Latest news and stories

RAO Alert – 22 January 2021
Sapphire – Scheduled Outage
RAO Alert 20 January 2021
NHMRC-ERC Implementing Arrangement call for expressions of interest

Building Indigenous research capacity in Australia
For nearly three decades, Professor Jacinta Elston has worked in higher education, furthering efforts to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in Australia. Professor Elston is an Aboriginal woman from North Queensland and the inaugural Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous) at Monash University.

NHMRC Tracker – 12 January 2021
Welcome to Tracker, NHMRC’s fortnightly newsletter with the latest information on major activities and funding opportunities.

'10 of the Best': Showcasing health and medical research success stories
Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council has launched the 12th edition of 10 of the Best, showcasing significant projects that support the improvement of human health.
RAO Alert - 8 January 2021
Release of the Investigator Grants 2021 Key Changes Factsheet

RAO Alert - 07 January 2021
Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) – Stem Cell Therapies Mission – 2020 Stem Cell Therapies Grant Opportunity update to funding profile for Stream 2

RAO Alert - 7 January 2021
MRFF Clinical Trials Initiative – Rare Cancers, Rare Diseases AND Unmet Need – COVID 19 Funding Outcomes Announced and Embargo Lifted
RAO Alert - 18 December 2020
NHMRC e-ASIA Joint Research Program 2021 Grant Opportunity
RAO Alert - 22 December 2020
Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) - Indigenous Health Research Fund - 2020 Indigenous Health Research Grant Opportunity is open for applications

RAO Alert - 16 December 2020
Research Help Centre availability over the holiday period
RAO Alert 16 December 2020
Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) – new grant opportunities now open for applications
$300 million for the improvement of health for all Australians
The Morrison Government is investing $300 million in ground-breaking health and medical research projects across Australia aimed at delivering better treatments, diagnosis and care.
CEO Communique – 15 December 2020
Key points
- $260 million investment in 283 Ideas Grants was announced today.
- $20 million of extra funding has been provided to assist the sector’s recovery from disruption of research by COVID-19.
- Streamlined peer review enabled the Ideas Grants round to be completed despite COVID-19.
- Outcomes were released before the end of the year thanks to exceptional support from peer reviewers across the sector.
Rao Alert - 14 December 2020
Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) - Emerging Priorities and Consumer Driven Research Initiative - 2020 Improving Diagnosis in Cancers with Low Survival Rates Grant Opportunity is open for applications
NHMRC Tracker – 15 December 2020
Stay informed on major NHMRC activities and funding opportunities with our fortnightly email newsletter, Tracker.

No more than 10 a week and 4 a day…
National Health and Medical Research Council confirms new national guidelines for reducing the health risks from drinking alcohol.

Adding new cells to the mature central nervous system - Investigating their normal function and potential for repair
For people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), the myelin that covers nerve fibres in the central nervous system (brain, optic nerves and spinal cord) is damaged, leading to impairment of cognitive, motor and sometimes sensory functions.

Mapping the trajectory of depression in primary care to improve treatment
The Diamond cohort study — Betting management of those at risk of persistent and disabling depression.

Measuring the effectiveness of cancer interventions
Economic evaluation is a tool used to decide which medical services and pharmaceuticals should be publicly funded. Professor Madeline King, Director of the University of Sydney’s Quality of Life Office, has developed ways to measure quality of life for use in economic evaluation of cancer interventions in Australia and across the world.

Targeting dangerous heart attack and stroke-causing plaques
Heart attack and stroke are major causes of death and disability worldwide. With over 500,000 Australians suffering from some form of coronary artery disease.

Using digital innovations to address depression and binge drinking in young Australians
Professor Frances Kay-Lambkin is a psychologist and leads an international team at the Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health at the University of Newcastle. Her research focuses on the development and translation of evidence-based treatments for comorbid mental disorders for young Australians.

Addressing the neglected global burden of child and drug-resistant tuberculosis
Ever since completing his PhD whilst working as a young paediatrician in South Africa, Professor Ben Marais from the University of Sydney has been on a mission to raise awareness of childhood tuberculosis (TB) and the transmissibility of drug-resistant TB — having seen first-hand the deadly impacts when this disease is left undiagnosed and untreated.

A smart needle for safer brain surgery
Almost 2000 Australians are diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour each year1 and, tragically, it is the leading cause of cancer-related death among children. Professor Robert McLaughlin’s team at the University of Adelaide, with colleagues at The University of Western Australia, set out to better diagnose the specific type of tumours, which can benefit patients’ treatment options and outcomes.

How our immune cells kill cancer
With her team, she discovered that, when target cells do not die quickly, it can cause inflammation, which hampers the body’s immune response.

Breathing easy — Improving access to respiratory disease rehabilitation
The average adult takes up to 20 breaths every minute, something most people give little thought. However, breathing can be a daily struggle for people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), an umbrella term for a group of lung conditions that includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis and chronic asthma.

NHMRC Tracker – 30 November 2020
Stay informed on major NHMRC activities and funding opportunities with our fortnightly email newsletter, Tracker.

$4.5 million for international research collaborations in human health
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is investing $4.5 million in six ground-breaking international medical research projects aimed at improving outcomes in Alzheimer’s disease, emerging and re emerging infectious diseases, cancer, mental health conditions, anorexia nervosa and the human health impact of climate change.

Expert Committee to review Australian Dietary Guidelines
Applications are invited from experts to join the review of the Australian Dietary Guidelines.

RAO Alert - 23 November 2020
Research Help Centre – New Sapphire Account Requests

RAO Alert - 18 November 2020
Special Initiative in Human Health and Environmental Change – Now open in Sapphire

COVID-3D: A small leap to scale up to COVID-19
Early in 2020, the University of Melbourne’s Bio21 team was working on protein modelling to better understand antimicrobial resistance for improved drug development. In March they turned their attention to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which had already undergone many mutations. In September, the team’s work was published in Nature Genetics.

NHMRC Tracker – 16 November 2020
Stay informed on major NHMRC activities and funding opportunities with our fortnightly email newsletter, Tracker.

Case study: Neurodegenerative disease and metals
The formation of abnormal proteins in the brain has long been suspected to contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. Yet many individuals with abnormal protein formations do not go on to develop such diseases.

RAO Alert - 10 November 2020
Research Help Centre – New Sapphire Account Requests
Using antimicrobials to prevent infections in our hospitals
Professor Mark Willcox from the University of New South Wales received the Marshall and Warren Ideas Grant Award at this year’s NHMRC Research Excellence Awards. Professor Willcox’s research targets hospital-acquired infections. Half of all hospital-acquired infections are from microbial colonisation of medical devices such as catheters and hip replacements. Professor Willcox and his team are developing new antimicrobial coatings that can be applied to medical devices to reduce the incidence of these infections.
RAO Alert - 3 November 2020
The due date and time for Minimum Data for the MRFF – 2020 International Clinical Trial Collaborations (ICTC) 20.1 Grant Opportunity was 5pm Wednesday 28 October 2020.
NHMRC Tracker – 2 November 2020
Stay informed on major NHMRC activities and funding opportunities with our fortnightly email newsletter, Tracker.
RAO Alert - 29 October 2020
Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) – Million Minds Mission – 2020 Mental Health Research Grant Opportunity application close date extended.

Australian Partnership for Preparedness Research on Infectious Disease Emergencies
APPRISE is the Australian Partnership for Preparedness Research on Infectious Disease Emergencies. It was established in 2016 with an investment of $5 million funded by NHMRC and an additional $2 million in 2020 to undertake a range of studies to inform the public health and clinical responses to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Twenty years of preparation
Over the past 20 years, NHMRC has invested more than $23 million in 37 projects on pandemic preparedness.
RAO Alert - 26 October 2020
Sapphire unavailable Tuesday 27 October 2020 between 7:00AM – 8:00AM AEDT
Tracker - 19 October 2020
Tracker is a fortnightly email newsletter that informs the Australian research community about major NHMRC activities and funding opportunities.
RAO Alert - 16 October 2020
Key dates for NHMRC 2021 Development Grant scheme
RAO Alert - 16 October 2020
FOR INFORMATION - FAQ UPDATE
RAO Alert - 13 October 2020
Nominate to participate in Peer Review Panels for 2021
RAO Alert - 13 October 2020
Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) – new grant opportunities now open for applications
$35 million for new Centres of Research Excellence to improve health outcomes
The Australian Government is investing $35 million in 14 new Centres of Research Excellence through the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), announced in the 2020-21 Budget.
Development grants to boost commercial outcomes of Australian medical research
The Australian Government is investing almost $15 million to drive health and medical research in Australia towards commercial outcomes, announced in the 2020-21 Budget.
More than $20 million investment in partnerships for health and medical research
The Australian Government is providing more than $20 million for research partnerships that lead to improved health outcomes and preventative measures for conditions such as coronary heart disease, severe depression and gestational diabetes, announced in the 2020-21 Budget.