The Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) is backing national calls for the Federal Government to release the full Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), warning that lives and future discoveries are at risk if current funding shortfalls continue. 

The Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI) has launched a national campaign called Half the Funding, Half the Future, calling for the government to unlock up to $1 billion a year from the fund to meet the true cost of research. 

Financial modelling from the Parliamentary Budget Office, commissioned by Independent MP Dr Monique Ryan, confirms that the MRFF can safely release this amount annually without eroding its capital base. 

HMRI CEO and Institute Director, Professor Frances Kay said about half that funding is locked away. “Right now, the MRFF is only releasing about $650 million each year, well short of the $1 billion it was designed to provide for lifesaving discoveries, from cancer breakthroughs to better mental health care.”  

“The fact is, medical research pays for itself many times over, saving lives and driving economic growth,” Professor Kay said. “Every $1 invested returns nearly $4 to Australia’s economy.” 

AAMRI CEO Dr Saraid Billiards said the sector is at breaking point. “This isn’t about asking for more, it’s about using the money that’s already there for the purpose it was created.” 

“Institutes across the country are already cutting back. Without full funding, critical research will stall, jobs will be lost, treatments will be delayed and breakthroughs that could save lives in ten years simply will not happen.” 

The campaign will be visible across Canberra from this weekend, with billboards, press adverts and social media activity carrying a simple message: “Half the funding. Half the future.”  

Dr Billiards said the campaign also emphasises the need for the MRFF funds to be used where they are needed most. “The indirect costs of research, things like cybersecurity for sensitive patient data, maintaining specialised biobanks, and keeping equipment safe and compliant are not optional extras.  

“They are the infrastructure that allows discoveries to happen. Without them, the science stops. 

“We’re running this campaign because we’ve reached the point where institutes can’t absorb those costs anymore. The MRFF was designed to secure the future of Australian medical research. Now it needs to deliver on that promise.”  

Professor Frances Kay said the issue is already being felt in the Hunter New England region, where researchers are working harder than ever to deliver national impact from local discoveries. 

“Researchers here in the Hunter are developing treatments that improve lives not just locally but globally. We continue to deliver impact with limited resources, but there is no question that sustained investment is needed to keep that momentum going.” 

Professor Kay said the MRFF was designed to secure the long-term future of Australian medical research, but that promise is now under pressure. 

“It was a visionary idea, a fund to future-proof our nation’s health,” she said. “But that vision can only be realised if the MRFF delivers the full investment it was intended to provide.” 

Dr Billiards also said the challenges now facing the United States, following President Trump’s deep cuts to essential health and medical research funding, serve as a warning for Australia. 

“What we’re seeing in the US shows how quickly a nation’s research capability can be eroded when investment is withdrawn. Australia must learn from this and ensure we continue to build, not dismantle, our medical research capacity,” she said.  

Professor Kay said consistent investment is vital not only for health outcomes but also for Australia’s ability to respond to future health crises. 

“Investing in research is a matter of sovereign capability,” she said. “Without stable funding, Australia risks losing its ability to respond swiftly to new health challenges such as future pandemics, and to keep driving the discoveries that sustain our world-class health system.” 

The Half the Funding, Half the Future campaign will run nationally in the lead-up to the AAMRI Convention in Canberra next week. It will culminate in a press conference at Parliament House on 6 November hosted by Dr Monique Ryan MP, where research leaders from across the country will unite in support of full MRFF funding. 

Dr Billiards said the campaign is a collective call to action for governments and the community alike. 

“We are inviting every Australian to join the call to release the full Medical Research Future Fund. Medical research is hope, and hope needs investment.” 

Professor Kay said the Hunter community understands better than most how research changes lives, from local cancer trials to world-first stroke rehabilitation programs. 

“Every clinical trial, every new treatment, every improved patient outcome begins with research,” she said. “The cost of doing nothing is far greater than the cost of doing research.”

Join the call to release the full $1 billion annual distribution of the MRFF in the 2026-27 Federal Budget and secure Australia’s research future by contacting your local MP here.