Congratulations to SCS 2020 NHMRC Ideas grants recepients!

Monash Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences researchers have continued their success in the latest round of funding, awarded in excess of $40m, across 43 projects in the highly competitive 2020 NHMRC Ideas Grant scheme, for innovative research projects.  See Monash University announcement here.

Congratulations to all SCS NHMRC Ideas grants recipients!

Hudson Institute of Medical Research

• Should you be eating that? Food-derived bacteria and their role in treating disease Dr Sam Forster
• Improving the diagnosis of Disorders Sex Development (DSD) - Professor Vincent Harley
• The role of interferon epsilon in ovarian cancer - Professor Paul Hertzog

Department of Medicine

• Unravelling NET confusion in Vasculitis - Dr Kim O'Sullivan
• Interferon Epsilon as a novel regulator of host-bacterial interaction in homeostasis, infection and inflammation - Professor David Nikolic-Paterson

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

• Soft wearable patches for stillbirth prevention  - Professor Euan Wallace and Dr Vinayak Smith (Project lead - Professor Wenlong Cheng)

Department of Paediatrics

• A new mechanism of tissue fibrosis – a small peptide regulator of the TGF-beta1/Smad pathway - Dr Edward Giles

Department of Psychiatry

• ARX- A hub gene for a common biological pathway in schizophrenia - Dr Rachel Hill
• Betacellulin: defining a novel sub-type in schizophrenia - Professor Suresh Sundram

Rationalist Society of Australia Grants - APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN

The Rationalist Society of Australia (RSA) is calling for expressions of interest from suitably qualified academics for funding research projects in the following areas:

• The impact of freethought and secularism in Australia.
• The effectiveness of critical thinking skills teaching in Australian schools.
• The role of experts in media and public policy in Australia.
• Privileges granted by law and government policy to religious groups in Australia.
• The influence of organised religion on healthcare policy and practice in Australia.

There are two categories of grants:

1. The Ian Robinson Grants for Emerging Researchers: funding of up to A$5,000 to individual emerging researchers.
2. The RSA Patrons’ Grants: funding of up to A$15,000 to individual researchers or teams of researchers.

More detailed information about the grants is here. Applications close 31 March 2021.

For questions about the scheme please contact mro-applications@monash.edu.

Current MRFF Funding Opportunities - UPDATED OPEN CALLS

CLOSING FEB 2021  

1) PPHRI- 2020 Efficient Use of Existing Medicines Grant Opportunity Guidelines  

• $7.5M pool
• Closing Feb 03, 2021

2) EPCDR Initiative – 2020 Childhood Cancer Research Grant Opportunity

Following the Ministers announcement over a week ago this call has now opened.

• $9M pool
• Closing Feb 03, 2021

3) PPHRI- Maternal, First 2000 Days, and Childhood Health Grant  Opportunity 

• $12M pool
• Closing Feb 03, 2021

4) PPHRI- Quality, Safety and Effectiveness of Medicine Use and Medicine Intervention by Pharmacists MRFF Grant Opportunity 

also see https://business.gov.au/Grants-and-Programs/MRFF-2020-Quality-Safety-and-Effectiveness-of-Medicine-Use-and-Medicine-Safety-by-Pharmacists  

• $13M pool 
• Closing Feb 23, 2021

5) Research Data Infrastructure Initiative -  2020 Primary Health Care Research Data Infrastructure grant opportunity 

also see https://business.gov.au/Grants-and-Programs/MRFF-2020-Primary-Health-Care-Research-Data-Infrastructure-Grant-Opportunity

• $10M pool 
• Closing Feb 23, 2021

 CLOSING MAR 2021    

6) Clinical Trial Activity Initiative - 2020 International Clinical Trial Collaborations Grant Opportunity 

•  $6.3M pool (per round)
• Round 2 Closing Mar 03, 2021

7) Coronavirus Research Response   – 2020 COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Research grant opportunity  (EoIs) 

• Round 3:closing 10 March, 2021

Expressions of Interest for Level A Research Assistant within clinical psychedelic trials!

Within the new clinical psychedelic research program at Monash, this Level A research-only academic role is to assist the Chief Principal Investigator and Investigator team in preparatory work for two clinical trials: 1) Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of Generalised Anxiety Disorder; and 2) MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. 

• Tasks include: assistance in the development of clinical trial protocols; Human Ethics Research Committee submissions; clinical trial registration; research on trial measures; trial procedural mapping; staff coordination and stakeholder liaison; drafting of reports to funders; and assistance in the development of academic manuscripts. Role within School of Clinical Sciences, and based at Monash Biomedical Imaging, Clayton.
• Required Qualification: an honours degree or higher in Psychology or related clinical sciences.
• Previous experience: design, preparation, and execution of human research trials.

If interested, please email Dr Paul Liknaitzky: paul.liknaitzky@monash.edu