FEDERAL Member for New England Barnaby Joyce has congratulated the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) on receiving funding from the Australian Government to fund important research into Type 1 juvenile diabetes.

He said the Minister for Education, Christopher Pyne MP, announced approval of the funding and start of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Special Research Initiative for Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes in Adelaide today.

A total of $35 million has been approved for the Initiative, with $7 million to be allocated per year over five years. Funding for the Initiative is administered by the ARC and the Initiative will be led by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

“The approval of this funding by the Minister allows payments to commence and for this vital Initiative to begin," Mr Joyce said.

“This funding will allow researchers to undertake high-quality research and continue to make significant progress towards finding a cure for Type 1 juvenile diabetes.”

Type 1 diabetes is a life-long auto-immune disease that usually occurs in childhood but can be diagnosed at any age. It is one of the most common chronic diseases in children and most newly diagnosed cases are in people less than 15 years of age.

The Initiative will build a national capability of research excellence to tackle diabetes at a world class standard in addition to bringing together established researchers with track records in the field.

For information on the Special Research Initiative for Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes visit the ARC website.