Griffith, Menzies Foundation to collaborate in world-class allied health research

Griffith and the Menzies Foundation are set to collaborate together in a move which will position the University as a leader in world-class allied health research.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding formalised this week, the University's Griffith Health Institute based at its Gold Coast campus, will be renamed the Menzies Health Institute Queensland (MHIQ).

The establishment of the new MHIQ will allow Griffith to enhance its research excellence through collaboration and resource sharing, as well as support greater engagement between academic researchers and healthcare professionals nationally and internationally.

It is expected that it will allow Griffith to further focus its health research efforts on addressing challenges, opportunities and new developments impacting the health of Australia's population and of people globally.

The move is also expected to leverage research and funding opportunities to further enhance research excellence and performance to the mutual benefit of the Menzies Foundation and the University.

The Menzies name is synonymous with world-class health research. The Menzies Foundation has already been instrumental in establishing three national health research institutes.

The collective work has been undertaken throughout Australia since the 1980s by the existing Menzies research institutes (the Menzies Research Institute Tasmania; the Menzies School of Health Research and the Menzies Centre for Health Policy) and has positioned the Menzies as a pre-eminent national health research brand.

"Earlier this year, Griffith and the Menzies Foundation held discussions around the potential to establish a national Menzies institute with a focus on allied health headquartered at the Gold Coast campus," says Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian O'Connor.

"This development is significant and one which I believe will provide major advantages in better-profiling the health research done at Griffith, in leveraging off the strong national Menzies brand."

"We are delighted to be participating in the establishment of a fourth Menzies health research institute in partnership with Griffith University. Our priority is for the allied health profession to be better profiled in the research sector," says Menzies Foundation Chairman, Brian Doyle.

"We are impressed with Griffith's commitment to allied health. They show great determination to grow national research opportunities, underpinned by strong leadership."