Targeted health research funding — submit your ideas

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has created an online pathway for community and professional groups to submit their ideas for targeted health research funding.

The pathway allows the submission of proposals throughout the year. All eligible proposals will undergo review and prioritisation biannually, and recommendations will be provided to the NHMRC Research Committee for consideration.

Ideas should focus on research that has the potential to improve health outcomes for the community, reduce the burden of disease on the health system and Australian economy, and contribute to the global research effort.

The online pathway is part of NHMRC’s revised framework for identifying and prioritising targeted calls for research (TCRs). It is one of several channels for identifying possible TCRs under the new framework, which establishes a set of principles for priority-driven research and provides NHMRC with a mechanism to respond to emerging research needs.

A TCR is a one-time request for grant applications to address a specific health problem. They complement NHMRC’s existing suite of funding schemes by funding research in defined areas of need and when urgent research needs emerge.

A TCR can help stimulate research in a particular area of health and medical science that will benefit Australians. It could be the “tipping point” for a research breakthrough within a disease area — that small injection of targeted funding that will result in changed policy or practice, or a new discovery.

A TCR is typically allocated between $2.5 million and $5 million (depending on the type of research required) from a previously allocated research fund in the NHMRC Medical Research Endowment Account. The number of TCRs awarded each year depends on available funds.

More information on how to make a submission is available on the NHMRC website.