- Published:
- Friday 4 September 2015
The Andrews Labor Government is providing ten of Victoria’s independent medical research institutes with more than $26 million this financial year, to support them in continuing their cutting edge work.
The Government is investing significantly in health and medical research to grow Victoria's pre-eminence as a hub for world-class research.
This funding will support laboratories to run their facilities and equipment so they can learn more about diseases, develop new and better diagnostic tools, and advance treatments and cures.
In the 2015-16 Victorian Budget, the Labor Government provided $25 million to establish a genomic sequencing program to provide earlier diagnosis and more personalised treatment for Victorians; $15 million to plan and commence early works of the Victorian Heart Hospital, Australia’s first specialist cardiac hospital which will bring together patient care with research and training; and $2 million to plan and develop a National Centre for Proton Beam Therapy. The Government is also providing funding to support and attract clinical trials to Victoria.
The ten research facilities and the allocations from the Government’s Operational Infrastructure Support Program are:
- Baker IDI Heart and Diabetics Institute $3,425,514
- Bionics Institute $450,986
- Burnet Institute $2,752,991
- Centre for Eye Research Australia $1,036,419
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health $3,138,860
- Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute $1,069,839
- Hudson Institute of Medical Research $2,322,570
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute $4,042,845
- St Vincent’s Institute (incl the O’Brien Institute) $1,649,706
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research $6,210,270
The Government recently released a Discussion Paper to guide the development of a Victorian Health and Medical Research Strategy to identify Victoria’s priorities in health and medical research, promote innovation, and prepare our State for the economic and healthcare opportunities on offer both nationally and internationally.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Jill Hennessy
“We have some of the world’s best health and medical research institutes right here in Victoria, and we want to support them so they can continue to make great breakthroughs and save lives.”
“The Andrews Labor Government is passionate about supporting medical research and building Victoria’s pre-eminence as a world leader in this sector.”
Quotes attributable to the Parliamentary Secretary for Medical Research Frank McGuire
“Health and medical research improves the health of our community, creates jobs, and contributes to our state’s economy and that’s why we’re absolutely committed to supporting it and investing in it.”