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Independent Research Organisation Funding

Year:
2014
Duration:
48 months
Approved budget:
$6,804,000.00
Researchers:
Professor Richard Beasley
Health issue:
Other (generic health or health services)
Proposal type:
Independent Research Organisation Grant
Lay summary
The Medical Research Institute of New Zealand (MRINZ) meets the eligibility for an Independent Research Organisation as: A. It is a registered charitable trust, with a trust deed and board of trustees, operating as an independent legal entity, and primarily undertaking medical research not for the development of its own products and services. B. As New Zealand’s (NZ) most productive independent medical research organisation, it has the staff and infrastructure of a sufficient scale and capacity to carry out the work proposed. C. It has established local, national and international research relationships with frontline clinicians and professional organisations in the fields of pre-hospital care and general practice, and many in-hospital medical and surgical specialties, including respiratory medicine, intensive care, emergency medicine, haematology, internal medicine, neurology, rehabilitation and cardiac surgery (www.mrinz.ac.nz). It has also established linkages with end users of the research as evident from the membership of senior staff in national and international guidelines groups, membership of editorial boards of high impact international journals, roles as senior physicians with responsibilities in professional organisations, linkages with collaborative partners including industry, invited presentations at national and international meetings of professional organisations, and an impressive track record of publication in international peer-reviewed journals. D. It has average HRC funding of $1,284,789 (range $503,106 to $2,519,143) per year in the last 5 years. E. Distinctive and nationally significant capability: The MRINZ has distinctive and nationally significant capability to undertake medical research, primarily clinical trials, not commonly present in other NZ research-based organisations including: a. Multicentre national and international clinical trials capacity in intensive care medicine and respiratory medicine. As a result of experience gained undertaking these studies, the MRINZ now has the unique capability to act autonomously as the trial coordinating centre in NZ for large scale, pivotal, multicentre, multinational trials in the fields of intensive care and respiratory medicine. In addition to the established hospital-based ICU and respiratory medicine networks, the MRINZ also has an established trained GP research network, based in Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington and the Hutt Valley. b. Novel research in the fields of alcohol and drug, asthma, COPD, emerging therapeutics, fever, intensive care, obesity, oxygen, pharmacovigilance, pleural disease, Maori and Pacific health, stroke and rehabilitation, and venous thromboembolism. c. Key role in supporting research and development of NZ biotechnology industry, including Fisher and Paykel Healthcare, HoneyLab, Nexus6, Plant & Food, Encircle Medical. d. Collaborations with a number of key national and international guidelines groups in which the MRINZ provides the only NZ member. e. As a private training establishment, the capability to train clinician researchers, with the award of the MRINZ MD degree, in addition to PhD degrees through universities in NZ and internationally. f. A strong commitment to undertake research which improves health outcomes for Maori.