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2019/2020
ANNUAL REPORT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
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    TARGETING:

    ZERO DEATHS
    FROM BREAST
    CANCER

    BY:

    PARTNERING WITH THE AUSTRALIAN
    COMMUNITY TO CHAMPION WORLD-
    CLASS BREAST CANCER RESEARCH
    TO CREATE A BETTER TOMORROW
    FOR ALL THOSE IMPACTED.

    CEO FORWARD

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    Professor Sarah Hosking, NBCF CEO

    This year was one of change, challenge and coronavirus. Nonetheless, as we entered our 10-year countdown to 2030, NBCF remained focused on its end game of Zero Deaths from breast cancer. Thanks to tremendous support from the community this extraordinary year ended as positively as it had begun.

    OUR RESEARCH

    Early in the year we announced our latest round of funding for 16 new grants with a combined value of over $10m that will support 67 researchers at varying career stages. Funded projects are located in research institutes across Australia and apply technologies from artificial intelligence to immunotherapy, across the breast cancer research spectrum from early detection to new treatments and survivorship. Ultimately, these projects share a common ambition, to stop deaths from breast cancer.

    To ensure delivery against our existing research investment we established an emergency fund, the COVID-19 Extension Fund, to provide extra support to researchers who were struggling. About 50% of our researchers took up the opportunity of this additional funding. NBCF also worked closely with partners to set aside sufficient funds to enable the launch of our new round of research awards due later in 2020.

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    Professor Helen Zorbas AO

    NBCF welcomes Professor Helen Zorbas AO as new chair.
    Professor Helen Zorbas AO assumed the Chair at the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) from March 8, 2020, succeeding Ms Elaine Henry OAM, who was Chair since 2012.

    CHAIR ANNOUNCEMENT

    Professor Zorbas AO stepped down from her role as CEO of Cancer Australia in 2019 after nine years. Prior to this, she was CEO of the National Breast Cancer Centre, which then became the National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre, for 12 years. Her clinical experience includes almost 40 years as a General Practitioner and a specialist breast physician in the public and private health sector. She has a focus on improving the survival and wellbeing of individual patients through translation of best evidence and research.

    THE ELAINE HENRY NBCF FELLOWSHIP AWARD

    The recipient of the inaugural Elaine Henry NBCF Fellowship award for 2020 is Dr David Croucher. The Elaine Henry NBCF Fellowship is awarded to the NBCF Fellow who, along with their funded work, demonstrates the greatest potential for impact in breast cancer research and as a future leader. The award includes up to $20,000 to support additional research activities.

    This year, NBCF Chair Elaine Henry OAM stepped down from the board having completed the maximum nine-year tenure. Elaine was integral to the Foundation’s establishment as a pivotal part of Australia’s first comprehensive breast cancer control program, initially as a trustee and subsequently as a board member and then as Chair.

    NBCF-funded researcher Dr David Croucher and Elaine Henry OAM

    OUTCOMES OF NBCF-FUNDED RESEARCH


    2019-2020: OUR IMPACT

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    Funding the best people and projects

  • 309 academic papers were published.
  • NBCF researchers secured 41 instances of further funding. This amounts to $22,506,558* of additional funding, which is more than double the investment by NBCF this year.

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    Changing the narrative by collaboration

  • 340 new collaborations and research partnerships between institutions were initiated by researchers from 80 NBCF grants.
  • 215 new partnerships were within Australia, at least 125 of these collaborations are international.
  • NBCF researchers took part in 144 public engagements across Australia.
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    Accelerating and translating knowledge into care

  • 2 patents and a further 5 products/inventions.
  • 14 influences on policy and practice.
  • Identifying our priorities ensured active research grants have an opportunity to achieve success despite unprecedented impacts due to COVID-19.

    • * All research impact and outcome data collated and presented here was provided by NBCF-funded researchers in 2019/2020

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    Our path to Zero Deaths

    This year NBCF announced the award of 16 grants from the “Investigator Initiated Research Scheme” (IIRS), with a combined value of over $10M.
    Through this year’s IIRS, NBCF has supported 67 Australian researchers - from established leaders in breast cancer research to some of our brightest up-and-coming stars.

    MORE ON THIS
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    NBCF COVID Extension Funds
    to 38 Grants

    NBCF has shown leadership for the sector through this Australian-first initiative, and is proud to announce there are 38 grants that will receive funds from the COVID extension
    fund. This will support the salaries of 53 researchers so they can continue their game-changing work and see their projects
    through to completion.

    NBCF'S COVID EXTENSIONS
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    New precision treatment for
    breast and ovarian cancer

    This year, for the first time NBCF and the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF) have come together to jointly fund high impact translational research spanning breast and ovarian cancers to improve outcomes for women. Emerging evidence suggests that there is significant overlap in the mutation profile and endocrine-driven signalling pathways of ovarian and breast cancers. These developments clearly offer exciting new opportunities to support collaborative cancer research projects that benefit many more women compared to a tumour-specific approach.

    MORE ON THIS COLLABORATION
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    Breast cancer breakthroughs this year

     

    - A new cell type discovered in breast tissue

    - Moving towards 3D Mammography

    - Developing a breast cancer vaccine

    - Reducing the burden of radiotherapy

    FUNDRAISING

    Australia has faced such a challenging start to 2020 and NBCF is particularly grateful for the community’s ongoing support during this time.
    We are extremely thankful to so many passionate partners and supporters who gave so generously in the 2019/20 financial year donating $28.8 million*.

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    *All research impact and outcome data collated and presented here was provided by NBCF-funded researchers in 2019/2020.

    THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SUPPORTERS

    PEOPLE & CULTURE

    This year NBCF has been recognised by receiving industry awards in the areas of Leadership,
    Workplace Engagement and Technology Innovation.
    These awards include:

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    TELSTRA BUSINESS WOMEN'S AWARDS

    TELSTRA BUSINESS WOMEN'S AWARDS NBCF'S CEO PROFESSOR SARAH HOSKING RECEIVES FOR PURPOSE AND SOCIAL ENTERPRISE WOMEN'S AWARD

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    CHANGE CHALLENGE AWARD 2020

    VOICE PROJECT: NBCF HAS UNDERTAKEN CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS TO REFLECT ITS CORE VALUES.

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    AUSTRALIA WEB AWARDS WINNER

    FOR OUTSTANDING ONLINE EXPERIENCE: THIS AWARD SHOWCASES NBCF'S COMMITMENT IN ENHANCING USER EXPERIENCE ONLINE.

    NBCF DEVELOPS RECONCILIATION ACTION PLAN (RAP)

    NBCF has developed a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) as a means to address how we can positively impact the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. To achieve our mission we have to ensure all Australians, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, have equal health opportunities and outcomes. By working towards better health opportunities and outcomes for Indigenous Australians through breast cancer research, and promoting a more inclusive an diverse workforce, we look forward to watching our vision come to life.

    RAP REPORT

    RESEARCH INVESTMENT

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    FOR EVERY $1 THAT IS AWARDED TO RESEARCH, $2.74 UNLOCKED.
    WE DO THIS BY:

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    Identifying, funding and championing world-class research through our rigorous grants scheme process.

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    The significant results generated by NBCF-funded research can then be used to leverage additional funding (from NBCF or other funding sources) to continue their important work. On average, NBCF projects are able to secure $1.74 of additional funding to progress their work towards zero deaths.

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    NBCF also identifies new and effective models of funding and ensuring that we don't stand alone but work collaboratively and creatively, ensuring we are able to create further leverage our donor dollars.

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    NBCF ensures that any leveraged funding is for additional research, expanding or building on the work funded by NBCF through processes where we ensure no  funding overlap.

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    We've awarded over

    to 556 breast cancer research
    projects across the country.

    Research that will help us detect tumours earlier,
    improve treatment outcomes, and ultimately save lives.

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    Breast Cancer survival rates have increased 15% in the last 25 years thanks to improvements in prevention, screening and treatment.

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    Without Research 30,000 more lives will be lost to breast cancer by 2030.

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    Financials

    SOURCE OF INCOME

    In 2019/2020 there was a 4.5% increase YOY due to growth in Partnership, Community Fundraising and Individual Giving.

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    • 7% Foundations
    • 26% Partnerships and Community Fundraising
    • 59% Individual Giving
    • 8% Investment and Other Income

    CONCISE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

    The following information is based on the audited financial statements of NBCF and should be
    read in conjunction with those financial statements, a copy of which can be found at nbcf.org.au.

    FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

    OUR PARTNERS MAKE IT POSSIBLE

    Pink Diamond

    Diamond Partners

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    Corporate Partners

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