New strategy to shape future direction of health research

17 May 2016

New strategy to shape future direction of health research in NZ

The government today announced that it is seeking public input on the development of what will be New Zealand’s first health research strategy.

The Ministry of Health, Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC), and Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment are developing the new strategy to help get the best value out of New Zealand’s investment in health research, and create a more effective and connected health research and innovation system.

HRC Chief Executive Professor Kath McPherson says many researchers working in the health and medical fields have been eagerly awaiting the chance to comment on what they think the vision for health research should look like, the principles that will guide our work, and what the strategic priorities need to be for health research over the next 10 years.

“Health research makes a critical contribution to health and quality of life in New Zealand. Not only does it help generate new knowledge and evidence that leads to changes in clinical practice, but it also creates new products and technologies with great commercial potential, public health interventions that save lives, and better, more cost-effective ways of delivering core health services,” says Professor McPherson.

“This is a golden opportunity for everyone to have their say about the future direction of health research in New Zealand. This feedback is key to developing a meaningful strategy that will increase the uptake of research results, improve our health and wellbeing, and strengthen New Zealand’s contribution to the global health research movement.”

The public discussion document on the New Zealand Health Research Strategy is available on the Ministry of Health website at https://www.health.govt.nz/publication/new-zealand-health-research-strategy. Anyone interested in providing input on the strategy can make a written submission or take part in one of the regional consultation meetings scheduled to take place across the country in June 2016. For more details on the strategy or consultation process, please refer to the HRC website (www.hrc.govt.nz) or the website address above.

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