$15 million investment to expedite the translation of health and medical research into commercial outcomes

The Development Grant scheme provides financial support to individual researchers or research teams to undertake health and medical research within Australia at the proof-of-concept stage that specifically drives towards a commercial outcome within a foreseeable timeframe.

Projects funded under this scheme increase the rate of translation of health and medical research into outcomes with a feasible commercial pathway, resulting in improved health and medical knowledge.

The 2023 Development Grant scheme will fund projects from:

• Professor Mark Walker of the University of Queensland who, in collaboration with Moderna, will investigate whether fewer doses (1-2) of their Streptococcus pyogenes (StrepA) mRNA vaccine provides equivalent protection compared to the standard three dose regime, consequently refining StrepA vaccine protection.
• Associate Professor Tracy Putoczki of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research who, in collaboration with their industry partner – Nelcanen Therapeutics, will develop a new therapeutic drug that could control and reverse Inflammatory Bowel Disease, progressing this drug to clinical trials.
• Professor Jane Pillow of the University of Western Australia who, in collaboration with Industry partner VitalTrace and other colleagues has previously developed an innovative technology that can continuously assess a baby's health and wellbeing during labour and delivery. Their project will progress this technology to a stage when it can be used in human pregnancies, saving lives and improving health outcomes for mothers and their babies.
• Dr Pierre Qian and his research team from the University of Sydney, who have previously developed the AURORA catheter that uses microwave energy, will further develop this system to effectively destroy scars in the heart causing ventricular arrythmias, improving longevity for people with cardiovascular disease.
• Dr Andrew Brodie of the University of New South Wales who will develop a breakthrough, non-invasive stimulation device to treat gait dysfunction and prevent falls among people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD), subsequently reducing healthcare costs and improving quality of life for PD patients.

A full list of funding outcomes for the Development Grants is available on NHMRC's Outcomes of funding rounds.

Quotes attributable to NHMRC CEO Professor Steve Wesselingh:

• 'The Development Grant scheme supports researchers to generate critical proof-of-concept data for new medical technologies that carve out a pathway for commercialisation in their development.'
• 'The diverse range of technologies developed in the projects funded today will help Australians at all stages of their life.'
• 'Well done to all grant recipients – it truly is an exciting time for health and medical research in Australia.'