{"id":11823,"date":"2025-10-29T08:46:37","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T22:46:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wimr.org.au\/?post_type=news&p=11823"},"modified":"2025-10-29T08:47:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T22:47:15","slug":"wimr-joins-call-for-the-federal-government-to-release-the-full-1-billion-of-the-medical-research-future-fund-mrff","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/wimr.org.au\/news\/wimr-joins-call-for-the-federal-government-to-release-the-full-1-billion-of-the-medical-research-future-fund-mrff\/","title":{"rendered":"WIMR joins call for the Federal Government to release the full $1 billion of the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

Medical research sector warns: The cost of doing nothing is far greater than the cost of research<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

WIMR is proud to support the Australian Association of Medical Research Institutes\u2019 (AAMRI) \u2018Half the Funding. Half the Future\u2019 campaign, calling on the Federal Government to release the full $1 billion annual distribution of the MRFF in the 2026-2027 Federal Budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Financial modelling from the Parliamentary Budget Office<\/a>, commissioned by Dr Monique Ryan MP, confirms the MRFF can safely release $1 billion a year without eroding its capital base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AAMRI CEO Dr Saraid Billiards said the sector is at breaking point, \u201cThis isn\u2019t about asking for more \u2013 it\u2019s about using the money that\u2019s already there, for the purpose it was created. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInstitutes across the country are already cutting back. Without full funding, critical research will stall, jobs will be lost, treatments will be delayed and breakthroughs that could save lives in ten years simply won\u2019t happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Billiards said the campaign also emphasises the need for the MRFF funds to be used where they are needed most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe indirect costs of research \u2013 things like cybersecurity for sensitive patient data, maintaining specialised biobanks, and keeping equipment safe and compliant \u2013 are not optional extras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey are the infrastructure that allows discoveries to happen. Without them, the science stops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re running this campaign because we\u2019ve reached the point where institutes can\u2019t absorb those costs anymore. The MRFF was designed to secure the future of Australian medical research. Now it needs to deliver on that promise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WIMR Executive Director, Professor Philip O\u2019Connell joined the call for action, saying, \u201cThe MRFF was created to deliver at least $1 billion each year to back Australian medical research. Right now, only about $650 million is being released \u2013 while programs are cut, researchers leave and discoveries stall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe MRFF was built to fund discoveries that save lives \u2013 from cancer breakthroughs to better mental health care. Right now, half that potential is locked away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAustralian researchers are some of the most productive and cost efficient in the world. However, our ability to improve the health outcomes of all Australians is being restrained by a lack of access to funds that already exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat we need now is action.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can join WIMR and support this campaign by visiting www.aamri.org.au\/mrff<\/a>. There you will find more information, as well as resources to help share your message of support on social media, or email your local member urging for the release of the full MRFF funds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together, we can keep Australian research strong, sustainable, and delivering hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Medical research sector warns: The cost of doing nothing is far greater than the cost of research WIMR is proud to support the Australian Association of Medical Research Institutes\u2019 (AAMRI) \u2018Half the Funding. Half the Future\u2019 campaign, calling on the Federal Government to release the full $1 billion annual distribution of the MRFF in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":11825,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"categories":[],"class_list":["post-11823","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wimr.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/11823","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wimr.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wimr.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wimr.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11825"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wimr.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11823"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wimr.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11823"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}