Today

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

Speaking of Science – From clinical practice to research: changing how we care for people with cardiovascular disease and frailty

Australia’s rapidly ageing population is increasing the prevalence of multiple chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, and the number of frail older adults in acute care settings.

Despite the high prevalence of cardiovascular disease, multimorbidity and frailty, the clinical characteristics and longer-term outcomes of older adults admitted to acute geriatric settings remain poorly understood.

Dr Julee McDonagh, a proud descendant of the Cabrogal clan of the Darug First Nations people and a registered nurse and senior research fellow at the University of Wollongong, will join us for Speaking of Science this October. Dr McDonagh will discuss her transition from clinician to researcher and provide an overview of her research program into cardiovascular disease and frailty.

There will be a Q&A session at the end, so come prepared with your questions for Dr McDonagh!

This webinar will take place on Tuesday 20 October 2026, 10–11 am (AEDT).

Register on Teams.

2027 NHMRC Biennial Awards – now open!

Have you heard the latest? Nominations have opened for the 2027 NHMRC Biennial Awards. 

The NHMRC Biennial Awards celebrate leadership and outstanding contributions to the health and medical research sector. The awards recognise a group or an individual who has made a special contribution in an area of importance to NHMRC across the following categories:

Nominations will close Friday 11 December 2026, 5 pm (AEDT).

Submit your nominations via the form on our website.

*Nominations for these awards are by invitation only and will be identified by the office of NHMRC.

Please contact NHMRC.awards@nhmrc.gov.au for assistance.

Indigenous Internship Program

NHMRC's Indigenous Internship Program gives Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students the opportunity to gain real-world experience, build professional skills and contribute to shaping Australia's future health outcomes.

This dynamic program offers you the chance to dive into NHMRC’s important work while enriching your academic journey with hands-on experience. 

Applications close Sunday 25 October 2026, 11:30 pm (AEDT).

For further information, visit our website.

Meet our experts

Australia's health and medical research sector is home to some of the world's leading minds. In our newest ‘Meet the experts’ series, we sit down with researchers, clinicians and leaders from across the NHMRC community to explore the people behind the discoveries.

Many of our featured experts play important roles in NHMRC's committees, councils and peer review processes, helping shape and strengthen Australia's health and medical research system. 

Visit our website to learn more about our remarkable experts.

Self-nominations in NHMRC Peer Review for 2027 – now open!

Health and medical research, consumer and industry experts are invited to nominate themselves for NHMRC peer review in 2027 through Sapphire. Guidance for self-nominations and further information on peer review is available on NHMRC’s website. Instructions on how to self-nominate have been sent to your Research Administration Offices and can also be found on our website. The self-nomination form will be available in Sapphire 12–30 October 2026.

Experts require an active Sapphire account to submit their self-nomination. Anyone without a Sapphire account can register online: from the Sapphire landing page , click on ‘Register for a Sapphire Account’ and complete the registration form. NHMRC recommends completing this step in advance to guarantee account activation before the self-nomination deadline. 

Upcoming Horizon Europe webinar

NHMRC is pleased to share details of an upcoming national webinar on Australia’s association with Horizon Europe, hosted by EURAXESS Australia & New Zealand and the Department of Industry, Science and Resources on 14 October 2026.

Building on the success of the Horizon Europe Roadshow Australia 2026 held across all states and territories throughout September, the webinar will provide practical guidance on program opportunities and pathways for participation. It will also provide an opportunity for prospective participants, including those in regional and remote Australia, who were unable to attend the roadshow in person.

Registrations are essential. Further information and registration details are available on the EURAXESS Australia & New Zealand Horizon Europe Webinar page.

For ongoing updates, visit the Department of Industry, Science and Resources website or contact HorizonEurope@industry.gov.au for any questions.

National Research Infrastructure Roadmap Exposure Draft consultation

The 2026 National Research Infrastructure Roadmap Exposure Draft consultation commenced on 28 September and is open until 26 October 2026.

Research infrastructure is a foundational resource that enables breakthrough discoveries, fosters collaboration and drives economic, environmental and social impact. Australia’s existing research infrastructure system serves well over 100,000 users in Australia, together with over 30,000 international users, and comprises highly effective facilities delivering key research, innovation and translation outcomes.

Interested stakeholders are invited to provide feedback on the draft.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Strategy 2026

NHMRC’s new Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Strategy 2026 was published on 25 September 2026.

The Strategy guides the activities of NHMRC’s operational staff, executive, Council and Principal Committees with respect to strengthening NHMRC’s evaluation capability. It also informs NHMRC’s stakeholders about how the agency uses evaluation to increase efficiency and effectiveness.

Further details about NHMRC’s evaluation activities are available on our website.

Invitation for public submissions: Australian and New Zealand Living Clinical Guidelines for Stroke Management

The Stroke Foundation (the developer) has released draft living recommendations from the Australian and New Zealand Living Clinical Guidelines for Stroke Management for public consultation. The recommendations relate to interventions for dysphagia and weakness. The consultation will close Friday 30 October 2026, 5 pm (AEDT). 

To view the recommendations and make a submission, please follow the hyperlinks below. Alternatively, feedback may be emailed to guidelines@strokefoundation.org.au.

  • Dysphagia treatment (Chapter 3 Acute medical and surgical management): 
    • Individually tailored behavioural approaches have changed from ‘strong for’ to ‘weak for’.  
    • A new weak recommendation has been added for strength exercises or skill-based training.  
    • Surface neuromuscular electrical stimulation has changed from ‘weak against’ to ‘weak for’, with clearer wording that it should only be used by clinicians with specialised knowledge and training.  
    • The wording for non-invasive brain stimulation and pharyngeal electrical stimulation has been updated.  
    • Additional dot points have been added to the consensus-based recommendation.     
  • Weakness (Chapter 5 Rehabilitation): Recommendation for electrical stimulation has been updated based on new evidence.   

NHMRC-Horizon Europe applications

The European Commission (EC) has notified the leads of collaborative applications submitted through the 2025 Horizon 2 stage and the 2026 Horizon single stage that have been favourably evaluated for funding through the Horizon Europe EC peer review process. Favourably evaluated projects involving researchers based in Australia may be eligible for NHMRC support.  Applications submitted through the 2025 Horizon 2 stage and the 2026 Horizon single stage are not required to submit applications in Sapphire at this time. 

To apply for NHMRC funding, Chief Investigator As (CIAs) are required to submit an application in Sapphire. RAOs must contact NHMRC at international@nhmrc.gov.au with the name and email address of the eligible CIA as soon as possible. NHMRC will then provide access to the Sapphire application form.

Centres of Research Excellence – minimum data due soon

Minimum data for 2027 Centres of Research Excellence applications is due Wednesday 14 October 2026, 5 pm (AEDT).

Applicants must complete the required fields with correct information. Use of placeholder text will not be accepted. For more information on minimum data requirements refer to Appendix C of the Centres of Research Excellence 2027 Guidelines (available on GrantConnect).

Failure to meet the minimum data requirements by the deadline will result in the application not proceeding. New applications cannot be started after the minimum data deadline.

Applications close Wednesday 4 November 2026, 5 pm (AEDT).

Please email help@nhmrc.gov.au for assistance.

Partnership Projects Peer Review Cycle 3 (PRC3) AI waiver due date

The due date for NHMRC-approved administering institutions to submit partner waiver requests for applications in 2026 Partnership Projects PRC3 is Wednesday 14 October 2026, 5 pm (AEDT). 

2026 Partnership Projects key application dates:

  • Minimum data due Wednesday 28 October 2026, 5 pm (AEDT); only applicants who completed minimum data by this deadline can submit a full application in PRC3. 
  • Applications close Wednesday 11 November 2026, 5 pm (AEDT).

Please direct all enquiries to help@nhmrc.gov.au.

Medical Research Future Fund – grant opportunities key dates

The following MRFF grant opportunity has opened for applications:

The following MRFF grant opportunities have a minimum data due date approaching:

Details on how to apply for MRFF grant opportunities and all MRFF close dates are available on GrantConnect. Applicants are reminded that only applicants who completed minimum data by the due date can submit an application. It is also the applicant’s responsibility to ensure they meet all eligibility requirements, including limits on the number of times a person can be named as a Chief Investigator on applications submitted to a grant opportunity.

Applicants should ensure:

MRFF grant assessment committee self-nomination

Register your interest to become a member of an MRFF grant assessment committee.
 

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