HRC announces $74.56 million funding investment

HRC announces $74.56 million funding investment into health research

Groundbreaking new research on cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and the human impact of natural disasters is included the $74.56M of government research funding announced today by The Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC). The investment covers many of the issues that impact most heavily on the health of New Zealanders, and includes over $18M to new, longer term, programmes of research.

“We are supporting some very exciting studies this year, which reflect the very high calibre of New Zealand health research. This year our investment will speed the development of new drugs that attack cancer cells and leave healthy cells unharmed, give new hope to those affected by neurological disorders and provide urgently needed data on how to ameliorate the human impact of natural disasters,” says HRC Chief Executive, Dr Robin Olds.

The new programmes include $3.91M to extend the well-established and world-renowned Christchurch Health and Development Study, led by Professor David Fergusson from the University of Otago, Christchurch. This is a longitudinal study of of nearly 1,265 children born in Christchurch in 1977, and studied to age 30. The additional funding will allow the cohort to be interviewed at age 35, on a comprehensive range of issues relating to social background, economic and personal circumstances, mental health and related measures. The team will use this incredible body of data to estimate the impact of the Christchurch earthquake on participants, generating essential data to guide future policy and planning on natural disasters. For the first time, researchers have detailed information on the health and wellbeing of those affected both before and after a natural disaster.

Over 100,000 New Zealanders are currently living with neurodegenerative conditions. The rate of Alzheimer’s disease is increasing in New Zealand, and HRC-funded researchers contribute to the global effort to find more effective treatments to combat this, and other, devastating neurological disorders. Professor Michael Dragunow from The University of Auckland, will lead a five-year programme of research, costing $4.46M, to study the underlying causes and treatments for - Alzheimer's, epilepsy, Parkinson's, and Huntington's disease.

Professor Dragunow’s world-class team of neuroscientists and chemists has well-developed linkages with neurosurgeons, gerontologists, other clinical groups in the District Health Boards involved in clinical trials, and with NZ Biotech industries. Their goal is to translate lab-based research into therapies for patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases. The group is supported by the multidisciplinary Centre for Brain Research at The University of Auckland, and its unparalleled Human Brain Bank - a unique resource of human brain tissue which has been used to advance knowledge on these serious diseases.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the second leading cause of death in New Zealand, after cancer, yet they are readily preventable. Available treatments can half the likelihood of developing CVD in high-risk individuals, but our ability to identify these patients is poor. Another issue is the differing burden of CVD among population groups, which results from both under-treatment and over-treatment, and results in disparities in outcomes

Professor Rod Jackson from The University of Auckland and his research team have been awarded $4.93M to develop better tools to identify the high-risk patients that will benefit from treatment; quantify and map gaps and disparities in appropriate treatment; and model the impact of treatment disparities on the CVD burden in New Zealand.

Dr Paul Reynolds, from the Independent Māori Institute for Environment and Health: Te Atawhai o te Ao in Whanganui, has received funding for a new programme, which will investigate the ways that people achieve recovery from sexual abuse, imprisonment and cultural disconnection. It is the first HRC programme to be awarded to a non-University based organisation, the first to be awarded under a new HRC investment stream dedicated solely to Māori health research, and is only the second Māori-led Programme to be awarded in the HRC’s 20-year history. The research will be undertaken around the country and aims to find pathways to recovery.

Full details of the funding announcements can be found on the HRC website - www.hrc.govt.nz.

2011 HRC annual funding round results

The HRC processed 173 full applications for four different types of awards and will offer 52 contracts to the successful applicants. Project proposals were processed through a two-stage process beginning with 387 Expressions of Interest leading to 127 full applications assessed in the second stage. Successful applications were chosen by an assessment process involving national and international expert referees, detailed discussion by Science Assessing Committees, and further review by the Grant Approval Committee before final approval by the HRC Board. The total value of new research to be undertaken within universities, research institutes and District Health Boards is $74.56 million (excluding GST). For detailed results, please visit the HRC website, www.hrc.govt.nz.

ENDS

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