New blueprint for child health research

Delivering tangible and measurable improvements to the health and wellbeing of children is at the centre of a bold new blueprint for child health research in WA.

From today, The Kids for Child Health Research has changed its name to The Kids Research Institute Australia to reflect its new business model.

Director of The Kids Research Institute Australia Professor Jonathan Carapetis says the strategy builds on the Institute's strong legacy under Patron and founding Director Professor Fiona Stanley.

"Our new name puts kids at the heart of what we do and celebrates our connection with Telethon which enables so much of our work," Professor Carapetis said.

"We are committed to involving the community in our research and having genuine conversations about how our research can answer the most important questions.

"We firmly believe that by involving the community, clinicians, policy makers, service providers and funders in shaping our research agenda, we will be able to much more effectively translate scientific findings into action."

Professor Carapetis announced the first round of showcase projects that demonstrate the highly collaborative model and commitment to measurable outcomes (see below).

"This Institute has built its reputation on a combination of high quality research, collaboration and advocacy. This new blueprint formalises our commitment to working in a way that is highly innovative in our sector," he said.

Professor Carapetis said the new model was crucial if the Institute was to diversify its funding  beyond traditional competitive government grants.

"While funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council is critical to our success, we know that we need to find other sources of funding to allow us to do the cutting-edge research on our agenda and serve the needs of our community."

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