Founded 1984 | ||
Type Non for Profit, Medical Research Foundation Focus Raising funds for medical research Location Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Slogan Real People, Real Research, Real Outcomes Mission To bring research to life | ||
The PA Research Foundation (PARF) is an Australian Non for Profit Organisation that raises funds for lifesaving research to develop better diagnoses, treatments and preventions for some of Australia’s biggest health challenges.
Contents
The Foundation does not receive any financial support from the government and is funded solely through donations from corporate sponsors, community fundraising and groups, events and donations and bequests from individuals.
History
The Foundation was established in 1984 to raise funds for health and medical research, which includes grants, medical trials and vital equipment at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Queensland’s leading research hospital and largest clinical trials centre. Gardasil, the cervical cancer vaccine discovered by PA Research Foundation board member Professor Ian Frazer and the Brisbane Technique are just two familiar entries in a long list of significant achievements from the Princess Alexandra Hospital.
Fundraising and community activities
The PA Research Foundation is involved in a variety of events which help generate and raise significant funds. The Foundation’s signature annual fundraiser is The Great Brisbane Duck Race where 30,000 rubber ducks race along the Brisbane River to raise funds for cancer research. In 2011, the race raised a record amount of over $200,000.
Other events include the Smiddy Fun Run, PA High Tea, ALH Breast Cancer Fundraiser which raises over $200,000 each year and the QHA Hotel Care Fundraiser which involves over 250 Queensland hotels participating to raise funds for medical research. The Foundation also does health checks for it corporate partners and has a weekly spot on Ten News providing nutritional information.
Research grants
Each year, the Foundation funds research projects proposed by the clinicians, scientists, nursing and allied health professionals on the Princess Alexandra Hospital campus. The Foundation receives applications from health researchers on the campus which are then assessed by the Research Committee, an independent team of qualified medical professionals, and awarded based on merit and funds available. All research funded by the Foundation goes through a rigorous selection process to ensure it is of genuine scientific merit, and does not replicate any other research anywhere in the world.
The philosophy of awarding research grants is to:
Through the grants, the PA Research Foundation as been able to fund equipment, research fellowships and postgraduate scholarships, studies and provide project support that directly benefit research projects in areas such as cervical cancer, prostate cancer, skin cancer, leukaemia, breast cancer, heart disease, immunology, kidney disease, diabetes, liver disease, transplantation and arthritis.