HTSA Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Catalyst Grant Funded Projects

The Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) is an important funding source in the health and medical research ecosystem. It is a key objective of Health Translation SA’s (HTSA) to funnel more MRFF funding into South Australia, and to build capacity within the SA system to lead projects that can have state-wide and national impact.

The HTSA MRFF Catalyst Grant Scheme (Catalyst Scheme) provides targeted funding to develop a pipeline of collaborative research projects that address health system needs in South Australia and ultimately increase SA’s success at winning MRFF funding.

The Catalyst Scheme is different to existing state-based health research funding schemes in the following ways:

• It is multi-institutional and rewards meaningful collaboration across the health system, health service organisations and academic research organisations/institutes
• It focusses on health consumer, community and/or clinician defined priorities to address an unmet health/healthcare need affecting the South Australian healthcare system
• It supports projects that align with MRFF Principles and Priorities to demonstrate local impact with potential to scale beyond South Australia

Funding for the recent 2025 Catalyst Scheme was provided through generous support from The Hospital Research Foundation Group (THRF Group) the Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation (WCH Foundation) and the Cancer Council SA (CCSA), contributing $240,000, $60,000 and $60,000, respectively.

For information, visit the Catalyst Grant Scheme page. 

Funded by The Hospital Research Foundation Group

 Empowering Carer and Older People Dyads: Characteristics and Impacts on Quality of Care and Unplanned Hospitalisations

Project Lead: Dr Tesfahun Eshetie

Partner Organisations: SAHMRI, CALHN, ECH, UniSA

Development of a Prototype for Automated Clinical Casenote Generation

Project Lead: Associate Professor Johan Verjans

Partner Organisations: University of Adelaide, CALHN, Calvary-Medibank Joint Venture, Flinders University

AI enhanced referral system to improve patient and provider agency in rural mental health

Project Lead: Professor Paul Worley

Partner Organisations: Riverland Mallee Coorong LHN, Flinders University, Barossa Hills Fleurieu LHN, UniSA

Developing a Roadmap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Wellbeing in South Australia

Project Lead: Dr Tina Brodie

Partner Organisations: SAHMRI, University of Adelaide, SA Health, AHCSA

Funded by the Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation

Caring for Caregivers: Implementing an evidence-informed program to support caregiver wellbeing

Project Lead: Dr Sarah Hunter

Partner Organisations: Flinders University, University College Cork, NALHN, WCHN

Online family-based group treatment for parents of children with an eating disorder as first line treatment: an economic evaluation

Project Lead: Professor Tracey Wade

Partner Organisations: Flinders University, University of British Columbia, SALHN, WCHN

Funded by the Hospital Research Foundation Group

Optimising culturally safe and self-determined management of gestational diabetes mellitus among Aboriginal women in South Australia: A feasibility and acceptability study

Project Lead: Dr Rachel Elovaris

Partner Organisations: Pika Wiya Aboriginal Health Organisation, The University of Adelaide, CSIRO, CALHN, Port Lincoln Aboriginal Health Service, SAHMRI

Co-designing an integrated care model to improve experiences and outcomes in the Chronic Disease Preventive Health System in Northern Adelaide

Project Lead: Professor Stacey George

Partner Organisations: Adelaide PHN, Flinders University, NALHN, University of New South Wales, Europa Medical Centre

Continuous Glucose Monitoring-Assisted Remote telehealth dietetics to Empower people with Type 2 diabetes and improve Cardiovascular Outcomes (CARE-T2D)

Project Lead: Dr Amy Hutchison

Parter Organisations: University of Adelaide, Australian Catholic University, NALHN, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Monash Partners Academic Health Science Centre, University of Queensland, University of Wollongong, La Trobe University

The Kidney as a window to pregnancy and future health

Project Lead: Professor Shilpanjali Jesudason

Partner Organisations: CALHN, WCHN, SA Pathology, SAHMRI, University of Sydney, International Society of Nephrology, Flinders University, Westmead Children’s Hospital

Funded by the Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation

Preventing neonatal sepsis treatment failure: Precision antibiotic therapy through pathogen genomic screening

Project Lead: Dr Lito Papanicolas

Partner Organisations: SA Pathology, WCHN, SALHN, SAHMRI, FHMRI 

Co-designing the VITAL Project (validation, understanding, and graded, valued activity prescription) for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Project Lead: Sarah Wallwork

Partner Organisations: University of South Australia, WCHN, University of Calgary, Pennsylvania State University, Juvenile Arthritis Foundation Australia, Children’s Physio SA

Funded by the Cancer Council SA

 Developing a predictive tool for ovarian cancer through patient-centred symptom data collection

Project Lead: Dr Amanda Lumsden

Partner Organisations: University of South Australia, Tampere University, CALHN, WCHN