ALK Positive Australia is asking for your help with a simple but important action.
ALK Positive Australia has written to the Federal Health Minister regarding the ongoing underspend of the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF). While significant funds have been generated, a large portion has not been released for research due to current policy settings.
We know how critical research is for our community. The treatments we rely on today exist because of sustained research investment. When funding is delayed, progress slows and patients are the ones who pay the price.
To strengthen our advocacy we are asking our members to write to their local Federal MP. This does not need to be long or technical. A short personal email can be very effective.
We have provided a template (below) to help make this easy for you. You can copy and paste it as it is, but it will have more impact if you personalise it with a few sentences about your own experience and/or why research matters to you.
What to do:
- Find your local MP via the Australian Electoral Commission website and you can find your local member’s email contact here on the Parliament of Australia website
- Copy the template below
- Add a sentence or two about your experience and perspective
- Send it to your MP
This is a practical way we can collectively push for change. Individual voices matter here, especially when they come from people directly affected.
There is no expectation that you take part in this campaign. Your participation in this kind of advocacy work is self determined.
Draft Letter
Subject: Please release unspent MRFF funds to support medical research
Dear (MP Name),
I am writing as a member of your electorate to ask for your support in ensuring that available Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) funding is released to help support further medical research.
While MRFF has generated substantial earnings, a legislated cap has meant that a large portion of these funds has not been distributed. This is not a question of insufficient resources, but a policy setting that is limiting investment in research.
As someone with a lived experience of the impacts of serious illness I have seen how critical research is to improving outcomes through earlier diagnosis, better treatments and longer survival. For patients with conditions like lung cancer – particularly rare subtypes such as ALK+ lung cancer – research funding is already extremely limited. Delays in investment have real consequences to us.
I ask that you advocate for a review of the MRFF spending cap to ensure that available funds are used as intended, and that research investment reflects patient need, including for less common high impact diseases.
Thank you for representing our community, and for your consideration of this issue.
Kind regards,
(Your Name)