About the Australian Health Research Alliance (AHRA)

The Australian Health Research Alliance is the voice of 12 National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) accredited Research Translation Centres and two Emerging Research Translation Centres (Centres). Each Centre is a partnership of health services, local hospitals and primary care organisations connected to research centres and universities to address locally determined health priorities. 

AHRA provides a forum for the Centres to collaborate on matters of national relevance for research translation. For more information about AHRA, please visit the AHRA website.

The Centres work together in a spirit of goodwill and respect to strengthen consumer and community involvement (CCI) in health research across Australia.

AHRA’s Role in Advancing Consumer and Community Involvement (CCI) to Date

AHRA’s CCI Initiative is a program of work which strengthens the involvement of consumers and the community in health and medical research, policy and practice. The initiative is currently co-led by the Western Australian Health Translation Network and Monash Partners.

Phase 1 of the initiative involved the first ever national survey to understand CCI attitudes, practices and resources and an environmental scan of the CCI landscape. This work was detailed in a comprehensive report which described a shared vision, values and principles and four key recommendations for embedding CCI in research policy and practice. Read the report here.

Phase 2 of the CCI Initiative focuses on four priority areas:

  • Developing a handbook with practical steps to guide stakeholders and organisations in embedding CCI in health and medical research – completed.
  • Establishing a dynamic digital platform that brings ideas, knowledge, tools, research and activities together – underway.
  • Researching optimal adoption strategies for CCI and impact of CCI – underway.
  • Establishing an International CCI Alliance that promotes consumer and community involvement in health research and healthcare improvement – underway.

In 2022, AHRA was awarded a Medical Research Future Fund Consumer-led Research Grant – Consumer and Community Involvement Implementation Research for Impact (Project CCIRI) (MRF2019278).Co-led by Monash Partners, the Western Australian Health Translation Network and Maridulu Budyari Gumal, it aims to:

  • Build a network of engaged and upskilled consumers.
  • Develop an innovative digital knowledge and practice hub for tools and resources.
  • Generate new knowledge to enable behavioural change towards consumer and community involvement.
  • Develop resources to enable national implementation.
  • Engage under-represented community groups in health research, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

We would like to acknowledge the chief investigators and research team of this project:

Chief InvestigatorsResearch Team
Prof Helena Teede
Dr Angela Jones
Ms Ainslie Cahill AM
Dr Sandra Reeder 
Debra Langridge 
A/Prof Alan Dorin
Prof Mark Parsons
Prof Carol Hodgson
Prof Diana Egerton-Warburton
Prof Aunty Kerry Doyle
A/Prof Leah Heiss		Prof Helena Teede
Dr Sandra Reeder
Ainslie Cahill AM
Ms Debra Langridge
Dr Angela Jones
Dr Ashley Ng
Ms Cathie Pigott
Ms Joanna Ong
Dr Debbie Turner

Relevant reports, publications and outputs linked to this project are listed below: