BA (Cultural Policy), GAICD, FARMS

Director, NARI Board

Janice Besch is a Director of the NARI Board. Ms Besch is currently the Head of the Grants Development Team at Hunter Medical Research Institute. In conjunction with this appointment, she provides consultancy advice independently and as a Senior Consultant with Outside Opinion. Janice was Director of the NHMRC National Institute for Dementia Research (NNIDR) from 2017 to 2020. In that role she oversaw the delivery of the Australian Government’s 5 year, $200 million Boosting Dementia Research Initiative (2015-2020). Janice worked closely with Dementia Australia, NHMRC, the Office of Health & Medical Research/MRFF and the Dept of Health’s Dementia Ageing and Aged Care Branch to guide the national effort to boost dementia research and its translation. This involved bringing together Australia’s leading dementia researchers and drawing on the expertise of consumers, health professionals, industry and policy makers.

Skilled in research policy, strategy and management across the STEM disciplines and in not-for-profit sector and industry engagement, Janice also contributes to quality and professional development for the research management profession as a Fellow of the Australasian Research Management Society.