MTPConnect has been awarded funding from the Western Australian Government to deliver the WA Grant Excellence Service, “WAGES”, supporting WA researchers and innovators to improve the competitiveness of applications to national grant funding programs like the Medical Research Future Fund.
The program, a three-year pilot designed by MTPConnect, will focus on improving quality of grant applications through early intervention and support and enhancing collaborative partnerships, so projects are well prepared for upcoming grant opportunities. It is designed to complement and deepen existing grant development activities, including those already provided under the https://walsih.au.
MTPConnect CEO, Stuart Dignam, says the program will provide a specialty research grant service designed to complement and deepen existing grant development activities – including those already provided under the WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub over the last few years.
“We know that access to funding remains the biggest challenge for researchers, start-ups and innovators especially at the early stage of innovation. Our new WAGES program will help upskill WA-based clinician researchers, EMCRs (Early-to-mid career researchers), innovators and start-ups to improve their success in securing sovereign funding so they can take their medical innovations from bench to bedside.
“We are delighted to continue our important work for the WA government to help build Western Australia’s health and medical research and innovation capacity and capability,” Mr Dignam said.
The program will be led by Dr Tracey Wilkinson, MTPConnect’s Director Stakeholder Engagement WA and WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub and delivered in partnership with WA-based Synergy Health Solutions.
The WAGES program is supported by the Western Australian Future Health Research and Innovation Fund.
