31 October 2025
In October, Health Translation Queensland (HTQ) made a submission to the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), providing input that will help shape Australia’s first National Health and Medical Research Strategy 2026 - 2036.
HTQ Executive Director Dr Celia Webby said advocacy for national investment in policies, platforms and infrastructure that strengthen and improve the translation of health and medical research is an important component of HTQ’s work.
“HTQ has set 3 clear goals for the next few years – to connect the right people to address local health service challenges, build research translation workforce capability and an innovation culture, and remove barriers to collaboration, with the ultimate goal of driving more efficient and effective health service delivery,” Dr Webby said.
“In our submission, we emphasised why partnerships between academic and health service organisations are critical to driving the translation of research into practice to improve the health and wellbeing of Australians and how HTQ’s 3 goals apply to national strategy as much as to HTQ’s partners.
“We contributed insights as a NHMRC-accredited Research Translation Centre (RTC) and as a member of the Australian Health Research Alliance (AHRA) and are committed to supporting the ongoing development of this important national strategy.”
HTQ’s response provided high-level feedback on specific aspects of the identified focus areas and enabling initiatives summarised below. It is hoped this input will shape the final strategy, expected to be published in early 2026.
1. Establishing national health and medical priorities
HTQ strongly supports national priority setting, horizon scanning and the creation of collaborative platforms as drivers of a future-focused health and medical research strategy. Our recommendations included incorporating health services research, expanding capacity beyond traditional disciplines to tackle complex system challenges, and implementing KPIs that promote collaboration and data sharing.
2. Embedding consumer and community involvement in research
Research Translation Centres (RTCs), such as HTQ, can drive genuine consumer and community involvement (CCI). HTQ recommended that the strategy leverage this expertise and resources, such as the new Framework for CCI in Health Research, developed through a collaborative co-design process facilitated by the HTQ-led CCI in Research Alliance.
3. Improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing
As an NHMRC-accredited RTC, HTQ is well-positioned to connect researchers, health services, and First Nations communities to co-design and embed Indigenous-led priorities into research translation. Through training and resources, HTQ is partnering with our Indigenous partners to support strengthening workforce capability and ensuring respectful engagement that delivers tangible benefits for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
4. Accelerating research translation
In partnership with 6 health services, Queensland Health, 3 universities and 3 research institutes/centres, HTQ fosters collaboration, builds a joint health and medical research workforce, and strengthens research culture across sectors. As a place-based network, HTQ plays a critical role in encouraging collaborations within communities to address local challenges. Through regional partnerships and AHRA, HTQ contributes to scaling these solutions for global impact.
5. Harnessing emerging technology
While digital therapeutics, including apps, virtual care and artificial intelligence (AI), offer the potential to improve patient outcomes, boost health literacy and ease workforce pressures, Australia lags global leaders in adopting them. HTQ highlighted that current funding models incentivise reactive care, rather than the preventative approach required for transition to a learning health system.
Protecting and strengthening the clinician-researcher workforce
HTQ highlighted the critical role of clinician researchers in bridging the gap between research and practice, driving innovation, and embedding research-positive cultures within our health system, as well as the workforce pressures that endanger this profession. HTQ recommended protecting and strengthening this workforce to nurture and build a talent pipeline.
Driving better research and health outcomes through data and advanced technology
To prevent research being stifled, HTQ recommended overarching agreements, governance and collaboration frameworks that enable timely access to cross-jurisdictional and cross-organisational datasets and streamlined and harmonised processes to accelerate research and innovation.
For more information about the Draft National Health and Medical Research Strategy, visit the NHMRC webpage.
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Health Translation Queensland acknowledges the Traditional Owners and their custodianship of the lands on which we live, work, and play. We pay our respects to their Ancestors and their Descendants, who continue cultural and spiritual connections to Country. We recognise their valuable contributions to Australian and global society.
