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Over 30 years of undeniable impact
Through collaborative efforts to fund and promote research, we’re making meaningful steps towards finding a cure
The Lives We Can Change
1 +
New spinal cord injury everyday in Australia.
80 %
of SCIs are from traumatic causes
75.4 b
Lifetime cost of spinal cord injury to the Australian economy
30 m+
raised by SpinalCure over the last 6 years
7,500
annual investment in David Prast Achievement Award
50
trial volunteers completed eWALK #1, trial closed 2024
1
annual Cure Summit for SpinalCure funded researchers
1.5 m
I. Peter Farrell SpinalCure Fellowship
10,000 +
hours of SCI research devoted to Project Spark
50 +
participant enrollments in Get a Grip trial
4
International trial sites
Where we have been
30 years ago…
- Persisting belief that a cure was impossible
- SCI funding directed to care, not cure
- Low community and political awareness
- No treatment options for people with SCI
2008+ …
- The first of a country-wide network of tailored exercise clinics established thanks to the late David Prast—a director of SCIA and SpinalCure
- SpinalCure instrumental in the establishment of multimillion dollar neurotrauma funds in three states. However, funds largely spent on TBI and care research.
2005 onward…
- Increased awareness thanks to a visit by the late Christopher Reeve (“Superman”), facilitated by Premier Bob Carr and SpinalCure
- Research funding still mainly care focused
- No clinical research
2011+ …
- The first published research demonstrating that restoration of movement years after injury was possible
- 2018 first time spinal injured volunteers took steps in clinical studies
- A patient’s own induced pluripotent stem cells used and shown to be safe.
Delivering for the SCI Community
In recent years, SpinalCure has delivered progressive results. We have:
- secured over $30m for research from the Federal, NSW and WA governments, philanthropy, business and our community
- funded blue sky projects, pre-clinical research and human trials—enabling notable progress in our understanding of SCI and bringing Australia closer to a cure
- played a pivotal role in advancing real-world treatments for both chronic and acute SCI
- funded the world’s first gold-standard clinical trials previously missing from global neurostimulation research
- convened the first Cure Summit bringing researchers together to discuss findings and explore opportunities to collaborate
- established a growing research collaboration between SpinalCure, NeuRA, University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Spinal Cord Injuries Australia, Forward Ability Support and CatWalk NZ
- funded the establishment of the Spinal Cord Injury Research Centre at NeuRA
- assisted in the establishment of an Australian-led international clinical trial network
- partnered with SCIA in an annual travel award to ensure NeuroMoves remains at the forefront of global rehabilitation.
Linda Reynolds, Former Liberal Senator for Western Australia and Minister for Defence“We are all one accident away from spinal cord injury. What an absolute privilege to be able to support inspiring people doing extraordinary research at SpinalCure Australia.”
Where to from here?
A cure for spinal cord injury remains one of the most overlooked and underfunded areas in medical research. Knowing that billions in the Medical Research Future Fund remain un-utilised is not only a disservice to Australians in need but also to our researchers who are reliant on the government grants system for job security, while small NFPs like ours are urgently trying to find funding to keep scientists in their field and to not lose them to international offers.
As part of our upcoming National Roadmap Toward a Cure for Spinal Cord Injury, we’ll be asking the Federal Government to establish a $30 million Mission equivalent to that for Traumatic Brain Injury – a modest investment that could deliver real hope and measurable progress for a group that has too often been overlooked, and who deserve better.
We are seeking values aligned individuals and corporate partners who want to partner on this meaningful journey with us.
If you would like to speak to someone about making a contribution to our vision and future impact, please get in touch with our Philanthropy Manager Pauline Georges at pauline@spinalcure.org.au
Our Audited Financial Reports
Your trust drives our mission.
We believe that accountability and transparency are fundamental to our work. Our independently audited financial reports reflect our commitment to responsible stewardship of every dollar entrusted to us.
We maintain the highest standards of charity governance. Our board of directors provides vigilant oversight, guided by expertise and a passionate commitment to our shared goal of making the unbelievable believable.
These reports demonstrate not just how we manage resources, but how your support transforms into tangible progress toward a cure for spinal cord injuries. While not captured in these reports, SpinalCure Australia has also successfully lobbied and secured significant Government funding – in the millions – for spinal cord injury research.
Together, we’re making every dollar count on the path to breakthrough treatments and a cure.
Financial Reports
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