August 17, 2023
APPRISE has embraced new COVID-19 research priorities while also continuing its work to prepare for future pandemics.
APPRISE is now funded by the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care to address specific research questions on Long COVID and antiviral use while strengthening national platforms and collaborations for future pandemic research.
Funding also supports a new network – the First Nations Pandemic Research Preparedness Network (FIRST), which brings together diverse First Nations research expertise through an interest in pandemic preparedness.
These changes will ensure our work supports Australia’s changing health needs and builds on knowledge and experience obtained during the first three years of the pandemic.
To support Australia’s health needs for COVID-19, the new research priorities are:
- Insights into Long COVID – seeks to understand the diverse impacts of Long COVID and develop appropriate responses for Australia
- Optimising COVID-19 antiviral use – investigates the use and impacts of antivirals in Australia to ensure widespread delivery of these therapeutics
To continue work preparing for future pandemics, activities will include:
- First Nations Pandemic Research Preparedness Network – enables and amplifies a First Nations perspective on research and preparedness for infectious disease emergencies through specific research projects, preparedness planning, advocacy and relationships with decision-making bodies
- APPRISE network and platform support for research preparedness – continues work to improve research capacity for public health responses, clinical investigations, biobanking, modelling and social research.
This is the second time APPRISE has pivoted to new research priorities after we activated an emergency response pathway at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in January 2020.
Originally established as a National Health and Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence in 2016, the Centre ended in December 2022.
APPRISE received additional funding from the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care to continue its work from 2023–2025.