Health and medical research and innovation can contribute to improving the health of individuals and the wider population, help the health system to be more effective and efficient, while creating jobs and new industries and bringing broader economic benefits to the State.
Health and medical research is inclusive of:
- Research to understand human health, wellbeing and disease, and the biological, behavioural, social and environmental factors that contribute to these
- Research to measure the magnitude and distribution of a health problem
- Research to develop solutions, interventions, products and technologies that could contribute improving human health and wellbeing
- Research to understand how interventions, policies and programs aimed at improving human health and wellbeing can be most effectively delivered.
Adapted from the definition of ‘research for health’ used in the World Health Organization Strategy on Research for Health (2012)
In broad terms, innovation is about identifying, creating and delivering a better way to do something. The Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund uses a specific definition for ‘innovation’ that is inclusive of:
- The application and commercialisation of the outputs of research for the purpose of improving the health and wellbeing of human beings
- The development and delivery of new or improved health policies, systems and services and delivery methods that seek to improve people’s health.
The above description of innovation is adapted from the definition used in the Medical Research Future Fund Act 2015 (Cth) and from the World Health Organization Innovation Group definition.