The ACT Government has launched a strategic plan to foster cutting-edge health research and innovation in the Territory.
Better together: A strategic plan for research in the ACT health system 2022-2030 sets out the Government’s vision for research to be driven by the health workforce to improve the health and wellbeing of the community.
Health minister Rachel Stephen-Smith launched the eight-year plan at the 2022 Canberra Health Annual Research Meeting (CHARM).
“The new strategic research plan aims to help the ACT’s dedicated frontline health workforce deliver better outcomes for their patients,” Ms Stephen-Smith said. “This also goes to the heart of CHARM’S purpose.
“CHARM has always focused on building a culture of health innovation, sustainability, and effective care for Canberrans through collaboration between a diverse range of health stakeholders.”
In her opening address, the minister outlined the plan’s support for health and medical research in the ACT.
“The plan sets out three strategic objectives and 10 accompanying strategic actions that the ACT Government will deliver with our partners across universities, health services, and consumers to realise this vision,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
“This includes supporting the ACT’s health system to become a learning health system by investing in our people and showcasing the infrastructure and platforms that facilitate high-value research.
“To support this, the ACT Government is providing $1 million to deliver new fellowships for early and mid-career researchers to kickstart our progress and invest in our greatest strength – the healthcare workers right across the system.
“It is critical that we nurture our dedicated healthcare workers and support them to drive improvements where they work with collaborative research and the translation of established research into practice.”
Further details about the new fellowships will be announced soon. Applications will open later in 2022, and successful applicants will start in 2023.
For more information about the fund, go to health.act.gov.au/research/centre-health-and-medical-research.
CHARM is free, online, and runs until Friday afternoon, with a program of expert presentations from clinicians and scientists, panel discussions, and workshops. For more information, to see the full CHARM program, or to register, visit health.act.gov.au/research/charm-2022.
