NHMRC New Grant Program

Status

Opening LATE 2018-EARLY 2019 for funding commencing in 2020

Funding body

National Health and Medical Research Council

Internal deadlines

Stage	REQ'D?	DATE
Faculties/IFM/IISRI to work with applicants to review, workshop and develop proposals	M	Jul 2018 - Jan 2019 Check date on DR-G NHMRC Funding calendar
Faculties/IFM/IISRI to collate and forward list of applicants approved to submit	M	Check date on DR-G NHMRC Funding calendar List emailed to Deakin Research - Grants
Applications Open on new NHMRC Sapphire system		Check date on DR-G NHMRC Funding calendar
Final application on Sapphire and certification forms	M	Check date on DR-G NHMRC Funding calendar Complete application on Sapphire Email snapshot reports and all uploaded documents to Deakin NHMRC Submissions Email DU Certification forms and AI consents to Deakin NHMRC Submissions Minimum data requirements must be met on Sapphire by the relevant deadline. Applications that miss this deadline will not be able to submit an application to the NHMRC.

_{O - Optional /}_{M - Mandatory}

Overview

NHMRC is introducing a new grants program, with the first round of applications opening in late 2018–early 2019. The new grants program will comprise four funding streams:

Investigator Grants

will consolidate separate fellowship and research support into one grant scheme that will provide the highest-performing researchers at all career stages with funding for their salary and a significant research support package.

Find out more about Investigator Grants

Synergy Grants

will provide $5 million per grant for outstanding multi-disciplinary research teams to work together to answer complex questions.

Find out more about Synergy Grants

Ideas Grants

will support innovative and creative research projects, and be available to researchers with bright ideas at all career stages, including early and mid-career researchers.

Find out more about Ideas Grants

Strategic and Leveraging Grants

will support research that addresses identified national needs. This will include:

an enhanced Targeted Calls for Research scheme
a dedicated funding stream for Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies
existing schemes such as Centres of Research Excellence, Development Grants, Partnership Centres, Partnership Projects and international collaborative schemes.

Find out more about Strategic and Leveraging Grants

An overview of the new grant program is summarised in the table below:
View table on NHMRC website

Assessment

Funding will continue to be provided based on rigorous peer review of applications. Assessment of Investigator Grants and Synergy Grants will primarily focus on track record (relative to opportunity and peer group), and assessment of Ideas Grants will primarily focus on the science, innovation and significance of the proposed research.

Eligibility

Chief Investigators are limited in the number of applications they can submit and grants they can hold

For researchers holding NHMRC Fellowships, Project Grants and Program Grants, these existing grants/fellowships as at 1 January 2020 will further impact on their eligibility for the new grants. Researchers can assess their eligibility for the first 2019 round by using NHMRC’s Eligibility Tool and Eligibility Table.

What will not change?

The purpose of NHMRC’s grant program will continue to aim to improve human health through research.
NHMRC will continue to support research and research translation across the full spectrum of national health needs, broad research areas (basic, clinical, health services and public health), fields of research, disciplines and public sector research settings through both investigator-initiated and priority-driven projects.
NHMRC will continue to support partnerships with end-users, commercialisation, translation and implementation science.
NHMRC will continue to commit at least five per cent of the annual Medical Research Endowment Account allocation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research.
Associate Investigators will continue to contribute critical skills, and will be recognised in the Synergy, Ideas and Strategic and Leveraging Grant schemes.
Grants that are already held by researchers at the time of implementation will be honoured under their existing schemes

For more information, visit the NHMRC website and DR-Grants web pages:

How to apply

Visit DR-Grants' specific funding stream webpages to find out more about each stream.
Contact your Faculty/IFM/IISRI research office to register your intent to submit. Applicants must work with their Faculty/Institute/SRC and/or School to develop a high calibre application
If your Faculty/IFM/IISRI supports your application, DR-Grants will contact you regarding the submission process.
Plan and draft your grant proposal early; CIs should gather their individual CV information/updates.
Read the Funding Rules and Instructions to Applicants.
Commence your application on the NHMRC Sapphire system.
Contact the DR-Grants NHMRC team if you have any queries.
Organise relevant DU Certification form and AI consents.