The Australian Government is investing almost $11 million to build Australian research capacity in climate change and related health impacts under the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) 2024 Targeted Call for Research (TCR) into climate-related health impacts and effective interventions to improve health outcomes.
A TCR is a one-time request for grant applications to address a specific health issue where there is significant research knowledge gap or unmet need. TCRs are designed to stimulate research or build research capacity in a specific area of health and medical science to the benefit of Australians.
Climate change both directly and indirectly affects the health and wellbeing of all Australians, representing a great threat to the resilience and responsiveness of our national health system.
Eleven research teams will work to improve our understanding of current and future impacts of climate change on the health and wellbeing of Australians and on the demand of our health system. Proposed research projects will identify key areas of vulnerability and effective interventions to improve health outcomes, reduce health inequities and increase our national resilience to climate-related health and economic threats.
Associate Professor Brad Farrant of the University of Western Australia will co-design and implement trials of expanded Caring for Country programs to increase accessibility and participation in such activities to improve health for all in the face of climate change. Caring for Country programs deliver positive social, economic, cultural, and environmental outcomes for Aboriginal communities.
Deakin University researcher, Associate Professor Luana Main, will identify logistically viable solutions to reduce heat stress, and improve the health and safety of all workers, across multiple sectors, working multiple days in the heat.
Through interdisciplinary collaboration with industry partners and end users, Associate Professor Main’s project aims to generate new knowledge to mitigate job-related heat stress fueled by rising temperatures and whether cooling-interventions can offset negative impacts and illnesses caused by consecutive days of working in the heat.
Further information on all projects receiving funding can be viewed on NHMRC’s outcomes of funding webpage.
Quotes attributable to NHMRC CEO Professor Steve Wesselingh:
- “The innovative research funded today through this TCR will not only deepen our understanding of climate change’s health impacts but will also pave the way for practical solutions to safeguard the wellbeing of Australians.
- “The work of these researchers is vital to understanding climate change and they will build the evidence base we need to protect and improve our health outcomes.
- “I congratulate the investigators and their teams for their dedication in addressing these critical challenges.”
