The Research Committee fosters research across the spectrum of health and medical research, including the awarding of grants and providing research support.
The Research Committee (RC) covers the spectrum of health and medical research, including public health. It awards grants on the basis of scientific quality as judged by peer-review across the entire spectrum of health, medical and public health research. It also provides research support through a variety of mechanisms, including support for individual research projects, broad programs of research, training awards and fellowships and special research units.
Functions
The functions of RC, as set out in Section 35(2) of the NHMRC Act include all of the following:
- to advise and make recommendations to the Council on the application and monitoring of the Medical Research Endowment Account (MREA)
- to monitor the use of assistance provided from MREA
- to advise the Council on matters relating to medical research and public health research, including the quality and scope of such research in Australia
- such other functions as the Minister from time to time determines in writing after consulting the CEO
- any other functions conferred on the Committee by the NHMRC Act, the regulations or any other law.
Membership
Members will have demonstrated leadership and extensive experience in various fields of health and medical research. A member of Australian Health Ethics Committee (AHEC) also sits on RC – this is a requirement of the NHMRC Act.
Contact
Postal address
Research Committee Secretariat
NHMRC
GPO Box 1421
Canberra ACT 2601Email
Phone
Members of Research Committee
Past members
- Members of Research Committee 2021–2024 triennium
- Members of Research Committee 2018–2021 triennium
- Members of Research Committee 2015–2018 triennium
Committee members 2024–2027
Chair,
Professor
Anushka
Patel
Professor Anushka Patel is the CEO of The George Institute for Global Health and a Scientia Professor of Medicine at UNSW Sydney. She trained as a cardiologist and has led significant clinical research, including the ADVANCE trial on vascular disease prevention in diabetes. Her work has expanded into implementation science, focusing on cardiovascular polypills and digital technology innovations. Professor Patel was awarded the Gustav Nossal Medal in Global Health by the Australian Academy of Science in 2018. She currently holds an NHMRC Investigator Grant (L3; 2023-2027).
Having previously been a Staff Specialist in Cardiology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney (1999 to 2010), Dr Patel continued in part-time clinical practice until December 2022.
In her role as CEO of The George Institute, Dr Patel has responsibility for over 1000 staff in 4 offices (Australia, China, India, UK) and a number of other global locations working remotely. Dr Patel has previously chaired the Australian Heart Foundation Research Committee, has been a Council member of the Australian Academy of Health & Medical Sciences and a member of the Australian NHMRC Research Committee, as well as its Health Research Impact Committee. Internationally, she is now or in the past has been Chair and/or a member of several advisory groups, including for WHO, Northwestern University, UK Joint Funders, Heart Health Research Center (China) and the International Centre for Diarrhoael Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b). Across all leadership roles, Dr Patel’s contributions have been around building capacity, infrastructure and collaboration for research and impact.