Medical Research Institutes

AAMRI’s 58 member organisations are internationally recognised leaders in health and medical research that work on a broad spectrum of human health issues. These include areas such as preventive health, chronic disease, mental health, immunology and Indigenous health. Their research ranges from fundamental biomedical discovery through to clinical research and the translation of research findings from bench to bedside. The majority of our members are independent Medical Research Institutes; that is they are mission-driven charities that operate independently from a university or hospital.

Australia’s Medical Research Institutes have a combined annual turnover of over $1 billion. As non-profit organisations, Medical Research Institutes receive a large proportion of their research funding through competitive grants for research projects—primarily through the Federal Government’s National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). Other income for Medical Research Institutes is from a variety of sources including state and federal government funding for research support and infrastructure, competitive grants from foundations and trusts, commercial income, and philanthropic donations.

Australia’s Medical Research Institutes are well placed to achieve high level of research impact as their research is focused on improving health outcomes and are closely linked with clinical and health services. Primarily based on hospital campuses, Medical Research Institutes have a distinct and vital role in the health and medical research sector, providing a direct interface between laboratory-based research and clinical practice. Through affiliations with leading universities, medical research institutes also provide a cohesive training environment, attracting many of Australia’s best graduates and training the next generation of world-class researchers and scientists. For more information on what health and medical research is underway at AAMRI’s member institutes, refer to the filtering tool on our Members page.

Medical Research Institutes are all not-for-profit charities endorsed as Deductible Gift Recipients (DGRs). This allows individuals and organisations to provide donations to Medical Research Institutes to help them achieve their objectives to improve human health and lessen suffering across the globe.

AAMRI’s member organisations together employ 19,000 staff and higher degree students and range in size from 20 to more than 1,000 FTE.

Learn more

View a list of our members, and search for members by research topic or state.

Information on becoming an AAMRI member organisation.