The NHMRC Council is established under the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992 (NHMRC Act) to advise the CEO and perform functions conferred on it. Council members are appointed under section 41 (1) of the NHMRC Act for a triennium (3 years). 

The Council of NHMRC is established under the NHMRC Act to advise the CEO and perform functions conferred on it.

Functions of the Council

The functions of the Council are:

  • to provide advice to the CEO in relation to the performance of his or her functions
  • any other functions conferred on the Council in writing by the Minister after consulting the CEO
  • any other functions conferred on the Council by the NHMRC Act, the regulations or any other law.

Composition of the Council of NHMRC

Council members are appointed under section 41 (1) of the NHMRC Act for a triennium (3 years). The work of Council is planned and reviewed on a triennial basis. All Council members are part-time appointees. The Council meets in full session on several occasions each year and the proceedings of each session are made available on the NHMRC website. It undertakes its work through a network of Principal Committees, working committees and expert panels, whose members are part-time and give much of their time and expertise.

The Council of NHMRC consists of the following:

  • the Chair
  • the chief medical officer for the Commonwealth
  • the chief medical officer for each State and Territory
  • a person with expertise in the health needs of Aboriginal persons and Torres Strait Islanders
  • a person with expertise in consumer issues
  • a person with expertise in business
  • at least 6, but no more than 11, persons with expertise in one or more of the following:
    • health care training
    • professional medical standards
    • the medical profession and post graduate medical training
    • the nursing profession
    • public health research and medical research issues
    • public health
    • ethics relating to research involving humans
    • other appropriate expertise.

Chairs of Principal Committees are Council members (with the exception of the Chair of the Embryo Research Licensing Committee).

Members of Council

NHMRC Council Session Reports

The following reports are available from the Download section (below).

Previous NHMRC Council Reports are available on the Australian Government Web archive.

Downloads

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