Medical Research Future Fund Grants - submission via NHMRC Granting System (now Sapphire)

The objective of the MRFF – Coronavirus Research Response – 2020 COVID-19 Mental Health Research grant opportunity is to support research to understand how the mental health system can be enhanced to be most effective and responsive during and following the acute COVID-19 crisis. This may include consolidating data systems, helping to design and deliver new treatments, new services, and new policies both during and beyond the crisis.

The anticipated outcome of the research is to positively impact the lives of a significant number of Australians, especially those with pre-existing mental health issues and those with mental health issues arising from the COVID-19 crisis. The outcome of the research is also expected to have application beyond COVID-19 and extend to other natural disasters and widespread times of hardship.

In the context of the rapidly evolving nature of the COVID-19 crisis, the grant opportunity requires applicants to work rapidly from early 2020-21 to understand the enhancements required within the mental health system to enable it to be as effective and responsive as possible in managing the mental health and wellbeing community impacts of a crisis.

The objective of this Grant Opportunity is to accelerate the development of promising COVID-19 prophylactic vaccine candidates for which research and development is already underway. The prophylactic vaccine must be intended to induce active long-term immunity against COVID-19.

The vaccine candidate must have progressed beyond early or “developmental” stage research to pre-clinical or clinical investigation, and applicants must have already generated proof-of-concept data that supports pre-clinical or clinical development of the vaccine candidate. Applicants must also demonstrate access to critical resources necessary to complete the project in the stipulated timeframes.

The intended outcome of the research is to support rapid development of a safe and effective COVID-19 prophylactic (disease-preventing) vaccine, which induces active long-term immunity, within the next 12-18 months.

This Grant Opportunity will consist of a maximum of three Rounds. A round will comprise two application steps: expression of interest and full applications.

Applications to this MRFF Coronavirus Research Response: 2020 COVID-19 Immunological Studies Grant Opportunity must propose research that characterises the immune response across COVID-19 patients with asymptomatic, mild, moderate, severe, and critical disease.

Studying the natural infection and the level of immunity across these patient groups will support:

• understanding how the SARS-CoV-2 virus is transmitted by asymptomatic individuals
• the development of predictive markers of patient infectivity and to define disease severity
• understanding the immunological correlates of protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection
• understanding how genetic variation between SARS-CoV-2 isolates (as the virus mutates) effects the immune response of different patient groups.

The research should consider population dynamics in Australia and vulnerable population groups such as the elderly, pregnant women and those with complex and/or chronic health conditions.

The intended outcome of this research is knowledge and evidence that will inform the national health response to COVID-19 and support clinical practice, including:

• targeting interventions such as self-isolation
• prioritisation of vaccines and / or treatments for high-risk individuals and vulnerable populations.

Given the rapidly evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, timely research outcomes relative to the time required to conduct the appropriate research should be proposed.

Please check specific MRFF scheme webpages for Guidelines, Proposal Templates and Peer Review information.

Applicants will need to register and log into GrantConnect to download the applicable documentation.

COVID-19 Mental Health Research Grant Opportunity; Click on GO Documents in GrantConnect

COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Research Grant Opportunity; Click on GO Documents in GrantConnect

COVID-19 Immunological Studies Grant Opportunity; Click on GO Documents in GrantConnect

NOIS form 

Certification form for grant applications

Deakin University Salaries - for Casual Salary Rates