Western Australian public health system clinicians with innovative research proposals designed to benefit the health of Western Australians, are encouraged to apply for funding through the 2022 Clinician Research Fellowship (CRF) program.
The CRF program is an initiative of the WA Future Health Research and Innovation Fund and the Raine Medical Research Foundation (Raine Foundation).
The CRF program was established in 2012 and to-date, nearly $10 million has been awarded to selected clinicians employed by WA Health to develop their research capability while continuing some clinical duties.
The CRF program fosters high-quality research in the interests of leading to better health care outcomes for Western Australians. The research must be carried out in WA and be relevant directly to the WA public health system.
The program is open to eligible clinicians:
- working in healthcare disciplines including allied health and health sciences, dental, medical, nursing and midwifery professions;
- who are either early or mid-career researchers; and
- who have minimal or no paid research time.
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital’s Associate Professor Wai Lim was a previous recipient of the CRF program for his research into improving health outcomes of kidney transplant recipients and in people with chronic kidney disease.
Professor Lim’s findings have contributed to improving clinical decision-making processes in patient management. In addition, the fellowship allowed fostering mentorships for clinicians and research scientists to facilitate their independent research, which are critical in advancing the knowledge in this field.
Successful applicants will receive salary support for research duties up to 0.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) and may receive a contribution towards minor research costs.
The duration of each fellowship can be up to three years, depending on the extent of the research proposal. During the term of the fellowship, the clinician must continue their clinical duties within WA Health at a minimum of 0.3 FTE.
The fellowships are worth up to $150,000 a year each, depending on the extent of the research and the successful applicant’s salary.
For further information or to apply for a fellowship, visit the Raine Medical Research Foundation .
As stated by Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson:
“Previous fellowship recipients have carried out ground-breaking research, ranging from improving respiratory health for Aboriginal children, rehabilitation following strokes and optimising paediatric kidney transplantation.
“These are just a few of the important projects enabled by this fellowship program and I strongly encourage eligible WA Health clinicians to apply.
“This is about boosting Western Australian research and generating better health outcomes for all Western Australians.”
As stated by Raine Medical Research Foundation Director Dr Amanda Cleaver:
“This is a hugely successful program that has now funded 40 clinician researchers including doctors, nurses and allied health professionals who are conducting research in Western Australian hospitals to improve medical outcomes for our community.”
