National Health and Medical Research Council

National Health and Medical Research Council
Council overview
Formed1936; 88 years ago (1936)
Preceding Council
  • Federal Health Council (1926–36)
JurisdictionAustralian Government
HeadquartersCanberra
MottoBuilding a Healthy Australia
Employees233 (2022–23)
Annual budgetA$1.18 billion (2022–23)
Minister responsible
Council executive
  • Steve Wesselingh, CEO
Parent departmentDepartment of Health and Aged Care
Websitenhmrc.gov.au

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is the main statutory authority of the Australian Government responsible for medical research. It was the eighth largest research funding body in the world in 2016,[1] and NHMRC-funded research is globally recognised for its high quality.[2] Around 45% of all Australian medical research from 2008–12 was funded by the federal government, through the NHMRC.[3]: 14 

As an independent arm of the Department of Health, the NHMRC funds high quality health and medical research,[4] builds research capability in Australia, support the translation of health and medical research into better health outcomes, and promote the ethics and integrity in research. Non-health research is funded by the Australian Research Council.

  1. ^ Viergever, Roderik F.; Hendriks, Thom C. C. (18 February 2016). "The 10 largest public and philanthropic funders of health research in the world: what they fund and how they distribute their funds". Health Research Policy and Systems. 14 (1): 12. doi:10.1186/s12961-015-0074-z. ISSN 1478-4505. PMC 4759950. PMID 26892771.
  2. ^ "Measuring up 2013". National Health and Medical Research Council.
  3. ^ "Measuring Up 2018". National Health and Medical Research Council. December 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  4. ^ "Department of Health's Management of Financial Assistance under the Medical Research Future Fund".