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Knowledge growth through research underpins improvements in Australia's health and health services. This research can be fundamental or can be applied, directly addressing clinical problems, public and environmental health issues or the provision of health services.
About the Research Translation Centre Initiative
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has recognised leading centres of collaboration in Australia that excel in the provision of research-based health care and training through the Research Translation Centre Initiative (the Initiative) since 2014.
The aim of the Initiative is to encourage excellent health research and translation in Australia by bringing together researchers, healthcare providers, education and training to improve the health and well-being of patients and the populations they serve.
The objective of the Initiative is to improve the health and wellbeing of patients and communities through the translation of research into healthcare by:
- Promoting health service leadership in research and research translation that addresses priorities directly relevant to health services and the populations the centre serves
- Strengthening collaboration between health services and research institutions to ensure research is co-designed and relevant
- Delivering training and education, and building research and research translation capacity and capability.
Research translation has long been one of NHMRC's strategic pillars, along with investment and integrity. NHMRC's Research Translation Strategy 2026-2030 sets out NHMRC's role in the translation of health and medical research into policy, practice and products, and the priority actions it will take to drive the translation of health and medical research.
Through the initiative, NHMRC recognises the value of leadership and excellence in research, translation, collaboration, and the training of health professionals and other end-users in an evidence-based environment. By recognising established excellent collaborations, we also seek to encourage the development of other high-quality collaborations across the country.
Read more about the process to become a Research Translation Centre. Details on the current NHMRC Research Translation Centres is also available.
Reviews of the Research Translation Centre Initiative
Since the Initiative commenced, NHMRC has undertaken periodic reviews to ensure it continues to meet its objectives. Following a review in 2021, a number of changes were implemented to strengthen the Initiative. The report from that review is available in the downloads section below.
In 2026, NHMRC completed a further review to identify the Initiative's strengths and opportunities for improvement. A report outlining the review findings is available in the downloads section below.
The review findings, together with feedback from subsequent consultations, are informing improvements to the next phase of the Initiative.