Bloom Research Program
Creating a family is an incredibly precious time, nurturing new life through pregnancy and beyond. However, the path to healthy, thriving babies and children is not always a smooth one. From challenges conceiving, complications during pregnancy resulting in babies entering the world before they’re due, through to chronic childhood diseases and conditions – how do we ensure mums, babies and their families flourish?
Bloom Research Program is an initiative of the Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation, supporting research that delivers big thinking for the health and wellbeing of South Australia’s little people and their mums.
With big thinking comes big outcomes
We’re investing $10 million into medical research over the next five years so that the Bloom Research Program can nurture collaboration, increase research capacity and lay a solid foundation from which new ideas are tested, knowledge is gained and practices can grow.
At the heart of the Bloom Research Program is collaboration and uniting like-minded researchers with common goals to open greater possibilities for research outcomes to foster healthier mums, children and their families.
Each year, applications will be sought for research projects targeting priority areas selected on independent assessment of the burden of disease and the potential for the research outcomes to influence positive change and have a genuine impact.
We all aspire—and deserve—to live healthy and happy lives. Through supporting critical health and medical research enabled by the Bloom Research Program, we will play our part in nourishing the health and wellbeing of mums, children and their families for generations to come.
Find out more about our Bloom Research Program from our Research Program Manager, Dr Chelsea Mauch, and Head of Mission, Verity Gobbett.
For information about the Bloom Research Program Grant round opening and closing dates, see our Research Funding Opportunities page.
The Flemings’ story
Nicole and Shannon Fleming are all too familiar with the challenges that can arise during pregnancy and early life. A 17-week scan identified Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome for their girls Isla and Eloise leading to a complicated journey that saw four-week-old Isla pass away unexpectedly the day after heart surgery in Melbourne, and Eloise surviving against all odds.
Shannon says they couldn’t have gotten through it all without the support of the amazing Women’s and Children’s Hospital staff.
“When we think about the hospital, it’s where we had the worst experience and the best experience at the same time,” Shannon says.
“Further research into preventing and supporting premature births, among the many other conditions, would help so many mothers, children and families like ours.”
Want to know more?
Hear Research Program Manager, Dr Chelsea Mauch, explain more about the application process.