Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute scrapped after 'review'

One of the University of Wollongong's favoured research centres, it was launched with great fanfare - and a brand new $30 million building - as a partnership between UOW and the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD).

But UOW stopped funding it last June, five of the board resigned within days, and now after a "review" of research strategies it will be wound up.

Professor David Adams, the former CEO and executive director of IHMRI, said it was a major loss.

"A sad day and major loss to the Illawarra community after 14 years contribution to health and medical research in the region," Professor Adams wrote on Twitter.

It was opened in 2008, the building in 2010, and there were claims from former UOW vice-chancellor Gerard Sutton that its existence would improve the health of the region's population.

When UOW stopped funding IHMRI last year it left the highly touted centre without its leading source of income.

UOW had been funding the IHMRI about $5 million a year, and charging about $2.6 million rent for the use of the Gerard Sutton Building on the Keiraville campus.

This forced a "change of strategic direction" which the IHMRI board would announce last September, with a focus on "targeted health and medical research outcomes that will benefit the community".

Five of the board members resigned in 2022 including UOW Vice-Chancellor Patricia Davidson and IRT CEO Patrick Reid, within two days of the decision that funding from UOW would stop.

IHMRI chief operating officer Kara Lamond left the organisation in January but she is still listed on the IHMRI website as the COO.

A statement from the UOW and the ISLHD said an application had been made to ASIC to wind up the organisation after a decision by the IHMRI board, UOW and the ISLHD.

A reason was not given other than that there had been a "refocus" of research priorities after recent reviews were undertaken.

"Both UOW and ISLHD are committed to continuing health and medical research in the Illawarra Shoalhaven region, and to improving health outcomes in the communities that we serve through the power of research, discovery, and partnership," the statement said.

"The decision to discontinue IHRMI aligns with recent reviews into both UOW and ISLHD research capability and strategies, and the subsequent refocus of research priorities for the respective organisations.

"Funding commitments to current PhD research programs will be honoured, and PhD students will be fully supported to continue their research through the Faculty of Science, Medicine, and Health."

Professor Adams has been contacted for comment.

Named after the former Vice-Chancellor in 2012, the NSW Government paid for half of this building's construction.

"The Gerard Sutton Building on UOW's Wollongong campus will continue to provide world-class medical research facilities to support the ongoing medical research being conducted by UOW researchers," the joint statement said.

"Funding commitments to current PhD research programs will be honoured, and PhD students will be fully supported to continue their research through the Faculty of Science, Medicine, and Health."