COVID-19: MACH Response
Our partners and especially our health services face unprecedented challenges over the next few months. The research response to COVID-19 is second only in importance to the clinical care challenges posed by the epidemic. The MACH has responded by helping our health services and research institutes lead the fight-back by supporting highest priority COVID-19 research.
Please contact us with any COVID-19 queries at MACH-COVIDtrials@unimelb.edu.au
MACH COVID-19 Activities
The Committee meet regularly to deploy its wide-ranging expertise to make a consensus recommendation as to which interventional clinical trials are of the highest priority to support MACH-affiliated health services.
Current recommendations are found below with information updated after each Committee meeting:
Factors favouring an assessment as a highest priority trial may include:
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Funding from the NHMRC/MRFF
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An adaptive design
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An opportunity to join an outstanding quality international study
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Studies that nest in biobankable or diagnostic material
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Studies addressing a particular local need
MACH invites partner Research Offices to alert us to studies that are sufficiently advanced to be seeking ethics and governance approval and other queries related to COVID-19 research and trials (including non-clinical trials).
Streamlining ethical approval across MACH
Research Managers (through the statewide Hospital Research Managers Committee) have agreed to fast-track COVID-19 trials through Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) approval and are reviewing the use of the framework of National Mutual Acceptance (NMA).
Victorian Collaborative Healthcare Recovery Initiative
Read about the Victorian Collaborative Healthcare Recovery Initiative (VCHRI), a state-wide collaboration between MACH, Monash Partners and Western Alliance, that seeks to develop projects that contribute to the redesign and improvement of Victoria’s healthcare system during recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic through research-led innovation
Recent News & Media
COVID-19 Resources
COVID-19 Training
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University of Melbourne - COVID-19: Global Health Perspectives -
University of Melbourne - Clinical Ethics & COVID-19 -
University of Melbourne - Critical Care Essentials for Nurses -
University of Melbourne - COVID-19 Lung Ultrasound (free) -
University of Melbourne - Communicating COVID-19: Preparing clinicians to tackle challenging questions (free)
COVID-19 Research Funding
$1 million for research to support research to understand how the mental health system can be enhanced to be most effective and responsive during and following the acute COVID-19 crisis. Now open - Closes 13 July
$4 million for digital health research infrastructure to help health systems respond faster to high-need emerging challenges. Opens 1 July - Closes 14 July
MRFF - Coronavirus Research Response - 2020 Communication Strategies and Approaches During Outbreaks
$600,000 for research to understand the community’s information needs and behavioural drivers during outbreaks, and strategies to address these. Opens 1 July - Closes 14 July
News & Media
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Bill Gates donates $10m to Australian trial of immune-boosting vaccine (The Age) -
Watch the online series from UoM 'Life Beyond Coronavirus: The Expert View'
Government
Research Guidance
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The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC): COVID-19 Impact
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COVID-19: Guidance on clinical trials for institutions, HRECs, researchers and sponsors