Glenn Bowes: Those research scholarships continue to this day. So that's twenty years. And the current amount of funds on those research scholarships is a quarter of a million dollars a year that’s invested in clinicians doing higher degrees by research, enrolled through the University Department of Paediatrics, being conducted at the Children’s Hospital. And those folk who have come through and are coming through are the outstanding leaders in paediatrics nationally.

Don Kinsey: I think for the record, we should say that there were other sorts of scholarships earlier - the Uncle Bob Scholarships.[99]

Peter Phelan: I think the sum initially available [for the research scholarships] was $50,000 or $100,000 from the Good Friday Appeal, separate from the amount that went through the Research Foundation. In about 1975 or '76, I would think, when Don Cheek's area was off on its own, David convinced the Board of Management of the Hospital to put aside 40% of the Good Friday Appeal for hospital research. If the Hospital was to have research, there must be money that he could distribute as the Co-ordinator of Research. When he became Director of the Research Foundation it moved back.

In addition to that, [Barry] Catchlove said, "We need to have money to train younger people". And so, that was the origin of the scholarships.

Henry Ekert: Graeme Barnes was the originator of the document that came through with the scholarships. He was the first one to write to Barry [Catchlove] to say that we needed those.

Ann Westmore: Those specific scholarships were for younger people. Was it an attempt to develop their scientific skills in addition to their clinical skills?

Peter Phelan: That's right, to allow them to work towards an MD or PhD. And the aim was, much as happened with Ruth; the first year we’ll support you, in your second and third year we expect you to go seeking an NHMRC Postgraduate Scholarship. If you don’t get it, we’ll probably continue to support you, but our idea is to allow you to get up and demonstrate that you have research abilities, and then look for external funding to complete it.

Glenn Bowes: That theme, identified by Ruth, that came from David's era has clearly come through. Now, you cannot apply for the internal hospital scholarship if you haven’t concurrently applied to the NHMRC. It’s a necessary requirement. So that’s endured in a strengthened way to push to national competitiveness.

June McMullin (Danks): One person who's not here who would perhaps know most about David’s early days as Research Co-ordinator is Anne Cronin.[100] He put her on part time in about 1975 or ’76. They worked very closely together and she really executed David’s plan. There was never any money to appoint a secretary and her appointment was quite a step, a big step, in the direction of a more business-like approach.

Peter Phelan: Remember, the Research Foundation was being run by Don Cheek and David was trying to patch up things from every possible source.

Witness to the History of Australian Medicine