EMF is proud to announce the recipients of Round 45 of the Queensland Research Program, investing approximately $1.8 million across 21 projects that aim to improve emergency care for Queenslanders.

Round 45 was one of EMF’s most competitive funding rounds to date. The strong response reflects the growing strength of clinician-led emergency care research across Queensland and the increasing demand for evidence-based solutions to some of the health system’s most pressing challenges.

The projects funded through Round 45 span regional and remote healthcare, research capability building, emerging technologies and innovative models of care. Together, these initiatives aim to improve outcomes for patients and strengthen the emergency care system statewide.

A key feature of Round 45 is the investment in building research capability where it is needed most.

Among the successful recipients is Dr Bridget Honan from Kingaroy Hospital, who will lead the development of a sustainable rural emergency medicine research program aimed at embedding research into everyday clinical practice.

The initiative will establish dedicated research support within the emergency department (ED), including an evaluation of telestroke services and opportunities to strengthen rural emergency care through future clinician-led research and statewide collaborations. Dr Honan said:

“Rural communities deserve the same opportunity to benefit from high-quality emergency care research as anyone else. Rural clinicians are uniquely placed to identify the questions that matter most to their communities.

“This grant will help build a culture of research at Kingaroy Hospital, supporting local clinicians to generate evidence that improves care close to home while ensuring rural perspectives help shape the future of emergency medicine.”

Round 45 also includes support for the Cairns Emergency Department Cultural Research Collaborative, led by Dr Stefan Kuiper, which will strengthen culturally safe emergency care research through partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and support community-guided research priorities.

The round also supports research focused on improving care for people with complex and ongoing healthcare needs. Another successful recipient is Emergency Nurse Practitioner Lucy Tripp, who is leading research aimed at improving care for patients with palliative care needs presenting to the ED. Through a co-designed, patient-centred and systems informed model of care, the project aims to help clinicians better recognise and respond to palliative care needs, improve coordination across services, and ensure care aligns with patient values and goals. Lucy Tripp shares: 

“EDs often care for patients and families during some of the most challenging moments of their lives. For those living with a life-limiting illness, an ED presentation can be distressing, often occurring when symptoms become overwhelming or support is no longer enough.

“We hope this research will help ensure that every person with palliative care needs receives care that is compassionate, coordinated and centred on what matters most to them.”

This project was awarded the EMF Kellie Furey Memorial Research Grant, established in memory of EMF’s late Communications Manager, Kellie Furey, and inspired by her passion for quality health and emergency care, as well as her own experiences as a patient.

EMF Board Chair, Prof Hugh Grantham ASM, said the breadth of projects funded in Round 45 highlights the strength and diversity of emergency care research occurring across Queensland. Prof Grantham said:

“This round supports not only individual research projects, but also the development of sustainable research cultures and future research leaders who will continue to improve emergency care for years to come.

“By investing in both metropolitan and regional services, EMF is helping ensure that all Queenslanders can benefit from evidence-based, patient-centred emergency care regardless of where they live.

EMF’s Queensland Research Program is supported by the Queensland Government through Queensland Health, and we thank them for their ongoing partnership and continued investment in emergency care research.

The Queensland Research Program provides funding opportunities for clinicians working across Queensland public EDs, the Queensland Ambulance Service, Retrieval Services Queensland, LifeFlight and the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section), supporting research that improves outcomes for patients and strengthens the emergency care system statewide.