Our History

The Auckland Medical Research Foundation (AMRF) was founded in 1955 to provide financial support for medical research.

 

In the 1950’s research was primarily funded by Government agencies such as the Medical Research Council of New Zealand, with the majority of its funding going to researchers at Otago Medical School. A group of prominent Auckland medical specialists and businessmen saw the need to establish an Auckland based foundation in order to provide funding for local scientists and to foster the development of the Auckland Medical Research community. 77 foundation members each donated £50 to start a capital fund, and then started a drive for life members, annual members and donors to sustain the Foundation.

 

An endowment was set up in perpetuity for administration costs, enabling 100% of donations to go directly to research, which has become a major influencing factor for donors to support AMRF.

 

The Foundation recognised the vital need for scientific work being undertaken alongside the heart of the medical community so it took a leading role in the establishment of a Medical School in the University of Auckland.

 

This philosophy has underpinned the Foundation’s existence and to mark its 50th anniversary it played a major part in the opening of the AMRF Medical Sciences Learning Centre that houses two “museum” collections of anatomy and pathology. These have been of immediate and continuing benefit to the wide variety of students on the medical school campus, including medical, nursing, dental and health science students.