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.
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Please contact us with any COVID-19 queries at MACH-COVIDtrials@unimelb.edu.au
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MACH COVID-19 Activities
The Committee meet regularly to deploy its wide-ranging expertise to review, evaluate and endorse interventional clinical trials for MACH-affiliated health services. The Committee serves as a platform to encourage collaboration across the trials and health services where possible.
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Current Committee-endorsed trials are found below with information updated after each Committee meeting:
Factors favouring an endorsement for a 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
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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).
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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).
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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