SAHMRI’s long-term future secured with landmark agreement
The long-term future of the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute has been secured with a landmark agreement that will bolster South Australia's global health and medical research capabilities.
Under the new deal, SAHMRI and Adelaide University will unite their health and medical research capabilities, establishing one of the world’s most advanced research corridors along Adelaide’s North Terrace.
The agreement will see Adelaide University assume financial and governance control of SAHMRI, creating a more sustainable and integrated model for health and medical research in South Australia, while creating a closer alignment between the University's research strengths and SAHMRI's internationally recognised research programs.
At the same time, existing Flinders University-led research projects will transition to Flinders University over the next two years.
As part of this process, the South Australian Government and Flinders University will relinquish their membership of SAHMRI, allowing Adelaide University to become the sole governing Member under a new governance structure. SAHMRI's world-leading health and medical research programs will continue under Adelaide University's stewardship, as will research collaboration between South Australia’s two universities and other partners.
The membership of The Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy and Research (ABCPTR) will transition to the Treasurer while the State Government negotiates with the Commonwealth for a new national proton therapy project in the Australian Bragg Centre. The Molecular Imaging Therapy and Research Unit (MITRU) will transition to SA Health, strengthening an important capability that supports imaging and nuclear medicine services across our health system.
Together, these reforms will provide long-term certainty for researchers, staff, students, funding agencies, philanthropic supporters and industry partners, as well as strengthening South Australia's capacity to attract research investment, national competitive grants and leading scientific talent.
Quotes
Attributable to Tom Koutsantonis
I want to thank all parties involved in the collegiate and diligent way they have worked through the process towards achieving this significant agreement.
I have no doubt that what we have achieved here will significantly benefit South Australia’s research and development capability. It secures the future of one of South Australia's most important research institutions and delivers a sustainable pathway for SAHMRI to continue its world-class work
The Malinauskas Government has worked closely with Adelaide University, SAHMRI and stakeholders – particularly Flinders University - to achieve an outcome that protects research capability, supports researchers and delivers long-term stability.
The reform demonstrates our commitment to ensuring South Australia remains a national leader in health and medical research, innovation and discovery.
Importantly, this arrangement provides clear governance, a strong financial foundation and certainty for the people whose work improves health outcomes across our community.
Attributable to Adelaide University Vice Chancellor and President Professor Nicola Phillips
By combining the scale of Adelaide University with SAHMRI’s excellence and agility, we are building a research powerhouse capable of tackling complex health challenges and delivering tangible research outcomes that will benefit patient care both locally and globally.
As we establish a unified health ecosystem on North Terrace, we are ensuring our state has the critical scale and competitive edge required to secure industry and government investment, attract and retain talent and stand side-by-side with the world's leading biomedical hubs.
The next chapter of discovery will be built on foundations laid by generations of South Australian researchers and we look forward to the continued collaboration between researchers across South Australia.
Attributable to SAHMRI Executive Director Professor Maria Makrides
This agreement allows our researchers to dedicate their full focus to what matters most: driving scientific discoveries that save and improve lives.
This is a crucial development for health and medical research in South Australia. This brings together two globally recognised organisations to create the scale and capability needed to deliver research that has real impact for South Australia and beyond.
This alignment ensures our teams have the robust support needed to accelerate vital research into areas like cancer precision medicine, maternal and child health, addressing health inequities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and overcoming chronic diseases, ultimately delivering better health outcomes for our community.
Attributable to Flinders University Vice Chancellor Professor Colin Stirling
Flinders University is proud to have been a foundation member of SAHMRI and to have supported the Institute’s development since its inception. Flinders researchers have made outstanding contributions to SAHMRI and to South Australia’s broader health and medical research ecosystem.
Flinders is pleased that this agreement provides certainty for SAHMRI and its researchers, enabling them to continue delivering the discoveries, innovation and partnerships that our state needs.
Flinders-led research groups will transition from SAHMRI to Flinders University, where our commitment to research that improves health and wellbeing in South Australia remains as strong as ever. This includes through the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute and our $300 million Health and Medical Research Building.