Hudson Institute researchers pledge to build MRFF campaign momentum

Hudson Institute researchers are determined to continue to build momentum around a campaign that espouses the benefits of the Federal Government’s promised $20bn Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).

Hudson Institute researchers Professor Alan Trounson and Dr Morag Young both feature in the Australian Association of Medical Research Institutes’ “What’s the Fuss?” campaign videos.

Launched in October, the campaign is designed to give the community a better understanding of the important role of medical research (and the MRFF).

AAMRI says the campaign will continue to run throughout 2016, to keep medical research funding on the agenda and on track during the election. Today, the government transferred another $2.1B in forecasted health budget savings to the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).

Professor Trounson, who is a pioneer of modern IVF techniques, says support from the broader community will prove vital to the MRFF’s success.

He says that right now, the research community in Australia is standing on the edge of an abyss.

“The Australian research community is on the edge of a great wave of momentum set to cure a raft of truly debilitating and deadly diseases, or slippage down the backside of the wave to insignificance,” Professor Trounson said.

“The opportunity to deliver these benefits will be largely driven by the support of our key scientists by the Medical Research Future Fund and it needs the enthusiastic backing of the entire community.”

Dr Morag Young says the campaign message that medical research affects every person during their lifetime rings true in her research field of cardiovascular endocrinology.

“Discoveries in medical research will impact on all Australians throughout their lives, whether it is ensuring a healthy start to life or the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of (chronic) disease,” Dr Young said.

“I chose to pursue a career in medical research because it has the potential to improve the lives of many people, whether through new ways to prevent disease or through the discovery of new treatments.”

So far, there have been more than 2100 views of “What’s the Fuss?” campaign videos on YouTube (and even 11 subscribers).

The #WTFuss hashtag was trending in Australia during the launch, and has been used hundreds of times on Twitter.

AAMRI is continuing to collate videos from patients and researchers, which can be submitted here. To view the video featuring Professor Trounson and Dr Young, see below.

The Medical Research Future Fund was legislated in August. It will build to a $20bn perpetual fund, providing annual disbursements of $1 billion to medical research by 2022-23.

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