Federation University Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Duncan Bentley, Diretor FECRI Professor George Kannourakis
A new partnership between the Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute (FECRI) and Federation University marks an exciting and important step forward for cancer research in regional Victoria – building on nearly 30 years of scientific work right here in Ballarat.
Formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the collaboration brings together Victoria’s largest regional university and Australia’s only community-funded regional cancer research institute with a shared goal: to strengthen cancer research capability in regional communities and improve outcomes for patients.
The need for this work is clear. People living in regional and remote areas continue to experience poorer cancer outcomes, with higher mortality rates and lower survival compared to those in metropolitan centres. This partnership is a meaningful step towards closing that gap, ensuring that world-class research, expertise and opportunity are not confined to capital cities.
At its heart, the collaboration is about people as much as it is about science.
Students from Federation University will have the opportunity to undertake internships and Co-operative placements with FECRI, gaining hands-on experience in a real-world research environment. For many, this creates a powerful and previously limited pathway: the ability to study, train and contribute to groundbreaking cancer research without leaving their community.
At the same time, the partnership will support the development of future PhD projects and collaborative research programs focused on some of the most challenging cancers. This includes work in aggressive breast cancers, where researchers are investigating how tumour cells adapt and resist treatment, and in brain cancers, where scientists are exploring how tumours manipulate the immune system to support their own growth, and how those processes can be reversed.
These projects are deeply translational in nature, meaning they are designed not just to expand knowledge, but to directly inform better treatments and outcomes for patients.
By embedding research, education and clinical relevance within a regional setting, FECRI and Federation University are demonstrating that high-impact science can thrive outside of major cities; and that regional communities can play a leading role in shaping the future of cancer research.
This partnership represents a shared belief that where research happens matters. When it happens in places like Ballarat, it brings innovation closer to patients, strengthens local expertise, and creates opportunities that benefit the entire community.
Most importantly, it ensures that the next generation of scientists can learn, contribute and lead, right where they are needed most.
