Flinders researchers have been awarded a Centre of Research Excellence, a Targeted Call for Research - Implementation of Dementia Research into Clinical Practice and Care, twelve Project Grants, one Program Grant, one Medical Research Future Fund TRIP Fellowship and two Postgraduate Scholarships, with the total awarded amount to Flinders in the two recent NHMRC round announcements being $24,795,927.80.

Ophthalmology at Flinders had a good showing with Dr Ebony Liu and Dr Genevieve Oliver being awarded Postgraduate Scholarships, Associate Professor Jamie Craig and Professor Justine Smith were both awarded a project grant and Jamie was also awarded a Program Grant. Other project grants include treating type 2 diabetes and obesity through gene targeting, improving drug resistance in chemotherapy, and exploring the role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Liaison Officers in hospitals.

Congratulations to all the researchers, research teams and support staff involved in the submissions. Over the coming months, we will have articles highlighting individual successes from this round.

There are also named Chief Investigators on NHMRC Grants led by other universities.

2018 Successful NHMRC Project Grants – led by Flinders University researchers

Decolonising practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care
Professor Fran Baum, Dr Toby Freeman, Dr Tamara Mackean, Professor Juanita Sherwood (University of Sydney), Associate Professor Anna Ziersch, Associate Professor Deborah Askew (Queensland Health), Dr Annette Browne (University of British Columbia, Canada), Professor Judith Dwyer, and Professor Michael Kidd.
Amount Awarded: $1,451,490.50 (5 year project)

Silencing visceral nociceptors by targeting NaV1.1: A novel therapeutic approach for treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Associate Professor Stuart Brierley, Professor Richard Lewis (The University of Queensland), Dr Irina Vetter (The University of Queensland), and Associate Professor Grigori Rychkov (The University of Adelaide)
Amount Awarded: $696,808.50 (3 year project)

First-in-Field Study of Mechanisms Operating in Post-Ebola Eye Disease
Professor Justine Smith, Dr Glenn Marsh (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation), Dr Jillian Carr, and Associate Professor Steven Yeh (Emory University)
Amount Awarded: $748,985.20 (3 year project)

Is overactive bladder a 'Bladder itch'? Identification of itch specific pathways within the bladder
Associate Professor Stuart Brierley, Professor David Grundy (Sheffield University, UK), and Professor Nicholas Spencer.
Amount Awarded: $720,585.00 (3 year project)

Targeting RCAN1 to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity
Professor Damien Keating, Professor Leif Groop (Lund University, Sweden),and Associate Professor Beverly Rothermel (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center)
Amount Awarded: $814,468.20 (3 year project)

A new clinical tool to assess fitness-to-drive in obstructive sleep apnea
Doctor Andrew Vakulin, Professor Ronald Grunstein (University of Sydney),  Professor R. Douglas McEvoy, Associate Professor Peter Catcheside, Associate Professor Keith Wong (Woolcock Institute of Medical Research Limited), and Dr Angela D'Rozario (University of Sydney)
Amount Awarded: $727,962.80 (3 year project)

UGT enzymes in chemotherapeutic drug metabolism: new avenues to improve drug response and overcome resistance
Dr Robyn Meech, Professor Ross McKinnon, Emeritus Professor Peter Mackenzie, Dr Dong Gui Hu, and Professor Christos Karapetis.
Amount Awarded: $610,005.00 (3 year project)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers’ and Liaison Officers’ role in quality acute health care services
Dr Tamara Mackean, Professor Fran Baum, Dr Annabelle Wilson, Professor Eileen Willis, Dr Janet Kelly (The University of Adelaide), Associate Professor Kerry Taylor, Dr Odette Gibson (South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute Limited), Dr Catherine Hunter (The George Institute for Global Health), and Dr Kim O'Donnell.
Amount Awarded: $1,571,334.20 (4 year project)

How stimulant laxatives work
Professor Simon Brookes, Associate Professor Philip Dinning (Flinders Medical Centre), and Professor Marcello Costa.
Amount Awarded: $529,428.00 (3 year project)

Validating novel biomarkers relevant to major depression
Professor Ma-Li Wong (South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute Limited), and Professor Julio Licinio (South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute Limited)
Amount Awarded: $515,549.50 (3 year project)

A Randomised Evaluation of the Appropriateness of Anatomic Coronary Investigation in Cardiac Injury/MI Type 2
Professor Derek Chew, Professor John French (University of New South Wales), Professor Harvey White (Auckland Hospital, NZ), Professor Michael Farkouh (University of Toronto, Canada), Dr Stephen Quinn (Swinburne University of Technology), Associate Professor Billingsley Kaambwa.
Amount Awarded: $2,481,816.00 (5 year project)

Translation of glaucoma blindness genes to improve clinical practice
Professor Jamie Craig, Associate Professor Alex Hewitt (University of Tasmania), Associate Professor Stuart Macgregor (The Council of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research), Professor David Mackey (University of Western Australia), Associate Professor Kathryn Burdon (University of Tasmania), Professor Lyle Palmer (The University of Adelaide), Associate Professor John Landers, Dr Puya Gharahkhani (The Council of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research), Professor Robert Casson (The University of Adelaide).
Amount Awarded: $844,965.60 (5 year project)

2019 Program Grant

Translating genetic determinants of glaucoma into better diagnosis and treatment
Professor Jamie Craig, Professor David Mackey (University of Western Australia), Associate Professor Stuart Macgregor (The Council of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research), and Associate Professor Alex Hewitt (University of Tasmania).
Amount Awarded: $9,466,000.00 (5 year project)

2017 Medical Research Future Fund TRIP Fellowship

Enhancing the capacity of mental health services to review, personalise and intervene early through implementation of real-time outcome monitoring
Associate Professor Niranjan Bidargaddi
Amount Awarded: $179,118.00 (2 years)

2017 Postgraduate Scholarships

Emerging and Re-emerging Retinal Infections
Dr Genevieve Oliver
Amount Awarded: $94,952.75 (3 years)

Risk factors for diabetic retinopathy and its treatment
Dr Ebony Liu
Amount Awarded: $73,963.25 (2 years)

2017 CRE Application

National Centre for Sleep Health Services Research - Positioning Primary Care at the Centre of Sleep Health Management
Professor Doug McEvoy, Professor Nigel Stocks (University of Adelaide), Professor Nicholas Zwar (University of New South Wales), Professor Ronald Grunstein (University of Sydney), Dr Ching Li Chai-Coetzer, Professor Leon Lack, Professor Robert Adams (University of Adelaide), Professor Sally Redman (The Sax Institute), Dr Andrew Vakulin, and Professor Steven Wesselingh (South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute Limited).
Amount Awarded: $ 2,497,977.50

2017 Targeted Call for Research - Implementation of Dementia Research into Clinical Practice and Care

‘Agents of Change’: Improving post diagnosis care for people with dementia and their carers through the establishment of a National Quality Collaborative to implement guideline recommendations
Dr Kate Laver, Professor Janna Fitzgerald (Griffith University), Professor Maria Crotty, Professor Susan Kurrle (University of Sydney), Professor Ian Cameron (University of Sydney), Associate Professor Craig Whitehead, Dr Jane Thompson, and Associate Professor Billingsley Kaambwa.
Amount Awarded: $770,517.80