Previously, most complementary medicines have suffered from a restricted evidence base of high-quality research.

The three new research centres, to be set up as collaborating centres of the National Institute of Complementary Medicine -- itself announced just nine months ago -- will be based at the University of Queensland, the University of Sydney and Swinburne University of Technology.

The UQ centre will receive $660,000 to focus on nutraceuticals and herbal medicine, with an emphasis on cardiovascular medicine, including diabetes and obesity, and ageing and skin health.

The biggest of the three grants, of $734,000, goes to the Sydney centre -- in fact a consortium of eight universities -- which will have a remit to look at traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), including acupuncture. The research will include an examination of how these might benefit in diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.

The third centre, for the study of natural medicines and neurocognition, will study how natural medicines might help in improving memory and brain function. Based at Swinburne, it will receive $350,000.

Announcing the grants, Senator McLucas said the complementary medicine sector "represents a substantial proportion of activity in the Australian health care sector".

"There is growing testimony that complementary medicine can make a significant, cost-effective contribution to public health in chronic disease management and in preventative care.

"Until now there has been a gap between those who believe in and use complementary medicine, and the strength of the evidence to support that use. Today's announcement is intended to help bridge the gap."

In addition, the National Health and Medical Research Council announced the winning projects that will share in a $5.3 million research pool specifically for studies that will look at complementary medicines. 

The money was originally announced by the former Howard Government at the end of 2006. 

The biggest single grant, worth $661,024, will go to researchers from Monash University to study aspects of complementary medicines among people with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. 

The second biggest, worth $643,680, will go to experts from the University of Adelaide to conduct a randomised, placebo-controlled trial to investigate the efficacy of a herbal treatment for dyspepsia. 

Associate Professor Luis Vitetta, the lead investigator of the University of Queensland investigating centre, welcomed the grants as a "fantastic initiative". 

"The community has been demanding that medicine and science provide evidence as to the efficacy of certain products and practices that are not part of conventional medicine -- such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, psycho-social support and exercise for cancer patients, the use of nutritional supplements, and so on," he said. 

"The evidence has always been conflicting. So this is a fantastic initiative that allows researchers in the field to unite with conventional scientists to build a base of evidence in this area, so we find out what works and doesn't work. We can then translate this into preventive treatments or therapies." 

Among some of the lesser grants that form part of the $5.3 million, the University of Western Sydney wins $590,200 to study the effect of Chinese medicine on constipation and irritable bowel syndrome, while Edith Cowan University receives $484,676 to evaluate nutritional supplements as treatments for Alzheimer's disease in mice, and Swinburne University wins $444,900 to study glycine therapy in schizophrenia.