HCF RESEARCH FOUNDATION YEAR IN REVIEW 2023 MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
The HCF Research Foundation has been delivering on our mission to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for HCF members and all Australians through health services research. This past year we were pleased to diversify our research investment across our three grant streams: Health Services Research Grants, Translational Research Grants and Innovation Research Grants, as well as through our long-standing partnership with the RACGP Foundation. Each of these streams provides much needed funding for Australian health services research focused on generating high-quality evidence to support innovative models of care and implementation of those practices by health service providers.
In December 2022 the HCF Research Foundation renewed our support of the biennial HSRAANZ conference. The conference is the largest gathering of health service researchers from across Australia and New Zealand, as well as international leaders in their chosen field. We were pleased to highlight the quality of local research and enable knowledge sharing and collaboration across the sector. The Foundation hosted a session during the conference where four of our leading researchers were able to present their innovative work enabled by our funding. Thank you to the presenters for their excellent presentations: Associate Professor Frank Sanfilippo (University of Western Australia), Professor Ilana Ackerman (Monash University), Dr Sarah Kourouche (University of Sydney) and Dr Lincoln Tracy (Monash University). A highlight of the conference was the final panel discussion involving key funding agencies for health services research, which included the HCF Research Foundation alongside the main government research funding agencies for health services research: NHMRC, MRFF and HRC (New Zealand).
The HCF Research Foundation webinar series has also been an informative showcase of some of our most successful research projects and an opportunity to facilitate awareness and translation of their findings across researchers, providers, policy makers and funders. I would like to thank our presenters for their stimulating presentations – Associate Professor Tarik Sammour (Royal Adelaide Hospital), Associate Professor Isuru Ranasinghe (University of Queensland) and Drs Barbara Murphy and Michelle Rogerson (Australian Centre for Heart Health).
I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my thanks to the HCF Research Foundation Board, Research Advisory Committee and our external peer reviewers for their efforts over the past year. Your support for the Foundation is critical to helping us achieve our mission of improving healthcare outcomes for all.
Professor Claire Jackson
Chair, HCF Research Foundation
Board of directors
Full information and bios of our HCF Foundation Board of Directors.
History of the Foundation
The HCF Research Foundation was established in 2000 as The HCF Health and Medical Research Foundation to fund health and medical research for the benefit of all Australians. In 2008 the focus was moved towards health services research, an area of research which does not receive large funding dollars from other sources. In 2013 the name was simplified to HCF Research Foundation and in 2015 a Corporate Trustee was established to manage the Foundation’s affairs. The HCF Research Foundation was originally established with a donation from The Hospitals Contribution Fund of Australia Limited (HCF). While HCF has donated money, the HCF Research Foundation operates independently and with specific focus on funding health services research that can benefit all 23 million Australians.
Health services research examines how people get access to health care, how much health care costs, and what happens to patients as a result of this care. The objectives of the HCF Research Foundation’s health services research program are to improve the prevention, treatment and cure of diseases in the general community by funding research and study proposals that enhance and utilise current knowledge to improve health and health services; and improve the quality, efficiency, access to and equity of provision of health services.
The HCF Research Foundation’s research program therefore addresses the main dimensions of the health system that are of concern to HCF, the HCF Research Foundation and the community at large: achieving better health outcomes and access to affordable, high quality health care when and where needed.
Mission & vision
OUR MISSION
The HCF Research Foundation’s mission is to improve the delivery of health services in Australia for the benefit of all Australians. We do this by funding research projects that focus on new ways to provide high quality care to improve patient outcomes.
OUR VISION
To be known as a leading independent funder of high quality research that leads to the improvement of health care services for all Australians.
To facilitate easy-to-access funding so researchers can focus their efforts on delivering the benefits of their research projects.
To drive more research by providing transparent and fair funding opportunities for all Australian researchers, institutions and organisations.
Donations
HCF funded the corpus of the Foundation by donation from the net surplus of the health fund. Since the Foundation’s inception, HCF has made contributions to the Foundation of $50 million.
Year in Review
Our recent projects and research outcomes in the HCF Research Foundation Year in Review.
How to contact us
Email: hcf_foundation@hcf.com.au
Phone: Belinda Bahram, Senior Coordinator, HCF Research Foundation - 02 9290 8811
