The University of Notre Dame Australia is proud to announce our nomination as a finalist in the Fundraising Institute Australia (FIA) 2026 Awards in the category of Best Transformational Gift.
The nominated initiative, “Pain, Purpose and Philanthropy: The Legacy of the Churack Family”
highlights a significant philanthropic contribution that has advanced Notre Dame’s mission in health education and research.
Thanks to the vision and generosity of the Churack family, the University has permanently endowed the Churack Chair of Chronic Pain Education and Research, which ensures future doctors receive comprehensive training to treat patients suffering from chronic pain, while driving research into conditions such as migraines, arthritis, complex regional pain syndrome, fibromyalgia and neuropathic (nerve) pain.
The initiative fosters partnerships with hospitals, clinicians and researchers nationwide.
Chronic pain affects one in five Australians and costs the economy an estimated $35 billion annually.
Notre Dame is the only Australian university to teach chronic pain as a core part of the medical curriculum.
The recognition from the FIA celebrates the generosity of the Churack family and the tangible and transformational difference their gift is making to medical training and knowledge, in keeping with the Awards’ purpose to highlight the power of philanthropy in driving systemic change.
Media Contact: media@nd.edu.au