Welcome to the final 2025 edition of our newsletter. The RACGP Research team is excited to share updates, stories and resources that celebrate and strengthen general practice research.

On 15 October, the RACGP Research team held the first virtual event for general practitioners doing PhDs. The GP PhD Network is for any GP in Australia who is undertaking a PhD and aims to help build a support network for this challenging path. Anja Scarfe and Tania Lim welcomed attendees and facilitated the session.

The guest speaker was Professor Danielle Mazza, Head of the Department of General Practice at Monash University, who spoke about her experience building an academic career in general practice.

Professor Mazza’s presentation covered key aspects of academic career development, including promotion pathways. Attendees appreciated the clarity of her advice, with one commenting, “The information about promotions was great. I have never seen it laid out so clearly before.”
 
The next GP PhD Network event will be held on 5 February 2026 with guest speaker Professor Steve Trumble.
 
Join the group on Facebook or by emailing anja.scarfe@racgp.org.a

On 15 November, the RACGP proudly launched its new research strategy GP25. The breakfast event, chaired by RACGP President Dr Michael Wright, brought together a distinguished panel of speakers who are shaping the future of general practice research and education.
Presenters offered compelling insights into the vital role of general practice research. Panellists included:

• A/Prof Ramya Raman Notre Dame, WA Faculty Chair with a focus on women’s health, education, and preventative care.
• Assoc Prof Joel Rhee UNSW who works to improve care for vulnerable populations.
• Dr Kim Omond, an early-career GP and educator, representing emerging research leaders.
• A/Prof Michael Clements, Rural Faculty Chair, a committed advocate for rural healthcare.
• Prof Dimity Pond, Chair of the RACGP Expert Committee on Research, a long-standing champion of general practice research.

We spoke to A/Prof Joel Rhee, who has been a member of the committee member since April 2022 and now serves as Deputy Chair. Read the full interview.

What inspired you to become Deputy Chair of the REC–Research committee?

I'm a true believer in the importance of general practice research and its potential to improve how general practices care for their patients and communities. As a junior GP and early career researcher, I watched my senior mentors and colleagues fight to ensure that general practice research was properly recognised and resourced. Now, as I enter the mid-stage of my career, I feel a responsibility to continue what they started, to speak up and advocate for the value and impact of general practice research.

By doing so, I hope to create an environment where the next generation of GPs and GP researchers can thrive, with better support, stronger networks, and the confidence to pursue research that benefits our patients and communities.

Has your research ever changed the way you practise?
Absolutely. It’s made me more critical and inquisitive. I often ask myself, why are things done a certain way. Instead of simply following what I was taught, I regularly check the latest evidence-based guidelines. When the patient in front of me doesn’t fit the standardised patient described in those guidelines, which happens often, I dig deeper into the literature. This sometimes means I fall behind. It’s a constant balancing act between maintaining a scholarly approach and managing the realities of a busy clinical practice.
 
What advice has stayed with you throughout your career?
One of the most valuable pieces of advice came from a mentor I deeply respect. I was excited about joining a research project as a co-investigator, it was on a topic I cared about. But my mentor asked whether the project’s underlying assumptions aligned with my own philosophy. That question made me realise how important it is to be clear about the principles I hold and ensure that any research I undertake aligns with them.
 
Two principles that resonate with me are:

• No one should be disadvantaged by a new innovation or approach. New approaches should not increase inequity.
• Patient care in the community should be provided by multidisciplinary primary care teams led by specialist GPs.

The REC-R gathered in Brisbane for a day of inspiration, collaboration and planning. Discussions focused on shaping the 2026 workplan, setting future research priorities and finalising the launch of our research strategy, including defining KPIs to track progress.
 
The group also explored ways to elevate research at upcoming conferences and discussed privacy considerations and the unique challenges of conducting research in general practice.
 
This productive session has strengthened our collective commitment to advancing impactful research.

Academic Post program  

In 2026, we will welcome our largest cohort to date, with 27 recipients across 15 universities in almost every state and territory. A newsGP article recently profiled two of these recipients. The list of successful 2026 Academic Post applicants is now available.

Applications for the 2027 round will open early next year. Universities are encouraged to ensure their information is current on the RACGP - Connect with a University page.

The 2025 Academic Post cohort and many AP alumni attended GP25 in Brisbane , where we hosted our first Academic Registrar Showcase. Each registrar delivered a three-minute thesis style presentation to a full audience. The session was very well received, and we hope to host a similar event next year.

Australian General Practice Research Foundation

We were pleased to celebrate recipients of the 2025 Foundation Grants and Awards at GP25.  Award winners were acknowledged at the RACGP National Awards Ceremony and the Foundation Awards ceremony. It was inspiring to see so many GP researchers recognised for their contributions.
 

Education Research Grants

We are  delighted to announce the recipients of the 2026 Education Research Grants, who will begin their projects in January 2026. We look forward to supporting their research during the year ahead and to seeing the impact their work.

Congratulations to the 2024 (24-month) and 2025 project teams, who presented their findings at the ERG Final Workshop in November and showcased their work at GP25.

Special congratulations to Dr Chris Dickie, who was jointly awarded the Alan Chancellor Award for Best First-Time Presenter for his ERG project presentation “What Drives Prevocational Doctors to Choose General Practice? A National Survey”.

For inquiries about the program, contact Merci Ikeda at gpedresearch@racgp.org.au  

Research grant partnerships and letters of support

Securing funding for general practice research can be challenging. RACGP is committed to supporting GP led research that is relevant to general practice policy and practice. Information on requesting a partnership.  

GP research project noticeboard

The RACGP hosts a noticeboard to help GPs recruit participants for their research studies and find opportunities to support research across Australia.

A selection of current studies includes:

• Deprescribing Benzodiazepines: Examining the feasibility of strategies to support GPs through the deprescribing process
• GP knowledge and confidence in Occupational and Environmental Medicine and Workers' Compensation
• Digital Scribes in Australian primary care
• Shaping Sepsis Care Survey 2

Research papers recently published in the Australian Journal of General Practice:

• Risk factors for burnout in Australian general practice registrars: A qualitative study
• Becoming a general practitioner in Australia: Transformative learning and threshold concepts
• What happens in general practitioner consultations? A study of video-recorded Australian general practitioner consultations
• Temporal trends in tranexamic acid prescribing by Australian general practice registrars for heavy menstrual bleeding
• Primary care physicians hold the car keys: A qualitative exploration of the driver assessment role
• Evidence to inform practice: Inter-practice variability in prevalence of registrars' older patient care

Educational utility of external clinical teaching visits 

In recently published work led by Dr Alison Fielding, both in person and remote, external clinical teaching visits (ECTVs) were found to be highly educationally useful. There was no significant difference between formats. Feedback quality was the strongest driver of registrar learning.
What this mean for GP training

• ECTVs remain a key workplace-based assessment.
• A hybrid ECTV program may provide educational and pragmatic benefits.
• Supporting high quality feedback and strengthening registrars’ feedback literacy will optimise learning.

Selected features:

• Celebrating excellence in GP led Research
• Foundation awards $800,000 to support GP research
• RACGP symposiums highlight GP led research
• How do GPs identify problems
• Reimagined BEACH study on team care

Rural Research Collaborative Learning Network (RR-CLaN) partners with NSW and QLD health services. Since 2023, it has delivered 33 seminars, attracting over 15,600 registrations and thousands of views on YouTube.  

Become a voice for general practice. Join the GP Advocate Network
 
The RACGP GP Advocate Network is seeking passionate GPs to help influence health policy and promote sustainable, high-quality primary care. The network is open to all members and included training and support.  You’ll work alongside peers to engage with MPs, influence health policy, and highlight the vital role of general practice in our communities.
Join us and help shape the future of healthcare.
 
Contact gpadvocate@racgp.org.au to learn more or Express your interest here.

We would love to hear from you. For feedback or contributions, please contact the RACGP Research team at  research@racgp.org.au or call Tania on 03 8699 0572.

To hear more about Foundation Pulse or Trophi News get in touch.

Visit the RACGP Research webpages for more information.