New collaborative medical research fund aids patients
New collaborative medical research fund aids patients
University of Auckland
Auckland Academic Health Alliance (University of Auckland and Auckland DHB)
Media Release
5 December 2014
A new research fund to seed
and encourage collaborative projects between the University
of Auckland and the Auckland District Health Board’s A+
Trust was launched this week.
The $300,000 Auckland Academic Health Alliance (AAHA) Research Collaboration Fund will invite applications from the ADHB and Faculty of Medical and Health Science (FMHS) researchers for its first round early next year.
“This fund represents our much anticipated support for cooperative research between the Faculty and Auckland Hospital; something that will always be to the mutual benefit of both,” says the Dean of Medical and Health Sciences, Professor John Fraser.
“The fund is designed to encourage and support the collaboration between the hospital’s outstanding clinical expertise and the University’s strengths and resources in basic and applied health research,” he says. “The research fund is a direct result of the positive relationship that exists through the AAHA.”
The launch of the fund is timed to leverage existing activity and heightened awareness of “excellence” in service, research, teaching and quality of Healthcare Excellence week that runs this week at the ADHB.
“The Alliance commits FMHS and the Auckland DHB to a common goal of promoting the best clinical service, teaching and research for Auckland,” says the Associate Dean of Research, Associate Professor Andrew Shelling.
“This will be the first initiative in a more active phase of interaction between the FMHS and ADHB, and is a visible indication of the importance that the University places on the role of the AAHA in its future plans, and vice versa,” he says.
“It also provides a greater opportunity to develop collaborative translational research opportunities that should improve success in competitive research grants, such as the Health Research Council project and programme grants.”
Auckland DHB Chief Medical Officer, Dr Margaret Wilsher says, “From the DHB’s perspective research is increasingly important. It is underlined by the increasingly complex and acute presentations to our hospital system.”
“The research done by clinicians in both the University and hospital systems under the banner of the AAHA has direct patient benefits that we see daily in dealing with these types of cases,” she says. “The more that research is more aligned with our system demand, the better it is for our patients.”
“But none of this would be possible without the contribution from the Auckland District Health Board charitable trust, the A+ Trust. And in particular the support of its chair, Dr Richard Frith,” says Dr Wilsher.
ENDS