Milestones in OCRF research advocacy

Why we advocate for ovarian cancer research

The Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF) is focused on a future where every woman, everywhere, is free from the threat of ovarian cancer.  Research is the only solution that will shift survivability rates for women and girls with ovarian cancer – for whom the five-year survival rate currently languishes at 48%.  To put it bluntly, this means that less than half of the women and girls diagnosed with ovarian cancer today will still be alive in five years.  A truly damning statistic.

This is why the OCRF’s major aim is to initiate greater funding for ovarian cancer research, whether through our own efforts, or by influencing others. History shows that when communities, governments and industry come together, big improvements in survival can be realised and countless lives saved.  By using evidence-based arguments, we continue to influence the prioritisation of Government funding towards ovarian cancer research, particularly in the fields of early detection, treatment, and prevention.

How our advocacy efforts have made significant headway 

In 2020, after the OCRF’s concerted push, the Government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grants program announced the awarding of $16.2 million to eight ovarian cancer research projects, with the funding strongly reflecting the OCRF’s urgent research strategy priorities of:

• early detection
• treatment
• recurrence
• prevention research

To show our commitment to the cause, we formally partnered with three of the eight projects, financially supplementing each of these grants.  The following year, off the back of our landmark State of the Nation research audit report, a further MRFF round was announced, and in 2021 we again successfully partnered with two research institutions to secure millions of dollars for early detection and diagnostic research. Our advocacy in the funding sphere shows a clear bias towards collaborative partnerships.  This is because our preference is not to just hold out our hands, but to ensure we are ‘partners’ in every sense of the word—drivers of change.    

Pictured: Associate Professor Carlos Salomon Gallo of UQ Centre for Clinical Research (UQCCR).

Dr Salomon Gallo received a $2.7 million grant from the Australian Government in the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) 2020 allocations after the OCRF had funded his research project 'OCRF-7'.

Advocating not only within the system, but for a better one

OCRF advocacy is not limited to influencing funding for research, rather it aims to create a better system in which our researchers currently operate.  To comprehensively fulfil our vision – we need to not only work in the system, but on the system. 

We know that the MRFF opportunities would be greatly enhanced if the topics or subject matter for grant applications were more inclusive, had longer application timeframes and had known timeframes, so that researchers could plan well in advance.  These modifications are needed so that our research sector can take better advantage of the financial support offered by the Federal Government. To that end, we are continuing our discussions with Government around modifying the current grant funding system, to allow our researchers to compete on a more level playing field.

Ensuring the voice of those impacted by ovarian cancer is heard

Lastly, and most importantly, we advocate to give women and girls a voice.  We need to provide confidence and hope to the women currently diagnosed with ovarian cancer, as we work towards changing the future.  In the forthcoming Budget round, we are seeking direct funding support for a National Ovarian Cancer Precision Medicine Research Program.  This Program is based on the Zero Childhood Cancer Project, which has shown that a systematic national approach delivers significant improvements in treatment and health outcomes for children and young adults with similarly complex, high-risk cancers.  We have proudly partnered with Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group (ANZGOG) in this bid, with both agencies convinced that this model would be truly transformative for the current and future generations of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

This is the true power of advocacy and the continued focus of the OCRF – creating generational change and saving lives.