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@Raf_Epstein was characteristically great on @abcmelbourne this afternoon. The #Paladin thing had my blood boiling though #auspol 1/10
@Raf_Epstein @abcmelbourne #Paladin scandal reminds me of the process for giving $30 million to @rupertmurdoch @Foxtel for women’s sport 2/10 theguardian.com/australia-news…
@Raf_Epstein @abcmelbourne @rupertmurdoch @Foxtel and the $433 million given to the #GreatBarrierReefFoundation without them even asking 3/10 theguardian.com/australia-news…
@Raf_Epstein @abcmelbourne @rupertmurdoch @Foxtel I’m a medical researcher who depends on government grants from @NHMRC for my research program and my livelihood, like thousands of others 4/10
@Raf_Epstein @abcmelbourne @rupertmurdoch @Foxtel @nhmrc Unlike money for @RupertMurdoch @Foxtel #Paladin, spending on #medicalresearch results in financial gains for #Australians at a benefit cost ratio of 3.9! 5/10 #greatdeal aamri.org.au/wp-content/upl…
@Raf_Epstein @abcmelbourne @rupertmurdoch @Foxtel @nhmrc #medicalresearch generates billions in returns to #Australian #taxpayers 6/10
@Raf_Epstein @abcmelbourne @rupertmurdoch @Foxtel @nhmrc In contrast to gifts to #Paladin #GreatBarrierReefFoundation @rupertmurdoch @foxtel, the process for getting money for #medicalresearch is exhausting. Researchers compete for about $800 million in @NHMRC funding each year. The success rate of grant applications is about 10% 7/10
@Raf_Epstein @abcmelbourne @rupertmurdoch @Foxtel @nhmrc A decade ago, the estimated cost of applying for @NHMRC grants was 180 researcher years! I expect it’s over 200 researcher years by now 8/10 bmj.com/content/343/bm…
@Raf_Epstein @abcmelbourne @rupertmurdoch @Foxtel @nhmrc That time commitment is equivalent to more that $40 million just to prepare @NHMRC grant applications. Researchers do the majority of the work to review the grants, estimated to cost another $4.5 million a decade ago. 9/10
@Raf_Epstein @abcmelbourne @rupertmurdoch @Foxtel @nhmrc When our government gives so much money to private companies who don’t even ask, using opaque and non-accountable processes they are insulting the hardworking #medicalresearch community #changethenation 10/10
P.S. and then there’s the hipocrisy of our government’s imposition of a national interest test to funding @arc_gov_au grant recommendations... #auspol
