NHMRC Funding and WA

Dr Nik ZepsResearch Committee, NHMRC

School of Surgery, UWASJOG Pathology

Radiation Oncology, SCGH

Budget Appropriations

Australian population – March 2010(percentage by state)

10% 14%

Gross State Product(a measure of the value added by economic production;

percentage by state)

Percentage of NHMRC research expenditure by state

WA share 8.2% 6.8% 5.8%

NHMRC project grants:Success rate by state and year

2010 by State

2010: Top ranking

• Uni Melb 95 (396) 24.0%• Monash 93 (289) 32.2 %• Uni Syd 90 (435) 20.7%• UQ 56 (243) 23.0%• Uni of Ade 45 (219) 20.5%• UNSW 43 (250) 17.2%• UWA 40 (190) 21.1%• MCRI 28 (93) 30.1%

Grant Admin InstitutionProportion of 2001 Funding

Proportion of 2010 Funding

University of Melbourne 13.2% 13.4%

University of Sydney 9.5% 12.2%

Monash University 8.7% 9.4%

University of Queensland 8.7% 8.6%

University of New South Wales 6.0% 7.6%

University of Adelaide 6.3% 6.1%

Walter and Eliza Hall Institute 5.2% 4.9%

University of Western Australia 7.5% 4.7%

Queensland Institute of Medical Research 3.1% 3.8%

Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute 2.1% 2.6%

Murdoch Childrens Research Institute 1.0% 2.5%

Garvan Institute of Medical Research 2.3% 2.1%

Australian National University 1.9% 2.0%

University of Newcastle 1.6% 2.0%

Menzies School of Health Research 0.9% 1.5%

Flinders University 3.1% 1.2%

Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research 0.5% 1.1%

NHMRC postdoctoral fellowships:Success rate by state in 2008

12%

WA accounted for 4% of the total applications

WA comparative data:Other recent examples of NHMRC funding

• Program grants 2002- 2007– WA 35% success rate, national success rate 39% – WA had 8% of the total number of applications

• Career Development Awards 2007– WA 3% success rate, national success rate 18%– WA had 8% of the total number of applications

• Postgraduate scholarships 2008– WA 2% success rate

Postgraduate scholarship 2010

WA comparative dataSummary

• Based on 2009-2010 data, Western Australia– Has 10% of the national population– Contributes 14% of national production– Gets 6% of total NHMRC funding– Has the lowest recent success rate of any state for project

grants– For other schemes (program grants and people support),

WA submits relatively low numbers of application per capita and has low success rates

Project Grants 2010 by Institution (for funding >$3 million)

UWA comparative data

• UWA is by far the most successful WA institution• However, by implication, low WA application

numbers and success rates are also those relating to UWA

Possible reasons for NHMRC disappointment

• Research institutes in WA are not as well developed as those in other states

• Collaborations from WA are more difficult because of the tyranny of distance

• Local expert and peer support needed to buttress applications are not as well developed as elsewhere

• Greater involvement of WA researchers on key NHMRC committees and panels would ensure – national awareness of WA medical science– enhanced local knowledge of application procedures, standards and

strategies

State Investment

• WA is significantly behind other states• Victoria: Secret of success?

– Biogrid ($11million)– VCA (VCB $13 million)– VCCC ($1 billion)