News and Events
Please visit the Medical Research - News and events website for non‑FHRI sector news and events
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Supporting future talent in health: McCusker Centre intern reflection from Thilini Hettiarachchi 18 June 2026 During my internship with the Office of Medical Research and Innovation (OMRI), I had the valuable opportunity to experience a real-world public health work environment and contribute to work supporting health research and innovation in Western Australia. When I began as a communications intern, I had little idea of how I could contribute, as I do not have a communications background. However, through my Master of Public Health, I had learned that communication plays a key role in any health initiative, and I saw this as a great opportunity to develop practical skills in this area. From the first day, I was assigned a variety of tasks that helped me understand how to translate complex information into clear, communication-friendly language that can engage different audiences. I had the opportunity to develop content for a range of platforms, including the website, newsletters and socia... -
FHRI Fund Open Day marks major milestone with RHD Spotlight announcement 11 June 2026 Western Australia’s health and medical research sector came together last weekat the Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund Open Day: RHD Spotlight Awarded to mark a significant milestone — the announcement of the inaugural Spotlight Program recipient. Held at Perth Town Hall on 4 June 2026, the event brought together leaders from government, research, healthcare and the community to share progress, strengthen partnerships, and align on future priorities for the sector. The Open Day formally commenced with a Welcome to Country by James T Webb, followed by remarks from John Van Der Wielen, Chair of the FHRI Fund Advisory Council, who highlighted the role of the Fund in bringing the sector together to address Western Australia’s most pressing health challenges. Spotlight on Rheumatic Heart Disease A key highlight of the event was the announcement of the inaug... -
$25 million to transform approach to Rheumatic Heart Disease in Western Australia 04 June 2026 The FHRI Fund has awarded a major $25 million grant to transform outcomes for Rheumatic Heart Disease in WA and beyond as part of the Spotlight 2025-26 program. The award represents the single largest grant ever awarded by the FHRI Fund and will see a dedicated team deliver transformational solutions for Rheumatic Heart Disease. The Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund’s Spotlight Programprovides up to $25 million funding over 5 years to enable leading researchers and their teams to deliver solutions to Western Australia’s most pressing health challenges, with a new topic selected each year. The recipient of the Spotlight 2025-26 Rheumatic Heart Disease grant was selected based on competitive review by a distinguished expert assessment panel. The Spotlight 2025-26 Rheumatic Heart Disease recipient is shown below: Recipient R... -
FHRI Fund supports globally significant WA cohort studies 22 May 2026 The Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund has awarded $2 million in grants to support the operational costs of 13 Western Australian cohort studies. The WA Cohort Studies – Operational Support Program (WACS-OSP) 2026 has awarded operational funding to eligible cohort studies based on competitive excellence, to support delivery of improved clinical outcomes, changes to health policy, and translational health outcomes. The FHRI Fund WACS-OSP program grants can be used for up to 12 months of operational costs, including salaries of core personnel, consumer consultation and collection of new data and biospecimens. Recipients were assessed based on merit and received a share of a $2 million funding pool. The WACS-OSP 2026 recipients are shown below: Cohort study Responsible entity Funding awarded ... -
$350 million investment to accelerate Western Australia’s health and medical research and innovation 13 May 2026 Western Australia’s health and medical research and innovation sector is set to benefit from a major uplift in long‑term investment, with almost $350 million available through the Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund across the forward estimates from next financial year. The increased funding capacity strengthens the FHRI Fund’s ability to back high‑quality research, innovation and commercialisation activities that address Western Australia’s unique health challenges and deliver sustained benefits for the community. Since the Fund was established in 2020, more than $282 million has been awarded to over 810 recipients, supporting researchers, innovators and industry partners across the State and helping translate research into improved health outcomes for Western Australians. Delivering the FHRI Fund Strategy The expanded funding supports delivery of the FHR...
Last Updated:
12/03/2026