Media Release Financial Markets Foundation for Children Provides Funding for New Chair in Neonatal Paediatrics

The Financial Markets Foundation for Children (FMFC) has provided funding for the appointment of a new Chair in Neonatal Paediatrics with responsibility for rapidly advancing knowledge and practice in the field of newborn health and improving life outcomes for babies.

As a full Professor of Monash University, the new appointee will be responsible for leadership and strategic development of neonatal paediatric academic research at the University. The appointee will be a well-established academic neonatologist from one of the world's leading research communities.

Chair of the Financial Markets Foundation, Reserve Bank Governor Philip Lowe, said, ‘On behalf of the FMFC, we are delighted to provide funding for the appointment of a new Chair of Neonatal Paediatrics. The partnership between Monash University and the FMFC will help accelerate research into newborn health, particularly for the benefit of the most vulnerable premature or ill newborns.’

The new Chair in Neonatal Paediatrics will sit across two institutions: the Ritchie Centre (a joint research centre of Monash University and the Hudson Institute for Medical Research) and the Monash Children's Hospital (part of Monash Health). These facilities are at the cutting edge of translating basic research into patient outcomes during and after birth, while serving a very large, diverse and growing community.

President and Vice-Chancellor of Monash University, Professor Margaret Gardner, AO, said, ‘We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with the FMFC to improve the prospects for newborn children and consequently effect real change on the health of the community in Australia.’

This announcement coincides with the recent launch of Monash University's largest ever philanthropic campaign in its 60-year history, ‘Change It. For Good’. Monash has a goal of raising $500 million from 50,000 donors.

The FMFC is a charitable foundation established in 1988 by Australia's major financial institutions, with the objective improving the health and welfare of children in Australia, particularly by supporting research.

Since its establishment, the FMFC has donated in excess of $21 million to more than 253 individual projects. The Foundation's focus is on providing seed money to new and less popular research projects that have the potential to be scaled in scope and funding. The results of this research have been regularly published in the top medical journals around the world.

The FMFC is overseen by a Board which, by tradition, is chaired by the serving Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, and includes the CEOs of Australia's major banks and other prominent people from the financial sector. All administrative costs are provided pro bono so all proceeds can go to research.

Further information is available on the Financial Markets Foundation for Children website.