Four significant cohort studies led or co-led by Telethon Kids Institute have received key grants under two new funding programs supported by the State Government’s Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund!
Recently announced by Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson, the four cohort studies are among seven studies to share $2 million in funding through the FHRI Fund’s inaugural WA Cohort Studies-Operational Support Program (WACS-OSP).
The Child Physical Activity Health and Development team, who are behind the Play Active Program, received $114,972 in funding for the PLAYCE Cohort study.
Professor Hayley Christian said that the funding would help the PLAYCE study continue to work towards establishing healthy behaviours such as physical activity in early childhood.
“It will also let us continue to investigate physical activity patterns across childhood, the best intervention windows to help halt declining physical activity, and inform programs and policies to promote more active, healthy childhoods,” she said.
Telethon Kids Institute Director Professor Jonathan Carapetis AM welcomed the cohort study funding saying they would contribute in critical ways to the development of child health research in Western Australia.
“We also fully support the investment by the State Government into WA’s cohort studies. These studies are a fundamental part of WA’s research landscape, providing an invaluable platform for researchers to get access to multiple longitudinal data sets, including biological data. WA has a proud history in this area and the support shown by Government recognises its value and importance to the community.”
The Western Australian cohort studies aim to provide the operational funding necessary for such studies to continue to contribute to the delivery of clinical outcomes, changes to health policy and translational health.
