Welcome to the National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM)


Foundation partners

 

NICM is an Australian Government initiative, supported by the NSW Government and hosted by the University of Western Sydney.

 

The National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM) was established to provide leadership and support for strategically directed research into complementary medicine and translation of evidence into clinical practice and relevant policy to benefit the health of all Australians.

 

 

Objectives

 

  • Build capacity, foster excellence and attract increased investment in complementary medicine research.

  • Articulate national priorities in basic and translational research and promote national and international collaborations to support these, including between complementary and mainstream health and medical research.

  • Facilitate translation of research effort into practice and policy, including appropriate integration with the mainstream health system.

  • Work with national and international partners to identify and develop sources of accurate information and efficient mechanisms for sharing data and disseminating information about current research activity and evidence of safety, quality and efficacy of complementary medicine.

  • Provide advice on opportunities relevant to and issues affecting the complementary medicine research sector to build a policy, regulatory and industry environment conducive to research.


  • Collect data and communicate the strength and value of complementary medicine research.

 

 

Priorities

 

NICM will focus on supporting research that :


  • Has the potential to impact positively on the health and wellbeing of all Australians. Emphasis will be given to those areas of high burden of disease where preliminary evidence is strong and demonstrates likelihood of positive impact.

  • Elucidates safety, efficacy and cost effectiveness of complementary medicine and translates this into policy and practice.

  • Investigates methodological issues relevant to the complex nature of complementary medicine. These include the development of methodological tools, such as measurement instruments, trial designs and pharmacological approaches which may impact on our understanding of the whole practice, concepts and mechanisms underpinning complementary medicine.

News Update

 

 

2008 ASMR Professional Development Program

 

NICM has linked with ASMR to provide complementary medicine researchers a unique opportunity to take part in the 2008 ASMR Professional Development Program.

 

Click here for details

 

 

ABS reports on complementary therapies

 

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released their annual Australian Social Trends report which includes some interesting statistics on complementary therapies. A full copy of the article is available in our activities section. Click here

 

 

Employment opportunities

 

There are a range of PhD scholarship opportunities currently being advertised in the employment section of our website. If you are interested in furthering your knowledge and skills in complementary medicine research please monitor the employment page as we will continue to provide links to these opportunities on a national basis.

 

 

Newsletter Number 5

 

NICM's latest newsletter (July 08) is now available for download – click here