Research Centres

National Research Centres for Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease

In January 2022, two new national Research Centres, the Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovations (ACADI) and the Australian Stroke & Heart Research Accelerator (ASHRA) were established through the support of Commonwealth funding under the TTRA initiative which forms part of the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).

ACADI and ASHRA are accelerating therapies towards clinical practice for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management of disease-related complications for sector-identified priorities associated with diabetes or cardiovascular disease, respectively.

ACADI and ASHRA will receive $10 million of TTRA funding over four years to establish the Research Centres with substantial co-contributions from academic and industry partners.

ACADI’s translational research, development and implementation science activities address the following Priority Areas in diabetes:

  • Priority 1: Diabetic kidney disease;
  • Priority 2: Peripheral neuropathy and diabetic foot syndrome; 
  • Priority 3: Short-term complications of hypoglycaemia and/or hyperglycaemic hyperosmolar syndrome (HHS) and ketoacidosis.

ASHRA’s translational research, development and implementation science activities address the following Priority Areas in cardiovascular disease:

  • Priority 1: Coronary artery disease (including angina and MACE);
  • Priority 2: Cardiomyopathy / heart failure; 
  • Priority 3: Transient ischaemic attack (TIA) / stroke (ischaemic and haemorrhagic).

Both Research Centres are also focused on the adoption and implementation of their therapies and subsequent delivery of health system outcomes, public health policy outcomes, consumer outcomes, commercial outcomes and reduce the burden of disease and health inequalities in Australia. It is anticipated that each Research Centre will become self-sustainable with continued financial viability and talent management of the entity beyond the four years of TTRA funding.

In addition to research and development, each Research Centre has a training program to support students and early-to-mid career researchers and clinicians to strengthen and grow capability and capacity in the sector.

ACADI         ASHRA