We're changing the way Sapphire looks
Same platform, new visual identity. Learn more: Sapphire is becoming NHMRC Grant Management System.
Keep up with the latest news and stories from NHMRC. Use the search function to browse our articles and latest news.
InFocus articles
Our InFocus articles spotlight projects dedicated to advancing human health. Explore these curated stories from the search below.
Meet the experts
In our Meet the experts series, we sit down with researchers, clinicians and leaders from across the NHMRC community to explore the people behind the discoveries.
Speaking of Science webinars
Tune in to our Speaking of Science webinars to hear from top researchers and experts in health and medical research. You can register and join our monthly webinars live or view them later, as they are recorded. Subscribe for notifications about upcoming webinars, so you don’t miss out!
Tracker newsletter and RAO alerts
Our Tracker newsletter is produced fortnightly and offers updates on the lasted grant opportunities, guidelines and news for the health and medical research community. Subscribe to receive the newsletter by email or see previous editions in the search field below.
RAO Alerts are emailed directly to Research Administration Officers (RAO) with important updates and timings on our grant opportunities. You can read past editions on the RAO alerts page.
Media contact
For media enquiries, reach out to us at: media@nhmrc.gov.au or call 0422 008 512.
For more, follow us on social media at: Facebook, X (previously Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn or YouTube.
Please visit the National Library's Australian Government Web Archive (Trove) for archived articles including Tracker, media releases and RAO alerts.
Latest news and stories
Working towards gender equity in Investigator Grants
NHMRC has introduced new special measures under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 to address systemic disadvantage faced by female and non-binary applicants to its Investigator Grant scheme.
Making a decision to do the hard research, that’s what discovery is about
Deciding to commit to a research life is brave – so is committing to do the hard research. Professor Cath Chamberlain says with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, in particular, 'we are going to need to take some more risks to do things differently'.
Getting to the cause of type 2 diabetes
The daily burden of living with diabetes can be significant. It’s estimated that people with diabetes face up to 180 diabetes-related decisions every day. That’s more than 65,000 extra decisions a year. These decisions can range from managing daily blood sugar levels, food intake and exercise to the management of serious diabetes complications.
Unlocking the secrets of the brain
Professor John Bekkers from the John Curtin School of Medical Research and his team are currently working on the neurons and circuits in the brain that underlie the sense of smell. His team focus on the olfactory cortex, a brain region that is responsible for our ability to recognise and remember odours.
Partnership with Aboriginal communities for a meaningful contribution
Professor Kate Conigrave from The University of Sydney is an Addiction Medicine Specialist and Public Health Physician based at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Her work combines treating individuals with alcohol, drug and tobacco problems, promoting the health of communities and research and teaching. She is currently the chair of the National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) Alcohol Working Group, which is charged with reviewing the guidelines to reduce the health risks from drinking alcohol.
Breathing easy – Improving access to respiratory disease rehabilitation
The average adult takes up to 20 breaths every minute, something most people give little thought. However, breathing can be a daily struggle for people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD),an umbrella term for a group of lung conditions that includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis and chronic asthma.
Ensuring evidence is translated into practice
Professor Rachelle Buchbinder is a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Senior Principal Research Fellow. She is the Director and Professor in the Monash University Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine since 2007. Professor Rachelle Buchbinder's clinical practice is in conjunction with research involving multidisciplinary projects relating to arthritis and musculoskeletal condition.
Working to stop Parkinson's disease
Associate Professor Antony Cooper from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research is a cell and molecular biologist / geneticist with strong interests in elucidating how cellular dysfunction results in human diseases, with a specific interest in neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson’s Disease. His research on neurodegenerative diseases focuses on understanding the basis of Parkinson’s Disease. Watch his story in the video below.
Transforming how to treat blood cancers
Professor Mark Dawson is a clinician-scientist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, meaning he both treats blood cancer patients and leads cutting-edge cancer research in the lab. After working as a doctor for some time, Professor Dawson wanted to know why some patients responded better to treatment than others.
CEO communique on application centric peer review
CEO Communique, February 2021
Adding new cells to the mature central nervous system – Investigating their normal function and potential for repair
For people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), the myelin that covers nerve fibres in the central nervous system (brain, optic nerves and spinal cord) is damaged, leading to impairment of cognitive, motor and sometimes sensory functions.
COVID-3D: A small leap to scale up to COVID-19
Early in 2020, the University of Melbourne’s Bio21 team was working on protein modelling to better understand antimicrobial resistance for improved drug development. In March they turned their attention to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which had already undergone many mutations. In September, the team’s work was published in Nature Genetics.
Linking high quality international research for improvements in Indigenous health
Professor Sandra Eades from Curtin University has dedicated her career to research in Aboriginal health improvements. Professor Eades works with National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to advise and develop strategic guidelines focused on closing the gap.
Using big data to improve people's health
Professor Louisa Jorm is the Foundation Director of the Centre for Big Data Research in Health at UNSW Sydney.
Blue sky impacts for human health
Professor Carola Vinuesa is a Professor of Immunology at the Australian National University and Head of the Pathogens and Immunity Department. She discusses Cellular Immunology and how blue sky research impacts human health.
Vaccine development and prevention strategies for Hepatitis C
NHMRC caught up with Professor Andrew Lloyd from The University of New South Wales who develops vaccines for Hepatitis C, which effects 750,000 Australians. Find out how his research is not only helping treat Hepatitis C but working on prevention strategies.
Peoples lives transformed through bionics
Professor David Grayden is in the department of biomedical engineering at the University of Melbourne. He has undertaken successful innovation and a commercialisation journey, providing practical insights into how he navigates through this research pathway.
Fellowship contributing to Australian health
Prof Si Ming Man from The Australian National University and his team investigates the role of innate immunity in infectious diseases and cancer. Professor Man received the NHMRC Research Excellence Award for the highest-ranked Early Career Fellowship (2015) and an NHMRC Research Excellence Award for the highest-ranked Career Development Fellowship Biomedical Level l1 (2019). He also received the 2019 Commonwealth Health Minister's Medal for Excellence in Health and Medical Research and the 2021 CSL Centenary Fellowship.
Boosting study in auto immune disease
Professor Joanne Reed from the Garvan Institute's research focuses on autoimmune diseases, particularly the origin and role of autoantibodies. 'It's really promising research and NHMRC has been able to fund this. This is something that's capable of having a big impact'. Watch her story in the video below.
Could an antiseptic mouthwash reduce sexually transmitted infections and improve the sex life of Australians?
The 2020 Commonwealth Health Minister's Award for Excellence in Health and Medical Research has been awarded to Associate Professor Eric Chow of Monash University. The award has been presented each year since 2000 and recognises the top-ranked recipient of a NHMRC Investigator Grant in the Emerging Leadership Level 2 category from the previous year’s application round.
Focus on cardiovascular disease prevention
Dr Clara Chow is Professor of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Academic Director of the Westmead Applied Research Centre and Academic Co-Director of CPC Westmead. She is a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Grant Leadership awardee and with this leads a research program focused on innovation for health service provision and clinical management of cardiovascular disease prevention. Professor Clara Chow shares her research on cardiovascular disease prevention.
Motivated to repair insulating system of the brain
Dr David Gonsalvez heads up a laboratory focused on how glia, the non-neuronal cells in the brain and spinal cord, develop, contribute to neuronal plasticity and respond following injury. David’s lab also focuses on identifying therapeutic targets that may promote the repair of the nervous system in autoimmune diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
Talented women can keep pursuing their research
'What I really like about the NHMRC system is that it is a fantastic scheme for women in science.' Professor Sudha Rao discusses her research into how T cells (or immune cells) regulate themselves when looking at breast cancer.
Using a fly to understand cancer genetics and biology
In 2016 Associate Professor Leonie Quinn relocated to The John Curtin School of Medical Research (ANU, Canberra) to establish the Quinn Group – Cancer Models in the ACRF Department of Cancer Biology and Therapeutics. Associate Professor Quinn is trying to understand how brain cancer develops by using a genetic model through a fly. She hopes to use this information to develop new treatments.
Game changer through a new vaccine for Rotavirus
Professor Julie Bines from Murdoch Children's Research Institute is doing some inspiring work, developing the RV3-BB rotavirus vaccine. 'Funding for this research from the very early days has become very critical and NHMRC has provided much of that critical funding through the course of this project'. Listen to Professor Bines' story below.
Professor Ross Hannan: Detective in cancer research
Professor Hannan from the John Curtin School of Medical Research is an internationally recognised laboratory scientist, whose work on ribosome biogenesis has led to new treatment paradigms in cancer, centred on drugs that activate nucleolar stress. Professor Ross Hannan is a great detective of cancer research—finding and developing new cancer treatments for patients. Watch his story in the video below.
Difference in research through prevention with Professor Emily Banks
Professor Emily Banks is focused on those unanswered questions around prevention to really make a difference.
Kidney disease - reporting the right outcomes
An estimated 1 in 10 Australian adults (10%) – about 1.7 million people in 2011–12 – had biomedical signs of chronic kidney disease.1
What is actually contained in our foods?
Dietary change is a significant lifestyle factor in managing the epidemics of obesity and diabetes. Uncovering the details of effective dietary change requires accurate user friendly dietary assessment and advice tools.
Music provides strong connections for people with dementia
Doctor Tamplim is using therapeutic singing groups to support people living with dementia. Music is the glue that brings people together and it’s cementing and supporting existing relationships.
New technology to spot skin cancer sooner
‘Melanoma is the most common cancer for 15–39 year old Australians – with the highest ‘years of life lost’ of any cancer’1
Bringing innovative research into clinical practice
Now an ear, nose and throat surgeon, Associate Professor Kelvin Kong was destined for health care. Growing up Kelvin and his sisters were always keen to help his mother, a Registered Nurse, whenever she had a one of their mob come around to remove a suture, tend to a cut or get a vaccination.
Starving bacteria—beating antibiotic resistance
Motivated by a desire to understand the molecular basis of key biological processes, Professor Abell saw an opportunity to use small molecules that selectively bind to bacterial proteins, as a potential mechanism for limiting bacterial survival.
Zinc on the brain for healthy aging
‘In Australia, 15 per cent of the population are aged 65+, estimated to grow to 21 per cent (8.4 million) by 2050.’1
Australia leading the way on Alzheimer’s treatment
By 2036, the total cost of dementia is predicted to increase by 81 per cent to $25.8 billion in Australia.1
Protecting premature babies from kidney disease
‘18 per cent of all Indigenous Australian adults have chronic kidney disease – two times as likely as non-Indigenous Australians.’
Forty years of mental health research
‘One in every ten mothers experience repeated episodes of major depression over their life course – on average, experiencing depression one in every six days of their lives.'
Saving lives – one vaccine at a time
‘There has been a 73 per cent reduction in children hospitalised from severe chicken pox infection since the introduction of the (varicella) vaccine to the National Immunisation Program in Australia in 2005.'1
Guiding children through traumatic brain injuries
Professor Morgan is Lead of the Neuroscience of Speech research group at Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (MCRI) and Head of Speech Pathology at the University of Melbourne. She is also one of the guideline developers for MCRI’s first Clinical practice guideline for the management of communication and swallowing disorders following paediatric traumatic brain injury for children 0 to 18 years of age (communication and swallowing guideline).
Sanguine advances In detecting colorectal cancer
Associate Professor Leah Cosgrove and her team have developed a simple blood test to diagnose colorectal cancer. A reliable, non-invasive blood test could augment the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program, either as an adjunct primary screen for those unable to do the stool test, or in triaging positive subjects to colonoscopy. This could help drive a significant reduction in colorectal cancer deaths in Australia.
Gluten for punishment: challenging non-coeliac gluten sensitivity
Professor Peter Gibson and his team set out to determine whether gluten causes problems in people who do not suffer from coeliac disease. The team found that short-chain carbohydrates called FODMAPs, not gluten, might be triggering symptoms such as bloating and stomach pain. The results have put some scientifically valid findings in this controversial area.
Ectopic Pregnancy Treatment: A Safer Way
Professor Stephen Tong and the team of investigators are revolutionising the treatment of ectopic pregnancy, meaning most women presenting with the condition could be treated medically, rather than surgically. Not only will this make treating ectopic pregnancies safer, easier and more effective, but it may save many lives across the developing world where surgery is not possible.