Our history

NHMRC’s history reflects the evolution of health and medical research in Australia.

Explore key moments from our past through an interactive timeline (below), tracing NHMRC’s journey across each decade – from our establishment and early public health leadership to the growth of Australia’s research system and the global impact of Australian science.

The interactive timeline is a living record of NHMRC’s 90 year journey. It will continue to be updated over time, celebrating key milestones, achievements and moments that have shaped health and medical research in Australia. The timeline highlights major milestones, policy developments, research breakthroughs and shifts in how evidence informs health decisions. Together, these moments show how NHMRC has adapted to emerging challenges while remaining focused on quality, integrity and long term benefit for the community.

Image attribution and copyright – Where possible, NHMRC has sought and obtained copyright approval for images used on this website. Images created or commissioned by NHMRC are owned by NHMRC. Historical images without an identifiable copyright owner have been sourced from publicly available collections and are referenced accordingly. NHMRC welcomes contact regarding any copyright concerns.

1920s

Early ideas take shape, laying the groundwork for a national approach to health and medical research.

The foundations of NHMRC were laid during a period of global uncertainty, as Australia made a formal commitment to coordinated health and medical research. Early leadership, governance arrangements and staff appointments helped grow the agency’s purpose and direction, establishing its role in guiding research, strengthening public health, and supporting evidence-based decision making that would influence generations to come.

1926

Introduction of the Federal Health Council

The Australian Government announced the creation of the Federal Health Council (FHC), an advisory body bringing together the Commonwealth Director General of Health and the Chief Health Officers of each state. Their goal was to drive national cooperation on disease control and public health standards.

1927

First session of the Federal Health Council

The FHC held its first session in Melbourne from 25–28 January 1927. Dr John Howard Lidgett Cumpston, Commonwealth Director-General of Health, presided over the session. It included an opening address by Sir Earle Page (then acting Prime Minister/acting Minister for Health) which set an ambitious national agenda.

1930s

The foundations are laid, with NHMRC established to guide and support Australia’s emerging health and medical research system.

NHMRC was established during a period of global uncertainty, marking a formal commitment to coordinated health and medical research in Australia. Early leadership, governance arrangements and staff appointments set the direction for the organisation’s role in supporting research and improving public health.

1936

NHMRC was established

The Governor-General, Lord Gowrie, established NHMRC in September 1936, replacing the FHC and expanding its role to include a stronger focus on health and medical research.

1936–1946

Inaugural Chair appointed

In 1937, Dr John Howard Lidgett Cumpston was appointed as the inaugural Chair of NHMRC. As Australia’s first Director-General of Health and a leading public health advocate, Cumpston brought strong national leadership to the new Council, shaping its early focus on preventive medicine, public health and the coordination of medical research with government policy.

1936–1947

First Secretary of NHMRC

J. L. Fawcett was the first Secretary of the NHMRC, serving from 1936 to 1947 during NHMRC’s founding decade. Contemporary records place him at the centre of the Council’s earliest operations, supporting the establishment of NHMRC’s administrative and procedural foundations.

1937

First Council session held

In February 1937, NHMRC held its first Council session in Hobart, TAS - formally commencing its work as Australia’s national authority on health and medical research and public health advice.

1937

Medical Research Endowment Account legislation passed

Parliament passed the Medical Research Endowment Act 1937 (the MRE Act), establishing the Medical Research Endowment Fund (MREF) (now called the MREA), creating a dedicated endowment to fund health and medical research in Australia.

1937–2018

First round of health and medical research grants allocated

NHMRC’s newly established Council allocated £30,000 in its first year of competitive health and medical research funding, marking the beginning of NHMRC’s enduring grant making role.

1937

Standing committee on tuberculosis established

During its 3rd Council session, NHMRC established a Standing Committee on Tuberculosis to address one of Australia’s most significant public health threats of the time.

Their initial work focused on collating national tuberculosis statistics, representing the first coordinated effort to map tuberculosis incidence across Australia and to standardise approaches to diagnosis and epidemiological investigation.

The committee’s advice informed early NHMRC funded research into tuberculosis, including studies of infection patterns, diagnostic methods and the distinction between human and bovine strains. This work demonstrated NHMRC’s early integration of research funding and public health advice, shaping Commonwealth action in the late 1930s and laying groundwork for post war tuberculosis screening and control programs that would later drive the disease to very low levels nationally.

1938

Research gathers pace

NHMRC’s grant program had expanded rapidly by 1938, with 41 research grants funded across a wide range of disciplines including bacteriology, biochemistry, clinical medicine, dentistry, epidemiology, obstetrics and public health.

1939

National coordination consolidates

NHMRC’s 6th session convened in Adelaide, continuing a cadence of meetings that reviewed research priorities and approved funding under the MREA. These sessions strengthened NHMRC’s role as a forum for Commonwealth and state collaboration at a time when coordinated national responses to health challenges were increasingly important.

Alongside grant and priority setting, national nutrition work intensified, with a specialist nutrition committee coordinating research and advisory activities within the Council’s remit. This reflected a broader prewar push to link research, standards and public health, ensuring that emerging scientific evidence informed guidance on population health, food standards and disease prevention.

These deliberations entrenched a national approach to health and medical research coordination. Council resolutions guided grants, technical standards and committee activity in areas such as nutrition and infectious diseases, helping translate research advice into policy, and laying foundations for national health measures that would be tested and expanded in the years that followed.

1939

Funding reductions

Australian Government funding for health and medical research was significantly reduced due to WWII. It did not return to pre-war levels until the end of the war in 1946.

1940s

Research priorities shift in response to war, recovery and national health needs.

NHMRC adapts to the demands of wartime and post‑war Australia, with a growing focus on population health, disease prevention and national coordination. This decade reinforces the importance of research in supporting public health resilience and recovery.

1940

Breaking into 6 figures

During the 1940s, NHMRC funding through the MREA began to recover and scale following wartime constraint. Across the decade, total MREA funding reached $684,000 (£342,000).

1940–45

Constraints on research

During WWII (1939–45), NHMRC’s medical research appropriations were reduced relative to prewar levels, reflecting broader wartime pressures on Commonwealth finances. Funding for health and medical research did not return to prewar levels until 1945–46, limiting NHMRC’s capacity to expand or initiate new research programs during the conflict.

Despite these constraints, NHMRC maintained support for priority research areas, including infectious disease, maternal and child health and dentistry, and kept national coordination active through its standing committees. This ensured continuity of advice, standards and limited grant support in areas critical to public health during wartime conditions.

By protecting core research capability and sustaining national coordination, NHMRC positioned Australia’s health and medical research system for a rapid postwar recovery. When appropriations were restored in 1945–46, Australian laboratories and clinical units were able to restart stalled projects and scale promising lines of investigation, supporting renewed growth in research capacity in the immediate postwar period.

1941

Expert committee on rubella in pregnancy

Paediatric ophthalmologist Sir Norman Gregg published a landmark paper linking rubella (German measles) infection in pregnancy to congenital cataracts and other birth defects in infants in 1941.

Although initially contested, this discovery followed a widespread rubella epidemic in Australia in 1940 and raised urgent questions about maternal infection and fetal health.

Recognising the public health significance, NHMRC established an Expert Committee on Rubella in Pregnancy in 1946, chaired by Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet (1946–1950). The committee synthesised emerging evidence, coordinated research and raised clinician awareness nationwide, shaping early guidance on the management and prevention of rubella in pregnancy well before a vaccine was available.

The committee’s work laid the foundations for later prevention policy and, ultimately, for vaccine era elimination strategies targeting rubella and congenital rubella syndrome.

This exemplified NHMRC’s capacity to translate a novel and contested research finding into authoritative clinical and policy advice through its expert committee system.

1942

Micro radiography platform for tuberculosis surveillance

Building on the work of NHMRC’s Standing Committee on Tuberculosis established in 1937, NHMRC supported the development of microradiography as a practical tool for large scale tuberculosis surveillance. Following committee recommendations, NHMRC directed the Commonwealth Xray and radium laboratory to refine this technique for population use.

By 1942, research led by Dr Cecil Eddy at the laboratory had produced an apparatus capable of generating mass miniature chest radiographs, making tuberculosis screening feasible for large surveys. This represented a significant technical advance, translating laboratory based diagnostic research into a tool suitable for national public health programs.

This micro radiography platform underpinned post war tuberculosis screening and control efforts and exemplified NHMRC’s early model of integrating committee advice, directed research and national coordination. By accelerating the transition from experimental method to population scale application, NHMRC helped lay the foundations for sustained reductions in tuberculosis incidence in Australia in the decades that followed.

1945–1946

Dr Frank McCallum appointed as Chair of Council

Dr Frank McCallum succeeded Dr John Howard Lidgett Cumpston as Chair of NHMRC in 1945, assuming leadership at the close of the WWII and during a critical period of transition for Australia’s health and medical research system.

Dr McCallum had also succeeded Dr Cumpston as Director-General of Health, continuing the close alignment between national health administration and NHMRC leadership that characterised the Council’s early decades.

Dr McCallum’s chairmanship occurred as NHMRC was emerging from wartime constraints on research funding and preparing for renewed growth. Under his leadership, the Council maintained continuity of governance and oversight while laying the groundwork for postwar recovery, including the resumption of research activity and the expansion of training and capacity building initiatives that would follow in the late 1940s.

Although Dr McCallum’s term was brief, ending in 1946 due to illness, his period as Chair marked an important bridge between NHMRC’s wartime operations and its postwar expansion under subsequent leadership. This transition helped position the Council to rapidly rebuild Australia’s national health and medical research capability in the immediate postwar years.

1946

First public health travelling fellowships

NHMRC launched its public health travelling fellowships, marking the Council’s first structured investment in post graduate training and workforce development for health and medical research. The fellowships funded overseas training for Australian public health doctors, while additional hospital-based registrars were supported domestically, helping rebuild expertise following wartime disruption.

These fellowships were enabled by the MRE Act 1937, which explicitly authorised funding for the training of persons in medical research. This statutory foundation reflected NHMRC’s early recognition that sustained national research capacity depended not only on project funding, but also on the development of skilled researchers and public health leaders.

By coupling research grants with structured training fellowships, NHMRC helped drive postwar capability growth in key disciplines including epidemiology, biostatistics and preventive medicine. These investments were critical to modernising Australia’s health system and laid the groundwork for NHMRC’s later, expanded portfolio of fellowship and career development schemes.

1946–2018

Training fellowships established

From the postwar period, NHMRC’s mission broadened beyond funding individual research projects to explicitly training researchers and public health practitioners, beginning with travelling and public health fellowships introduced in 1946.

These early fellowships seeded long-term workforce capability by supporting overseas training and structured development pathways for Australian researchers and clinicians, alongside domestic support for hospital based registrars.

Over subsequent decades, this people focused investment expanded into a family of training and career development schemes, including early career, career development and practitioner fellowships. Together, these initiatives established a continuous pipeline from entry level scholars to senior research leaders, embedding workforce development as a core function of NHMRC’s funding role.

Although the design of schemes evolved over time, the underlying emphasis on people support remained central. Today, this legacy is reflected in NHMRC’s modern funding architecture, including Investigator Grants with salary support and Postgraduate Scholarships, ensuring continuity of Australian health and medical research capability across generations.

1947–1960

Dr Arthur John Metcalfe CBE appointed Chair of Council

Beginning a 13-year chairmanship, Dr Arthur John Metcalfe CBE was appointed Chair of NHMRC which provided a stable and strategic direction during a critical phase of postwar recovery and expansion. His appointment followed the brief tenure of Dr Frank McCallum and coincided with the consolidation of NHMRC’s statutory funding base through the MREA.

During Dr Metcalfe’s chairmanship, NHMRC broadened training and mobility initiatives, building on training fellowships introduced from 1946, and later establishing the C. J. Martin Travelling Fellowships in 1951. These schemes supported overseas research experience for Australian scientists and clinicians, strengthening domestic capability and embedding international engagement as a feature of NHMRC’s funding model.

Under Metcalfe’s leadership, the Council consolidated postwar funding and resumed the expansion of competitive grants and committee work. This period marked a shift from wartime constraint to steady growth, with NHMRC using its committee system and grant programs to translate research into national policy and practice.

1950s

NHMRC expands its role as medical research grows in scale and ambition.

As Australia’s research sector develops, NHMRC strengthens its support for medical research and advisory functions. The decade is marked by growing confidence in research‑led approaches to health challenges and increased national collaboration.

1950

Steady scale up, year after year

During the 1950s, NHMRC funding through the MREA continued to grow steadily, embedding a more durable national research funding base. Across the decade, total MREA funding reached $3,198,000, with annual appropriations increasing from $170,000 in 1950–51 to $483,000 by 1959–60.

1950

Post-war expansion of national programs and standards

NHMRC used its committee system and the MREA to drive a significant expansion in national health programs and standards during the 1950s. Priority areas included population level prevention, notably tuberculosis control, as well as immunisation, particularly against poliomyelitis, reflecting the growing role of coordinated national responses to communicable disease.

During this period, NHMRC also advanced Australia-wide standards, beginning with food standards and extending later in the decade to guidance that informed drinking water fluoridation. These efforts strengthened consistency across jurisdictions and embedded evidence-based standards into public health practice.

The decade saw NHMRC funded basic science mature, particularly in virology and protein chemistry, with clear translational impacts for vaccines and diagnostics. Sustained investigator led funding, often linked to public manufacturers, supported the movement of discoveries from laboratory research into practical public health tools.

Governance remained stable under Director-General Dr Arthur John Metcalfe (from late 1946), providing continuity for Council sessions, grant making and committee activity. This stability enabled NHMRC to consolidate postwar funding growth and establish enduring national programs that shaped Australia’s health system for decades.

1950

Tuberculosis control

Building on the work of NHMRC’s Standing Committee on Tuberculosis, NHMRC’s advice and funded research laid the foundation for postwar tuberculosis control programs. During the 1940s, NHMRC supported technical and scientific advances including microradiography, which enabled largescale chest Xray screening, alongside early epidemiological mapping and research into tuberculosis diagnostics and treatment.

1950

Influenza research

Supported by NHMRC funding, Sir Macfarlane Burnet and colleagues at WEHI made foundational advances in influenza virology throughout the 1930s–1960s. Their work included cultivating influenza virus in embryonated eggs, characterising antigenic variation, and developing laboratory assays that transformed understanding of how influenza viruses evolve and spread.

1951

C. J. Martin travelling fellowships created

NHMRC established the C. J. Martin travelling fellowships, creating a dedicated pathway for promising Australian researchers to undertake advanced training in leading overseas laboratories and return with new skills, methods and international networks.

Introduced during a period of postwar expansion, the fellowships complemented earlier training initiatives and strengthened Australia’s capacity to absorb and apply global advances in biomedical science.

The fellowships became a cornerstone of NHMRC’s approach to international engagement and capability building, supporting researchers across medical, dental and related research fields who intended to pursue their careers in Australia. Over time, this model helped embed international experience as a defining feature of Australian health and medical research training.

While the original C. J. Martin Fellowship lineage has since been consolidated into NHMRC’s modern people support architecture, including Investigator Grants, the underlying principle endures. Global exposure and skills transfer continue through NHMRC’s international schemes and partnerships, as well as through Postgraduate Scholarships, ensuring ongoing renewal of Australia’s research workforce.

By backing overseas training and structured return pathways, NHMRC accelerated the internationalisation of Australia’s research workforce and strengthened the speed with which new knowledge and techniques were translated into domestic research and health practice.

1952–1954

National food standards work begins

NHMRC agreed to cooperate with the Council of Australian Food Technology Associations to address long standing inconsistencies in state food and drug legislation. This marked a renewed national effort to harmonise food regulation following decades of fragmented state-based approaches.

Building on this work, NHMRC established a Food Standards Committee in 1954 to develop and recommend uniform Australia wide food standards, covering areas such as food composition, labelling, processing and hygiene. These standards were considered by states and territories and progressively adopted into law, providing a practical mechanism for national consistency while respecting jurisdictional responsibilities.

This committee-based model laid the foundation for Australia’s modern national food standards system, which was later transferred from NHMRC to Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Over subsequent decades, the Food Standards Committee continued to operate as the federal forum for evidence-based food regulation, underpinning improvements in food safety and consumer protection.

By creating a sustained national mechanism for standards development, NHMRC helped improve food safety, consumer information and market efficiency, demonstrating the Council’s broader role in translating scientific and technical expertise into practical public health regulation.

1953

Water fluoridation

In the 1940s, international evidence, particularly from the US, demonstrated that small amounts of fluoride in drinking water substantially reduce tooth decay. Building on this evidence base, in September 1953 the town of Beaconsfield in Tasmania became the first community in Australia to fluoridate its public water supply.

1956

Polio vaccine rollout in Australia

United States physician Jonas Salk developed the first successful inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) in the 1950s. Building on this breakthrough, Australia’s Commonwealth Serum Laboratories began mass producing the Salk vaccine. In partnership with Commonwealth and State health departments, Australia launched wide reaching public immunisation campaigns, providing vaccination free of charge to the population.

This 1956 rollout marked a decisive shift in Australia’s control of poliomyelitis. It was later supplemented by the oral poliovirus vaccine in the 1960s, reflecting evolving international evidence and allowing more comprehensive population coverage. Together, these immunisation strategies were central to Australia’s long-term control of polio and its eventual certification as poliofree in 2000.

NHMRC contributed through its expert committees and sustained investment in virology and vaccine research, helping shape evidence-based immunisation policy and maintain research capacity linked to Commonwealth Serum Laboratories (CSL) and university laboratories. This integrated model that connected research, manufacturing and public health delivery, illustrated NHMRC’s role in translating scientific advances into national disease control programs.

1957

Protein sequencing revolution

Protein chemist Dr Pehr Edman moved to Melbourne to become Head of St. Vincent’s School of Medical Research (now the St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research). There, Edman advanced his method for determining the amino acid sequence of proteins, known as Edman degradation chemistry, which he had first described in 1950. This enabled proteins to be analysed step by step, overcoming a major barrier in biomolecular research.

With NHMRC support, Edman and colleagues refined the chemistry and pursued automation of protein sequencing in the late 1950s to early 1960s. These innovations transformed protein analysis from a slow, highly specialised endeavour into a routine laboratory technique, catalysing rapid advances in biochemistry, molecular biology and medicine.

The ability to sequence proteins reliably underpinned the development of modern diagnostics and therapeutics, and established Australia as a key contributor to global protein science. NHMRC’s strategic investment helped position Australian laboratories at the forefront of biomolecular research, creating enduring national capability that continues to support biomedical discovery and translation today.

1960s

Scientific progress accelerates, supported by stronger research systems and advice.

The 1960s reflect rapid advances in science and medicine. NHMRC continues to evolve its role in funding, advice and standards, helping to support innovation while maintaining a strong focus on evidence and integrity.

1960

The million dollar decade begins

NHMRC’s national research funding entered the million dollar range during the 1960s, marking a decisive shift in scale and ambition. Across the decade, total funding reached $9,888,963, with annual appropriations rising from $537,000 in 1960–61 to $1,867,500 by 1969–70.

1960–1973

Sir William Refshauge AC CBE ED appointed as Chair of Council

Major General Sir William Refshauge AC CBE ED, an influential Director General of Health, served as Chair of NHMRC. During his chairship, NHMRC’s national advisory role expanded, and the Council laid critical foundations for the ethics and standards frameworks that would mature in subsequent decades.

Under Sir William’s leadership, NHMRC improved its committee system and issued landmark guidance, including Australia’s first national code for the use of animals in research in 1969. The Council also commenced sustained work on drinking water quality, initiating evidence-based approaches that later informed comprehensive national guideline frameworks.

Sir William Refshauge’s period as Chair is widely regarded as highly formative for Australian health policy and administration. By integrating public health advice with emerging ethical standards for research, his leadership helped consolidate NHMRC’s authority and credibility as a national institution.

1960

Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet OM receives Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet OM shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Sir Peter Medawar for the discovery of acquired immunological tolerance. Their work explained how the immune system learns to distinguish self from non self, preventing immune attack on the body’s own tissues.

This breakthrough reshaped modern immunology and directly underpins the success of organ transplantation, as well as later advances in immune based therapies.

Burnet had already driven major scientific advances at WEHI, where he led internationally influential programs in virology and immunology. He was the first scientist to win a Nobel Prize for work conducted in Australia, bringing unprecedented global recognition to Australian health and medical research.

Burnet and his team at WEHI were supported through NHMRC funding, particularly for influenza research during 1930s-1960s. This work laid critical foundations for vaccine development and disease, illustrating the value of long-term national investment in discovery science. By backing investigator led research and linking laboratory advances with public health outcomes, NHMRC demonstrated how foundational science can translate into enduring benefits for population health and cement Australia’s reputation for world class biomedical research.

1963

Sir John Carew Eccles AC receives Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Australian scientist Sir John Carew Eccles AC shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Alan Hodgkin and Andrew Huxley for explaining how nerve cells communicate with each other. Their work revealed the basic electrical and chemical processes that allow the brain and nervous system to send messages, process information and control behaviour.

Working in the early 1950s and later at the ANU, Eccles used highly precise experiments to show what happens when one nerve cell passes a message to another. He demonstrated that chemical messengers released at the junction between nerve cells can either switch the next cell on or slow it down, depending on how tiny, charged particles move in and out of the cell. This discovery settled a long-standing scientific debate and explained, for the first time, how the brain balances activity and control.

Eccles’s findings laid the foundations of modern neuroscience, influencing everything from our understanding of learning and memory to the diagnosis and treatment of neurological conditions such as epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and depression. NHMRC continues to help turn discoveries like Eccles’s into real world health benefits, ensuring that advances in understanding the brain to better care for patients.

1964–1966

The beginning of a national ethics framework

The World Medical Association adopted the Declaration of Helsinki, creating the first widely accepted international rules for research involving people in 1964. These principles were designed to ensure that medical research respected human dignity and safety, particularly by requiring informed consent, careful weighing of risks and benefits, and independent oversight of research proposals.

Australia moved quickly to adopt these ideas. By 1966 - NHMRC released its first Statement on Human Experimentation, translating the global principles into practical guidance for Australian researchers and institutions. This marked the beginning of a national ethics framework that would later evolve into today’s National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research.

These early steps changed how research was conducted in Australia. By setting consistent national expectations, NHMRC became the authoritative source of ethics guidance for universities, hospitals and research institutes, improving a culture of ethical responsibility that continues to underpin Australian research practice today.

1964–1968

Community water fluoridation spreads to capital cities

Following Australia’s first community water fluoridation in Beaconsfield, TAS (1953), the 1960s marked a major expansion of fluoridation to capital cities and regional centres, reflecting growing confidence in fluoridation as a safe and effective public health measure to reduce tooth decay.

1964–1966

Sabin oral polio vaccine recommended for all Australians

Building on the 1956 rollout of the Salk inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), Australia introduced the Sabin oral polio vaccine (OPV) in the 1960s. Following trials in Tasmania, the OPV was registered in 1964 and, by 1966, recommended for all Australians.

1964

Radiation Health Committee emerges and foundations established for national radiological codes

By the mid1960s, the use of ionising radiation was expanding rapidly across medicine, research and industry, including Xray imaging, radiotherapy and emerging nuclear medicine. In 1964, NHMRC established national coordination for radiation health through the creation of a Radiation Health Committee, providing a dedicated forum to assess risks and develop consistent measures.

This work laid the foundations for Australia’s first national radiation protection codes, which were developed and updated in the decades that followed. These early standards eventually progressed into today’s Radiation Health Series and Radiation Protection Series (now administered by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency), forming the backbone of radiation safety regulation in Australia.

By anticipating the growth of diagnostic imaging and radiation-based therapies, NHMRC provided early national leadership on radiation standards and clinical safety, to ensure that the benefits of radiation in health care were realised while minimising risks to patients, health workers and the public.

1966–1967

Appropriations through the MREA exceed $1 million for the first time

By 1966–67, the Commonwealth investment through the MREA administered by NHMRC exceeded $1 million for the first time. This milestone marked a clear transition from postwar recovery to sustained, program scale national funding for health and medical research.

1960

From WEHI influenza research to protein sequencing

NHMRC funding sustained the influential WEHI–CSL influenza research program during the 1930s-1960s, creating methods and insights that directly informed vaccine development in Australia. This long running collaboration helped link laboratory virology with public manufacturing and immunisation programs.

1968

Scholarships establish a national research pipeline

NHMRC scholarships were introduced in 1968 as a solid pathway into health and medical research careers, supporting both postgraduate and undergraduate researchers and introducing training as a core element of the national research system.

These early scholarships helped create a permanent pipeline of skilled researchers, complementing NHMRC’s project funding and boosting long term workforce capability.

Over time, the scheme has advanced to meet changing research and equity needs. Today, NHMRC Postgraduate Scholarships provide up to 3 years of stipend support for PhD and Research Masters candidates, with streamlined priority and standard categories and targeted equity supplements such as support for First Nations researchers.

By investing directly in people at the start of their careers, NHMRC scholarships continue to build national research capability across all pillars of health and medical research, ensuring a steady influx of highly trained researchers to Australia’s universities, institutes and health systems.

1968–2002

Block funding provided to medical research institutes

NHMRC provided multiyear block funding to a small number of Medical Research Institutes between 1968-2002. This approach offered stability and supported strategic development, allowing institutes to build core expertise, plan long term research programs and respond to health priorities.

1969

First guide of Animals in research published

NHMRC released the first national code to guide the ethical use of animals in research. The code established clear expectations for humane treatment, scientific justification and ethical oversight, providing a consistent national framework for research involving animals.

1970s

NHMRC’s responsibilities broaden alongside changing community expectations.

With greater attention on ethics, equity and community impact, NHMRC’s work expands beyond funding alone. The organisation plays an increasingly visible role in setting standards and providing trusted health advice.

1970

From millions to tens of millions

In the 1970s, funding surged to $75,443,189 for the decade. Annual funding grew from $2,296,408 in 1970–71 to $14,000,000 by 1979–80. A major leap occurred in 1976–77, jumping from $5,211,000 (1975–76) to $10,295,000, marking the first time appropriations hit eight figures. This enabled a sharp change in the scale of national research capacity and ambition.

1970–1973

Radioisotopes in medicine

Medical use of radioisotopes grew rapidly in Australia in the early 1970s, supporting new approaches to diagnosis and treatment as nuclear medicine became a clinical discipline.

Australia operated a coordinated national framework to many these developments involving the NHMRC Radiation Health Committee (1964) alongside standing and therapeutic trials committees, which guided clinical practice and research involving human participants.

NHMRC provided national coordination for radiation safety and ethical conduct, ensuring that radioisotope research and clinical use met consistent standards across hospitals, universities and research institutions. This early leadership anticipated the growing role of diagnostic imaging and radionuclide therapies in Australian health services and laid the framework for later national radiation protection codes and standards.

1971–1977

City water fluoridation expands

Building on earlier community water fluoridation schemes, the 1970s saw continued city-wide rollout across Australian capitals as part of a national effort to reduce dental caries.

1972

Australian Drinking Water Guidelines released

NHMRC released the first Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, providing a national, evidence-based framework to protect public health through safe drinking water. The Guidelines offered authoritative advice on the chemical, microbiological, physical and radiological quality of drinking water, supporting consistent decision making by governments and water authorities across Australia.

1973–1982

Chair of Council - Dr Gwyn Howells CB

Dr Gwyn Howells CB served as Chair of NHMRC during a period of important change in Australia’s health and medical research system. Under his leadership, NHMRC moved away from predominantly single project grants toward longer term, programmatic funding models. This shift culminated in the introduction of Program Grants in 1978, supporting sustained, multi investigator research.

1974–1999

Research Unit grants

NHMRC introduced Research Unit grants to boost capacity in areas needing preferential support. These grants established focused research units within existing institutions, enabling teams to build critical mass, shared infrastructure and sustained expertise.

1975

First national polio vaccinations funded

Australia introduced its first national immunisation schedule, formally recommending and funding oral polio vaccine (OPV) for infants at 6, 8 and 10 months. This was a major step in standardising polio vaccination across jurisdictions and strengthening population wide protection.

1978–2018

Program Grants were introduced

NHMRC Program Grants provided up to 5 years of flexible funding for teams pursuing a coherent program of research, enabling sustained collaboration, critical mass and long term planning beyond single projects.

1970

Food Standards Committee established

NHMRC Food Standards Committee continued to play a central role through the 1970s, recommending uniform national standards for food safety, composition, additives, labelling and processing across key commodities, including beverages, meats/seafood and dairy.

1970

Tuberculosis incidence continues to fall

During the 1970s, tuberculosis (TB) incidence in Australia continued to decline, reflecting the long-term impact of postwar public health investments.

1960–1970

Microsurgery emerges and matures in Australia

Building on pioneering work from the mid1960s, Australian teams -centred on St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne -advanced microsurgery and microvascular techniques through the 1970s, enabling reliable blood vessel and nerve reconnections, including one stage free flap transfers.

1970

Human research ethics embedded nationally

With NHMRC’s 1966 Statement on Human Experimentation already in place, the 1970s saw Australian institutions increasingly embed ethical review, informed consent and participant primacy into research practice.

1970

MREA funded programs scale up

After MREA appropriations first exceeded $1 million in 1966–67, the 1970s saw continued growth in Commonwealth investment in health and medical research. Investigator led and mission oriented programs matured across universities and research institutes, supporting larger scale and more coordinated research activity.

1980s

Health research becomes more collaborative, strategic and nationally coordinated.

The 1980s see NHMRC strengthen national research coordination and long term planning. Investment in research capability and collaboration grows, supporting a more connected and forward‑looking health research system.

1980

Big growth on a bigger base

During the 1980s, NHMRC funding through the MREA expanded rapidly from an already strengthened base. Annual appropriations rose from $18.7 million in 1980–81 to $80.4 million by 1989–90, with total funding across the decade reaching $480.3 million.

1980

Radiation Health Series is created

NHMRC launched the Radiation Health Series (RHS), issuing Australia’s first national radiation protection standards. Initial publications included RHS No. 1, setting recommended exposure limits, and RHS No. 2, providing a code of practice for laboratories using radioactive substances for medical purposes.

1981–2025

Development Grants accelerate translation and commercialisation

NHMRC Development Grants supported proof of concept research to accelerate translation and commercialisation of health and medical discoveries.

1982

Ethics framework consolidated, immunisation schedule refined

NHMRC released its Statement on Human Experimentation, consolidating national guidance on informed consent, independent ethics review and risk benefit assessment.

1983–1984

Mr Lawrence John Willett AO served as Chair of Council

Serving through 1984, Mr Lawrence John Willett AO was appointed Chair of NHMRC, His chairmanship came during a period of institutional consolidation, following major expansions in NHMRC’s funding, ethics guidance and national advisory roles during the 1970s-1980s.

1983–1999

Special Initiative grants address priority needs

NHMRC Special Initiative Grants provided time limited, targeted funding to address priority health issues of public interest, including ageing, alcohol, toxicology, rehabilitation, Aboriginal health and HIV/AIDS.

1984

Equipment Grants strengthen research infrastructure

NHMRC Equipment Grants have provided targeted support for shared research equipment, enabling Australian institutions to purchase, maintain and upgrade critical instruments used across multiple projects and teams.

By focusing on collaborative use and cost efficiency, the scheme has helped maximise the value of public investment in health and medical research.

While the design and framing of the scheme have evolved over time, support for research equipment has remained a core pillar of NHMRC’s program architecture, alongside competitive research grants and broader institute infrastructure schemes. Equipment Grants complement project based funding by ensuring that researchers have access to the specialised tools required for high-quality, cutting-edge research.

Through targeted investment in shared equipment, NHMRC has amplified the impact of all NHMRC funded research hosted at Australian institutions -boosting national research capacity, encouraging collaboration and supporting scientific excellence across disciplines.

1984–1987

Mr Bernard Vincent McKay appointed as Chair of Council

1984-1987, Mr Bernard Vincent McKay served as Chair of NHMRC Council and was also appointed Secretary of the Australian Government Department of Health, bringing senior whole of health system leadership to the Council’s work.

1984–1989

Targeted codes for Xray analysis equipment

NHMRC issued a series of practice specific Radiation Health Series (RHS) codes to address defined radiation risks between 1984-1989.

These included the 1984 Code of Practice for Protection Against Ionizing Radiation Emitted from Xray Analysis Equipment, alongside related technical guidance covering laboratory, clinical and industrial uses of ionising radiation. Over time, this body of work formed part of the foundation for Australia’s modern radiation protection framework, later consolidated within ARPANSA’s Radiation Protection Series.

By providing clear, nationally consistent requirements for specific technologies and practices, NHMRC supported hospitals, universities and industry to modernise equipment and procedures while aligning with international radiation protection principles, strengthening safety culture across research, education and health care settings.

1986

NHMRC reconstituted by Order in Council

NHMRC was reconstituted by a new Commonwealth Order in Council (Gazetted 1 April 1986), formally continuing the Council’s existence and setting out an updated committee structure.

1987

Mr Anthony Joseph Ayers AC appointed as Chair of Council

Mr Anthony Joseph Ayers AC was appointed Chair of NHMRC and during his tenure NHMRC operated within a maturing national framework for committees and standards, following the Commonwealth Gazette Order of 1 April 1986, which clarified the Council’s committee structure, roles and procedures.

1988–1990

Professor John Phillip Chalmers AC appointed as Chair of Council

During a critical period of governance and advisory consolidation, Professor John Phillip Chalmers AC served as Chair of NHMRC.

1980

IVF/ART inquiries and the rise of formal bioethics infrastructure

As IVF entered clinical practice in the mid–late 1980s, Australian states examined its legal and ethical implications.

A key milestone was the NSW Law Reform Commission’s (1988), which proposed regulatory models for IVF and related practices following consultation initiated in 1983. Similar state reviews highlighted the need for coherent ethical governance of emerging reproductive technologies.

While state law reform drove much of the immediate debate, NHMRC’s human research ethics statements provided the baseline national standards for clinical and research practice. These foundations informed NHMRC’s later ART ethics framework, consolidated nationally from 2004 onward, and are reflected in subsequent translation and impact work, including the Improving Fertility case study.

1990s

A stronger focus emerges on accountability, quality and research impact.

During this decade, NHMRC places increasing emphasis on research excellence, peer review and accountability. The decade helps shape modern approaches to funding decisions and the translation of research into health outcomes.

1990

Crossing $100 million and never looking back

During the 1990s, NHMRC research funding expanded to an unprecedented scale. Total funding across the decade reached $1.26 billion, with annual appropriations rising from $90.96 million in 1990–91 to $156.85 million by 1999–00.

1990

Review of NHMRC paves the way for statutory independence

NHMRC underwent a thorough re-examination, led by an internal NHMRC review team and supported by 5 independent appreciators.

This review assessed NHMRC’s role, governance and effectiveness within Australia’s rapidly expanding health and medical research system, at a time when funding scale and national expectations were increasing.

The findings of the review directly informed the development of new legislation to enshrine NHMRC’s independence and clearly define its relationship with the Minister for Health. This work laid the foundations for the NHMRC Act 1992, which provided a modern statutory basis for the Council and its committee system. The 1990 review marked a pivotal step in transitioning NHMRC from administrative arrangements to a legislated, independent national authority for research funding, ethics and health advice.

1991–1993

Dr Diana Glen Horvath AO is appointed Chair of Council

During a decisive period of institutional reform, Dr Diana Glen Horvath AO served as Chair of NHMRC.

In this time, Parliament passed the NHMRC Act 1992, establishing NHMRC’s modern statutory foundation and formally defining the Council and Principal Committees - including the Australian Health Ethics Committee (AHEC) and the Research Committee, along with their respective functions.

The Act embedded NHMRC’s core responsibilities in national standards setting, research funding and ethical guidance, transitioning the organisation from earlier administrative arrangements to a clear, legislated mandate. This framework professionalised NHMRC’s governance and advisory system and remains the basis on which the agency continues to operate today.

1992

NHMRC Act 1992 enacted

Parliament enacted the NHMRC Act 1992, giving the NHMRC a modern statutory foundation.

The Act formally defined the Council, established Principal Committees - notably the Research Committee and the Australian Health Ethics Committee (AHEC) - and set out NHMRC’s core functions, including raising national health standards, fostering consistent standards across jurisdictions, supporting health and medical research and its training, and addressing ethical issues relating to health.

The Act specified that AHEC is responsible for developing human research ethics guidelines for the Council, embedding ethics as a core national function within NHMRC’s legislative framework. By professionalising governance and clearly delineating roles and responsibilities, the Act strengthened oversight of research funding and ethics through its principal committees. This statutory framework remains the foundation for NHMRC’s operations today.

1993

External Review of NHMRC report published

‘Bienenstock Review’ (External Review of NHMRC) was released in 1993. The review was conducted by Dr John Bienenstock, following its commissioning by the Minister for Health, and examined NHMRC’s organisation, structure and strategic direction at a time of significant institutional change.

1993

Strategic planning begins under the new Act

Following commencement of the NHMRC Act 1992, NHMRC issued its first Strategic Plan in 1993 - the year it began operating as an independent statutory authority separate from the Department of Health.

1994–1996

Professor Alan Smallwood appointed as Chair of Council

During the first full triennium following the NHMRC Act 1992, Professor Alan Smallwood served as Chair of NHMRC

In these early post-Act years, the Council embedded the new statutory governance structures, operationalising the roles of the Council and principal committees and establishing more systematic approaches to planning, funding and advice.

During this period, NHMRC expanded targeted and strategic funding schemes, aligned investment through the MREA with emerging national priorities, and strengthened the links between research funding, standards setting and ethics guidance. This consolidation phase also prepared NHMRC for the late1990s reviews and reforms that would further reshape funding scale, strategy and national impact.

1996

Centres of Research Excellence strengthen national research capability

Since 1996, NHMRC’s Centres of Research Excellence (CRE) scheme has supported collaborative, multi-disciplinary research teams to pursue innovative programs across basic science, clinical research, health services research and public health.

CREs are designed to build national capability and leadership, typically providing 5-year, program level funding with a strong emphasis on translation, collaboration and workforce development.

Over time, CREs have become a central mechanism for concentrating expertise and infrastructure, supporting sustained research effort and fostering co-funding partnerships with governments, industry and other funders. Through the CRE scheme, NHMRC has accelerated the translation of research into policy and practice, strengthened national research capacity and enabled coherent, multi-year programs that address priority health challenges across Australia.

1996

Professor Peter C. Doherty AC receives the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Professor Peter C. Doherty AC shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Rolf M. Zinkernagel for discovering MHC restriction - showing that killer T cells recognise virus infected cells only when viral peptides are presented with ‘self’ MHC molecules.

The work, first demonstrated in mice at ANU’s John Curtin School of Medical Research, transformed cellular immunology and underpins advances in vaccines, cancer immunology and transplantation.

Professor Doherty later became Patron of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (University of Melbourne/Royal Melbourne Hospital), a major national centre for infection and immunity research.

NHMRC honours his legacy through the Peter Doherty Investigator Grant Awards and continues to support major programs at the Doherty Institute through competitive funding, sustaining Australia’s leadership in infection and immunity research.

1997–1999

Professor Richard Larkins AC appointed as Chair of Council

During a pivotal period of ethical consolidation and strategic reform, Professor Richard Larkins AC served as Chair of NHMRC Under his leadership, NHMRC issued the first National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans (1999), establishing a single national benchmark for human research ethics across disciplines and institutions in Australia.

1997

Professor Peter Doherty AC is named Australian of the Year

Following his receipt of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Rolf Zinkernagel, Professor Peter Doherty AC was named Australian of the Year.

The award recognised his role in explaining MHC restricted T cell recognition - showing how killer T cells identify virus infected cells by detecting viral peptides presented alongside ‘self’ molecules. This discovery reshaped modern immunology, informed transplant biology, and underpins contemporary vaccine and immunotherapy strategies.

NHMRC honours Professor Doherty’s contribution through the Peter Doherty Investigator Grant Awards, part of the NHMRC Research Excellence Awards, recognising top ranked investigators in Leadership and Emerging Leadership categories and embedding his legacy in how Australia rewards research excellence each year.

1999

The National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans is published

NHMRC (with national partners) published the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans, bringing together earlier guidance into a single national benchmark for research ethics in Australia.

1990

Evidence based clinical and public health guidance proliferates

Throughout the 1990s, NHMRC expanded its role as a national source of evidence based clinical and public health guidance, issuing a wide range of guidelines across diverse health priorities.

These included guidance on falls and medication use in older people (1993–94), vancomycin resistant enterococci (1996), cutaneous melanoma (1996) and colorectal cancer (1999). Together, these publications illustrate both the breadth of NHMRC’s remit and a clear shift toward contemporary, evidence based national guidance. Many of these 1990s documents have since been updated or rescinded as the evidence base evolved.

By convening expert panels and issuing national guidance, NHMRC helped standardise best practice across jurisdictions and laid the groundwork for ongoing guideline review and updating using modern evidence based methods, reinforcing its role as a trusted national authority.

1990

National expectations for ethics review embed

Following publication of the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans in 1999, Australian institutions increasingly aligned their ethics review processes with national requirements, and Human Research Ethics Committees (HRECs) became the standard mechanism for independent review of research involving humans.

1998–2000

Health and Medical Research Strategic Review established

Established in 1998 by the Federal Minister for Health and Family Services, Dr Michael Wooldridge, the Health and Medical Research Strategic Review examined Australia’s future health needs and the strategic role of health and medical research.

2000s

NHMRC modernises to support a rapidly expanding research landscape.

As health and medical research grows in scale and complexity, NHMRC modernises its funding schemes, governance and advisory functions. The organisation strengthens its role in supporting nationally significant research priorities.

2000

The acceleration decade

During the 2000s, NHMRC funding expanded at an unprecedented scale, reflecting strong national commitment to health and medical research.

2000

Sir Gustav Nossal AC CBE FRS named Australian of the Year

Emeritus Professor Sir Gustav Nossal AC CBE FRS - a pioneering immunologist and director of WEHI (1965–1996), was named Australian of the Year for his transformative contributions to medical science, global vaccination policy, public health advocacy and community service.

Honouring his work in antibody formation and immunological tolerance, NHMRC established the Gustav Nossal Postgraduate Scholarship Award. This recognition underscores his enduring impact on Australian biomedical research and global health initiatives.

Born in Austria and arriving in Australia as a child refugee in 1939, Nossal rose to become one of the nation’s most influential science leaders, chairing World Health Organization expert groups on vaccines and immunisation, serving as President of the Australian Academy of Science, and embodying NHMRC’s mission through his lifelong commitment to research driven disease prevention.

2000

NHMRC legislation amended

The NHMRC Act 1992 was amended to create the position of a Chief Executive Officer, enhancing professional leadership and administrative efficiency for Australia’s key medical research body.

2000-2003

Professor Nick Saunders AO guides NHMRC through a period of change as Chair of Council

Professor Nick Saunders provided steady leadership during a transformative period for Australian medical research. A distinguished physician, administrator and researcher, he guided the NHMRC through major funding expansions and policy reforms, reinforcing its focus on translational research and ethical standards.

2000–2018

Practitioner Fellowships established to bridge research and practice

NHMRC Practitioner Fellowships were established to support clinicians, public health and health service professionals to combine high level research with their ongoing professional practice, strengthening the translation of evidence into health care and policy.

2001-2005

First CEO of NHMRC announced

Professor Alan Pettigrew was appointed as the first Chief Executive Officer of NHMRC after the role was created in 2000.

2001–2018

Career Development Fellowships support the next generation of research leaders

NHMRC’s Career Development Fellowships were established to support outstanding early to mid career health and medical researchers to consolidate their research independence and build leadership skills.

2001–2008

Capacity building grants expand national research capacity

NHMRC Capacity Building Grants were introduced to grow Australia’s health and medical research workforce by supporting team based approaches to research training, mentorship and collaboration.

Notably implemented through the Capacity Building Grants in population health research, the scheme focused on developing early and mid career researchers within multidisciplinary teams, pairing emerging investigators with senior researcher mentors. The grants aimed to build sustainable research capability in areas such as public health, health services research and Indigenous health, while fostering collaborative networks and improving the quality and impact of research translation into policy and practice. The program contributed to long term workforce development by increasing research capacity in priority and historically under resourced areas of the health system.

2001–current

Supporting global collaboration through EU research grants

NHMRC European Union (EU) collaborative research grants were established to support Australian researchers’ participation in large scale international research partnerships funded under the EU’s flagship research programs including Horizon Europe.

2002

Introducing national oversight for human embryo research

The Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002 established Australia’s national regulatory framework for research involving human embryos, responding to community concerns about emerging reproductive and biomedical technologies.

Under the Act, NHMRC was given statutory responsibility to administer and oversee the regulatory scheme, including the establishment of the Embryo Research Licensing Committee to assess and monitor applications for licensed embryo research.

The legislation prohibits certain practices, such as human cloning for reproductive purposes, while permitting tightly regulated research involving excess assisted reproductive technology embryos and other specified activities. NHMRC has played a central role in ensuring that research involving human embryos in Australia is conducted lawfully, ethically and with strong public accountability.

2002–2009

NHMRC Enabling Grants support the infrastructure behind discovery

NHMRC Enabling Grants were established to support research activities that underpin and enhance the national health and medical research system, rather than funding individual research projects alone.

2002

Statement on Consumer and Community Participation in Health and Medical Research

In 2002, NHMRC and the Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF) developed a joint national statement to support and encourage consumer and community participation across health and medical research.

2003

Establishing independent oversight for embryo research

The Embryo Research Licensing Committee (ERLC) was established under the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002 as a statutory committee of NHMRC to administer Australia’s national regulatory framework for embryo research.

The ERLC was created to provide independent, expert oversight of applications for licences to conduct research involving human embryos, including the use of excess assisted reproductive technology embryos and other activities permitted under the legislation.

With prescribed expertise spanning research, ethics, law, assisted reproductive technology and consumer perspectives, the ERLC assesses licence applications, monitors compliance, maintains a public register of licences and reports to the Australian Parliament. The establishment of the ERLC marked a significant milestone in embedding robust governance, transparency and public accountability in ethically sensitive areas of health and medical research.

2003–2005

John Shine AC appointed Chair of NHMRC Council

Professor John Shine AC FRS FAA served as Chair of the National Health and Medical Research Council from 2003 to 2006, bringing internationally recognised scientific leadership and experience across research, policy and translation.

An eminent biochemist and molecular biologist, Professor Shine is best known for the discovery of the Shine–Dalgarno sequence, a foundational contribution to modern molecular biology.

During his tenure as Chair, he guided NHMRC through a period of significant change, cementing its focus on research excellence, ethical oversight and the translation of discovery into health and economic benefit. Professor Shine’s leadership reflected his broader career commitment to bridging basic science, clinical application and public policy, and reinforced NHMRC’s role as a trusted steward of Australia’s health and medical research system.

2003

Fiona Stanley AC named Australian of the Year

Professor Fiona Stanley AC FAA was named Australian of the Year in recognition of her outstanding contributions to epidemiology, child and maternal health, and research that has delivered lasting improvements in public health outcomes.

Professor Stanley has had a long and influential association with NHMRC, including leading and contributing to NHMRC supported research and championing the translation of evidence into policy and practice.

Her work - particularly in demonstrating the role of folic acid in preventing neural tube defects and advancing Aboriginal child health -exemplifies the impact of NHMRC funded research on population health. Professor Stanley used her national platform to advocate for the value of health and medical research in improving the lives of children and communities, reinforcing NHMRC’s mission to build a healthier Australia.

2004

Australian Government commissions review of health and medical research investment

The Australian Government commissioned the Investment Review of Health and Medical Research, chaired by John Grant, to examine the effectiveness of national investment in health and medical research and the role of NHMRC in delivering Australia’s research objectives.

The review, titled Sustaining the Virtuous Cycle for a Healthy, Competitive Australia, assessed progress since earlier strategic reforms and identified governance and structural issues affecting NHMRC’s ability to fulfil its mandate.

The Grant Review concluded that while significant advances had been made, changes were required to improve governance, clarify accountability and improve the alignment between investment, research excellence and health outcomes. Its findings informed subsequent legislative reforms to the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992, shaping modern governance arrangements for NHMRC and reinforcing its role as a central steward of Australia’s health and medical research system.

2004

Independent Research Institutes Infrastructure Support Scheme introduced

NHMRC’s Independent Research Institutes Infrastructure Support Scheme (IRIISS) was established to support Australia’s health and medical research system by contributing to the essential infrastructure costs of independent medical research institutes that manage NHMRC funded research grants.

2005

First edition of ‘10 of the Best’ published

NHMRC published the first edition of 10 of the Best, a flagship publication established to showcase outstanding Australian health and medical research funded through the NHMRC grant program.

2005

Professors Barry Marshall AC and Robin Warren AC awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Professors Barry Marshall AC and Robin Warren AC were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori and its role in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease, a breakthrough that transformed the understanding and treatment of a major global health condition.

Their pioneering work was supported by NHMRC funding, including research undertaken at the University of Western Australia, Royal Perth Hospital and through NHMRC fellowships and project grants. NHMRC support played a critical role in enabling the sustained investigation, validation and translation of their findings, which demonstrated that peptic ulcer disease could be cured with antibiotics rather than managed as a chronic condition.

In recognition of their legacy, NHMRC established the Marshall and Warren Award, now part of the NHMRC Research Excellence Awards, to honour the most innovative NHMRC funded research projects with the potential to transform the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of disease. This award category reflects their pioneering discovery and celebrates the spirit of bold, practice changing research that characterises their contribution to global health.

2005–2019

HIV prevention milestones — Treatment as Prevention, U=U and PrEP at scale

In response to rising Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) diagnoses in the 2000s, NHMRC supported a program of HIV prevention and surveillance research led by UNSW’s Kirby Institute and partners.

From 2005, key projects led under NHMRC Project/Program grants and fellowships (via strengthened evidence to support that effective antiretroviral therapy can suppress viral load to “undetectable” and prevent transmission, including among men who have sex with men. ; Tthe Opposites Attract study observed no linked transmissions when viral load was undetectable. Findings informed the global ‘Undetectable=Untransmissible’ (U=U) consensus and supported policy and practice shifts such as expanding HIV testing options and scaling pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), with biomedical prevention uptake among people reporting condomless sex rising from 15% (2014) to 60% (2019).

2006

William Lawrence serves as acting CEO

Mr William Lawrence served as acting Chief Executive Officer of NHMRC during a period of significant governance reform. In this role, he represented NHMRC in parliamentary proceedings, including appearing as acting CEO before the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee during consideration of the National Health and Medical Research Council Amendment Bill 2006.

2006

NHMRC becomes an independent statutory agency

NHMRC became an independent statutory agency under the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992 in July 2006.

2006–2015

Professor Warwick Anderson AM appointed CEO

Professor Warwick Anderson AO was appointed the inaugural CEO of NHMRC in 2006-2025 following NHMRC’s establishment as an independent statutory agency.

A respected physiologist and researcher, Professor Anderson brought extensive experience in both science and public health policy.

Professor Anderson led a critical period of institutional reform, including renewal of NHMRC’s peer review processes, reform of health guideline development, and the establishment of a national ethical framework for responsible research conduct. NHMRC expanded its support for emerging research fields, honed in on its focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research, and significantly increased international collaboration through initiatives such as the Global Alliance for Chronic Disease and the International Cancer Genome Consortium. NHMRC’s research funding also doubled during this period, reinforcing its role as Australia’s leading health and medical research funding body.

2006–2009

Professor Michael Good AO appointed Chair of Council

Professor Michael Good AO was appointed Chair of NHMRC Council, taking on the role at a pivotal time following NHMRC’s establishment as an independent statutory agency.

2006

Professor Ian Frazer AC named Australian of the Year

Professor Ian Frazer AC was named Australian of the Year in recognition of his pioneering work in developing the world’s first vaccine to prevent cervical cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).

2006

Setting national standards for infection prevention in childcare

NHMRC released the first edition of Staying Healthy in Childcare: Preventing infectious diseases in childcare, providing nationally consistent, evidence based guidance to help early childhood education and care services reduce the spread of infectious diseases.

2006

New committee established: Human Genetics Advisory Committee

The Human Genetics Advisory Committee (HGAC) was established to provide ongoing advice on high level technical and strategic issues in human genetics, and on the social, ethical and legal implications of human genetics and related technologies, to the CEO and Council of NHMRC.

2007

National Institute of Clinical Studies (NICS) joins NHMRC

The NICS was originally established to improve healthcare by closing gaps between the best available public evidence and what happens in routine clinical practice.

2008

NHMRC Partnership Projects established

NHMRC Partnership Projects were created to build the integration of high quality research evidence into health policy, service delivery and practice through close collaboration between researchers and partner organisations.

2009

More new committees established

In 2009, NHMRC established a further suite of advisory committees to strengthen its capacity to provide expert advice across prevention, clinical care, Indigenous health and consumer engagement.

The Prevention and Community Health Committee was formed to advise on community and public health issues and the prevention of illness, while the Health Care Committee provided advice on a range of clinical matters in hospital and primary care settings, including identifying gaps in the uptake of evidence and improving the quality and safety of health care. NHMRC also established the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Advisory Committee to advise on matters relating to Indigenous health and research, and the Consumer Consultative Group to provide advice on consumer research and health advice. Together, these committees broadened NHMRC’s advisory base and strengthened links between research evidence, policy, clinical practice and community perspectives.

2010s

Research impact, integrity and translation move into sharper focus.

The 2010s highlight the importance of translating research into real‑world health benefits. NHMRC continues to strengthen standards for ethics and integrity while supporting research that informs policy, practice and improved health outcomes.

2010

High funding, sustained

In the 2010s, NHMRC research funding reached $7.88 billion, the largest decade total on record. Annual appropriations remained consistently in the high hundreds of millions, bottoming at $689.4 million in 2012–13, peaking at $859.0 million in 2014–15, and ending the decade at $846.6 million in 2019–20.

2010

Professor Patrick McGorry AO named Australian of the Year

Professor Patrick McGorry AO was named Australian of the Year in recognition of his transformative contribution to youth mental health, particularly his leadership in developing and promoting early intervention models for emerging mental illness.

2010–2018

TRIP Fellowships announced to translate research into practice

NHMRC’s Translating Research Into Practice (TRIP) Fellowships were created to enhance Australia’s capacity to implement robust research evidence directly into health care, public health and policy settings.

2010 – present

Neil Hamilton Fairley Clinical ECF — supporting early career clinician researchers

The Neil Hamilton Fairley Clinical Early Career Fellowship (Clinical ECF) is an NHMRC earlycareer fellowship stream designed to support clinicianresearchers to build research capability alongside clinical responsibilities.

2011

Introduction of the first Relative to opportunity policy 

The NHMRC implemented its policy on "Relative to Opportunity" to ensure fair assessment of research grant applicants, taking into account career disruptions and personal or professional circumstances.

2011 – current

NHMRC joins the Global Alliance to tackle chronic disease

NHMRC’s participation in the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) grant opportunities reflects Australia’s commitment to addressing the global burden of non communicable diseases through international collaboration and implementation research.

2011 – Current

Targeted Calls for Research established

NHMRC’s Targeted Calls for Research (TCR) were created as a flexible funding mechanism to address specific health issues where there is a significant research knowledge gap or an urgent unmet need.

2012

Women in Health Science Working Committee established

NHMRC established the Women in Health Science Working Committee to gain a better understanding of the issues faced by women researchers in health and medical research, particularly barriers to career progression and retention in September 2021.

2012

Research Translation Faculty formed

Established in 2012, NHMRC’s Research Translation Faculty was created to help close the gap between research evidence and realworld health policy and clinical practice.

2012

Open Access policy — making NHMRCfunded publications publicly available

NHMRC introduced its first Open Access policy in 2012, requiring that peer reviewed publications arising from NHMRC supported research be made openly accessible within 12 months of publication.

The policy came into effect on 1 July 2012, with the intent of maximising the reach and benefits of publicly funded research by improving access for researchers, clinicians and the wider community. In 2018 the policy was expanded to also strongly encourage the sharing of research data from NHMRC-funded research.

In 2022, NHMRC revised its Open Access Policy to require peerreviewed publications arising from NHMRCsupported research be made immediately openly accessible, underpinned by the principle that publicly funded research should be shared openly and at the earliest possible opportunity. In 2026 the NHMRC Open Access Policy became part of the NHMRC and MRFF Open Science Policy, which covers a range of research outputs and open science practices.

2012

Relative to Opportunity Policy

NHMRC developed the Relative to Opportunity Policy in 2012, which recognises that not all research careers are the same and requires peer reviewers to assess an applicant’s track record ‘relative to opportunity’.

2012-2015

Justice Annabelle Bennett AC appointed Chair of Council

The Hon Justice Annabelle Bennett AC SC was appointed Chair of the NHMRC Council in 2012–2015, bringing extensive experience across science, law and public administration to NHMRC’s governance.

2012 – 2018

Partnership Centres embed research in health policy and systems

NHMRC’s Partnership Centres were established as a strategic funding model to improve the use of research evidence in health policy and health system decision making through long term, coproduced partnerships.

Operating as virtual centres, these centres brought together researchers, policymakers, health service organisations and other funding partners to address nationally significant health and healthcare challenges. Unlike traditional Investigator initiated grants, the priorities and work programs of Partnership Centres were jointly determined by NHMRC and its funding partners, with a strong emphasis on implementation, synthesis and translation of evidence. Through cross sectoral collaboration and shared governance, Partnership Centres played a key role in building national research capability and supporting researchinformed change across Australia’s health system.

NHMRC’s Partnership Centres were established under the broader Partnerships for Health initiative as a strategic funding model to improve the use of research evidence in health policy and health system decision making through longterm, coproduced partnerships. Operating as virtual centres, they brought together researchers, policymakers, health service organisations and other funding partners to address nationally significant health and healthcare challenges. Unlike traditional investigatorinitiated grants, the priorities and work programs of Partnership Centres were jointly determined by NHMRC and its funding partners, with a strong emphasis on implementation, synthesis and translation of evidence. Through crosssector collaboration and shared governance, Partnership Centres played a key role in building national research capability and supporting researchinformed change across Australia’s health system.

While the Partnership Centres model has concluded, Partnership Projects continues as part of the broader Partnerships for Health initiative, supporting ongoing collaboration between researchers and end users.

2013

Setting a national vision for health and medical research

The Australian Government released the Strategic Review of Health and Medical Research in Australia – Better Health Through Research, commonly known as the ‘McKeon Review’.

2013

Principles of Peer Review

In 2013, NHMRC developed the Principles of Peer Review, a high-level guiding statement that underpin NHMRC’s peer review processes and applies to all NHMRC funding schemes. Its 8 principles aimed to ensure that the process of evaluating research funding applications is fair, transparent and of high quality.

2013

Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA)

In 2013, NHMRC endorsed the San Francisco DORA. Since endorsing DORA, NHMRC has integrated more diverse research contributions and advises against the use of publication metrics in applications.

2013

New committee established

NHMRC established a new Community and Consumer Advisory Group (CCAG). The CCAG provided timely, high level, strategic advice to NHMRC, including its Council and Principal Committees, on health matters and on health and medical research matters from a consumer and community perspective and strategic advice from a consumer and community perspective and increase community engagement across NHMRC activities.

2014–2019

Boosting Dementia Research Initiative established

The Australian Government’s Boosting Dementia Research Initiative (BDRI) was launched to accelerate progress in dementia research and strengthen national capability in response to the growing impact of dementia in Australia.

Delivered through NHMRC, the initiative invested $200 million between 2014- 2019 to support a coordinated program of dementia research. A key element of the initiative was the creation of NHMRC’s National Institute for Dementia Research (NNIDR), which coordinated and guided investment to build collaboration, reduce fragmentation and enhance translation of research into prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care. The initiative significantly expanded Australia’s dementia research landscape and established enduring foundations for future research and health system impact.

The NNIDR closed in 2020 having fulfilled its remit to oversee the strategic expansion of dementia research under the BDRI. More information, including legacy resources, is available on NHMRC National Institute for Dementia Research.

2014–present

AHRTCs/CIRHs become NHMRC-accredited Research Translation Centres, embedding research in healthcare

Since 2014, NHMRC has recognised leading collaborations through its Research Translation Centre Initiative, originally accrediting Advanced Health Research and Translation Centres (AHRTCs) and later Centres for Innovation in Regional Health (CIRHs) to strengthen research-based healthcare and training.

2015-2021

Professor Bruce Robinson AC appointed Chair of Council

Professor Bruce Robinson AC was appointed Chair of the NHMRC Council in 2015–2021. An internationally recognised endocrinologist and medical researcher, Professor Robinson brought extensive experience in clinical medicine, research leadership and health system reform to NHMRC’s governance.

2015

Medical Research Future Fund announced

The Australian Government announced the establishment of the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) as a landmark, longterm investment to strengthen Australia’s health and medical research system.

2016–2023

Professor Anne Kelso appointed CEO

Professor Anne Kelso AC was appointed CEO of NHMRC in 2015 (reappointed 2018–2023) and led the agency through major changes in the research environment, including the development of a redesigned Investigator Grant scheme and other reforms to simplify and refresh the funding program.

2016

Statement on Consumer and Community Involvement in Health and Medical Research

Released in September 2016, the updated joint NHMRC/CHF Statement set out a shared vision of consumers, community members, researchers and research organisations working in partnership to improve Australians’ health and wellbeing through research.

2018-present

Guidelines for Guidelines: a practical handbook for developing high quality NHMRC aligned guidance

In 2018, NHMRC released its ‘Guidelines for Guidelines’, an online handbook designed to help guideline developers produce guidelines in line with the 2016 NHMRC Guideline Standards.

2017

Launched a Clinical Practice Guidelines portal

NHMRC launched the Australian Clinical Practice Guidelines portal in October 2017, providing a single national entry point for clinicians, policymakers and the community to access high quality, evidence based clinical practice guidelines developed for use in Australian healthcare settings.

2017

Statement on e-cigarettes first published

NHMRC released a CEO statement on electronic cigarettes (ecigarettes) to provide evidence based public health advice on their safety, quality and effectiveness.

2017

Strategic framework for Indigenous health through research

In 2017, NHMRC developed the Road Map 3: A strategic framework for improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health through research (Road Map 3) to guide and communicate NHMRC’s objectives and investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research for the next decade. Road Map 3 follows on from the release of Road Map 1 in 2002 and Road Map 2 in 2010. 

2017

Greater representation in Targeted Calls for Research

In 2017, consumers and community representatives were included in peer review panels for the Targeted Calls for Research scheme and some priority-driven grant opportunities.

2017

Professor Alan MackaySim AM named Australian of the Year

Professor Alan MackaySim AM was named Australian of the Year in recognition of his pioneering contributions to adult stem cell research, particularly his leadership in the world’s first clinical trial using olfactory ensheathing cells to treat spinal cord injury.

2018

New committees established

NHMRC established three new advisory committees to strengthen its strategic focus on research translation, innovation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health leadership.

The Health Innovation Advisory Committee (HIAC) was created to advise the CEO and Council on strategies to foster the development, commercialisation and uptake of new technologies and practices to improve human health, including for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and to promote collaboration between the health and medical research and commercial sectors.

In parallel, the Health Translation Advisory Committee (HTAC) was established to advise on major challenges, trends and priorities in health and health care, strategies to address these challenges, and approaches to promote the translation of research into practice, policy, and the dissemination and implementation of research findings and NHMRC guidelines.

The Principal Committee Indigenous Caucus (PCIC) was established to provide advice to and support for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Member of Council and the CEO, and to guide NHMRC’s work to achieve the commitments set out in Road Map 3: A strategic framework for improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health through research and its associated Action Plan. The PCIC also monitors progress against these commitments, strengthening Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership, accountability and oversight within NHMRC’s governance and research agenda.

2018

Gender Equality Strategy released

NHMRC released its Gender Equality Strategy (2018–2021) to support a more gender equal health and medical research workforce by increasing the retention and progression of women.

2018

Research Impact Track Record Assessment Framework

In 2018, NHMRC developed the Research Impact Track Record Assessment Framework (RITRA) to evaluate the impact of researchers’ work beyond traditional academic metrics. These revisions align with the DORA recommendations and aim to improve the evaluation of research quality and impact in research assessment.

2018/2019

Redesigning NHMRC funding for the future of research

NHMRC introduced a new grant program following several years of consultation and structural review, representing a major reform of how health and medical research funding was allocated in Australia.

The new program simplified and consolidated existing schemes to better support researchers across all career stages, reduce application and peer review burden, and place greater emphasis on research quality, impact and collaboration.

Key elements included the introduction of Investigator Grants to integrate fellowships with research support, alongside new Ideas and Synergy Grants, revised peer review processes, and updated assessment frameworks that recognised career disruption and research impact. These reforms strengthened NHMRC’s capacity to fund innovative, high quality research and align investment with national health priorities under the mission of building a healthier Australia.

NHMRC Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies Grants were established to support high quality clinical trials and cohort studies that address important gaps in knowledge and generate reliable, implementable evidence to improve human health. The scheme funds prospective and retrospective clinical trials and cohort studies, with an emphasis on research that can inform clinical practice, public health policy and health system decision making. By prioritising methodological rigour, relevance and translation, these grants have played a critical role in strengthening Australia’s evidence base for effective health interventions and risk factor management, and in supporting research with clear pathways to real world impact.

2019

Research Quality Strategy

In 2019, NHMRC developed the NHMRC Research Quality Strategy which outlines the key areas NHMRC will focus on to provide guidance and support good research practices throughout the research cycle. 

2019

Supporting Australian researchers through the eASIA Joint Research Program

NHMRC’s participation in the eASIA Joint Research Program was established to improve Australian involvement in multilateral health and medical research collaborations across Southeast Asia.

Through this program, NHMRC funds the Australian component of jointly selected international research projects, working alongside counterpart funding agencies from eASIA member economies under a coordinated peer review process. The scheme promotes collaborative research on shared regional health challenges, facilitates researcher exchange and network building, and increases Australia’s international research engagement. By enabling Australian researchers to contribute to and benefit from large scale, cooperative research efforts in the Asia–Pacific region, the eASIA Joint Research Program enhances research capacity and supports the generation of knowledge with relevance to both regional and global health priorities.

2020s

From discovery to impact, NHMRC supports research in a rapidly changing world.

This decade underscores the critical role of health and medical research in responding to emerging challenges. NHMRC continues to support researchers, partnerships and innovation that deliver impact for communities, health systems and future generations.

2020

On track toward the billion dollar year

So far in the 2020s, to 2025–26, NHMRC research funding through the MREA has totalled $5.41 billion.

2020

Research integrity and sector guidance

Research integrity remained a central focus for NHMRC throughout the 2020s, underpinned by the continued implementation of the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research 2018 and the Guide to Managing and Investigating Potential Breaches of the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research 2018, released in 2018 by NHMRC, the Australian Research Council (ARC) and Universities Australia as coauthors.

2020 –2022

National COVID19 Health and Research Advisory Committee (NCHRAC) — rapid, evidence based advice during the pandemic

Established in April 2020, the NCHRAC provided rapid, evidencebased advice on Australia’s health response to COVID19 to the Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer, with NHMRC providing secretariat and project support throughout its operation until 31 March 2022.

2020

Application-centric peer review

In 2020, NHMRC developed the application-centric peer review process, which involves pre-matching reviewers to applications based on expertise.

2021–present

Professor Caroline Homer AO appointed NHMRC Council Chair

Professor Caroline Homer AO was appointed Chair of NHMRC Council in 2021, marking a significant leadership milestone for Australia’s health and medical research system.

2022

Improving open access to publicly funded research

NHMRC released an Open Access Policy, requiring that all peer reviewed publications arising from NHMRC funded research be made immediately and freely accessible upon publication, with no embargo period.

2022

Gender Equity Strategy released

NHMRC released the NHMRC Gender Equity Strategy 2022–2025, setting out a renewed, evidence based framework to advance gender equity across Australia’s health and medical research system.

2022

Mitochondrial Donation Law Reform updated 

In October 2022, the Mitochondrial Donation Law Reform (Maeve’s Law) Act 2022 came into effect and amended the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002 and Prohibition of Human Cloning for Reproduction Act 2002  to allow mitochondrial donation (an assisted reproductive technology technique that could help prevent certain rare mitochondrial diseases) to be used in research and training activities and for human reproductive purposes.

2022

Top 10 in 10 Publication criteria

In 2022, NHMRC introduced the Top 10 in 10 publications assessment criteria to emphasise research quality over publication quantity by limiting applicants to listing their top 10 publications from the past 10 years. This reduces peer review burden and ensures equitable assessment across career stages. 

2022

Peer review mentoring and training

In 2022, NHMRC introduced peer review mentors and training videos aimed to support peer reviewers by providing guidance, tips, and best practices to ensure fair, consistent, and high-quality assessments of grant applications. 

2023

Professor Steve Wesselingh appointed as CEO

Professor Steve Wesselingh became CEO in August 2023, bringing extensive experience as a clinician, researcher and research institute leader.

2023

National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2023)

The National Statement was jointly developed by NHMRC, ARC and Universities Australia This joint undertaking reflects a widely shared conviction that there is a need for ethics guidelines that are genuinely applicable to all human research and it gives expression to the shared responsibility for ethically good research.

2023

Indigenous Research Excellence Criteria (IREC) strengthens assessment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research

NHMRC’s IREC set requirements for grant applications that propose research relating to the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Applications must now address four criteria: Community Engagement, Benefit, Sustainability and Transferability, and Building capability. These are used as part of peer review scoring to ensure Indigenous health is of the highest scientific merit and is both beneficial and acceptable to Indigenous peoples and communities. In June–September 2023, NHMRC, guided by its Principal Committee Indigenous Caucus, conducted a national consultation to review how IREC were working in practice and whether improvements were needed, with findings published in an NHMRC consultation report.

2023

Further representation in Targeted Calls for Research

From 2023, consumers and community representatives were included as scoring members of peer review panels in Targeted Calls for Research, with their own scoring criteria.

2024

Professor Georgina Long AO and Professor Richard Scolyer AO – named as Australians of the Year

Professor Georgina Long AO and Professor Richard Scolyer AO were jointly named Australians of the Year, recognising their world leading contributions to melanoma research, diagnosis and treatment.

2024

Release of the Statement on Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation in Health and Medical Research

NHMRC, in partnership with the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (responsible for the MRFF), released the Statement on Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation in Health and Medical Research.

2024

Establishment of joint NHMRC–MRFF advisory committees

NHMRC and the MRFF introduced a new joint advisory committee structure to improve the alignment and coordination across Australia’s 2 major funding mechanisms. Under this arrangement, NHMRC Council and the MRFF’s AMRAB began working more closely, supported by a suite of shared NHMRC–MRFF advisory committees.

2024

Good Institutional Practice Guide

In 2024, NHMRC developed the Good Institutional Practice Guide, a guide on how institutional leaders can promote and facilitate the conduct of high-quality research, providing guidance on rewarding and recognising diverse practices, activities and careers in research appropriately.

2025

Draft National Health and Medical Research Strategy released

The Australian Government announced the release of the draft National Health and Medical Research Strategy in August 2025, marking the first comprehensive, wholeofsector strategy to guide Australia’s health and medical research system over the next decade.

2025

Australian Drinking Water Guidelines updated with PFAS advice

NHMRC published updated advice on per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, reflecting the latest evidence on health risks associated with these widely used, humanmade chemicals.

PFAS are used in products that resist heat, stains, grease and water, and because of their persistence and widespread use, most people will have some exposure over their lifetime. The updated guidance provides revised healthbased guideline values and clear, evidencebased advice on what levels of PFAS in drinking water can be safely consumed without appreciable risk to health.

NHMRC is responsible for producing the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines to ensure a consistent and robust national approach to protecting public health. The Guidelines provide an authoritative reference for the Australian community, and for state and territory water regulators and suppliers, on what defines safe, goodquality drinking water, how it can be achieved, and how it can be assured, supporting nationally consistent decisionmaking on drinking water safety.

2025

CEO Statement on Global Health Research and International Collaboration

In a CEO Statement dated 6 November 2025, NHMRC reaffirmed its commitment to global health research and international collaboration, noting that Australia’s health is linked to the health of the region and the world and that challenges such as pandemic preparedness, antimicrobial resistance and climate-related health threats require coordinated international research responses.

2025

Good Institutional Practice Guide

In 2025, NHMRC implemented a revised RITRA In 2025, NHMRC implemented a revised RITRA framework for the 2026 Investigator Grant round (opened 4 June 2025), incorporating feedback from public consultation on the evaluation of grant-scheme specific assessment criteria. framework for the 2026 Investigator Grant round (opened 4 June 2025), incorporating feedback from public consultation on the evaluation of grant-scheme specific assessment criteria.

2026

CEO Statement on Research Integrity

On 23 February 2026, the CEOs of the Australian Research Council (ARC) and NHMRC issued a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to the highest standards of research conduct and integrity in the research they fund.