NICM Background

 

The establishment of NICM follows the 2003 recommendation by the Expert Committee on Complementary Medicines in the Australian Health System that the government has a social responsibility to fund complementary medicine research given the high community use of complementary medicines and therapies. Since then, there have been concerted efforts by leading complementary medicine researchers and industry bodies, including the Complementary Healthcare Council, working with state and Commonwealth governments to establish a dedicated evidence based complementary medicine research facility. Initial seed funding for the establishment of NICM (June 2007) was awarded to the University of Western Sydney, and includes $4 million from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing together with an additional $0.6 million from the NSW Office for Science and Medical Research (OSMR) for the purpose of escalating the establishment phase of NICM organisation. The institute will be hosted by the University of Western Sydney at it’s Campbelltown campus.

The NICM initiative complements the announcement in late 2006 of $5 million in National Health and Medical Research Council Special Initiative Research Grants for complementary medicine and the inclusion of complementary medicine in the new National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) triennial strategic plan. The special initiative funding has drawn an overwhelming response with 141 applications from 37 institutions demonstrating the high level of interest in complementary medicine research.

 

Government support for the founding of NICM and other complementary medicine research initiatives is consistent with international trends. The US government currently allocates approximately $140 million per annum for complementary medicine research activities through the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (one of the US National Institutes of Health); and the Chinese government in 2006 announced a significant five year international collaborative research program that will seed research investment and collaborations to promote international recognition and acceptance of traditional Chinese medicine.

 

The establishment of NICM paves the way for potential significant health and economic benefits to Australians and to communities worldwide.