The latest funding grants awarded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) provide vital early support for research and researchers wanting to improve patient care and healthcare systems in New Zealand.
As part of its new Health Delivery Research funding portfolio, the HRC has announced 44 new research activation grants to help clinical and non-clinical researchers kickstart larger-scale projects where resourcing to get started would otherwise be unavailable.
The HRC’s chief executive, Professor Sunny Collings, says research activation grants are a launch pad for new knowledge and innovation, opening up the pipeline for more research opportunities for the healthcare sector.
“We saw an unprecedented response from the sector to this entirely new funding opportunity. Over 100 activation grant proposals were received this year, which shows the vital gap that this grant fills. We were thrilled to support 66 of these proposals across both our funding phases, and to enable so many ideas to get off the ground in this way.” she adds.
The HRC has also awarded 10 Health Delivery Research Career Development Awards, which enable health professionals and academic health researchers to undertake a funded placement in a health delivery research team or health sector setting.
“With this funding, we aim to further strengthen research engagement and capacity in the places that healthcare is delivered,” says Professor Collings.
“By working alongside the Ministry of Health and the health sector, we hope to embed a research and innovation culture within the healthcare sector, which will ultimately improve health outcomes for all New Zealanders.”
Below is the full list of the 2020 Health Delivery Research Career Development Awards and the newly awarded Research Activation Grants. Note, this is the second announcement relating to this funding portfolio – the first results were announced in September.
2020 Health Delivery Research Career Development Awards
Dr Dawn Adair, Auckland University of Technology
Post-operative dressing use in lower limb amputees: reasons for and against use
12 months, $37,940
Ms Miranda Buhler, Southern District Health Board
Developing a pathway of care for carpal tunnel syndrome
12 months, $59,769
Associate Professor Matthew Carroll, Auckland University of Technology
Development of key indicators to measures diabetes-related foot ulcer outcomes
12 months, $46,983
Dr Hemakumar Devan, University of Otago, Wellington
Partnering with whānau to address inequities to pain management
12 months, $91,689
Dr Akilesh Gokul, The University of Auckland
Keratoconus and crosslinking - Improving access to care and reducing inequity
12 months, $97,166
Dr Fabián Labra-Spröhnle, Research Trust of Victoria University of Wellington
Predictive modelling of executive function patterns in child psychopathology
12 months, $110,034
Shekhar Sehgal, University of Otago
Wearing your continuous glucose monitor on your sleeve
12 months, $154,523
Emily Walsh, Capital and Coast District Health Board
Research Nurse
12 months, $79,530
Ms Melissa Warren, NZ Breast Cancer Foundation
PROMs for individualised evaluation and management in advanced breast cancer
12 months, $70,742
Ms Amber Young, University of Otago
Reducing immunisation inequities during pregnancy
12 months, $51,694
2020 Health Delivery Research Activation Grants 2
(Note, recipients of Activation Grants 1 were announced in September).
Dr Mudassir Anwar, University of Otago
Exploring refugee access to primary healthcare services in Aotearoa
3 months, $30,000
Dr Clive Aspin, Research Trust of Victoria University of Wellington
The role of whānau in coronial processes and rangatahi suicide prevention
12 months, $29,865
Dr Carol Atmore, University of Otago
Laying the foundations for a NZ primary care research and surveillance network
12 months, $30,000
Associate Professor Joanne Barnes, The University of Auckland
Towards a natural health products and medicines census for New Zealand
12 months, $30,000
Dr Angela Campbell, University of Otago, Wellington
Māori sleep health across the life span
9 months, $29,594
Dr Renoh Chalakkal, oDocs Eye Care
Teleophthalmology in New Zealand
9 months, $29,600
Dr Cathy Chapple, University of Otago
Adaptation and implementation of stratified care (STarT Back) in New Zealand
6 months, $29,619
Dr Joanna Ting Wai Chu, The University of Auckland
A Hui to establish strategic research priorities for FASD in Aotearoa
9 months, $30,000
Dr Aileen Collier, The University of Auckland
Trans-Tasman perspectives on Telehealth for palliative care
12 months, $29,712
Associate Professor Kirsten Coppell, University of Otago
Delivering optimal weight gain advice to pregnant women (DOT) study
6 months, $29,582
Dr Nicholas Cross, Canterbury District Health Board
Access and equity in transplantation
12 months, $30,000
Professor Jennifer Curtin, The University of Auckland
Understanding the gendered effects of health policy responses to COVID-19
11 months, $30,000
Dr Lisa Marie Emerson, University of Canterbury
Establishing end-user driven autism research priorities in New Zealand
12 months, $29,071
Dr Rosemary Frey, The University of Auckland
COVID-19 and hospice community services in New Zealand and Scotland
12 months, $29,868
Dr Sarah Gordon, University of Otago, Wellington
Mental Health: Enabling the application of supported decision-making in practice
6 months, $29,501
Dr Jacqueline Henderson, University of Canterbury
Sleep problems in children with a mild traumatic brain injury
12 months, $23,810
Ms Joanna Hikaka, Waitemata District Health Board
Access pathways to residential aged care for Māori and non-Māori
8 months, $28,656
Dr Sheng Chiong Hong, oDocs Eye Care
The cost-effectiveness of myopia screening programme in New Zealand
6 months, $30,000
Dr Ewan Kennedy, University of Otago
Improving health services for people with musculoskeletal chest pain
12 months, $28,283
Dr Jon Mathy, Middlemore Clinical Trials
Anti-staphylococcal bundle to reduce SSI in implant-based breast reconstruction
12 months, $29,813
Dr Audrey McKinlay, University of Canterbury
Impact of parental brain injury on their children’s quality of life and mood
12 months, $30,000
Dr Tagonei Mharapara, Auckland University of Technology
An inquiry into the wellbeing of community-based midwives
12 months, $29,976
Dr Tess Moeke-Maxwell, The University of Auckland
Tupu Tika: Building whānau capacity to carry out end-of-life and end-stage care
12 months, $29,972
Associate Professor Vili Nosa, The University of Auckland
Investigating the state of Pacific addiction services in NZ
12 months, $30,000
Dr Joanne Nunnerley, Burwood Academy of Independent Living
Staying on Track – Peer lead telehealth to reduce secondary health complications
12 months, $ 29,848
Dr Charlotte Oyston, The University of Auckland
Teleclinics for management of diabetes in pregnancy
12 months, $27,333
Associate Professor Rachael Parke, The University of Auckland
New Zealanders’ experiences of hospital 'visiting' during COVID-19 restrictions
12 months, $29,996
Associate Professor John Parsons, The University of Auckland
Healthy for Life: education and support for older people
12 months, $29,946
Dr Christopher Pook, The University of Auckland
Curds and whey in preterm babies: does fortifier adversely affect mother’s milk?
12 months, $29,815
Dr Rodrigo Ramalho, The University of Auckland
e-Mental health in Aotearoa: sector engagement and research agenda priorities
12 months, $23,043
Dr Katherine Ravenswood, Auckland University of Technology
The problem of workplace violence in home care settings
12 months, $29,791
Dr Ravi Reddy, Massey University
Development of a community-focused palliative care service model
12 months, $30,000
Dr Faasisila Savila, The University of Auckland
Engaging with Buttabean Motivation: a qualitative study
4 months, $20,587
Dr Moira Smith, University of Otago, Wellington
Assessing the oral health sector’s organisational commitment to equity
12 months, $29,879
Associate Professor Deborah Snell, University of Otago, Christchurch
Capturing traumatic brain injury when this co-occurs with spinal cord injury
12 months, $29,980
Dr Frederick Sundram, The University of Auckland
Real-time assessment of mood changes and machine learning
12 months, $30,000
Associate Professor Michael Tatley, University of Otago
Developing KIWIvax – an automated SMS-system to monitor vaccine adverse events
12 months, $30,000
Professor Denise Taylor, Auckland University of Technology
Telerehabilitation for people with mTBI: a co-design approach
12 months, $30,000
Mrs Elizabeth Tohu, Taikura
How to improve methods of engaging with disabled Māori
4 months, $28,800
Dr Rebecca Weber, The University of Auckland
Aotearoa somatic practice, chronic pain, and design network
12 months, $30,000
Professor Gillian White, Health Solutions Trust
Development of equity collaborative research in Whanganui regional primary care
6 months, $30,000
Associate Professor Stephanie Woodley, University of Otago
Digital technology for women’s pelvic health – Creative marketing or good science?
12 months, $25,529
Dr Wendy Wrapson, Auckland University of Technology
Telemedicine-based care for older people
12 months, $29,990
Dr Jichao Zhao, The University of Auckland
Remote monitoring and prognosis of cardiac arrhythmia
12 months, $30,000