Research scholarships awarded; Medical investment to support Australians facing chronic back pain

Retirement Home Patient — A care nurse assists an elderly woman on her way for a break at a retirement home in Bordeaux, southwestern France, June 30, 2015. Reuters/Regis Duvignau

The Australian Historical Association (AHA) and the National Archives of Australia have awarded new research scholarships to assist with the continuous exploration of archival records. Meanwhile, the Australian government will support medical breakthroughs to help Australians facing chronic back pain and those with severe disabilities.

Holly Taylor from the University of Washington in Seattle, USA, and Miranda Francis from La Trobe University in Melbourne are the most recent winners of joint scholarship. It would help researchers with the cost of digitising records in the National Archives' collection.

Louise Doyle, acting Director-General for the National Archives, said they are pleased to help the scholars. He believes these projects will also be beneficial to other archival researchers.

Doyle said it is exciting to see aspects of Aussie history being studied by students internationally. Francis' project, for instance, will focus on Justice Elizabeth Evatt's personal papers as part of a PhD thesis on parenting in post-1945 Australia. The papers are held by the Archives relating to the Royal Commission into Human Relationships.

Taylor, on the other hand, will work on research exploring social significance as a key value in the nation’s heritage conservation laws. She will investigate how it was brought into the public policy arena as well as the historical origins of this concept.

President of the Australian Historical Association Lynette Russell has welcomed the news. “We are thrilled to again have the opportunity to support innovative postgraduate research in Australian history and to work with the National Archives to make their valuable resources more accessible to all historians,” Russell said.

Biomedical Translation Fund

Up to $13.3 million will be invested into innovations from the $500 million Biomedical Translation Fund (BTF), an equity co-investment venture capital program. It is a main initiative of the Turnbull government’s National Innovation and Science Agenda.

According to Minister for Health Greg Hunt, the BTF provided an important funding bridge between lab and patient. It ensures that biomedical research does not stall in the translation to market phase.

Hunt, in a press release, has stated that the country is a world leader in health and medical research. However, he argued that it takes some years and offshore investment to turn these discoveries into better options for patients. “This vital funding will support researchers when they need it most-for clinical testing, developing prototypes and other requirements before a high potential product or service can come on the market,” he explained.