Greetings from the RACGP Research team, and welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter.
 
The past few months have been busy, with the team and the RACGP Expert Committee – Research (REC-R) contributing to work in several areas, including: RACGP Advocacy, Standards, events, Foundation grants, grant partnership requests and more.

We are excited about our plans for the rest of the year as we prepare to launch the new research strategy, plan for a research presence at GP25, and continue to advocate for increased funding and support for GP research and academic career pathways.

We know competing demands can make it challenging for GPs and practices  to  engage in research  but, we also know it can lead to valuable insights and improvements in care. That’s why we’re committed to supporting and encouraging practices to get involved in research.  

In May, Prof Dimity Pond, Chair of the REC-R, presented at the RACGP Practice Owners conference along with Prof Charlotte Hespe and Dr Anita Munoz.

The presentation on Research-active, practice-strong: how research enhances your practice. provided practice owners and managers with examples of different ways they can get involved in research. It also provided an insight into what’s involved when  joining a research project, outlining the potential benefits and value for their practice.

This was followed by a workshop Becoming Research Ready: Empowering GPs to Drive Evidence-Based Care, led by staff from the Department of General Practice and Primary Care at the University of Melbourne and supported by Translating Research Outcomes into Practice Initiative (TROPHI) partners Monash University and RACGP.
The workshop aimed to help practices:

• recognise practical, low-disruption research opportunities
• identify the characteristics of a research-ready general practice
• understand how to collaborate with research teams
•  access support, training, and funding pathways for research.

An exciting new collaboration, the NSW-ACT Practice-based Research Alliance (NAPRA) held its official launch on 23 May. NAPRA is an alliance of nine practice-based research networks in NSW&ACT. RACGP were proud to be invited to speak at this event where Prof Dimity Pond (Chair of the RACGP Expert Research Committee) presented on the Importance of Primary Care and General Practice Research. It’s exciting to see this alliance emerge in the context of ongoing RACGP advocacy for government funding and support for a national PBRN. Congratulations to the team who have bought this to life.
 
On 24 June, the Western Australian General Practice Based Research Network (WAGPBRN) and RACGP hosted a joint research seminar, in partnership with the Australian General Practice Research Foundation. Local GPs and researchers presented their research projects to GPs, practice staff, GPs in training and researchers. Representatives from the office of Hon Stephen Dawson MLC, Minister for Medical Research were also in attendance. This wonderful collaboration shows how we can work together to build a culture of research and translation across Australia.

We recently contributed to the consultation for the National Health and Medical Research Strategy, emphasising the importance of GP-led research and the urgent need for funding and support for research and research pathways.

The Research team has also been working with the WA Faculty to support advocacy for general practice research in WA.  Last year, the WA Faculty made a written submission to the Inquiry into support for health and medical research funding and priorities, and Faculty Chair Dr Ramya Raman was subsequently invited to give evidence at a hearing, along with Associate Professor Nahal Mavaddat (University of Western Australia) and Associate Professor Diane Arnold-Reed (University of Notre Dame Australia, and Chair, WAGPBRN). 

The inquiry’s final report, released in November 2024, recognised the potential benefits of including GPs in medical research co-design, and enabling them to do funded practice-based research. It acknowledged that GP research and funding needs are still not considered by the WA Health and Medical Research Strategy and Future Health Research Innovation Fund Strategy. We will continue to advocate for this.

If you are aware of any state-based advocacy opportunities, please contact us.

We spoke to Dr Brent Venning from the University of Melbourne who is Deputy Chair of REC-Research since January 2025 about his interest in REC-Research.

What inspired you to join REC–Research?
I wanted to be more involved in advocating for research in general practice, particularly for early career GP researchers and those working outside major cities. There are significant challenges in the research career pathway, particularly in securing funding and obtaining sustainable positions. I felt it was better to be actively involved in shaping solutions rather than standing on the sidelines. When the opportunity arose to contribute to the development of RACGP-supported PhD scholarships for GPs, I was pleased to be part of that process and to see it come to fruition.

Has your research ever changed the way you practice?
Absolutely. Research keeps me up to date with the literature and emerging ideas. It’s also sharpened my critical appraisal skills, which are invaluable in everyday practice. My current research on symptomatic cancer diagnosis directly influences how I interpret and investigate common presentations in general practice. It gives me confidence in the evidence underpinning my decisions and a sense of subject matter expertise that’s both satisfying and motivating.

What’s your advice to GPs who want to get into research?
Start by reflecting on what interests you, what clinical questions you want answers to, and what kind of methods appeal to you. Check if those questions have already been answered in the literature and reach out to your local university department of general practice or GP academic unit. There are often opportunities to contribute to larger research projects or participate in clinical advisory roles through organisations such as PC4. There are awards available to support those interested in research, such as the Dr Leon Carp Award at the University of Melbourne, or you might also consider applying for one of the RACGP Foundation grants, which can support different research projects.

Want to keep up to date with Australian General Practice Research Foundation news?
Subscribe to Foundation Pulse through your RACGP membership or email foundation@racgp.org.au to stay up to date with the latest grants, research projects, committee news and team highlights.

Academic Post program   
The 2026 Academic Post application round closes on Monday 21 July 2025. Applications will be assessed throughout August and outcomes announced early September. Universities can expect to receive the RACGP-University funding agreement template to review in late September. 
  
The 2025 cohort are almost halfway through their posts, and many have had a busy few months juggling their research, teaching and clinical work with exam study.     

• The registrar mid-term report was due on 13 July – there is a section for university supervisors to complete.  

• In early August, the cohort will be attending a two-day face-to-face workshop in Melbourne, followed by the Australasian Association of Academic Primary Care annual research conference in Geelong, where many will be presenting their work.   

• The registrar cohort education and support program led by Dr Pallavi Prathivadi is running smoothly – with weekly LMS posts for registrars, and three more webinars scheduled in the coming months.   

• The 2025 cohort will be funded to attend GP25 in Brisbane on 14-16 November.   

Research grant partnerships and letters of support from RACGP
Securing funding for general practice research is challenging. RACGP is keen to support GP-led research that is relevant to general practice policy and practice and is well positioned to support interpreting research findings and disseminating the results. For information on how to request a grant partnership or letter of support, click here.

GP research project noticeboard
The GP Research Noticeboard provides an avenue for promotion, support, and recruitment for GP-led research. The noticeboard receives around 100 unique visits per month. RACGP members may submit their research projects to the GP Research Noticeboard here. Please don’t forget to visit and consider supporting GP research projects currently recruiting!
 
Current projects include:
Improving safety and quality of maternity care in Australia
Medical abortion in general practice: using guidelines for evidence-based care
Priority Setting Partnership for Sepsis Research in Australia

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

• Australians’ knowledge of general practice data sharing: Findings from a focus group study and cross-sectional survey
• Paediatric care in general practice: Case mix, referral patterns and healthcare costs
• Ready, set, blow: A mixed method enquiry into the use of nasal balloon auto-inflation treatment for otitis media with effusion
• Educating antenatal patients about cytomegalovirus infection: An e-learning package improves general practitioners’ knowledge and intention to implement clinical guidelines
• HeartConnect: Integrating primary care and specialist cardiology for rapid access and better patient and healthcare practitioner experience

The 2025 Australasian Association for Academic Primary Care conference presentations
A contingent from the RACGP’s GP Training Research Team will be showcasing their work at the Australasian Association for Academic Primary Care (AAAPC) annual research conference in August. 
 
The GP Training Research Team has 15 accepted abstracts encompassing the Registrar Clinical Encounters in Training (ReCEnT) flagship project, and other education research projects. The work highlights the strong connections between research and education and training, while also celebrating the work of early career researchers - including RACGP Academic Post registrars and medical educators. Abstracts will be published in the Australian Journal of Primary Health.  
 
A special mention to Adele Kincses, who was awarded the Early Career Best Paper Award for her submission ‘How GPs identify and prioritise clinical problems: a systematic review’. Congratulations Adele!  This paper was ranked in the top of all submissions received by AAAPC.  Adele will present a 15-minute plenary in the ‘prize winners’ session of the conference.
 
To learn more about GP Training Research you can connect here: RACGP GP Training Research  or please contact Samia.Toukhsati@RACGP.org.au (Senior Manager, GPTR Team).
 
Congratulations on all the hard work of our presenters and best of luck for their conference presentations in August.
 
See here for a list of accepted abstract titles and presenting authors.

• Menstrual health research shows value of culturally safe care
• Study finds benefits of multidisciplinary networks
• Improving mastitis care through GP-led research
• Latest GP guidance for breast cancer prevention
• Study shines a light on paediatric case mix
• Push for improved dementia education for GPs
• Academic post explores ‘unique position’ of general practice and AI
• OUTPOST study will shed light on post-viral illnesses

• 21 July: 2026 Academic Post application round closes
• 11–12 August: AAAPC Annual Research Conference Geelong
• 26 August: TROPHI translation forum
• 1 September–31 October: Applications open for Foundation PhD top-up scholarships
• 14–16 November: GP25 conference, Brisbane