Equity Trustees approves $3.4 million grant to fund medical research
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Equity Trustees has announced it will deliver $3.4 million in additional funding to the National Foundation for Medical Research and Innovation (NFMRI), Monash Partners and the Mater Foundation. The granting will be delivered from 26 philanthropic trusts, for which Equity Trustees acts as trustee, and is a continuation of an existing partnership.
Over three years, the partners will be funded as follows:
- NFMRI: $1.76 million to advance medical research in the areas of Alzheimer’s disease and cancer.
- Monash Partners: $856,000 for research to improve health for children, those suffering from cancer, heart disease and depression.
- Mater Foundation: $824,000 to continue its research into children’s diseases, cancer and diabetes.
Ms Jodi Kennedy, Equity Trustees General Manager, Charitable Trusts and Philanthropy, said, “Equity Trustees is delighted to be able to continue its innovative partnership with these three organisations, which we first commenced in 2017.
“These groups bring together universities, medical research institutes, healthcare providers and industry and are leaders in collaboration and translation. Each plays an important part in advancing research and achieving equitable health outcomes for all Australians. We believe work of this nature requires sources of long-term capital rather than short-term funding.”
Monash Partners Executive Director, Professor Helena Teede said the previous round of funding from Equity Trustees had been directed towards improving the lives of children, young and older people; supporting the career development of female clinical academics, clinicians and early to midcareer researchers; and aiding research that translates into community impact and better health.
“Thanks to the vision and insightful approach of Equity Trustees, we have translated a wide range of innovative research projects designed to transform research into efficient delivery of our healthcare dollars to directly benefit patients,” Ms Teede said.
“As a result of this funding, we have been able to work with the communities we serve to create longer-term health care strategies which will have significant and lasting benefits.”
Dr Noel Chambers, NFMRI CEO said a further three-year partnership would enable NFMRI to continue supporting important research activities that would otherwise not be funded, with a focus on cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
“This funding expands upon our pilot partnership with Equity Trustees, which helped NFMRI to achieve a 62% success rate in projects attracting next-step partners and leveraging a total of over $45 million in external funding,” he said.
For Mater Foundation, the continued research effort means further progressing several areas of work including a significant focus on adult and paediatric immune responses to cancers under the direction of Dr Camille Guilerey and childhood disease and welfare progression by Associate Professor Kym Rae.
“Equity Trustees ongoing support of Mater Foundation enables a wide range of research initiatives to be maintained and built upon over the next three years. In particular, we are able to support the career progression of two remarkable research leaders through the Outstanding Women in Research Award.”
“Dr Guilerey and Associate Professor Rae, in their respective fields of cancer immunotherapies and health and disease in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, are leading exceptional teams of emerging researchers to impactful outcomes,” said Mater Foundation Executive Director, Andrew Thomas.
In FY21, Equity Trustees distributed a total of $96.2 million across a range of charitable and not-for profit causes from grants and bequests, with 42.7% of funding made to medical research and health organisations.
Original story from Equity Trustees. Note: Content has been edited for style and length.
Nina Alvarez is a Content Producer for Healthcare Channel. Her interests include writing, particularly about the healthcare sector and the many ways it can improve to further benefit people from all walks of life.
