HCF Foundation

About the Foundation

In June 2000, HCF established The HCF Health and Medical Research Foundation, a not-for-profit charitable trust established to encourage health service research for the benefit of HCF contributors and the public generally. Read more…

Health services research examines how people get access to health care, how much health care costs, and what happens to patients as a result of this care. The Foundation considers the main goals of health services research are to identify the most effective ways to organize, manage, finance, and deliver high quality care; reduce medical errors; and improve patient safety.

The objectives of The HCF Foundation health services research programme are to assist the improvement of prevention, treatment and cure of diseases in the general community by :

  • Funding both primary and translational research depending on the availability of existing research and the most appropriate way of responding to important knowledge gaps;
  • Funding all types of study proposals expected to enhance knowledge and understanding in the field of health services research;
  • Encouraging the production of rigorous and relevant evidence regarding use, costs, quality, access, planning and organization, financing, and outcomes of service that will lead to improvements in health and health services; and
  • Funding research addressing a broad range of aspects of the quality of services: access and equity in provision, relevance and appropriateness to the needs of individuals and communities, effectiveness and efficiency, how services are experienced.

The Foundation’s research programme will therefore clearly address the main dimensions of the health system that are of concern to HCF, The HCF Foundation and the community at large: achieving better health outcomes and access to affordable, high quality health care when needed.

HCF has established The HCF Foundation with contributions to date of $36 million and has awarded over $7 million dollars in grants towards health and medical research since 2002. Some of the areas of research which have been funded include:

  • Disease prevention
  • Disease management
  • Clinical tools
  • Redesign of care
  • Treatment comparison
  • Rehabilitation
  • Patient education

Guidelines

Priority areas


The HCF Foundation prioritises projects in applied or experimental research in the area of health services research. Research which is translatable into practice and that will positively affect the health and wellbeing of the Australian population is most highly valued. Read more…

Research which can be described by the following socioeconomic objective areas within the Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Categories (ANZSRC) will be considered:

  • Division 92: Health
  • Group 9202: Health and Support Services
  • Group 9204: Public Health

Referee review


Referees will be asked to review projects at the application stage as well as the final report stage.

Reporting requirements


Payments of funds are contingent on the receipt of satisfactory reports.

  • Progress reports: A progress report will be due each 6 months or at the completion of significant research phases (e.g. Participant recruitment, data collection, etc.)
  • Final report: A final report will be required at the completion of the project. This report will be reviewed by referees.
  • Follow-up report: A follow-up report will be required 12 months after the final report. This report is intended to update the foundation on any further progress which has been made in the area of research and of any publications.

Applications

Call for applications


The HCF Foundation will at various times advertise for expressions of interest for funding. These advertisements can be seen on this website as well as in the higher education supplement of The Australian newspaper.

Expressions of interest will be assessed and subject to this assessment, full applications invited.

Full applications will not be accepted prior to submission of an expression of interest.

Commissioned research


The HCF Foundation may on occasion approach researchers regarding areas of particular interest and ask these researchers to submit an expression of interest. Subject to assessment researchers will then be asked to submit a full application.

Application process


Complete information on the application process can be found in the Policy & Guidelines.

Applications must be completed on the form provided which can be downloaded at the top right of the page.

Four (4) copies of applications must be submitted by post, printed double sided. An electronic version must also be submitted by email. Both versions must be received by the submission date.

Incomplete or late applications will not be accepted.

One copy of the final clearance from the Ethical Committee of the administering institution must be attached to the original application form, or forwarded as soon as possible thereafter. No funding will be finalised without evidence of ethics approval or argument justifying why ethics approval was not sought.

Electronic and hard copies must both be received by the submission date to be considered. No extensions will be given.


Applications


Applications for research funding are now closed. Details for the next round of applications will be published on this page.

Grants awarded


View list of grants

+ Policy & Guidelines [PDF]


Contact

The HCF Health and Medical Research Foundation

Address:
Honorary Secretary
PO BOX 4242,
Sydney,
NSW, 2001

Email:
hcf_foundation@hcf.com.au

Telephone:
Karen Beatty
HCF Foundation Manager
(02) 9290 0171


Board of trustees

M. E. Rummery AM

M. E. Rummery AM

B.Univ (Hons) SCU
Chairman

Ms Rummery was originally appointed to the Board in December 1995 by the Health Services Association of NSW. She is a retired lawyer and is currently a Director of Bureau of Health Information. She is a former Director of Catholic Healthcare Ltd and former Deputy Chancellor of Southern Cross University. She has held the following Ministerial appointments: Co-Chair of the Rural Health Taskforce, Member of the NSW Community and Clinicians Expert Advisory Council, Member of the NSW Clinical Excellence Commission and for many years was Chair of the Northern Rivers Area Health Service Board.

Mrs Rummery was made a member of the Order of Australia in 2001 for services to health and education and has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Southern Cross University.

R. J. Goaley

R. J. Goaley

PNIA, FAICD
Trustee

Mr Goaley was appointed to the Board in January 2009. Mr Goaley had been appointed the Chairman of Manchester Unity Australia Limited in 2007, having been a Director since 2002, Chief Executive Officer since 1987 and General Manager since 1980. He has also served as a Director of the Australian Health Insurance Association, Australian Friendly Societies Association and the Australian Health Services Alliance. He has extensive experience at executive and Board level in the provision of private health insurance, friendly society benefits and investment products and the provision of aged care and retirement services.

S. M. Larkin

S. M. Larkin

HlthScD, MBA, MHSc, BHA, FAIM, FCHSM
Trustee

Mr Larkin was appointed Managing Director on 10 July 2010. Mr Larkin joined HCF as a General Manager in 1997. After serving in a number of executive roles (Strategic Development; Benefits Management; Corporate Ventures; and Operations) in December 2009, he was selected to be the next Managing Director of HCF.

Prior to joining HCF, Mr Larkin was based in Singapore for four years where he led the establishment of a chain of ambulatory medical centres throughout Asia. Before this he worked for nine years as an executive for a large private hospital operator in Australia and the United States. He is a director of the Australian Health Insurance Association.

R. J. Schneider AM

R. J. Schneider AM

Trustee

Mr Schneider was appointed to the Board in January 2006. He was formerly the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Health Insurance Association, a post he held for 22 years concentrating on policy issues relating to health financing and delivery. Prior to joining AHIA he was a journalist and media administrator. He has published extensively including "Making Medicare Better" and two books on politics.

Mr Schneider was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2008 for his contribution to the private health insurance industry and national health policy development and was made a Life Member of the International Federation of Health Plans in 2006 for services to the private health sector. For several years he was an industry representative on the Private Health Insurance Administration Council and the Health Insurance Advisory Committee.

G. W. Wright

G. W. Wright

B Com, BCA (Hons) MBA, BHA, FCIS, AFCHSM, CHE, FCPA
Trustee

Mr Wright was appointed to the Board by the Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association of Australia in November 1982 and has been reappointed by its successor, the Private Hospitals Association of NSW Inc. Since 1985 he has been a management consultant specialising in health and aged care management and financing issues in Australia and overseas. He is currently the Deputy Chairman of the Hawkesbury District Health Service and a Director of the Cancer Patients Assistance Society of NSW. He has been Chairman/Director Continuing Advisor to several groups operating not-for-profit hospitals and residential aged care services in NSW and Australia.

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