Progress on medical research funding – but the crisis isn’t over

The recent federal Budget brought welcome news for Australia’s medical research sector – but the Brain Foundation joins leading voices in welcoming the announcement while warning that the pressure on the sector is far from over.

The government has committed to increasing Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) disbursements each year from 2026–27, with the stated aim of reaching $1 billion annually by 2030–31.

The announcement follows sustained advocacy from across the sector, including an open letter signed by more than 500 leading scientists, among them three Nobel Laureates.

Scientia Professor Matthew Kiernan AM, CEO of NeuRA and President of the Brain Foundation, was among the signatories.

“The extra funding for medical research is welcome and a step in the right direction, but we have to continue to address the broader question of medical research institutes’ sustainability,” he said.

The sector’s peak body echoed that concern. The Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI) welcomed the commitment while warning it does not resolve the pressures institutes are facing right now.

“This is meaningful progress, but medical research institutes are dealing with sustainability pressures today, not five years from now,” said AAMRI President and Executive Director of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Professor Jason Kovacic. “For some institutes facing immediate sustainability pressures, support delayed may simply come too late.”

The concern is real. Budget papers show MRFF funding reaching around $745 million by 2029–30, meaning a substantial further increase would still be required to meet the government’s own $1 billion target the following year. For institutes facing existential pressures today, that timeline offers little comfort.

The crisis facing early- and mid-career researchers (EMCRs) remains particularly acute.

With grant success rates sitting at around four per cent for EMCRs, Australia’s pipeline of future scientific talent is being cut off at the source, and the Budget does not resolve this.

The Brain Foundation understands what is at stake. Since 1970, we have funded hundreds of Australian brain research projects, with a particular focus on supporting EMCRs. Unlike government-funded institutes, we receive no public funding for our research grants – every project we back is made possible by the generosity of everyday Australians. That makes sustained government investment in the broader sector not a nice-to-have, but essential.

Our advocacy continues. The Brain Foundation will keep pushing for urgent action alongside the broader sector – the fight isn’t over.

Medical research is the only pathway available for patients diagnosed with neurological disease, to be the beneficiaries of research discoveries, to receive new treatments and to experience improved outcomes.

The Brain Foundation understands what is at stake. Since 1970, we have funded hundreds of Australian brain research projects, with a particular focus on supporting EMCRs.

Unlike government-funded institutes, we receive no public funding for our research grants – every project we back is made possible by the generosity of everyday Australians.

That makes sustained government investment in the broader sector not a nice-to-have, but essential.

Our advocacy continues. The Brain Foundation will keep pushing for urgent action alongside the broader sector – the fight isn’t over.

Medical research is the only pathway available for patients diagnosed with neurological disease, to be the beneficiaries of research discoveries, to receive new treatments and to experience improved outcomes.

If you are in a position to support Australian brain research directly while we wait for the government to act, the need has never been greater.

• Learn more and take action
• Apply for our Research Grants
• Support the Brain Foundation