Submission to the MRFF Research Mission program evaluation

The Medical Research Future Fund and its Research Missions program play a central role in addressing persistent and emerging national public health challenges, through strategic, priority-driven investment to support research, translation and impact. The MRFF Research Missions program can increase its positive impact and translation ability through greater transparency in reporting on translation outcomes and comparative analysis of Mission-funded research. ATSE’s submission suggests an evidence-based assessment of the fund can also provide support for consideration of raising the disbursement cap in line with the fund’s original intent, strengthening translational capability and investment in high-burden and historically underfunded areas.

Coordination and duplication can also be improved through strengthening the portfolio management of the fund, accompanied by robust and flexible evaluation approaches. The Research Missions program also has further opportunities to identify and support Australia’s high-priority areas that are not currently addressed or underfunded across the broader research ecosystem, including through the meaningful inclusion of underrepresented Australians. ATSE supports strategic and evidence-based investment in health research through the MRFF Research Missions program, but emphasises that effective allocation across all STEM disciplines, robust translation mechanisms, and demonstrated return on investment should guide future program decisions. 

Recommendations from ATSE’s submission

1. Implement transparent reporting on translation outcomes and comparative analysis of MRFF Mission-funded research, including data on clinical trials, regulatory approvals, clinical practice changes, health system adoption, and performance relative to NHMRC grants.
2. Conduct an evidence-based assessment of raising the MRFF disbursement cap in line with the fund’s original intent to strengthen translational capability and better support high-burden and historically underfunded areas.
3. Strengthen portfolio-level coordination and consolidation by establishing mechanisms to reduce duplication across Missions and support shared infrastructure, platforms and data systems.
4. Implement robust and flexible evaluation approaches, such as theory of change, network analysis, and dashboards, to monitor collaboration, shared infrastructure, and cross-Mission impact.
5. Consider establishing performance-based sunset provisions for Research Missions, supported by robust evaluation approaches to ensure MRFF funding delivers results or is reallocated efficiently.
6. Identify and support high-priority areas not currently addressed or underfunded across the broader research ecosystem, such as antimicrobial resistance, to establish new Research Missions.
7. Continue to strengthen the meaningful inclusion of under-represented Australians in health research, governance and priority-setting by supporting co-design research and translation approaches through Missions.