Monday

Welcome to Tracker, the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) fortnightly newsletter with the latest information on major activities and funding opportunities.

NHMRC Speaking of Science - New frontiers in the fight against brain cancer

Around 2000 Australians are diagnosed with brain cancer each year and in the past 30 years, brain cancer survival rates have increased by only 1%. There are currently over 100 different types of brain cancer, emphasising the need for more research to discover new treatments and improve survival rates.

Join us as we discuss new research frontiers in the fight against brain cancer on Tuesday 15 July 2025 from 1:00PM-2:15PM AEST.

We’ll be joined by Professor Misty Jenkins AO (WEHI and The Brain Cancer Centre) and Professor Matt Dun (University of Newcastle and the Mark Hughes Foundation) who are respectively leading research programs that are advancing breakthroughs for brain cancer in both adults and children. They will discuss the impact and outcomes of their research and how this is being translated into clinical application.

  • Professor Misty Jenkins AO: “Novel immunotherapy approaches to treating brain cancer.”
  • Professor Matt Dun: “Running Toward a Cure: Science, Loss, and the Fight Against DIPG.”

As always, there will be a Q&A discussion at the end, so come prepared with your questions.

Register to attend.

Please note that this webinar will be recorded and published to NHMRC’s ‘Speaking of Science’ webpage.

If you have any questions for the event organisers, you can reach us at media@nhmrc.gov.au.
 

Publication of updated guidance in the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 2011

NHMRC has published updated guidance material in the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, including:

  • revised chemical fact sheets on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), selenium, lead and manganese
  • an information sheet on metals and metalloids leaching from plumbing products
  • a new chemical fact sheet on bismuth
  • a new combined chemical fact sheet on silicon and silica
  • consequential edits to the Guidelines to align advice and ensure consistency.

The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines webpage links to the latest version of the Guidelines, available in both web accessible and downloadable formats. Supporting materials, including question and answer resources and administrative reports detailing the development of the revised guidance are also provided.

The PFAS webpage has been updated to include an overview of the PFAS review, highlighting the guideline development process, associated health risks, and other key related information.
 

2025-26 Supporting Research Translation Centres funding announced

As announced by the Minister for Health and Ageing, The Hon Mark Butler MP, each of the 12 NHMRC-accredited Research Translation Centres will receive $1 million to support the integration of evidence-based healthcare to deliver better health outcomes. 

The media release for this announcement is available on NHMRC’s news centre and the Ministers' media centre. 

Outcome data for the 2025-26 Supporting Research Translation Centres grant opportunity is available on NHMRC’s Outcomes of funding rounds webpage.
 

Invitation for public submissions: Australian Pregnancy Care and Postnatal Care guidelines

The Living Evidence for Australian Pregnancy and Postnatal Care (LEAPP) consortium is seeking NHMRC approval under section 14A of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992 for its Australian Pregnancy Care Guidelines and Australian Postnatal Care Guidelines.

Consultation on draft living recommendations from both guidelines is open until Friday 25 July 2024.

To view these recommendations and make a submission please follow the hyperlinks below.

The pregnancy care living recommendations provide advice on:

The postnatal care living recommendations provide advice on:

Find out more about the 5 year Australian Pregnancy and Postnatal Care Living Guidelines project on the LEAPP Guidelines’ website.
 

2024 Human Research Ethics Committees (HRECs) annual report form – now available

NHMRC registered HRECs and NHMRC certified institutions are required to submit annual reports about their activities in the preceding calendar year. The 2024 report form is now available and needs to be completed by Monday 11 August 2025 at 17:00 AEST.  

Further details have been emailed to registered HRECs and certified institutions. Please contact help@nhmrc.gov.au if your institution or HREC Chair have not yet received this email or require assistance.

Publication of the Procedures and Requirements for Meeting the NHMRC Standards for Clinical Practice Guidelines – version 2.0

NHMRC has published version 2.0 of the Procedures and Requirements for Meeting the NHMRC Standards for Clinical Practice Guidelines (Procedures and Requirements).

The Procedures and Requirements outline what guideline developers need to do to meet NHMRC Standards for Guidelines and receive NHMRC approval of their guidelines. The NHMRC Standards for Guidelines help ensure guidelines developed in Australia are of high quality, developed transparently and make clear recommendations.

What’s new in version 2.0:

  • Stronger focus on equity in healthcare delivery
  • Updated evidence review requirements aligned with GRADE methodology
  • Expanded public consultation requirements
  • Support for living guidelines
  • Enhanced implementation planning for clinical practice.

Version 2.0 applies to all clinical practice guidelines registered for NHMRC approval on or after 1 July 2025. Guidelines registered prior to this date may continue to be assessed under version 1.2. A 12-month transition period is available for living guidelines already in development.
 

Key NHMRC grant program dates

NHMRC grant opportunities are funded through the Medical Research Endowment Account (MREA).

Open:

Targeted Call for Research (TCR) on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health – addressing violence for safer families and communities

The TCR: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health – addressing violence for safer families and communities is now open for applications in Sapphire. 

This TCR aims to address the health and wellbeing needs of families and communities to be safe through an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led, and multidisciplinary approach. A multidisciplinary approach may include embedding culturally safe, trauma informed, and community driven approaches across all areas of health and associated support systems. It may also include a holistic understanding of health and wellbeing and include broad issues such as social justice, equity and rights as well as traditional knowledge, traditional healing and connection to country. 

  • Minimum data is due on Wednesday 6 August 2025 17:00 AEST
  • Applications close on Wednesday 20 August 2025 17:00 AEST.

Further details on this grant opportunity, including the grant guidelines are available on GrantConnect. Please contact help@nhmrc.gov.au for further information or assistance.


Minimum data due soon:

2025 Partnership Projects Peer Review Cycle 2 (PRC2)

The due date for NHMRC approved Administering Institutions to submit partner waiver requests for applications in Partnership Projects 2025 PRC2 is on Wednesday 9 July 2025 at 17:00 AEST.

2025 Partnership Projects PRC2 key application dates:

  • Minimum data is due by Wednesday 23 July 2025 at 17:00 AEST. Only applicants that completed minimum data by Wednesday 23 July 2025 at 17:00 AEST can submit a full application in PRC2.
  • Applications close on Wednesday 6 August 2025 at 17:00 AEST.


Opening soon:

2025 Partnership Projects Peer Review Cycle 3 (PRC3)

  • Open for applications on Thursday 24 July 2025.

Please contact help@nhmrc.gov.au for further assistance.
 

Medical Research Future Fund – grant opportunities key dates

The following MRFF grant opportunities have opened for applications: 

The following MRFF grant opportunity has its 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 a MRFF grant assessment committee.
 

MRFF scientific reporting procedures

The online submission of Scientific Progress and Final Report forms for MRFF grants is now active in Sapphire for all CIAs. These forms can be progressively completed and saved in preparation for the milestone due date. Effective 1 July 2025, the offline report templates are no longer available and reports completed on the previous offline templates will no longer be accepted.

A tutorial video detailing the process of completing and submitting milestones in Sapphire for both grantees and RAOs is available on the Sapphire Tutorials page of the NHMRC website. For further information, refer to the Information for MRFF Scientific reporting and milestones page.

For any questions related to MRFF reporting requirements, please contact your Research Administration Office.
 

Australian Consumer Partnerships in Research Awards 2025 - public voting open

The Australian Consumer Partnerships in Research Awards celebrate excellence, innovation and extraordinary partnerships between health consumers and researchers in health and medical research nationally.

Hosted by social enterprise Access CR, the awards aim to raise awareness of and celebrate the people from all walks of life shaping and improving research, challenging the perception that only those with science degrees and PhDs ‘do’ research.

Voting for the category of People’s Choice Award closes on Thursday 24 July at 23:59 AEST. For more information on the awards and how to vote, visit the Access CR website.
 

Key dates

Refer to Funding schemes and calendar.

Tracker

See previous editions of Tracker.

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