Calls grow for Australia to unlock global R&D access

Research Australia and Universities Australia are amplifying calls for the government to commit to Horizon Europe, a move requiring significant financial investment from the Albanese government.

Horizon Europe, the European Union’s $163 billion research program, facilitates global collaboration in critical areas such as health, climate change, and digital transformation. Currently, 18 non-EU countries, including New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Canada, have signed agreements enabling their researchers to compete for funding and lead multinational consortia.

“Australia risks being left behind if we do not act swiftly,” warned Nadia Levin, CEO & Managing Director of Research Australia. “Joining Horizon Europe would open the door to world-leading collaborations, accelerate innovation, and enhance the global impact of Australian health and medical research and innovation.”

Luke Sheehy, CEO of Universities Australia, emphasised “If we’re serious about building a prosperous and productive economy, we need a seat at the table, particularly in a changing and more complex global environment.”

While Australia has yet to fully commit to Horizon Europe, some Australian researchers are already engaging in collaborative projects through the NHMRC-Horizon Europe Grant Scheme. The NHMRC is currently considering support for a limited number of Horizon Europe topics, with eligibility for Australian-based researchers in projects selected for European Commission funding in 2026.

However, the lack of full association continues to restrict access to core funding streams and limits the ability of Australian researchers to lead consortia.

“As we seek to grow Australia’s innovation economy and deliver solutions to complex health, environmental and technological challenges, full participation in Horizon Europe would provide a strategic platform for impact,” said Levin. “The government has been calling for solutions through the Strategic Examination of R&D and National Health and Medical Research Strategy. We have already been putting forward a call to join Horizon Europe as one of the solutions.”

Group of Eight (Go8) CEO Vicki Thomson echoed this sentiment, saying “A strong research and innovation sector is essential to boosting productivity and to Australia’s capacity to be a modern knowledge-based economy, to seize national opportunities and find solutions to the challenges that impact the everyday lives of Australians.”

Go8 universities have developed robust partnerships with the European industry. For example, Australian National University collaborated with Pharmaxis, the University of Queensland with Siemens in MRI research, and the University of Melbourne with Sanofi in infectious disease and immunology.

Sydney-based Pharmaxis developed Bronchitol, an inhaled dry powder mannitol formulation, for cystic fibrosis, COPD and bronchiectasis. In 2012, the European Commission approved Bronchitol for adult cystic fibrosis treatment in 29 countries. The company also developed Aridol, a lung function test for asthma diagnosis, which has been approved and sold across Europe, Australia, and Asia.

The University of Queensland’s partnership with Siemens led to the installation of the first 7 Tesla whole-body MRI scanner in the Southern Hemisphere at its Centre for Advanced Imaging. The collaboration focuses on research powered by the the MAGNETOM 7T scanner.

Sanofi and the University of Melbourne co-founded Proof-of-Concept studies covering infectious disease, microbiology, and immunology from 2014 to 2017.

Research Australia is urging the government to accelerate negotiations and send a clear signal to the international research community that Australia is committed to global scientific collaboration at scale. Failing to do so, it warns, would have lasting consequences for the nation’s R&D competitiveness.

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