Emergency Medicine Foundation

02/03/2026

🎤 Keynote Spotlight: Dr Elizabeth (EJ) Marsden

We’re thrilled to welcome Dr EJ Marsden as a keynote speaker at the 2026 ACEM & EMF Research Symposium! 👏

Dr Marsden leads the Older Persons Emergency Network (OPEN), an innovative model delivering emergency care to older people in their homes or Residential Aged Care Facilities, helping reduce unnecessary ED visits and keeping patients safe where they want to be.

Supported by an EMF Research Capacity Building grant, the OPEN team has strengthened research and evaluation capability within the program.

📅 Join us on 11-12 March 2026 - limited places remain across the Symposium: https://acem.eventsair.com/acem-research-symposium-2026/

Australasian College for Emergency Medicine Metro North Health

26/02/2026

Plan your project with precision: start with stats! 📊

Professor Robert Ware, biostatistician at Wesley Research Institute and Griffith University, has over 20 years’ experience collaborating with clinical colleagues to strengthen the design of their research studies, from birth cohorts to randomised trials.

A trusted collaborator and EMF grant reviewer, Prof Ware has shaped research across drug overdose, trauma care, paediatric ultrasound, vascular access, and ED crowding. His expertise strengthens study design, analysis, and interpretation, helping EMF-funded research achieve real-world impact. 🙌

Whether refining your research question, calculating sample size, or tackling missing data, involving a biostatistician early ensures your project is robust and your findings will be meaningful.

If you’re applying for Round 45 of the Queensland Research Program, EMF can connect you with the right statistical support. 🤝

📌 Round 45 applications are open: https://emergencyfoundation.org.au/queensland-research-program/

📅 Closing 20 April (25 May for Emerge)

23/02/2026

Discover the latest in Queensland emergency medicine research in EMF’s first Research Newsletter for 2026. 🎉

Highlights from this edition:

🚨Round 45 of the Queensland Research Program - now open with increased funding
🔍Commissioned project exploring research translation in emergency care
📅The upcoming Australasian College for Emergency Medicine & EMF Research Symposium in Brisbane
💻EMF-supported trauma skills online learning, led by A/Prof Fran Williamson

Read about the latest research, innovative training, and funding opportunities - all designed to support clinicians and strengthen emergency care across Queensland.

📌 Explore the full newsletter: https://app4.vision6.com.au/em/message/email/view.php?id=1956686&a=111266&k=kxKwHn0MC19KXyWP-E93k8WXSW6Ji7ShNqQ7tBEfpFk

19/02/2026

🎤 Don’t miss the ARISE FLUIDS trial results!

The Australasian Resuscitation in Sepsis Evaluation: FLUid or Vasopressors in Emergency Department Sepsis (ARISE FLUIDS) is a multicentre, randomised controlled trial which is the largest study of fluids vs vasopressors in sepsis patients across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. 🌏

Due to be presented at the ACEM & EMF Research Symposium 2026 by A/Prof Stephen Macdonald, the trial explores the best approach to haemodynamic resuscitation in septic shock, restricted fluids with early vasopressors vs larger initial IV fluid volumes.

💡 EMF-supported pilot research in Queensland helped inform this trial, contributing to early sepsis research capacity and collaboration.

📅 Register for the Symposium (11-12 March): https://ace.mn/RS26

This is a closed, confidential session.

Australasian College for Emergency Medicine

18/02/2026

Trauma Care Research Scholarships: Now Open 🎓

🗨️ “Be curious and take the opportunity to apply for this course, you have nothing to lose and a great deal to gain!”

That’s Roberta Ridolfi, Clinical Nurse Educator at Retrieval Services Queensland and previous EMF Trauma Care Scholarship recipient, sharing her advice.💡

Through this scholarship, Queensland emergency clinicians can complete the Emergency Medicine Research Course delivered by Monash University and The Alfred Emergency & Trauma Centre. building practical skills in research design, critical thinking and evidence-based care. 📚

The program is designed for clinicians who are new to research and want to improve trauma care in regional, rural and remote Queensland. Applicants nominate their own mentor or choose from a list of experienced researchers at the Jamieson Trauma Institute.

You don’t need to be an academic to be involved in or lead research, just curious and ready to grow. ✨

📌 Apply and find out more: https://emergencyfoundation.org.au/trauma-care/

EMF thanks the Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC) for supporting this program. 👏

Queensland Health

17/02/2026

Getting Intubation Right: How an EMF Emerge Grant is Improving Emergency Airway management 💡

Rapid sequence intubation (RSI) is a cornerstone of critical care, allowing patients airway to be protected, ensuring they get sufficient oxygen and crucial lifesaving procedures.

The process involves giving a muscle relaxant, Rocuronium, to help improve both the success of the procedure and how long it takes. There remains a lot of uncertainty about what the correct dose of Rocuronium to relax the muscles is, especially in the most critically unwell patients.

🚨 Funded through Round 44 of EMF’s Queensland Research Program, Dr Robbie Ley Greaves is exploring whether a higher dose of rocuronium leads to safer, faster, and more reliable intubations.

Guided by Dr Ben Aston, Clinical Research Lead for LifeFlight, this Emerge Grant supports Dr Ley Greaves as he develops his statistical research expertise while leading a high-impact project.

Drawing on over 700 intubations of critically unwell patients performed by LifeFlight, the ROAD study will generate evidence to guide safer emergency care for critically ill patients. 🛩️

Congratulations to Dr Ley Greaves on this important research! 👏

📌 Have a research idea? Round 45 of the Queensland Research Program is now open. Learn more: https://emergencyfoundation.org.au/queensland-research-program/

16/02/2026

Emergency department demand in Australia: what 20 years of data tells us

A national study by a multidisciplinary team of researchers from CSIRO, Queensland Ambulance Service, Queensland Health and The University of Queensland analysed ED presentations from 2003–2023 using Age-Period-Cohort (APC) modelling to understand how ED use is changing over time and across generations.

While the growth in ED visits has slowed in recent years, the study emphasised some concerning trends: ED visits have consistently increased in Australians aged

12/02/2026

🎤 Keynote Speaker Announcement!

We’re excited to announce the keynote speakers for Day 1 of the ACEM & EMF Research Symposium. 👏

Joining us are two internationally respected voices shaping the future of emergency care:

📍 Conjoint Professor Carolyn Hullick
Emergency Physician, Chief Medical Officer at the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, and a recognised leader in geriatric emergency medicine, driving system-level improvements that better support older and vulnerable patients.

📍 Professor Robert W. Neumar
Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School and a global leader in cardiac arrest resuscitation science. As Co-Chair of International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation, his work influences emergency care practice worldwide.

On Day 2, we welcome keynote speaker Professor Steve Wesselingh, CEO of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), bringing national research leadership to the program.

Three outstanding keynote speakers across two days - one collaborative symposium advancing emergency care.

📅 Register for the Symposium here: https://acem.eventsair.com/acem-research-symposium-2026/

Australasian College for Emergency Medicine

11/02/2026

Congratulations to Dr Michael Aitken and Dr Hayley Frieslich on their new Clinical Director roles at Robina Hospital and Gold Coast University Hospital. 🎉

Both are contributing to EMF-funded research, helping to build research capacity and improve ED staff wellbeing.

We’re proud to see EMF-supported clinicians combining leadership and research to make a real difference for patients, staff, and the wider health system. 👏

We are proud to announce Dr Michael Aitken and Dr Hayley Frieslich as our Emergency Department Clinical Directors.

Under our new structure, we have created a Clinical Director position for both Robina and Gold Coast University Hospital.

Dr Aitken will be transitioning from his previous role as Medical Director into this new position, while Dr Frieslich has been acting in the role for the past 12 months and will now be officially appointed.

Both leaders bring significant clinical experience and a strong commitment to advancing and delivering high-quality emergency care.

We are excited to watch them continue to lead two of the busiest Emergency Departments in Queensland.

09/02/2026

Round 45 of the Queensland Research Program is Now Open! 🎉

Every year, clinicians across Queensland use EMF funding to turn frontline questions into research that improves emergency care, supported by a grant process designed to strengthen ideas and build research capability across the state.

🚨 All grant schemes are available in Round 45, some with increased funding to further support clinician-led research 🚨

Together, these schemes support research at every stage, from early ideas and new collaborations, to translating evidence into practice and building long-term research capacity.

Key Dates 📅
▪️ Research Capacity Building EOI closes: 16 March 2026
▪️ Jumpstart, Leading Edge, TranslatED Research and Project closes: 20 April 2026
▪️ Emerge closes: 5 May 2026

📌 Visit our website for full details and eligibility criteria: https://emergencyfoundation.org.au/queensland-research-program/

EMF thanks the Queensland Government for funding this program through Queensland Health.

05/02/2026

Call for Submissions - Research Translation in Emergency Care 🚨

Why doesn’t high-quality emergency medicine research always translate into routine clinical practice?

EMF is calling for submissions for a commissioned project examining the key barriers and enablers to research translation within Queensland’s public healthcare system. ✍️

We’re seeking experienced teams to investigate what supports evidence uptake in emergency care and to help shape EMF’s future approach to implementation funding.

🗓️ Submissions Open: 5 Feb 2026
🔴 Submissions Close: 9 March 2026

📌 Find out more here: https://emergencyfoundation.org.au/request-for-submissions-barriers-and-enablers-to-research-translation/

04/02/2026

Spotlight on Vertigo Research: Validating Risk Tools in the ED 🏥

Vertigo is a common reason for people to come to the ED, but it can be tricky to diagnose. One serious concern is missing a stroke in the cerebellum, which is often difficult to detect in the first 24 hours.

With funding from Round 44 of EMF’s Queensland Research Program, Dr Kent Perkins and the research team at Sunshine Coast University Hospital are evaluating a new vertigo risk tool, the Sudbury Vertigo Risk Score (SVRS), in real-world ED settings. 📝

The study compares SVRS to the HINTS exam and the STANDING algorithm, both existing tools that require specialised training or equipment. SVRS is designed to be simple, fast, and usable by any emergency doctor, helping identify patients at low or high risk of central causes such as stroke, TIA, or brain tumours. 💡

By validating SVRS, the research aims to streamline ED care, reduce unnecessary admissions and investigations, and guide referral to vestibular physiotherapy services where most needed.

👏 Congratulations to Dr Perkins and the team on this innovative study!

The Queensland Research Program is supported by Queensland Health.

Sunshine Coast Health