Media release from the Health Research Council Of New Zealand

Five feasibility awards announced by the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) today will investigate the feasibility of establishing larger public health and clinical research projects.

The HRC is the principal Government agency responsible for funding health research in New Zealand.

One million dollars is allocated from the HRC's Investment Strategy to fund Feasibility Studies in the fields of public health or clinical research.

Of the five that have received funding, one was Maori health research, one was clinical research, and three were public health research.

"The studies are important ground work that will help decide if larger investment in these particular projects is warranted," says HRC Chief Executive Dr Robin Olds.

Feasibility Studies are carried out to test issues affecting a planned, larger study. The projects address whether the proposed choice of methodologies is appropriate, the likelihood of obtaining valid results, and acceptability in a population. Application for these awards all include a description of how the full study protocol depends on information to be collected in the Feasibility Study. There is a budget limit of $150,000 over a maximum of twelve months.

The five successful contracts will commence on 1 July 2009.

2009 HRC Feasibility Study Projects

Ms Sarah-Jane Paine
Massey University,
Developing Sleep Services that Meet the Needs of Maori: A Feasibility Study
12 months, $145,561

Professor Jim Warren
School of Population Health, The University of Auckland, (09) 373 7599 ext 86422
Adherence Innovations in Medication use for Health Improvement (AIM-HI)
12 months, $147,617

Dr Judith Symonds
AUT University,
A Personal Digital Assistant to Augment Goal Management Training
12 months, $132,292

Dr Rebbecca Lilley
University of Otago,
Feasibility of a national study of worker's exposure to health and safety risks
12 months, $65,966

Professor Jeff Sigafoos
Victoria University of Wellington,
Communication intervention for adults with intellectual disability
12 months, $150,000

About the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC)

The HRC is the Crown agency responsible for the management of the Government's investment in public good health research. Ownership of the HRC resides with the Minister of Health, with funding being primarily provided from Vote Research, Science and Technology. A Memorandum of Understanding between the two Ministers sets out this relationship.

Established under the Health Research Council Act 1990, the HRC's statutory functions include:

• advising the Minister and administering funds in relation to national health research policy;
• fostering the recruitment, education, training, and retention of those engaged in health research in New Zealand;
• initiating and supporting health research;
• undertaking consultation to establish priorities in health research;
• promoting and disseminating the results of health research to encourage their contribution to health science, policy and delivery, and
• ensuring the development and application of appropriate assessment standards by committees or subcommittees that assess health research proposals.