Forty years ago, a small group of researchers in Melbourne set out with a simple but ambitious idea; that rigorous science, applied to the right problems, could change the course of disease for the world's most vulnerable people.
Our 2025 Annual Report, released today, comes at a time when the need for that kind of research has never been greater.
“We are operating in a moment of real challenge,” Burnet Director and CEO Professor Brendan Crabb AC said.
“The medical research and public health sectors in Australia are navigating a funding model that continues to fall short, one where many operational costs remain only partially covered.
“At the same time, growing global uncertainty is reshaping the environment around us in ways that are difficult to predict.
“Despite what has been going on around us, we have not lost sight of what we are here to do. We work to address the most pressing health challenges of our time and critically, to confront the inequities that underpin them.”
In 2025, Burnet invested $103.3 million in improving health outcomes domestically and internationally.
That investment supported work with governments, research organisations, non-government organisations and communities in more than 70 countries, alongside 292 international collaborations and research that informed policy. Since 2020, that investment has grown year on year from $69 million, including an increase of 10% on 2024 alone.
The National Health and Medical Research Strategy (NHMRS), launched last week, sets out a 10-year vision to strengthen Australia's health and medical research system, with a focus on equity, translation, innovation and preparedness for future health challenges.
This aligns closely with Burnet's long-standing vision of a more equitable world through better health.
“We especially welcome the emphasis on equity and leaving no one behind, and on advancing Australia as a trusted and leading partner in global health,” Professor Crabb said.
The NHMRS provides a clear direction for Australia's role in meeting these challenges, and Burnet is ready to play its part through world-leading science, strong partnerships and an unrelenting focus on equity.
Forty years in, that has never felt more urgent or important.
