JOHN K. HARCOURT, DDSc, FRACDS, FICD, Editor

FUNDING FOR DENTAL RESEARCH IN AUSTRALIA

Criticism has been levelled at the Journal in some quarters for publishing what has been considered to be esoteric material of little or no interest to the general practitioner. However, a number of these papers are reports of research activities carried out in Australia by workers who have been funded in part or in total by the Australian Dental Research Fund. The Fund Directors, not unreasonably, require all recipients to present progress and final reports, which need to be published somewhere or the work is wasted. What better vehicle exists for the publication of Australian dental research activities funded by a body sponsored by the Australian Dental Association and the Australian Dental Industry Association than the Australian Dental Journal? Indeed, Fund recipients are asked to prepare their final reports in a form suitable for publication in the Australian Dental Journal. However, with permission from the Directors, some recipients have published elsewhere in what have been considered to be journals more appropriate to the subject being discussed.

The possibility of devoting one issue a year of the Australian Dental Journal entirely to the publication of Fund papersis being considered. The Fund directors are also investigating ways of perhaps contributing to the cost of this issue without seriously affecting their ability to support research activities in this country.

The vast majority of dentally related research is carried out in the dental schools in this country, the Institute of Dental Research in Sydney and until fairly recently the Australian Dental Standards Laboratory. The original concept of the predecessor to the Australian Dental Research Fund was to be a body that would permit a dentist in private practice to carry out a small research project, either in the practice or in conjunction with a dental school. However, with the present financial restrictions that have been in place in universities for some years, research funding has been harder to obtain through the National Health and Medical Research Council and/or the Australian Research Council sources and so many dental researchers have turned to the Australian Dental Research Fund for their support. In 1992,32 applications for assistance were received, and after very careful consideration including peer review procedures by referees nominated both by the candidates and the Research Advisory Committee, all but two were

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approved. The 30 approved applications were given a rank order and funding was found, albeit at a reduced level for some projects, for 26 of them. This year, there are over 40 applications to be considered!

Where does the money come from? The Fund was set up with donations and bequests from the dental profession and from the dental industry, and other suppliers of dental products and services. Income each year is derived largely from interest on investments and from the sale of appointment books. In the current climate the interest from investments is well down on that which was being earned some years ago, so this in itself is a factor limiting the ability of the Fund to support research activities to the extent that the Directors would wish.

Association members are invited to consider supporting the Fund finan- cially by making one time or annual donations in order that the Australian Dental Research Fund can continue to be one of the major sources of funds for dental research in this country outside the National Health and Medical Research Council and the universities. Establishing the Fund was a joint profession and industry initiative and over the years there have been a number of success stories as a result of the research funds that have been distributed to worthy Australians working in fields related to clinical dentistry, to dental materials science, and to biochemistry, microbiology, pathology and immunology to name but some of the supported disciplines. If the concept of an annual issue of the Journal devoted entirely to Fund reports is accepted generally, then an avenue for the further promulgation of Australian science will have been established. It is to be hoped that this idea comes to fruition so that the first research issue can be scheduled for April 1994.

THE AUSTRALIAN DENTAL COUNCIL

The establishment of the Australian Dental Council is yet another initiative taken by the dental profession when it has appeared that govern- ments were refusing to act. The Council was formally inaugurated on 19 March 1993 at a meeting in Melbourne prior to the 27th Australian Dental Congress. Initially, the Dental Board of Victoria has agreed to provide facilities for the Council and the exact method of funding has yet to be determined. An early priority for the Council is to move towards an accredi- tation of the Australian dental schools. Quasi-accreditation has been given in the past by the General Dental Council of the United Kingdom in their Visitations approximately every ten years. However, for many years it has been felt that such activity rightly belonged in this country, but for one reason or another various state and federal governments have not seen fit to establish an Australian Dental Council (similar to the Australian Medical Council). Hence, it has really fallen to the profession itself to ‘bite the bullet’ and set up a body which it believes to be in the best interests of the public in ensuring the maintenance of quality dental care in Australia.

Other activities of the Council have yet to be finalized, but there is no doubt that consideration will be given to issues such as postgraduate training and specialization in dentistry, and, in concert with the Australian Dental Examining Council, recognition of overseas qualifications. The best wishes of the Association go out to those who have had the foresight to establish this Council. May it prove to be a great success, not only for the profession, but also for the Australian community.

244 Australian Dental Journal 1993;38:3.