TTRA Round 1 Research Projects address one of the following Priority Areas:

• Priority 1: Mental health conditions in people living with at least two of the following: Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease.
• Priority 2: Chronic kidney disease in people living with at least two of the following: Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease.
• Priority 3: Cardiac and vascular complications arising in people living with diabetes (Type 1 or Type 2) and cardiovascular disease; OR Cardiovascular disease in people living with Type 1 diabetes and insulin resistance (double diabetes).

TTRA Round 1 Research Projects recipients announced on 23 September 2021 are:

• Deakin University’s Australian Centre for Behavioural Research in Diabetes, Victoria, $748,384 award Low Intensity mental health Support via a Telehealth Enabled Network (LISTEN) for adults with diabetes and CVD: Effectiveness and scalability
• Heart Research Institute and University of Sydney, NSW, $750,000 award Development of novel safe adjunctive antithrombotic therapies for the improved treatment of acute ischaemic stroke
• Inosi Therapeutics Pty Ltd, Victoria, $704,230 award Lead optimisation of novel inhibitors of IRAP for the treatment of fibrosis in diabetes-induced renal and cardiovascular disease

• Nirtek Pty Ltd, Victoria, $750,000 award NIRAF Guidewire for Detection of Unstable Coronary Plaques to Prevent Heart Attack and Death

• Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, $745,623 award Towards a diagnostic tool for atheroma assessment to better manage vulnerable patients

• University of Melbourne, Victoria, $749,981 award Future Health Today and Torch Recruit: Changing the course of chronic disease

• University of Sydney, NSW, $739,128 award Local Regulation of Inflammation for the Treatment of Peripheral Arterial Disease

TTRA Round 1 Funding:
Round 1 funding announced in September 2021:  Read the announcement.

TTRA Round 2 Research Projects address one of the following Priority Areas:

• Priority 1: Atherosclerosis, including cerebrovascular disease
• Priority 2: Cardiomyopathy and heart failure
• Priority 3: Obesity as it relates to diabetes
• Priority 4: Mental health as it relates to diabetes
• Priority 5: Glucose control in type 1 diabetes (T1D), type 2 diabetes (T2D), double diabetes and/or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)

TTRA Round 2 Research Projects recipients announced on 21 October 2022 are:

• BiVACOR Pty Ltd, QLD, $750,000 award to develop a new, more portable external controller to allow long-term use with its BiVACOR total artificial heart
• Cardihab Pty Ltd, QLD, $740,153 award to advance its platform and patient-centric smart phone-based app, providing personalised healthcare delivery to improve heart failure outcomes
• Cyban Pty Ltd, VIC, $700,000 award to apply its innovative brain pulse oximeter technology, as a point of care monitor for earlier detection and treatment of stroke in a hospital setting to prevent long term disability and death
• Deakin University, VIC, $749,764 award to trial an online education program for prevention, awareness of symptoms, and treatment to reduce hypoglycaemia-related anxiety and improve mental health outcomes in adults with type 1 diabetes
• Garvan Institute of Medical Research, NSW, $749,979 award to conduct a first-in-human safety and efficacy trial using genetically engineered islet cells to restore glucose in type 1 diabetes
• Monash University, VIC, $750,000 award to develop a novel adjunctive peptide therapy to lower insulin doses for improved glucose control in the treatment of type 1 diabetes
• University of Sydney, NSW, $750,000 award to bring oral insulin to phase I clinical studies using a novel quantum dot drug delivery platform
• University of Sydney, NSW, $749,536 award to progress novel small molecule therapeutics targeting the inflammatory contribution to atherosclerosis, stabilising plaque and preventing heart attack
• Western Sydney University, NSW, $744,873 award to trial a clinically validated Care Portal providing access to peer support, mental health support and clinical care, empowering young Australians to live well with diabetes

TTRA Round 2 Funding:
Round 2 funding announced in October 2022:  Read the announcement.

The Targeted Translation Research Accelerator (TTRA) program’s Round 3 Research Projects develop or progress innovative preventative, diagnostic, therapeutic and/or disease management products, services and/or models of care for diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease (D&CVD) to address one of the following Priority Areas:

• Priority 1: Strengths-based perspectives to chronic disease – A need to adopt a strengths-based perspective to chronic disease, which builds and develops the existing strengths, skills and capacities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• Priority 2: Culturally safe programs and supports – Development of culturally safe programs and supports for D&CVD prevention and promotion of ‘healthy lifestyles’ among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, using empowering, evidence-based, health promotion campaigns.
• Priority 3: Culturally safe strategies to address cardiometabolic disease – Culturally safe strategies to address cardiometabolic disease / risk factors to improve the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women prior to and during pregnancy. This should also include a focus on babies through the life course, including management of women with pre-existing and gestational diabetes.

TTRA Round 3 Research Projects recipients announced on 27 October 2023 are:

• The Australian National University, South Australia/Australian Capital Territory, $998,685 award Aboriginal women working to reduce risk of diabetes and cardiovascular complications in pregnancy
• Menzies School of Health Research, Northern Territory, $995,324.63 award ‘Doing it together’- innovative peer-support and peer-led education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth living with type 2 diabetes
• Nunyara Aboriginal Health Service Inc, Whyalla, South Australia, $999,600 award The Nunyara cardiometabolic screening and complication model: a three-pronged community-led strategy to achieving comprehensive Aboriginal primary preventative care
• The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Northern Territory/Victoria, $999,670 award Marrtjin limurr rrambaŋin (Walking Together): co-designing innovative, culturally adapted methodologies to improve heart health in remote communities in North-East Arnhem Land
• The University of Queensland, School of Public Health, New South Wales/Queensland, $999,873.80 award The Diabetes Using Our Strengths Service (DUOSS)
• Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Inc, Victoria, $994,789.82 award Chronic Disease Prevention through the Culture+Kinship Model: A strength-based prevention approach based on Aboriginal Culture, Kinship, Community, and Country.

TTRA Round 3 Funding:
Round 3 funding announced in October 2023:  Read the announcement.

To watch the webinars, head to our News page, select type ‘webinar’ and topic ‘TTRA’.

Read the TTRA Round 3 Priority Setting Discussion Paper.

Indigenous Led Priority Setting

The Indigenous-specific priority areas for this third and final round of TTRA Research Projects funding was designed to deliver real benefit for health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The areas were determined through a prioritisation project led by the Lowitja Institute – a community-controlled organisation and Australia’s National Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research.

Partnering with the Lowitja Institute has ensured that the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities were centred in every aspect of the process of determining the Indigenous-specific priority areas.

As part of this process, the Lowitja Institute and MTPConnect have published a discussion paper title ‘Targeted Translation Research Accelerator Needs Assessment and Prioritisation Project’ which provides a framework for how Indigenous-led priority setting can inform important funding decisions. Find out more.

The report can be downloaded here or from the Lowitja Institute Publications page.

TTRA Indigenous Advisory Group

For Round 3, MTPConnect engaged the TTRA Indigenous Advisory Group to guide the design and delivery of a process to identify Indigenous-specific priority areas that could maximise the impact of the available funding. MTPConnect is honoured to be supported by this group, including prominent Indigenous researchers, clinicians and thought leaders, as well as representatives from organisations that have deep engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through direct healthcare delivery:

• Professor Alex Brown, Professor of Indigenous Genomics, Australian National University | Telethon Kids Institute
• Dr Fergus Gardiner, Director, National Emergency Response, Public Health and Research, Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia
• Professor Lisa Jackson Pulver AM, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Indigenous Strategy & Services, University of Sydney, and Professor Public Health and Epidemiologist, Sydney Medical School
• Ray Kelly, Indigenous Allied Health Australia
• Chris Lee, Assistant Director – Programs, National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO)
• Professor Ray Mahoney, Professor of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Discipline Lead for Population Health, Visiting Scientist, Australian eHealth Research Centre (AeHRC), CSIRO, College of Medicine & Public Health, Flinders University
• Dr Janine Mohamed, CEO, Lowitja Institute
• Dr Simon Quilty, Medical Advisor, Purple House (Western Desert Nganampa Walytja Palyantjaku Tjutaku Aboriginal Corporation)
• Dr Tanya Schramm, Senior lecturer of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Education, University of Tasmania
• Dr Sean Taylor, Executive Director Aboriginal Health & Diversity, NT Health; Deputy Director Indigenous Leadership and Engagement, Menzies School of Health Research; and Adjunct Associate Professor, Public Health and Tropical Medicine, James Cook University.

It is important to note, MTPConnect has carefully managed any potential conflicts of interest. Indigenous Advisory Group members were eligible to apply for Round 3 unless they had been involved in the subcommittee that had designed the application process and guidelines.

Artwork used in image above by Ngarrindjeri artist, Jordan Lovegrove, shows the growing ripple effect that Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander-led research has on health and wellbeing. See ‘More about the artwork’ below.

More about the artwork featured above and in the TTRA Round 3 image tiles:

The artwork by Ngarrindjeri artist, Jordan Lovegrove, shows the growing ripple effect that Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander-led research has on health and wellbeing. The big meeting place in the centre represents Lowitja Institute and MTPConnect. The smaller coloured meeting places connected by footprints that surround it represents our connection and work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and other partners. The other small meeting places with pathways between, represent the communities that this research positively impacts. MTPConnect is pleased to licence this artwork from Lowitja Institute for the purposes of promoting TTRA Round 3 activities.

TTRA Research Projects Round 3 Webinar Series

To coincide with the launch of TTRA Research Projects Round 3, MTPConnect hosted a series of webinars to highlight key elements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research. This series is intended for anyone with a broad interest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research but may also provide potential applicants with key elements to consider when building their projects and teams.

The first webinar in the series was held in November 2022 and focused on ‘Principles of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research and engaging meaningfully with community’; the second webinar in the series on ‘Ethics and Reciprocity’ was held in February 2023, and the third webinar on ‘Implementation Science’ was held in March 2023. You can watch recordings of all webinars here. The webinars are also available to listen to on the MTPConnect Podcast – episodes 142, 147 and 149 respectively.