Our National Centres of Research Excellence (CREs) are funded through five-year National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grants, bringing together leading researchers, clinicians and families across Australia and internationally.

The CREs each aim to improve health outcomes for children and families and promote improved translation of research outcomes of policy and practice in their given area of expertise.

CFAR - Centre for Food and Allergy Research

Investigating paediatric food allergy and food-related immune disorders. We use the latest approaches in epidemiology, immunology, paediatrics, nutrition, gastroenterology and biostatistics to investigate factors that cause, prevent and improve food allergies.

This CRE is funded by the NHMRC until mid-2027.

EPIC - Extremely Preterm Infant Centre of Research Excellence

Partnering with families & transforming care to help preterm babies thrive. We translate research into real-world care.

EPIC teams, together with families, experts and health professional developed the NHMRC-approved national guidelines for follow-up care of very preterm children.

This CRE is funded by the NHMRC for five years (2024-2029).

PREDICT & CRE in Paediatric Emergency Medicine

PREDICT & the Centre of Research Excellence in Paediatric Emergency Medicine

Emergency Department patient care throughout Australasia.

Our CRE in Paediatric Emergency Medicine brings together leading researchers and clinicians from Australia and New Zealand to provide leadership and infrastructure for multicentre research and collaboration.

The multicentre projects undertaken by our CRE are implemented via the Paediatric Research in Emergency Departments International Collaborative (PREDICT) network.

This CRE is funded by the NHMRC for five years (2024 - 2029).

Translational Centre for Speech Disorders

Our vision is to improve outcomes for children with speech disorders

We are studying the underlying causes of speech disorders and not just surface language disorder symptoms. Understanding the genetics of speech disorders will help transform diagnosis and prognosis and enable precision therapies to improve long-term outcomes.

This CRE is funded by the NHMRC for five years (2023-2028).

Other programs

Centre for Health Analytics

Health analytics is the intersection of health care, information technology, and science.

We help interpret data into meaning to ease difficult moments in young people's lives.

The Centre for Health Analytics acts as a nucleus; to enable the use of data to improve patient care, operations, education and research across the Melbourne Children’s Campus.

Epi-Genomic Newborn screening (EpiGNs) program

This program aims to improve health outcomes for babies and their families using a heel prick test.

Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, in partnership with GenV, the University of Melbourne, University of Adelaide, University of Technology Sydney, Hunter Genetics and Monash University, will oversee the Epi-Genomic Newborn screening (EpiGNs) program from 2022 to 2027.

ViCBiostat: Victorian Centre for Biostatistics

ViCBiostat received NHMRC funding from 2012 to 2017 to build capacity in academic biostatistics. Since the funding ended, it has continued as an unfunded collaborative network, with research supported through competitive grants and training activities funded by short courses and workshops.

Its core aim has been to develop a strong cohort of advanced biostatistics trainees working across diverse projects and collaborations.

ViCBiostat remains active through ongoing seminars, publications, Summer Schools, and other capacity‑building initiatives. More information is available on the ViCBiostat website.

Visit the ViCBiostat website