The first known Australian MS Society medical research grant was in Sydney in 1963. For much of the first 30 years of the state MS societies’ existence, they individually contributed small amounts to medical researchers in their respective states in an uncoordinated way.
During the 1990s, the State MS Societies began contributing a small portion of their turnover to an MS Australia research fund that was administered by a Medical Research Advisory Board. In 1995, this reached $817,000 for a broad range of grant applications. In 2000, the Australian MS Longitudinal Study, a pioneering 'tracking' study, now rebranded as the Australian MS Life Study, was one of the more significant projects initiated and was funded by the Societies until 2005.
Lack of funding for MS research spurs MS Societies to act
By 2003, the MS societies’ annual research funding had nearly halved to $444 000 due to a focus on the pressures of maintaining client services. Those research funds were being too thinly spread over an increasing number of projects to have a major impact on MS research in Australia. The US National MS Society, then and now a very large sponsor of Australian MS researchers, had also started pressuring MS Australia to increase its research funding and Australian People with MS (PwMS) and donors were starting to question the MS Societies’ focus on funding research.
MSRA born to rejuvenate MS research
Several state Societies’ Directors and CEOs started discussing the overdue need to "recommit" to research funding via a new business model, as the historical state-based approach had not delivered significant funding. At an MS Australia Board meeting in Bondi, Sydney on Oct 12, 2002 it was decided to establish an independent Australian MS research arm. Considerable work by the Societies over the next eighteen months led to Multiple Sclerosis Research Australia Limited (MSRA) being incorporated in early 2004 as an independent national MS research initiative. Its aim was no less than finding a cure for MS.
With investment banker Simon McKeon (then an MS VIC Director) as inaugural chairman and Jeremy Wright as its first Executive Director, MSRA became operational in late October 2004.　Since then, and assisted by an annual Commonwealth Government $250,000 infrastructure grant, MSRA has consolidated a small national organisation based at the Phillips MS Centre, Chatswood. It has developed national research partnerships with a number of Australian research institutes and built a major national fundraising program.
MSRA achieves five-fold increase in funding since inception
The early result was a substantial increase in new MS research funding, with over $2 million being spent in 2007/2008 (a five fold increase since inception) – together with a commitment to increase this funding to a minimum of $3 million per annum for the next ten years. MSRA has also supported a community fundraising initiative involving people with MS fundraising for research. Called "Foundation 5 Million" (F5M) its name reflects its aim.
MSRA’s 21st century research funding strategy still reflects Ron Phillips’ pioneering 1961 objective – "to avoid duplication of overseas research" - now expressed as "funding Australian MS research where it will make a significant contribution to the world wide effort". Ron Phillips was the first CEO of the Australia MS Society 50 years ago.
Source: "A History of the Multiple Sclerosis Societies of New South Wales and Victoria", 2006, MSRA Annual Report 2007
