- Read a copy of the National Imaging Facility Impact Report 2025 here
From safer pregnancy scans to Australia’s first approved dementia treatment, the recently released 2025 NIF Impact Report shows how NIF research delivers projects that enhance the wellbeing of Australians at all stages of life.
In the report, Chair of the National Imaging Facility’s (NIF) independent Governing Board 2020–25, Professor Margaret Harding, noted the impact of NIF’s achievements, and how they “illuminate the power of NIF’s national network and the value of imaging from discovery to real-world health impact.”
In 2024, NIF enabled 1,729 research projects across 30 sites nationwide, delivered through 14 institutional Partners and more than 190 of Australia’s most experienced imaging experts. NIF also saw a 2.7x increase in imaging demand over the past 5 years. 99% of users reported they would recommend NIF to colleagues – reflecting strong confidence in the quality, accessibility and impact of our services.
“NIF and other National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) capabilities contributed to Australians with early Alzheimer’s disease being able to access a new treatment that, for the first time, is proven to slow the disease,” Professor Harding said.
Further research impacts described in the study included new protocols that deliver safer and more accurate PET/CT scans for pregnant patients and children, and a breakthrough ovarian cancer agent that has now proceeded from an early-stage design to human trials.
Professor Harding also flagged the NIF’s standout MRI achievements, such as completion of the world’s largest longitudinal muscle MRI study, which collected 762 scans from 280 children over 6 years, now a globally unique muscle-growth dataset is now available to benefit children with cerebral palsy.
“Having national research facilities has been a game changer. Without them, I couldn’t have done what I have, and they came through at exactly the right time for the research that I was doing.” Prof John Hooper, Cancer Biology Research Group Leader, Mater Research Institute, UQ Faculty of Medicine
NIF is aligned to deliver help for Australia’s biggest health burdens
NIF partners with experts, industry, and research communities, and co-funds more than 80 scientists, who provide highly specialised expertise in advanced imaging technologies for the Australian research community.
Professor Harding thanked the Governing Board, Central Team, Partner Advisory Committee, and Scientific Advisory Committee as they supported NIF’s Institutional Partners to foster these accomplishments.
NIF offers comprehensive, advanced imaging capabilities, preclinical and clinical imaging, human and animal imaging, radiochemistry, and a national digital program.
This work aligns its programs with the Australian Government’s health and infrastructure priorities: particularly, focusing on cancer screening and chronic disease prevention, aged care and disability support, and digitisation.
Jump into the 2025 Impact Report
- The 2020–25 Chair’s report from Prof Margaret Harding
- Our research impact stories on treating dementia, scanning pregnant women safely, improving global imaging access, supporting ovarian cancer treatments, and helping children with cerebral palsy
- NIF by the numbers
- New sites contained in our National Footprint