tweets website lists Australian federal and state politicians who have twitter accounts.
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Stay informed
Read the latest news about medical research funding and policy on our News and links page.
