Targeted Translation Research Accelerator Impact Report

Diabetes and cardiovascular disease are leading causes of death and disability in Australia – and globally – and represent a significant challenge to Australia’s health system.

With the goal to reduce the burden of disease, the Australian government established the Targeted Translation Research Accelerator (TTRA) for diabetes and cardiovascular disease – a $124.5 million funding allocation from the Medical Research Future Fund’s (MRFF) Preventive and Public Health Research Initiative.

In 2020, MTPConnect was selected to deliver the initial $47 million TTRA investment as a coordinated and collaborative program of translational research to transform health outcomes. MTPConnect adapted its proven approach, pairing non-dilutive funding with mentoring, commercialisation and implementation support, to accelerate the clinical translation of promising Australian research addressing sector- and community-identified unmet needs in diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

New TTRA Impact Report – Interim Outcomes

As the TTRA program has passed the halfway point and with the funding pool fully committed, a new report has captured the interim outcomes to date: ‘Transforming health outcomes for diabetes and cardiovascular disease in Australia – Interim report on impacts of the first Targeted Translation Research Accelerator 2020-2023’.

Across 2022-2023 and four rounds of competitive funding opportunities, the TTRA program has established two national Research Centres and invested in 22 Research Projects: Round 1 Research Projects, Round 2 Research Projects and Round 3 Research Projects.

Tangible outcomes that will benefit patients and economic growth include:

• 46 new products, solutions and technologies, which are now progressing towards translation
• The formation of three new spin-out companies
• 17 pre-clinical and clinical trials have commenced, and,
• 459 trial participants have been recruited.

Read the Report for further details, the impact of this transformative program so far, case studies and more.