See how and when to apply
Learn about important changes and access current MRFF funding opportunities.
Changes to Support for MRFF applications
Please note that our grant review processes have changed. Strategic reviews are optional, while compliance and eligibility checks are mandatory.
If you wish to receive a strategic review of your MRFF application, you must book via the online booking calendar.
Compliance and eligibility reviews for your MRFF application is mandatory and you must book via the online booking calendar.
There are sufficient booking times available for all applicants, but we recommend booking early to ensure you have an ample choice of dates.
Changes to DVCR Co-Funding for MRFF (submitted via the NHMRC Sapphire grant portal)
For MRFF Grants (submitted via the NHMRC Sapphire Grant portal) applicants will now be required to submit a formal DVCR Co-funding request. The formal DVCR Co-funding request replaces the previous support of the Strategic Research Fund (SRF), which was managed directly between your Faculty Research Office and the DVCR Office and was not directly visible to academics as internal co-funding for their successful grants.
The DVCR Co-funding is to support MQ researchers to successfully complete their proposed MRFF (submitted via the NHMRC Sapphire Grant portal) projects by providing up to 20% co-funding on funds to remain at Macquarie. The goal is for the DVCR Co-funding is to facilitate MQ applicants in providing a ‘top-up’ of NHMRC salary costs (PSP’s), which are lower than MQ equivalent salary rates.
These changes align the principles of DVCR Co-funding with other external funding schemes and assist the University in rationalising the allocation of internal funding used to leverage competitive, external funding opportunities. As Macquarie researchers continue to excel in the MRFF funding scheme, we need to find a mechanism to ensure all successful MRFF grants can be supported. As context, since 2015, our application volume for MRFF funding has nearly doubled year on year. We know that health and medical researchers at Macquarie will be more active than ever in the coming years in applying for MRFF funding to support their research, hence the need to make changes to meet the growing volume of awards.
Eligibility for DVCR Co-Funding is still contingent on submission of a full application by the Macquarie submission date. Further to this, the Pre Award team has recommenced tracking the on-time submissions after pausing this due to the impacts on workload brought about by COVID-19.
Current opportunities (continuously open)
About:
The objectives of this grant opportunity offers funding to support medical research and medical innovation programs of research that deliver a ‘moonshot’ by creating a treatment for a currently serious and incurable health condition, through a series of linked projects. The program of research can propose to develop novel health technologies and/or re-purpose existing health technologies in a novel way.
The process to get funding has two stages:
- Expression of interest – outlining a proposed program of research with a 10-year time horizon
- Full application, for a project of up to five years under the program of research. Full applications may be submitted by invitation only.
Applicants may propose to start research at any stage in the research pipeline from proof-of-concept, with the intention of achieving full implementation of the proposed technology in 10 years.
Funding for subsequent projects under the program of research that continue to progress the technology towards full implementation can be sought by submitting additional full applications to this grant opportunity (i.e. applicants do not need to recommence with an EOI). These applications may be submitted by invitation only.
It is expected that expressions of interest will close on 31 March 2026, with the last grants awarded by 30 June 2027. However, the closing date for expressions of interest may be altered if:
- the available funds are exhausted or insufficient to fund additional grants, in which case the closing date may be brought forward;
- further funds are made available in future years, in which case the closing date may be extended.
Apply Via: Department of Industry, Science and Resources DISR
- Opening date in DISR: 13 February 2023
- Strategic review (optional): four weeks prior to the date you wish to submit, (book via this link)
- Compliance and eligibility check (mandatory): two weeks prior to the date you wish to submit, (book via this link)
- Applicant submits final application in DISR: When application is compliant and all approvals are obtained in PURE
Opportunities (Due in Nov 2025 and onwards)
About:
The objective of this grant opportunity is to provide grants of financial assistance to support medical research and medical innovation projects that:
- Stream 1 (TCR): develop, implement and/or evaluate interventions to prevent or manage perinatal mental ill-health
- Stream 2 (TCR): develop, implement and/or evaluate holistic approaches that support healthy development for children aged 2-5 years
- Stream 3 (TCR): develop, implement and/or evaluate new co-designed and scalable health and wellbeing promotion and/or preventive health approaches to address modifiable risk factors in:
- Topic A: adolescents and young adults
- Topic B: middle-aged people.
Additional information for this grant can be found on the Grant Connect.
NOTE: A person must not be named as a Chief Investigator (CI) on more than one application submitted to a Stream of this grant opportunity (i.e. a person may be named as a CI on a maximum of one application per Stream). If a CI is named on more than one application submitted to a Stream of this grant opportunity, both applications will be considered ineligible.
The intended outcome of the research funded by this grant opportunity is to improve the health and wellbeing of Australians by:
- Stream 1 (Targeted Call for Research): improving prevention and management of perinatal mental ill-health
- Stream 2 (Targeted Call for Research): improving healthy development in early childhood to support a strong start to life
- Stream 3 (Targeted Call for Research): promoting healthy lifestyle and preventive health approaches s that address modifiable risk factors in adolescents, young adults and middle-aged people.
Grant amount and Funding period:
The amounts available for a single grant in each Stream are as follows:
Stream 1: The maximum amount available for a single grant is $3.0 million and maximum grant period is 5 years.
Stream 2: The maximum amount available for a single grant is $2.0 million and maximum grant period is 5 years.
Stream 3: : The maximum amount available for a single grant is $3.0 million and maximum grant period is 5 years.
Key Dates and Managing agency: MRFF (via Sapphire)
- MRFF Opening Date: 6 August 2025
- Strategic review Round 2 (optional): On or before 5 Nov 2025 (book via this link)
- Minimum Data Due: 5pm ACT local time on 19 November 2025
- Compliance and Eligibility check Round 2 (mandatory): On or before 20 November 2025 (book via this link)
- Applicant submits final application in PURE: Sunday 30 November 2025
- Research Services submission to MRFF: 5pm ACT local time on 3 December 2025
About:
The objective of this grant opportunity is to provide grants of financial assistance to support Australian medical research and medical innovation projects that:
- Promote Australian involvement in international collaborative investigator-initiated clinical trials research through the establishment and co-ordination of clinical trial site/s in Australia.
- Provide high-quality evidence of the effectiveness of novel health treatments, drugs or devices in ‘usual care’ settings, which will support a decision on whether to deliver the intervention in an Australian setting.
The intended outcome of the research is to improve the health and wellbeing of Australians by investing in new clinical trials that support increased access to high-quality, evidence-based and effective health care.
Applications where international collaboration provides for the successful conduct of clinical trials that may otherwise not be feasible in Australia are particularly encouraged.
NOTE: A person must not be named as a Chief Investigator (CI) on more than one application submitted to a Round of this grant opportunity (i.e. a person may be named as a CI on a maximum of one application 12 per Round). If a CI is named on more than one application submitted to a Round of this grant opportunity, both applications will be considered ineligible.
Grant amount and Funding period:
The maximum amount available for a single grant is $3.0 million and maximum grant period that can be applied for is 7 years.
Key Dates and Managing agency (Round 2) : MRFF (via Sapphire):
- MRFF Opening Date: 20-Feb-2025
- Strategic review Round 2 (optional): On or before 5 Jan 2026 (book via this link)
- Minimum Data Due: 5pm ACT local time on 10 December 2025
- Compliance and Eligibility check Round 2 (mandatory): On or before 21 January 2026 (book via this link)
- Applicant submits final application in PURE: Sunday 1 Feb 2026
- Research Services submission to MRFF: 5pm ACT local time on 4 February 2026
The objective of this grant opportunity is to provide grants of financial assistance to support medical research and medical innovation projects that:
- Stream 1 (Targeted Call for Research): develop and implement pharmacogenomic approaches to identify new medicines and enhance medication efficacy. Funding under Stream 1 is available as follows
- Topic A: Cancer therapies
- Topic B: Antimicrobials
- Topic C: Medicines for other infectious or chronic diseases
- Stream 2 (Targeted Call for Research): conduct genomics research to optimise the diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and prevention of high-priority and high-burden diseases among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples.
This grant opportunity is intended to support projects that progress research that addresses a specific health need. Applicants to this grant opportunity are required to demonstrate how the proposed research will:
- include consideration of the ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) of the genomics approach utilised and/or further understanding of the ELSI of genomics
- adopt best practice data management approaches, which include ensuring data is stored in a data repository that complies with international genomics standards and all relevant legislation
- enable sharing of data in accordance with the Australian Data Strategy, best practice governance principles, participant preferences, and all relevant legislation, and
- include principles and strategies that reflect a commitment to community engagement and involvement in research design, application and evaluation
Note: A person must not be named as a Chief Investigator (CI) on more than one application submitted to a Stream of this grant opportunity (i.e. a person may be named as a CI on a maximum of one application per Stream). If a CI is named on more than one application submitted to a Stream of this grant opportunity, both applications will be considered ineligible.
The intended outcome of the research funded by this grant opportunity is to improve the health and wellbeing of Australians by:
- Stream 1 (Targeted Call for Research): improving precision medicine to enhance medication efficacy and safety
- Stream 2 (Targeted Call for Research): targeting genomic solutions to diseases prevalent among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Grant amount and Funding period:
The amounts available for a single grant in each Stream are as follows:
Stream 1: The minimum amount available for a single grant is $1.0 million and the maximum amount available for a single grant is $4.5 million.
Stream 2: The minimum amount available for a single grant is $5.0 million and the maximum amount available for a single grant is $10.0 million.
Key Dates and Managing agency : MRFF (via Sapphire)
- MRFF Opening Date: 13-Aug-2025
- Strategic review Round 2 (optional): On or before 5 Jan 2026 (book via this link)
- Minimum Data Due: 5:00pm (ACT Local Time) on 21 January 2026.
- Compliance and Eligibility check Round 2 (mandatory): On or before 21 January 2026 (book via this link)
- Applicant submits final application in PURE: Sunday 1 Feb 2026
- Research Services submission to MRFF: 5pm ACT local time on 4 February 2026
The objective of this grant opportunity is to provide grants of financial assistance to support Australian medical research and medical innovation projects that:
- support strategic investments that establish and extend national research data infrastructure to support world-class health and medical research.
- supports the creation or extension of national research data infrastructure with a focus on data registries, biobanks and data linkage platforms to enable and enhance Australian medical research.
NOTE: A person must not be named as a Chief Investigator (CI) on more than one application submitted to a Round of this grant opportunity (i.e. a person may be named as a CI on a maximum of one application 12 per Round). If a CI is named on more than one application submitted to a Round of this grant opportunity, both applications will be considered ineligible.
The intended outcome of the research funded by this grant opportunity is to improve the health and wellbeing of Australians by supporting Australian medical research and medical innovation projects that use multiple types of existing research data infrastructure in new ways in areas of existing or emerging unmet health need.
- Opening Date: 14 August 2025
- Strategic review (optional): On or before 13 November 2025 (book via this link)
- Compliance and Eligibility check (mandatory): On or before 27 November 2025 (book via this link)
- Applicant submits final application in DISR: When application is compliant and all approvals are obtained in PURE 5 pm ACT local time on 11 December 2025
Grant amount and Funding period:
The maximum amount available for a single grant is $2.5 million, and the maximum grant period that can be applied for is 4 years.
Key Dates and Managing Agency:
Apply Via: Department of Industry, Science and Resources DISR
About:
The objective of this grant opportunity is to provide grants of financial assistance grants of financial assistance to support medical research and medical innovation projects targeting:
- Stream 1 People with cardiovascular disease or diabetes (types 1 or 2)
- Stream 2 People with both cardiovascular disease and diabetes (type 1 or 2)
Four topics of funding in each Stream are available:
Topic A: The organisation undertaking the majority of the research is based in any area according to the 2019 Modified Monash Model locator (MM 1–7)
Topic B: The organisation undertaking the majority of the research must be located in, and the Chief Investigator (CI) A and 50% or more of all CIs and all research participants must be primarily resident in, a regional, rural or remote area according to the 2019 Modified Monash Model locator (MM 2–7)
Topic C: The proposed research focuses on the health of First Nations peoples and demonstrates leadership by First Nations researchers and communities
Topic D: The proposed research focuses on the health of people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds and demonstrates co-leadership by individuals from CALD backgrounds in the design and implementation of the research.
The intended outcome of the research funded by this grant opportunity is to improve the health and wellbeing of Australians by:
Stream 1 (Aim 2, Objective #1 of Research Plan; Targeted Call for Research): generating new technology-enabled patient-centred models of care that improve health care delivery and drive equitable health outcomes for people with cardiovascular disease or diabetes (type 1 or 2).
Stream 2 (Aim 2, Objective #2 of Research Plan; Targeted Call for Research): generating new technology-enabled patient-centred models of care that improve health care delivery and drive equitable health outcomes for people with both cardiovascular disease and diabetes (type 1 or type 2).
Grant amount and Funding period:
The amounts available for a single grant in each Stream are as follows:
Stream 1 (Targeted Call for Research): There is no minimum grant amount, and the maximum amount available for a single grant is $2.5 million.
Stream 2 (Targeted Call for Research): There is no minimum grant amount, and the maximum amount available for a single grant is $2.5 million.
Key Dates and Managing agency: MRFF (via Sapphire)
- MRFF Opening Date: 2 July 2025
- Strategic review (optional): On or before 9 October 2025 (book via this link)
- Minimum Data Due: 5 pm ACT local time on 8 October 2025
- Compliance and Eligibility check (mandatory): On or before 22 October 2025 (book via this link)
- Applicant submits final application in PURE: Sunday 2 November 2025
- Research Services submission to MRFF: 5 pm ACT local time on 5 November 2025
About:
The objective of this grant opportunity is to provide grants of financial assistance to support medical research and medical innovation projects that:
Stream 1 (Aim 1, Objective #2 of Research Plan; Incubator): conduct small-scale projects that identify predictive markers (including, but not restricted to, biomarkers) of disease or complications in:
- Topic A: any type of diabetes, including atypical or mixed phenotypes
- Topic B: cardiovascular disease in patients with type 1 diabetes
- Topic C: cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Stream 2(Aim 2, Objective #3 of Research Plan; Targeted Call for Research): conduct multidisciplinary projects that use novel methods to harness multiple existing data infrastructure types in developing and implementing new approaches for the prevention and/or treatment of cardiovascular disease, diabetes (types 1 and/or 2) and/or complications of these diseases
Two topics of funding are available, based on the disease foci:
- Topic A: Focused on, but not limited to, cardiovascular disease
- Topic B: Focused on, but not limited to, diabetes (type 1 or 2).
The intended outcomes of the research funded by this grant opportunity is to improve the health and wellbeing of Australians by:
Stream 1: Identifying predictive markers to improve risk stratification.
Stream 2: generating new approaches to improve health care and health outcomes for people living with cardiovascular disease, diabetes and their complications.
Grant amount and Funding period:
The amounts available for a single grant in each Stream are as follows:
Stream 1 (Targeted Call for Research): Minimum grant amount for this stream is $0.25 million and the maximum amount available for a single grant is $1.0 million.
Stream 2 (Targeted Call for Research): There is no minimum grant amount, and the maximum amount available for a single grant is $2.5 million.
Key Dates and Managing agency: MRFF (via Sapphire)
- MRFF Opening Date: 2 July 2025
- Strategic review (optional): On or before 9 October 2025 (book via this link)
- Minimum Data Due: 5 pm ACT local time on 8 October 2025
- Compliance and Eligibility check (mandatory): On or before 22 October 2025 (book via this link)
- Applicant submits final application in PURE: Sunday 2 November 2025
- Research Services submission to MRFF: 5 pm ACT local time on 5 November 2025
About:
The objective of this grant opportunity is to provide grants of financial assistance to support medical research and medical innovation projects that develop novel approaches to reduce treatment toxicity and adverse effects of brain cancer treatment for patients, to minimise the short and/or long-term negative impacts for patients and carers.
This grant opportunity is intended to support projects that progress research that addresses a specific health need.
Applicants should propose research that:
- measures the negative impacts of brain cancer treatments.
- aims to improve the quality of life for people affected by brain cancer.
- is innovative, interdisciplinary, collaborative and translational.
- empowers and champions Early to Mid-Career Researchers (EMCRs), ensuring their meaningful involvement and robust support.
- where possible involves health care services, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled health organisations, regional rural and remote health care services; and
- where possible, leverages existing research initiatives and infrastructure. Examples of which include, but are not limited to, the Zero Childhood Cancer program and the Australian Brain Cancer Registry.
To be competitive for funding, applicants must propose to conduct research that delivers against the above objectives and those of the Australian Brain Cancer Mission as described in the Roadmap and Implementation Plan. Applicants are encouraged to propose novel and/or innovative research and describe how the outcomes of the research will be translated into health benefits for Australians.
The intended outcome of the research funded by this grant opportunity is to improve the health and wellbeing of Australians by reducing the burden caused by brain cancer treatments and improving quality of life for people affected by brain cancer, including their carers.
Grant amount and Funding period:
The maximum amount available for a single grant is $2.0 million and the maximum grant period that can be applied for is 5 years.
Key Dates and Managing agency: MRFF (via Sapphire)
- MRFF Opening Date: 03 September 2025
- Strategic review (optional): On or before 12 January 2026 (book via this link)
- Minimum Data Due: 5 pm ACT local time on 21 January 2026
- Compliance and Eligibility check (mandatory): On or before 21 January 2026 (book via this link)
- Applicant submits final application in PURE: Sunday 01 February 2026
- Research Services submission to MRFF: 5 pm ACT local time on 04 February 2026
The objective of this grant opportunity is to provide grants of financial assistance to support medical research and medical innovation projects that:
- Stream 1 (Incubator): conduct a pilot study to assess the feasibility of a new clinical trial for one or more treatments and/or management strategies for a rare cancer, rare disease and/or unmet need.
- Stream 2 (Targeted Call for Research): conduct a clinical trial of one or more treatments and/or management-based interventions for rare cancers, rare diseases and/or unmet need.
- Stream 3 (Targeted Call for Research): conduct a clinical trial that supports the delivery of effective and high value care by targeting evidence gaps of value to health technology assessment processes in Australia.
- Stream 4 (Targeted Call for Research): conduct a prevention clinical trial aimed at reducing the risk, onset or progression of disease through early intervention strategies.
Stream 1 is intended to support early stage, small scale research projects that seek to assess the potential and feasibility of novel strategies to address critical or intractable health issues.
Streams 2-4 are intended to support projects that progress research that addresses a specific health need.
Additional information for each streams applies.
The intended outcome of the research is to improve the health and wellbeing of Australians by investing in new clinical trials that support increased access to high-quality, evidence-based and effective health care.
Applicants to this grant opportunity must propose research that addresses one of the four Streams of research.
Grant amount and Funding period:
Stream1: The maximum amount available for a Stream 1 is $0.8 million and the maximum grant period that can be applied for is 2 years.
Stream 2-4: The maximum amount available for a Stream 2-4 is $5.0 million and the maximum grant period that can be applied for is 7 years.
Key Dates and Managing agency: MRFF (via Sapphire)
- MRFF Opening Date: 24-Sep-2025
- Strategic review (optional): On or before 04 March 2026 (book via this link)
- Minimum Data Due: 5 pm ACT local time on 21 January 2026
- Compliance and Eligibility check (mandatory): On or before 18 March 2026 (book via this link)
- Applicant submits final application in PURE: Sunday 29 March 2025
- Research Services submission to MRFF: 5 pm ACT local time on 01 April 2026