Thread by @TheASMR1

Make no mistake.

Australian medical research is in crisis.

In his article, @jcarapetis echoes the alarm and discusses issues at the heart of the ASMR’s mission.

The sector is on the brink of collapse.

But we can fix it.

@ausgov, are you listening?

Here’s how:

A thread 👇

https://twitter.com/jcarapetis/status/1289900554143981571

We’ve been losing our skilled and talented researchers in recent years with an increasing brain drain due to a lack of funding.

#COVID19 has made this worse.

#ecrchat #phdchat #ScienceTwitter #AcademicTwitter

As @jcarapetis points out, eg. the @nhmrc funds only ~9% of research grant applications received from our future leaders.

And that’s not because the other 91% aren’t worthy of funding, but because @ausgov has ignored the funding recommendations of the 2012 McKeon review.

So where do they go? They leave.

What are the untold economic costs of training scientists, then leaving the system so precariously underfunded that they are driven overseas - along with their ideas?

And how will we respond to the next global health challenge?

The Federal @ausgov commissioned the McKeon report in 2011 in response to major backlash about funding cuts to the health and medical research sector.

The review recommended an incremental increase to 3% of total health expenditure over 10 years, totalling $2-3bn extra per year

Guess how much the Government currently funds health and medical research?

A disappointing ~0.53% of total health expenditure, a far cry from the 3% @ausgov report recommendation.

Now is the time for @GregHuntMP and the federal government to take action.

@jcarapetis reminds us that Health Minister @GregHuntMP says we have a “golden opportunity” to become a global medical research leader.

We've done very well tacking #covid19 + our research is world class.

But can we be a global research leader?

Not without change.

The ‘golden opportunity’ lies with our Health Minister @GregHuntMP to support the health & medical research sector by increasing funding to the Medical Research Endowment Account + @nhmrc operating budget & feed the research pipeline

...3% of total health expenditure should do.

As the Aus economy tries to cope with #COVID19 disruptions, the government needs to invest in sectors that can provide sustained returns. @TheASMR1 commissioned @D_AccessEcon reports have shown that the health and medical research sector returns $3.20 for every $1 invested.

The Health Minister @GregHuntMP has a ‘golden opportunity’ to put his money where his mouth is, & create a lasting legacy in the form of increased funding to the Medical Research Endowment Account and the @nhmrc to strengthen and stabilise the health and medical research sector

.@GregHuntMP, @HonTonyAbbott created the $20 billion dollar MRFF for clinical and translational health and medical research ...that we all notice you’ve been reaping the PR benefits from.

What’s going to be your legacy as minister? #goldenopportunity

The Medical Research Endowment Account, administered by the @nhmrc, DOUBLED in 1999 and 2006, thanks to our advocacy at the Australian Society for Medical Research.

It’s beyond time for another increase.

Here’s our Deloitte report:

www2.deloitte.com/au/en/pages/ec…

Here’s a breakdown of the McKeon review.

You may notice the actual McKeon review document is not currently available.

Isn’t this telling?

google.com.au/amp/s/theconve…

Lend your support to the critical advocacy @TheASMR1 does for health and medical research and researchers by becoming a member today asmr.org.au/membership/

The collective voice is the strongest voice.