Neurotrauma Research Program (NRP)

The Neurotrauma Research Program (NRP) brings together neuroscientists, neurosurgeons, and clinicians in unprecedented collaborative scientific endeavours that are improving the lives of people affected by brain and spinal cord injury.

The NRP provides seed funding for vital neurotrauma research, providing opportunities and incentives to maintain Western Australia as a significant contributor to global neurotrauma research.  As the only WA-based funding body for brain and spinal cord injury research, the NRP is a vital and unique provider of research funds.

The NRP’s mission is to support research into avoiding, understanding injury mechanisms and developing effective treatments for acquired trauma to the nervous system (brain and spinal trauma). The ultimate goal is to ensure that nobody has to live with permanent disability from spinal cord injury or traumatic brain injury. 

The world-class scientific research of the NRP is aimed at improving the lives of people affected by neurotrauma and the wider community, recognising the medical, social and psychological implications of these injuries. 

ICWA grant round now open

The latest grant application round, funded by the Insurance Commission of Western Australia , has opened and will close on Monday, 15th March 2021 at 12 noon.   The NRP ICWA Grant Application Form 2021-2022 and NRP ICWA Guidelines for Applicants 2021 are available to download here.

Queen’s Birthday Honour for NRP Chairman

Congratulations to Professor Bryant Stokes AM RFD who has been recognised for his contributions to public health in WA and has been awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours announced on the 8th June 2020.

Professor Stokes, Chairman of NRP for over 20 years, received the honour for “distinguished service to public health care governance and standards in Western Australia through leadership and advisory roles.”

The neurotrauma research community is honoured to have Professor Stokes advocating for their cause and NRP is indebted to his leadership, vision and tenacious commitment to this vital program.

NRP Grants Awarded

The NRP/Department of Health funded grants from the September 2020 round have now been awarded, for neurotrauma research to be undertaken across 2021-2022.

Out of a strong field with a large numberof applications received, 7 were successful in attracting funding. These were:

Cruickshank T, Bartlett D, Blacker D, Lo J, Stanley M, Devine A, Laws S, van de Groen O, Ciccone N, Turner M, Learmonth Y
The feasibility and therapeutic utility of a 12-week telehealth delivered environmental enrichment program for young stroke survivors experiencing cognitive impairment

Fraser M, Meuleners L
Personalised driving safety: Using telematics to reduce risky behaviour among young drivers

Lister R, Rodger J
Characterizing transcriptional changes at single-cell resolution following brain injury and treatment with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation

Hodgetts S, Harvey A, Wallace V
Photobiomodulation for spinal cord repair using wireless LED based devices implanted at the injury site

Takechi R, Fitzgerald M, Lavender A, McDonald S, Anyaegbu C
Prevention of cerebrovascular dysfunction and neuromotor deficits induced by repeated sub-concussion

Tang A, Rodger J, Reynolds J, Fujiyama H, Beros J, King E
Targeting the axon initial segment for the treatment of stroke

Taylor J, Mesquita R, Blazevich A, Girard O, Butler J, Laws S
Jump-starting the spinal cord with acute intermittent hypoxia: mediators of inter-individual variability in neuroplasticity

Congratulations to the successful applicants!

And thank you to everyone who applied. De-identified reviewer feedback has been provided to the research applicants and we hope this will be helpful when submitting applications in future rounds.

Thank you to the WA Department of Health for continuing to provide funding for vital research that will significantly improve those affected by the impacts of neurotrauma.

And finally, thank you to our team of peer reviewers, whose generous assistance in this process is invaluable.

Best of luck to all of our neurotrauma researchers!

ECU Spinal Cord Injury Research Study

Looking for participants!

We are looking for people (18 – 70 years of age) who suffered a spinal cord injury at a cervical level at least 1 year ago to take part in a research project, funded by NRP. We use non-invasive brain stimulation (rTMS) to try and enhance the efficacy of residual connections between the brain and arm. The effect of rTMS will be measured with neurophysiological and behavioural measures including motor control and sensory measures. Participants will be asked to visit ECU Joondalup seven times. In order to participate in this study, you will have to have a residual upper limb motor deficit with muscle weakness and no joint-related limitations of passive range of movement of the upper extremities.

If you are interested and would like more information, then please contact Dr. Onno van der Groen via email o.vandergroen@ecu.edu.au or phone 08 6304 3644.

Grant Outcomes 2019

Visit the ICWA sponsored grants and the recent DoH sponsored grants pages to find out more.

International Neurotrauma Symposium (INTS)

We are pleased to be providing travel bursaries to assist students and early career researchers to attend the meeting and present their research. 

New dates for 2021

Saturday 7 to Thursday 11 February, 2021

The event has now been changed to a virtual format following the extraordinary circumstances related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak .  You can find out more about the event here.