A bold new chapter for WA research – FHRI Fund Strategy 2025–30

Western Australia’s health and medical research community gathered at Murdoch University on 1 July to celebrate the launch of the Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund Strategy 2025–2030 – a visionary roadmap for the next 5 years of transformative impact. The strategy was unveiled by the Hon Stephen Dawson MLC, Minister for Medical Research, who highlighted its shift from broad capacity-building to targeted investment.

The strategy is built around 3 powerful themes: connect and collaborate, accelerate and translate, and foundational confidence – each designed to elevate WA’s research ecosystem and deliver real-world health outcomes.

At the heart of the launch was the announcement of the Spotlight Program, a flagship initiative inspired by The Challenge that will tackle one major health challenge each year with multiple years of dedicated funding and support.

The first Spotlight will shine on rheumatic heart disease (RHD), a preventable illness that disproportionately affects Aboriginal communities in northern WA.

The program will accelerate promising work already underway, through cross-sector collaboration, and strong community engagement.

Work is in progress to design programs aligned with the strategy’s priorities, and the FHRI Fund Advisory Council will continue to guide investment decisions with rigour and transparency.

This is your moment to be part of a bold vision that puts patients and outcomes at the centre of research, fosters collaboration across sectors, and helps position WA as a global leader in health innovation.

Let’s make RHD a disease of the past – and shape a healthier, more connected future for all Western Australians.