The Healthy pillar supports organisations that strive to provide innovative solutions to improve the health of all Australians.  The Medical Research program aims to advance understanding and improve treatment of major diseases by supporting leading Australian research institutes, universities and teaching hospitals in innovative biomedical research. 

In the Medical Research program the Foundation will consider applications:

• To support the provision of equipment and capital infrastructure to support outstanding research groups.

The Foundation also supports the Cynthia Banham Burns Fellowship to enable clinical research by an early-career researcher under the guidance of renowned burns specialist, Dr Fiona Wood at Royal Perth Hospital.

• Applicants from research institutions should contact their Advancement/Research Office prior to submitting an application. See specific instructions for applications from universities or research institutes.

• The minimum grant amount is $100,000 in this program area.

• The Foundation prioritises applications with evidence of collaboration. Please ensure that you have alternative providers of funding and that your application clearly considers any possible grant from the Foundation in this context. We are unlikely to fund 100% of a project cost.
• A maximum of two applications may be submitted by an organisation in a given grant round.
• In the case of multiple applications in one or more categories, advice must also be provided as to the priority ranking of all such applications.
• Applications must be accompanied by a letter of support from the Head of Department stating why the application is a priority for the institution and with confirmation of cash support.
• Institutions may not apply for a grant in this program area while they have an unacqiuitted medical research grant from the Foundation.
• Please also refer to the Funding Principles section for further information.

The Foundation will not normally support funding requests for:

• Equipment and services which should properly be provided for in the usual operation of the hospital or health facility.

Projects that fall into any of the following categories will not be considered for funding:

• Retrospective funding – projects which are already underway, or which will commence prior to the date indicated in our online application information are not eligible for consideration.
• Recurrent expenditure for which there is no future provision.
• Capital or endowment funds established to fund a chair or to provide a corpus for institutions.
• Research for undergraduate, masters or doctoral students
• Auspicing* is not permitted – the organisation applying must be the one that will run the program or project.
• Applications for public charitable purposes outside the Commonwealth of Australia**
• Applications for projects that have previously been declined by the Foundation cannot be resubmitted.
• Applications will not be accepted from organisations that have not successfully acquitted previous grants from the Foundation.
• We do not directly support schools.

Auspicing refers to the practice of an ineligible organisation (one that does not have DGR and TCC status) applying to the Foundation via an eligible organisation. Auspicing arrangements are excluded under the Foundation's guidelines. The organisation applying to the Foundation must be the organisation that will run the project or program for which a grant is being sought.

The Foundation is limited to providing money, property or benefits for public charitable purposes in the Commonwealth of Australia. However, the Foundation is able to provide a grant for activities outside the Commonwealth if the grant is made for a public charitable purpose in the Commonwealth. For example, a grant might be made to an Australian university to enable it to fund an overseas study tour by an Australian researcher engaged by the university.

Grant applications in the Medical Research area are via a single-stage process. 

1. Check your organisation’s Eligibility 
2. Read ALL the information on this program area page to ensure your project meets the program area objectives and to see when applications are open.
3. Contact your Advancement/Research Office. Universities and research institutes need to follow specific instructions in order to submit an application.

To assist your organisation with the application process, we have provided a Word template of the online application form and a project Budget template below. 

• Medical Research - application template
• Project budget template (single year)

Please note this form is NOT the live application form. All applications MUST be completed online via the Apply Now link at the bottom of this page. Please note this link will only be active when the program area is open for applications.