Welcome to our autumn newsletter.
We’re only three months into 2025 and already many changes. Firstly, we’re excited to welcome Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD) and the Rural Doctors Network (RDN) as new partners. These two organisations will really strengthen our partnership and enable us to provide research leadership and targeted translation deeper into regional and rural Australia. This follows a major review of our purpose and priorities and reflects a stronger focus on research that matters to regional and rural health services and communities.
WNSWLHD is the largest of the 15 LHDs in NSW, covering almost 250,000km2 and home to more than 276,000 people, 11% of whom identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. WNSWLHD operates the largest mental health service in Australia as well as three major rural referral hospitals, Dubbo, Orange and Bathurst, 38 inpatient facilities, and 50 community health centres with a wide range of multidisciplinary primary and community health services.
RDN is a not-for-profit, charitable organisation that works to build and sustain the rural health workforce, and is the Australian Government’s designated Rural Workforce Agency for health in NSW. Operating since 1988, they have a strong track record in community engagement, community mobilisation and workforce recruitment and retention. Partnering with RDN will strengthen our capacity to conduct responsive place-based research across a range of health organisations in rural and regional NSW. It will also strengthen the primary care perspective in our research activities and expand linkages and collaborations with primary care clinicians and other rural healthcare workers.
Another exciting development is the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC’s) grant opportunity for accredited Research Translation Centres (RTCs). In recognition of RTCs’ role in supporting research translation, NHMRC has launched the 2025-26 Supporting Research Translation Centres grant opportunity. If successful with this grant, we will be implementing a new program of work that will accelerate and strengthen the translation of research in regional and rural NSW. We should hear if we are successful in May so look out for our Winter Newsletter for more information.
The closing dates for our Research Translation Grant Scheme are almost upon us too. This program is auspiced by NSW Regional Health Partners but is being coordinated locally by Hunter New England, Mid North Coast and Central Coast Local Health Districts and Hunter New England Central Coast Primary Health Network. Applications close in April and successful applicants will be notified in May. This grant initiative will fund new research translation projects that tackle health service problems across our region and will begin rolling out in June.
With our new partners, and hopefully new funding, the next few months will bring lots of new opportunities. I look forward to working with both our new and existing partners to accelerate research translation activity that directly improves health services, systems and outcomes.
Cheers
Lisa
Dr Lisa McFayden PhD
General Manager | NSW Regional Health Partners
Update from the NSW Regional Cancer Research Network
The NSW Regional Cancer Research Network (NSWRCRN) has launched a research support grant to support healthcare workers wanting to undertake cancer research aligned with the Network’s objectives. Read more about this program and some of the researchers advancing cancer care in regional and rural NSW.
Meet Clara Murray
Meet Clara Murray, Chief Investigator on NSW Regional Health Partners’ flagship project Finding Our Way Through Pain: An Aboriginal-led, holistic and strengths-based approach to managing chronic pain for people living in a regional community.
How does an Irish psychologist become an academic in rural Australia?
I was born and raised in Ireland and moved to the UK about age 25. I trained as a clinical psychologist in the UK, working in community neurorehabilitation. I’d moved into a teaching and training role when a close friend and colleague from the UK took a job at UNE. He gave me an opportunity to do a 3 month teaching stint in Armidale in 2017. I thought it would be a good chance to get credentialed in Australia but I absolutely loved it. I just loved the New England area, all the trees, the national parks and waterfalls, so my partner and I moved here in 2018. My partner’s from Dubbo but hadn’t intended coming back quite so soon.
Calling all regional and rural researchers and healthcare professionals!
We know good research leads to better outcomes and health services. To make sure this research addresses the needs of those living and working in regional and rural communities, it is important that you can have a say.
Here’s how you can help and get involved:
• Participate in developing research projects and grant applications: This will help ensure the real health needs of our communities are addressed. Support is available to help develop your ideas. For help or advice, please get in touch. To find an MRFF grant to support your work, go to the MRFF grant opportunities calendar.
• Nominate yourself to be a member of grant review panels: This will make sure the research that gets funded makes a significant impact on improving healthcare services and health outcomes in regional and rural locations. You can nominate here.
• Subscribe to the MRFF newsletter: This will keep you informed about new and upcoming grant opportunities. Subscribe here.
• Share your thoughts and ideas: By communicating your insights, we can better understand the support and investment required to address the needs of your regional and rural community.
If you would like more information or to discuss any of the above, please get in touch.
hnelhd-nswregionalhealthpartners@health.nsw.gov.au | nswregionalhealthpartners.org.au
James Fletcher Hospital, Wisteria Lodge, 72 Watt Street, Newcastle, NSW, 2300
We respectfully acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the traditional custodians of the land and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We support action on climate change and advocate for research on how to protect and support the health of communities most vulnerable to climate change – those in regional and rural Australia.
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