The Federal Government has announced that the new $7.5 million John Cade Fellowship in Mental Health Research is now open for applications.

 

“The new Fellowship will support up to two outstanding researchers with funding of $750,000 per annum for five years to drive innovative mental health research, especially in new and emerging areas,” Federal Minister for Mental Health Mark Butler said.

 

“The anticipated breakthrough approaches and treatments will benefit the one in five Australians who will suffer from mental illness at some stage in their lives.”

 

The fellowship is named in honour of Dr John Cade, who discovered the use of lithium to successfully treat bipolar disorder, marking the first effective medication to treat bipolar.

 

National Health and Medical Research Council CEO Professor Warwick Anderson said the Fellowship will help expand leadership in our nation’s mental health research and strengthen Australia’s capacity to respond to the many challenges in this area.

 

“In particular, the Fellowship will focus on researchers who are able to contribute to the translation of discoveries into improved mental health outcomes,” Mr Anderson said.

 

Applications for the John Cade Fellowship will close on 17 October 2012. Successful John Cade Fellows are likely to be announced mid-2013.

 

For more information, visit www.nhmrc.gov.au