Research and grants program

• The RECOVER Injury Research Centre is based at the University of Queensland and has a strong focus on improving health outcomes following musculoskeletal injuries, understanding the recovery journey for people with compensable injuries, and investigating the implementation of technology-enabled health services.
• The Hopkins Centre is a joint initiative of Griffith University and the Metro South Hospital and Health Service, with multiple affiliate partners including MAIC. The Hopkins Centre aims to provide evidence-based research to support rehabilitation and care for people with life-long severe disabilities.
• The Jamieson Trauma Institute (JTI) is jointly funded by MAIC and the Metro North Hospital and Health Service. JTI provides research services in relation to all aspects of trauma care in Queensland.
• The Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety – Queensland (CARRS-Q) is a Queensland University of Technology-based research centre. CARRS-Q analyses behavioural patterns to develop countermeasures to prevent injury, and is committed to achieving real and long-term results by providing evidence-based information to policymakers, industry and the community.
• The University of the Sunshine Coast Road Safety Collaboration conducts research aimed at providing evidence for improving road safety in Queensland and Australia.

• The Queensland Brain Institute – MAIC Senior Research Fellow. The role of this Fellow is to develop an objective technique for assessing the extent of brain damage following a traumatic brain injury. Associate Professor Fatima Nasrallah currently holds this position at QBI.
• The Queensland University of Technology Data Linkage Fellowship. This fellowship aims to establish a road crash injury database linking information from Queensland Police, MAIC, and Queensland Health to help inform road safety priorities and countermeasures. Dr Angela Watson holds this position at QUT.
• The Paediatric Chair in Rehabilitation. This is a joint research and clinical role between the Queensland Children’s Hospital and Child Health Research Centre at the University of Queensland focusing on traumatic brain injury and rehabilitation in paediatric patients. Professor Karen Barlow holds this position.
• Supporting the University of Queensland’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) Research Fellowship, investigating novel approaches to improve wound healing particularly in the pre-hospital setting. Researchers are investigating the use of snake venom protein in a topical gel or patch to accelerate blood clotting and promote tissue regeneration.

We provide funding to a number of key projects. In relation to spinal cord damage, we support the Griffith University-led Spinal Injury Project, which investigates the potential to use nasal cells to create a nerve bridge to repair damage, and the BioSpine Project.

In relation to road safety and injury prevention, we support projects focusing on key priority areas as identified through CTP claims data:

• With young drivers remaining overrepresented in crashes resulting in a Queensland CTP claim, we continue to invest in projects to enhance young driver safety. At the forefront of this is our support for PCYC’s ‘Braking the Cycle’ learner driver mentor program which provides disadvantaged people with access to a suitable mentor and vehicle in which to obtain the 100 hours necessary to be eligible to obtain their driver’s licence. As at 31 December 2023, this award-winning program has helped 5,156 people obtained their licence since inception. This is a significant outcome and represents a proactive approach to reducing unlicensed driving and the associated higher crash risks.
• MAIC is also supporting the pilot of the Braking the Cycle program adapted for First Peoples, with the pilot commencing in the Napranum PCYC in 2021. Following the successful trial MAIC extended its funding with Napranum PCYC and broadened the program to include the remote communities of Yarrabah and Palm Island from 1 July 2023
• Brain injuries remain a focus area in terms of more significant injuries within the scheme. MAIC is contributing funding towards the PREDICT-TBI study being led by Associate Professor Fatima Nasrallah the MAIC Senior Research Fellow from the Queensland Brain Institute. The focus of this research will be to develop an early assessment and prognostic model to predict a patient’s diagnosis and recovery following a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. This model will be focused on combining blood-based molecular biomarkers, blood biospecimens, computer tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, clinical and patient data and artificial intelligence. Participants will be sourced from four Queensland hospitals.
• In 2021, in collaboration with Emergency Medicine Foundation, MAIC established the trauma care in regional, rural and remote Queensland special research grants program to empower frontline clinicians delivering emergency trauma care in regions across the state. While road trauma is one of the main causes of traumatic brain injury, the geographic spread of Queensland’s population poses challenges to delivering life-saving emergency care for time-critical injuries. MAIC has extended funding for a further 3 years from 1 July 2024 to provide three grant rounds to clinicians to explore their ideas and develop and evidence-based program to stimulate improvements in the treatment of trauma patients. As part of this funding, dedicated support and expertise from experienced researchers will be provided to these clinicians. You can read more about the work of EMF via their annual report 2022-23 here.
• In 2019 MAIC, the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), Queensland Police Service (QPS), and Queensland Health through the Jamieson Trauma Institute signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish The Road Safety Data Bureau. The first of its kind in Australia, the cross-agency specialist team was created to identify and address knowledge gaps in Queensland road trauma data. Reports provided to date have provided enriched perspectives into various domains such as serious and fatal injury, motorcycle users, older drivers and impaired driving. With reconnaissance to the Queensland Road Safety Strategy 2022-31 and the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030, MAIC recently confirmed a further five-year funding commitment to the Bureau from 1 July 2023.

Funding provided by MAIC for research must be expended or committed on a cost that is incurred to carry out the research project for the duration of the funding agreement. Applicants must provide a breakdown of costs and how the proposed research costs are directly related to achieving the aims of the research.

Expenditure that directly relates to research projects may include:

• Personnel salary and salary on costs
• PhD scholarships or other fellowships
• Equipment & Consumables
• Travel & Conferences

Expenditure that is not considered an appropriate use of MAIC funds includes:

• Institutional overhead and operational costs (including but not limited to land, building, fixtures, utility costs and information technology).
• Costs associated with Institution administrative support staff.

Budgets supplied by Applicants/Institutions for research and education projects will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. MAIC highly values cash contributions by Institutions towards research projects put forward for MAIC funding.

If you receive funding from the Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC) you must appropriately acknowledge MAIC in any promotional activities in relation to the funded project, regardless of whether the promotional activities occur during or after the completion of funding.

Read more about our Funding acknowledgement requirements.