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NHMRC organises events over a wide range of topics. This page provides information on upcoming events and information from past events for reference.

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2009 Research Administrators' Seminar

ARC and NHMRC with the Australasian Research Management Society (ARMS), will again be conducting a Research Administrators’ Seminar in Canberra on 5 and 6 November 2009.

Ten of the Best: top Aussie researchers inspire students

NHMRC’s 10 of the Best Research Projects 2009 was launched on 17 August by the Parliamentary Secretary for Health, the Hon Mark Butler MP, as part of CSIRO’s National Science Week activities.

NHMRC Future’s Forum 2009 workshop series

NHMRC has launched a series of interactive workshops aimed at stimulating discussion in the research sector and wider community on issues of national importance to health and medical research. The workshops also provide NHMRC with the opportunity to explore opinion across the sector and assist in shaping the agency's advice as well as identifying emerging issues of concern.

Strategy for Health and Medical Research – Career Development and Fellowship Schemes workshop, 9 July 2009

Outcomes

The NHMRC Strategy for Health and Medical Research – Career Development and Fellowship Schemes workshop was held in Canberra on July 9, 2009. The aim of  this workshop was to provide NHMRC and its Research Committee with the views of emerging health and medical researchers, as part of our consultation around the next Strategic Plan, and specifically the ‘Strategy for Health and Medical Research’.

Participants representing 31 Australian universities and medical research institutes attended the workshop to discuss the fellowship schemes and ways of improving the career path prospects of researchers funded by NHMRC. Speakers included current Career Development Award (CDA) holders representing the various research disciplines:

  • Professor James Best (Chair, NHMRC Research Committee; Head, School of Medicine, University of Melbourne)
  • Dr Sarah Meachem (President, The Australian Society for Medical Research; Prince Henry’s Institute)
  • Dr Carl Walkley (Biomedical, St Vincent’s Institute)
  • Dr Sofianos Andrikopoulos (Biomedical, The University of Melbourne)
  • Dr Lisa Askie (Clinical, University of Sydney)
  • Dr Rachel Neale (Population Health, Queensland Institute of Medical Research)
  • Professor Melissa Wake (Population Health, Royal Children’s Hospital)
  • Professor Michael Good (Chair, NHMRC Council; Director, Queensland Institute of Medical Research)

Recommendations suggested to NHMRC for enhancing the CDA and Early Career Fellowship (ECF) schemes included:

  • Increase flexibility to accommodate for carers and those raising a family
  • Increase salary support
  • Increase feedback to the research community to allow potential applicants to better judge their competitiveness for awards

NHMRC will take these suggestions to the Research Committee for advice. Follow-up actions will be communicated through NHMRC’s Tracker and CEO Newsletter.

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Transparency and Conflict of Interest 2 June, 2009

Outcomes

The NHMRC Transparency and Conflict of Interest workshop held in Canberra on June 2nd, 2009 was the first workshop in a new series that will run over the next several months, addressing current issues in health research, advice and ethics. This workshop aimed to generate discussion on conflicts of interest that health and medical researchers face in their work and in the development of clinical practices guidelines.

Chaired by NHMRC CEO Professor Warwick Anderson, seven guest speakers were invited to give their views on competing interests in health and medical research and clinical care. The speakers were:

  1. Dr Richard Chadwick (General Manager, Adjudication Branch, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission)
  2. Professor Michael Grigg (Chair, Professional Standards Committee, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons)
  3. Professor Jim Best (Chair, NHMRC Research Committee; Head, School of Medicine, University of Melbourne)
  4. Dr Martin Van Der Weyden (Editor, Medical Journal of Australia)
  5. Dr Anna Lavelle (CEO, AusBiotech)
  6. Professor Bruce Neal (Senior Director, The George Institute for International Health)
  7. Dr Jane Frost (Director of Clinical Studies, Pfizer)

The areas highlighted where conflicts of interest arise in health and medical research and clinical practice included:

  • Clinical research through relationships between researchers and commercial sponsors
  • Clinical Practice Guideline development
  • NHMRC processes, including the work of its advisory committees and in peer review

NHMRC will take the ideas from the workshop to its Council and Research Committee for advice on NHMRC’s role in the management of Conflict of Interest in health and medical research and guideline development. 

NHMRC will use this workshop format to address important issues in the future.

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