Budget cut rumours alarm health researchers

Health researchers are alarmed by rumours the federal government will slash NHRMC funding in the coming budget.

Tim Dean (Australian Life Scientist)
06 April, 2011 12:04
Comments 13

Health and medical researchers are up in arms over rumours that the federal government will cut up to $400 million over three years from the National Health and Medical Research Council budget.

The rumoured cut to funding is widely believed to be a part of the government’s efforts to bring the budget back in to surplus, which will require significant cuts to existing expenditure.

However, scientists have suggested that such severe cuts could have a dramatic impact on health and medical research in Australia.

Speaking on the ABC, Professor Julie Campbell, President of the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes, said the cuts would hit researchers hard.

“It'd be absolutely disastrous to the health and medical research community,” she said. “It's going to mean that a lot of medical researchers are going to be unemployed.”

The NHMRC budget in 2009-2010 was a little over $700 million, so the rumoured cuts, which amount to $133 million each year over three years, amount to an almost 20 per cent cut in funding.

In contrast, the Australian Society for Medical Research made a request in January of this year that the government increase funding to the NHMRC by three per cent if Australia is to maintain a leadership position in health and medical research.

According to Campbell, the source of the rumours is from within the government, and the government has made no official overtures to dispelling the rumour.

This has led some to speculate that the government is attempting to soften the blow of the budget, which may include cuts of a lower magnitude than the rumoured $400 million over three years.

More about: ABC, ABC, Australian Society for Medical Research

Comments

Christopher Armstrong

Thu 07/04/2011 - 15:33

If you want to save lives then let the politicians know how you feel about this and help stop budget cuts to medical research:
http://www.discoveriesneeddollars.org/get_involved

Amanda Spurdle

Thu 07/04/2011 - 15:50

This situation is untenable - medical research one of the most important items to support in a first world country - is Australiaing to say openly to the world that we are going backwards?

Mike

Thu 07/04/2011 - 16:11

ABSOLUTE SHOCKER from the government. This makes no sense from a financial (lost jobs = less tax revenue), health (duh), or moral (life-saving treatments either cut or delayed) point of view. Julia, be assured this will be remembered come next election.

Jeff Smits

Thu 07/04/2011 - 16:17

For those who care, and you should! There is a RALLY in Melbourne to save health and medical research:

Tues (April 12th) at 1pm
State Library of Vic

BE THERE.

Thanks Julia

Thu 07/04/2011 - 16:24

She speaks so highly of education.... but here I am 4 years (7 for all of uni) later and my PhD is going to be worthless!!!!!! This is the worst kind of hypocrisy! Guess I'll start learning how to pull a pint.

Cerissa Hamilton

Thu 07/04/2011 - 16:31

What people are saying about the 'best and brightest' (cough) going overseas is right. I'm already scanning through Nature jobs.

Will Chang

Thu 07/04/2011 - 16:45

Can someone please explain to me how this is a big deal? The budget has to be balanced somehow and medicine and health are just as valid a target as anything else. It's the mining tax that's evil here.

Jenny Reese

Thu 07/04/2011 - 16:49

Ummmm, the mining tax would increase govt revenue.

Tom

Thu 07/04/2011 - 17:18

@Jeff Thanks for letting us know about the rally! Nerds of Melb unite!

Deb Robins

Fri 08/04/2011 - 22:12

The shame of it - most of the research done in Australia for Duchenne [www.duchennefoundation.org.au] has been funded from overseas historically - they have more faith in our ability than we do. We need to support our own scientists and we need more of them. The most common muscle pathology of childhood, a male disorder that is three times the incidence of breast cancer in the under 30 age bracket receives so little research funding when the worlds' best scientists (including Aussies) are so close to strengthening and saving so many. ww.duchennefoundation.org.au

WHAT CAN WE DO?

The rare disease community asks us to:
1. Those living with rare diseases and their families could attend the rallies that are planned for Melbourne, Sydney and other capital cities.

2 . Vote for the 'protect funding for medical research in Australia' campaign idea on Get Up!   Give it the full 3 votes! http://suggest.getup.org.au/forums/60819-campaign-ideas/suggestions/1607129-protecting-funding-for-medical-research-in-austral?ref=title

3. Sign Research Australia's i-Petition to protect medical research funding in the May budget http://researchaustralia.org/personal-stories/petition-to-federal-government.html

4 . Support the WEHI's "Discoveries needs Dollars" campaign. Send in the postcards and encourage people living with rare disease to use the social media (Twitter, Facebook) associated with website. http://www.discoveriesneeddollars.org/home/

Derek Stubbs

Tue 12/04/2011 - 15:33

It seems rather sort sighted once again. Cut funds from research which will save cost by curing the sick, I would have thought invest in health research.
If we are some what in debt due to the world financial crisis then surely, like the rest of the world we can't expect to regain wealth over night. Why the rush, at the cost of science research, or for that matter any health funding.
Aren't charities doing it tuff enough?

Silly me, it must be far better to cut these funding and keep are polies in overseas trips.
Where has the Aussie fair go gone from Canberra?

Arthur Smith

Tue 12/04/2011 - 17:12

Once again the government is running scared of the rednecks in the mining industry, military brass, and cutting funding for the soft targets, i.e. vital scientific research that would produce long term benifits for the country and humanity.
How about looking long term for a change, not just to the next opinion poll.
As Derek above says , why the rush to cut the deficit; we are already in a better financial position than most comparable counties.

Penny

Thu 14/04/2011 - 09:34

I have been involved in Scientists in Schools program and plan to go to one of the top colleges in Australia to encourage the students engaging in sciences. Can I keep them in science by saying: study hard, get you bachelor degree, Masters degree, Ph D degree and then you have to find a job overseas because there is little job opportunity for you in Australia? As a nation, do we respect knowledge?