The Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF) has launched an ambitious five-year Research Impact Strategy to urgently address ovarian cancer, Australia’s most lethal gynaecological cancer.
In 2025, it is projected that 1,930 Australian women and girls will receive a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, and 1,060 women will die from the disease. It is now considered a common cancer in women. Despite this, ovarian cancer remains underfunded and under-researched, having received less than one per cent of Australian government medical research funding in the past 15 years. As a result, ovarian cancer research lags behind other cancers, and the disease continues to have poor survival rates (five-year survival <50%). There is no early detection test for ovarian cancer, and treatment options are limited. Even after treatment, recurrence is common, and the prognosis worsens.
As Australia’s leading voice on ovarian cancer research, the OCRF consulted with over 420 stakeholders, including 362 people with lived experience and 60 researchers, to devise a plan that prioritises what matters most to those who know the issues best.
Their answers were categorical: earlier detection, more effective treatments, and prevention.
“I’m tired of having to choose between a long life and a good quality of life.”
– Lived experience survey respondent
These three focus areas are the central objectives of the OCRF’s Research Impact Strategy, which is characterised by a highly collaborative approach, strong evidence base, integration of lived experience, and a robust evaluation framework to monitor and ensure progress.
OCRF CEO Robin Penty sees the plan as a call to arms: “Building on our 25 years of experience and investment of $33 million into research, our Research Impact Strategy 2025 – 30 is a blueprint for faster progress built on evidence, scientific excellence, genuine collaboration, and an unequivocal commitment to gender equity in research,” she said.
“We invite the Australian Government, and all those with influence in this area, to listen to what we heard and work with us to build on the incredible philanthropic launchpad that the community has delivered to researchers for over two decades. It’s time to uplift this generosity and deliver transformative change that is long overdue.”
The strategy combines funding of innovative research and a commitment to catalyse proactive knowledge sharing between researchers, with advocacy for improved policy and targeted government investment. These objectives are underpinned by a continued effort to build and collaborate with national and global networks to accelerate the pace of research and enhance opportunities for promising discoveries to translate into clinical realities.
Critically, the plan emphasises gender equity and inclusivity in research leadership and participation, addressing systemic barriers that have historically hindered progress in women’s cancers. The OCRF Research Impact Strategy 2025 – 30 complements key initiatives, including the Australian Cancer Plan and the proposed Gynaecological Cancer Transformation Initiative, and leverages community, philanthropic, and scientific expertise to help transform ovarian cancer outcomes within a decade.
The OCRF is 100% funded by the Australian community. The Foundation does not currently receive government funding.
Source: Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation
