Investigator Grants

Status

OPEN

Funding body

National Health and Medical Research Council

Internal deadlines

StageREQ'D?SUBMISSION
Faculties/institutes to work with applicants to review, workshop and develop proposals M Nov 2021 - Feb 2022
All applicants to contact their Faculty/ IFM/IISRI/A2I2 Research Office to check their nomination process

For Faculty of Health applicants, visit Faculty of Health Research Grant Portal		 M
Faculty/ IFM/IISRI/A2I2 Research Office to send nomination forms or list of resubmissions to DR Grants M No later than 10 Nov 2021.
Forms emailed to Deakin Research - Grants
Applications Open on Sapphire
19 Jan 2022
Minimum data due on Sapphire M 16 Feb 2022
Minimum data requirements must be met on Sapphire by this date. Applications that miss this deadline will not be able to proceed with their application to the NHMRC.
Final application on Sapphire and DU certification form M

16 Feb 2022

Complete application on Sapphire

Email application reports to Deakin NHMRC Submissions

Email DU Certification form to Deakin NHMRC Submissions

O - Optional / M - Mandatory

Overview

Investigator Grants consolidate separate fellowship and research support into one grant scheme that will provide outstanding researchers with funding for their salary (if required) and a research support package (RSP) for five years. These grants will continue to support fellows at:

  • Different career stages – early career researchers, mid-career researchers and established researchers
  • Researchers with clinical responsibilities (such as clinicians, public health and allied health practitioners)
  • Part-time researchers

There are two categories and a total of five levels offered:

  • Emerging Leadership Investigator Grant
    • Emerging Leadership 1, Emerging Leadership 2
  • Leadership Investigator Grant
    • Leadership 1, Leadership 2, Leadership 3

Eligibility and Limits

YEARS POST-PHD

  • Emerging Leadership Investigator Grants are restricted to researchers who are ≤10 years post-PhD or equivalent on 1 March of the application year
  • Leadership Investigator Grants are unrestricted in the number of years post-PhD

NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS AND GRANTS HELD

  • A researcher can only apply for and hold one Investigator Grant at a time.
  • However, there are limits on the number of Investigator, Synergy and Ideas grants that can be applied for/held concurrently. Please refer to the Guidelines and NHMRC eligibility website.
    •  

ELIGIBILITY FOR CURRENT OR PREVIOUS NHMRC FUNDING RECIPIENTS

  • For researchers holding NHMRC Fellowships, Project Grants and Program Grants, these existing grants/fellowships may impact on their eligibility for an Investigator Grant. Researchers can assess their eligibility by using NHMRC’s Eligibility Tool and referring to the Grant Guidelines.
  • For previous or current NHMRC Fellowship recipients, their previous or current NHMRC Fellowship will determine the minimum levels of Investigator Grants they can apply for. Refer to Grant Guidelines.

NUMBER OF TERMS

  • Successful Investigator Grant holders will be limited by the number of terms for which each level can be held.
  • Researchers who re-apply to the Investigator Scheme may not apply for a lower level than their most recently held Investigator Grant.

Levels and Funding

Investigator Grants are awarded for a period of 5 years, and provides both salary support for the Investigator plus a significant RSP. The RSP may be spent on Direct Research Costs (DRCs) and Personnel Support Packages (PSPs).

There are 5 levels of salary support (EL1-L3) and 6 tiers of RSP offered across the scheme.

SALARY LEVELS

Applicants should refer to Grant Guidelines for guidance on the level to which they should apply. Applicants select the most appropriate level (EL1–L3) and the percentage of salary required (0 - 100% FTE) to support their research activities.

Part-time Investigator Grants are available to researchers who work part-time (for example, due to caring or clinical responsibilities). Researchers who receive their salary through a non-NHMRC fellowship, hold appointments with a high administrative load or who already hold a salary from their institution can also apply for a non-salary Investigator Grant. Part-time Investigator Grant and non-salary Investigator Grant recipients will receive part-salary or no salary, respectively, from NHMRC but will be offered a full RSP.

RESEARCH SUPPORT PACKAGES

Successful applicants at Emerging Leadership Levels 1 and Level 2 will be awarded a fixed RSP of $50,000 and $200,000 per annum, respectively.

There are four tiers of RSP (LT1-LT4) for the Leadership Investigator Grants. These have been set at $300,000, $400,000, $500,000 and $600,000 per annum and will be allocated independently of the Leadership level, based on the overall peer review score of the application.

Category

Levels













Salary (p.a.)













Years post-PhD / academic level







RSP Tiers

RSP (p.a.)

Leadership

L3














$187,422













>20 years / Level E







LT4


$600,000

L2














$176,434













15-20 years / Level D or E







LT3


$500,000

L1














$151,358













10-15 years / Level C or D







LT2


$400,000

LT1


$300,000

Emerging Leadership

EL2














$115,278













5-10 years / Level B







ELT2


$200,000

EL1














$81,030













0-5 years







ELT1


$50,000

Adapted from 2022 NHMRC Investigator Grant guidelines

Peer Review

Investigator Grants will be assessed on:

  • Track Record (70% score) - the value of an individual’s past research achievements, not prospective achievements, quantitatively scored using evidence-based components based on consideration of:
    • Publications (35%) - 10 year list and Top 5 publications;
    • Research Impact (20%) - case study on applicant's impact on Knowledge, Health, Economic and Social outcomes; and
    • Leadership (15%) - leadership and mentoring experience.
  • Knowledge Gain (30% score) - the quality of the proposed research and significance of the knowledge gained

For further information, visit NHMRC Investigator Grants webpage.

How to apply

  1. Contact your Faculty/IFM/IISRI/A2I2 research office to register your intent to submit and to check their nomination process. Applicants must work with their Faculty/Institute/SRIC and/or School to assess whether they are competitive and to develop a high calibre application.
  2. Plan and draft your grant proposal early.
  3. New Sapphire users should register for a Sapphire account.
  4. CIs should gather/update their individual Profile information on Sapphire early.
  5. Read the Grant Guidelines and Peer Review Guidelines. Check your eligibility.
  6. Commence your application on the NHMRC Sapphire system.
  7. Contact the DR-Grants NHMRC team if you have any queries.
  8. Organise relevant DU Certification form

Resources

NHMRC documents

NHMRC application templates

Deakin University templates and documents

For Faculty of Health applicants, go to FoH Research Grants Portal

Deakin Certification Form for Investigator Grant