Join AAMRI

AAMRI actively engages with government, opposition parties and sector leaders to ensure our members’ interests are on the agenda. We are always happy to speak with members about issues that their medical research institute is facing.

Learn more about how to join as an AAMRI member

Benefits of becoming an AAMRI member

  • Unique sector representation and insights: AAMRI represents the interests of medical research institutes. Our board includes representatives from different research and geographical areas around Australia, ensuring the full breadth of issues affecting our members is on our agenda.
  • AAMRI Convention: Open to all members’ Directors, Business Managers and Board Members to connect in Canberra. The convention includes a dinner at Parliament House, to which all  members of Parliament are invited to attend, and also includes the presentation of the AAMRI Rising Star Award.
  • Knowledge sharing through AAMRI networks: Connecting professional staff working at medical research institutes, providing forums for open discussion and sharing of ideas. Each network also organises an annual networking event to meet in person.
  • AAMRI Report: As the peak body for medical research institutes across Australia, AAMRI captures a snapshot of its member medical research institutes through a biennial survey.
  • Reports and key summaries: Including federal budgets and their impact on our sector, analysis of government policy changes affecting the medical research sector, and federal election statements.
  • Monthly e-news: with sector and policy updates, funding opportunities and events listings.
  • AAMRI submissions: written on behalf of our members advocating for their interests in areas such as research funding, tax and charity legislation, NHMRC policies and other legislative and policy areas that have an impact on our members.
  • Collegiality amongst members: By assisting our members to form strong working relationships, this works towards improving the standing of medical research in Australia.
  • Improved fiscal and regulatory environment: As a sector, we can advocate for an improved fiscal and regulatory environment for medical research, ensuring medical research institutes are afforded the prominence deserved in policy priorities.
  • Improved research and organisational outcomes: Together we are stronger than as individual institutions. By doing all we can to push for better funding and regulation in our sector, we can free up our member institutions to focus on what they do best: medical research.

AAMRI membership criteria

Admission of prospective members to AAMRI is at the discretion of the AAMRI Board, i.e. it should be in the best interest of AAMRI members.

Full membership – to be a full member of AAMRI, an institute should:

  • be a not-for-profit entity established primarily for the conduct of health and medical research.
  • have a track record of peer-reviewed research outputs – Please provide details of your institute’s peer-reviewed research outputs. An annual report is sufficient if this includes publications and other research outputs.
  • have procedures and policies in place that allow good scientific practice, the ethical conduct of research, appropriate financial governance, and support gender equity, diversity and inclusion – e.g. follow relevant NHMRC and government codes and guidelines.
  • employ or have MOUs in place with scientists/clinicians to undertake research.

and either be:

  • a medical research institute that is an independent legal entity.
  • a medical research institute that has an independent Board.
  • an entity that is recognised as a research institute by their parent organisation with a Board where the membership majority are independent from the parent organisation.
  • an entity that is separate from the faculty structure of any university parent organisation with a Board where the membership majority are independent from the parent organisation.

Affiliate membership – to be an affiliate member of AAMRI, an entity should:

  • be a not-for-profit entity established primarily for the conduct of health and medical research.
  • have a track record of peer-reviewed research outputs – Please provide details of your institute’s peer-reviewed research outputs. An annual report is sufficient if this includes publications and other research outputs.
  • have procedures and policies in place that allow good scientific practice, the ethical conduct of research, appropriate financial governance, and support gender equity, diversity and inclusion – e.g. follow relevant NHMRC and government codes and guidelines.
  • have a scientific advisory board, or equivalent.

Please note: Affiliate member entities are unable to be a member of the AAMRI Board or join an AAMRI state-based chapter.

AAMRI membership fees

All AAMRI and AAMRI Chapter Fees are approved annually by the AAMRI Board in accordance with the AAMRI Constitution.

AAMRI Fees

Membership costs are: $500 per Institute and $65 per FTE (full-time equivalent) member of staff (research and administration) and research higher degree students.*

*AAMRI accepts a minimum of 10 FTE per membership fee, regardless of a member’s actual FTE figure, based on recommendations from the Board. 

AAMRI Chapter Fees (for AAMRI VIC, AAMRI NSW and AAMRI WA member institutes)

AAMRI Chapter Fees are calculated per FTE (full-time equivalent) member of staff (research and administration) and research higher degree students, and are in addition to the AAMRI fees listed above. 

The AAMRI Chapter Fees are established annually by each governing Chapter Committee.

Apply to join AAMRI

To request to join AAMRI, please complete the relevant application form: