News centre

Over $9 million for health and medical research partnerships

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is committed to strengthening collaborative partnerships with a combined investment of over $9 million towards health and medical research.

• Media release
• News
• 29 October 2025

Speaking of Science: Genetics of depression: risk and response to treatment with Dr Brittany Mitchell

Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder and the largest contributor to global disability and yet one third of people diagnosed with depression are refractory to treatment.

• News
• Speaking of Science
• Video
• 17 October 2025

$4 million funding boost to advance oral health care research

NHMRC is investing nearly $4 million to drive groundbreaking oral health research that will benefit all Australians.

• Media release
• News
• 3 October 2025

Engineering and medical research combined in the fight against Alzheimer's

Dr Prashant Bharadwaj's innovative research and work is paving the way for new treatments and offering hope to families affected by dementia.

• News
• Ten of the Best
• 16th Edition
• 16 September 2025

Speaking of Science: Achieving better outcomes in women's sexual and reproductive health: The SPHERE CRE journey

Initiated by a NHMRC Project Grant in 2014, Professor Danielle Mazza’s (Monash University) journey towards creating the SPHERE Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) has gone from strength to strength in the years following. SPHERE’s mission, focused on fundamental reproductive rights, aims to drive better sexual and reproductive health outcomes for Australian women through primary care.

• News
• Speaking of Science
• Video
• 10 September 2025

$72 million for Australian Centres of Research Excellence

NHMRC will provide $72 million for Centres of Research Excellence that will lead to better health outcomes in Australia and our region.

• Media release
• News
• 30 August 2025

Speaking of Science: The Artificial Heart Frontiers Program: engineering the next generation of artificial hearts with Professor Shaun Gregory

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are deeply interconnected fields that often work together to solve real world problems and drive innovation. Integration of these different fields is crucial for addressing global health challenges and has also led to Professor Shaun Gregory’s success.

• News
• Speaking of Science
• Video
• 21 August 2025

NHMRC 2026 Investigator Grant assessment review stage pilot

Transparency, accountability and shared learning are key components of NHMRC’s peer review process. A new peer review assessment stage will be piloted in the 2026 Investigator Grants round designed to strengthen the robustness of the existing peer review process.

• Media release
• News
• 13 August 2025

Have your say: Lived experience can strengthen research

'Insights into the lived experience of people managing chronic conditions can strengthen research.'

• News
• Video
• 7 August 2025

Have your say: Research can't happen without consumers and communities

'Research can't happen without consumers and communities. Having them involved in research gives valuable insight for research institutions, leading to better health outcomes – because research is about people.'

• News
• Video
• 5 August 2025

Health and medical research funders highlight importance of sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and sexual orientation in science

Addressing research gaps related to the historical lack of consideration of sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and sexual orientation (the Variables) in health and medical research is central to the joint Statement on Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation in Health and Medical Research (the Statement).

• News
• 31 July 2025

$3 million for international collaborations in Indigenous health research

NHMRC is investing $3 million for international collaborations undertaking research that globally advances the field of neurodegeneration among Indigenous populations.

• Media release
• News
• 27 July 2025

Have your say: Involving consumers in research provides insights that can help plot the path towards a cure

'Involving consumers in research provides insights that can help plot the path towards a cure. Tailoring their role to fit specific projects helps research remain relevant and focused on achieving the best outcomes.'

• News
• Video
• 24 July 2025

Have your say: Research is about people and when people get involved, we move faster towards breakthroughs

'At its core, research is about people and when people get involved, we move faster towards breakthroughs, driving better health outcomes for everyone.'

• News
• Video
• 22 July 2025

Speaking of Science: New frontiers in brain cancer research with Professor Misty Jenkins AO and Professor Matt Dun

Around 2,000 Australians are diagnosed with brain cancer each year and survival rates remain low.  

For researchers Professor Misty Jenkins AO (WEHI and The Brain Cancer Centre) and Professor Matt Dun (University of Newcastle and the Mark Hughes Foundation), they’re just scratching the surface on what's possible in brain cancer research as we collectively move towards finding a cure for this insidious disease.

• News
• Speaking of Science
• Video
• 21 July 2025

Have your say: If we want research that changes lives, it has to be grounded in real life and lived experience

'This isn’t just about good intentions, it’s a chance to change how we do things together. Because if we want research that changes lives, it has to be grounded in real life and lived experience.'

• News
• Video
• 17 July 2025

Recognising high quality health and medical research

The Guunu-maana (Heal) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program at The George Institute for Global Health drives meaningful, ethical research and advocacy to transform the health and wellbeing of Indigenous peoples and communities. Recipient of the 2025 NHMRC Research Quality Biennial Award, Guunu-maana is committed to research quality, being led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing to generate evidence that privileges Indigenous knowledges and research quality within the field.

• InFocus
• News
• 13 July 2025

Have your say: Consumer and community involvement is essential for high quality research

'NHMRC believes consumer and community involvement is essential for high quality research, and we know that research where the consumers and the community are involved right from the beginning is better research and has better outcomes and more impact.'

• News
• Video
• 10 July 2025

$20 million investment towards health and medical research partnerships

NHMRC is investing almost $20 million towards Australian health and medical research partnerships between researchers, decision makers, policy makers, managers and clinicians.

• Media release
• News
• 10 July 2025

Speaking of Science: Empowering consumers in health and medical research with Professor James St John and hosted by Ms Ainslie Cahill AM

How do researchers effectively involve consumers and the community in their research?

• News
• Speaking of Science
• Video
• 26 June 2025

Updated Australian Drinking Water Guidelines

As Australia’s leading experts on health and medical research, NHMRC develops evidence based advice on priority health topics to prevent disease, improve health and help the states and territories to achieve consistent standards.

• Media release
• News
• 25 June 2025

Trust your gut: how the microbiome impacts mental health

Commonly referred to as a ‘second brain’, the role of the gut extends beyond being a digestor of food and drink. In fact, research has demonstrated time and time again the profound partnership between the gut and the brain, and the range of actions elicited by the chemical factory that is our gut microbiome. The gut-brain-axis operates through several pathways and chemical signals that have an influence over our mood, stress levels and cognitive function. So, with the support of the 100 trillion microbes that live within the human digestive system, Australian researchers are discovering how we can improve mental health conditions through diet.

• InFocus
• News
• 22 June 2025

$4.8 million to generate new evidence for long-term health conditions

NHMRC is investing $4.8 million into Australian health and medical research to generate new evidence to help people experiencing multiple long-term health conditions across the globe.

• Media release
• News
• 19 June 2025

Food for thought: Exploring how diet can improve mental health

As nutritional and psychological sciences advance, the evidence grows that diet is not only vital for physical health but also plays a significant role in mental wellbeing. While the burgeoning field of Nutritional Psychiatry shows correlations between not only what we eat and how we feel and behave, there is still so much to explore.

• InFocus
• News
• 16 June 2025

Speaking of Science: Cultural safety and fostering connections to social and emotional wellbeing with Associate Professor Yvonne Clark

'We work a lot with families, babies, pregnancy and young people, and our goal is to see them flourish or to do research that can move them towards that trajectory of flourishing and not just always surviving.'

• News
• Speaking of Science
• Video
• 5 June 2025

Recognising excellence in developing a world-first Indigenous wellbeing index

Ngiyampaa/Wongaibon social epidemiologist and recipient of the 2023 NHMRC David Cooper Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies Award, Professor Raymond Lovett has focused his career on improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. As an Associate Director of Yardhura Walani (Australian National University) and Director of Mayi Kuwayu: The national study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander wellbeing, Professor Lovett’s research has influenced policy at state and national levels, as well as empowered communities at the local level. He is now aiming to take this to the global stage through the development of a world-first Indigenous wellbeing index.

• InFocus
• News
• 20 May 2025

Remote rehabilitation programs prove excellent option for people with chronic respiratory problems

Learn how dedicated physiotherapists, Professor Anne Holland and Associate Professor Narelle Cox's innovative remote rehabilitation program is transforming lives for those with chronic respiratory conditions. Their groundbreaking work offers accessible, effective care from the comfort of home.

• News
• Ten of the Best
• 16th Edition
• 19 May 2025

Recognising Excellence in advancing the evidence base in cardiac arrest and resuscitation

Recipient of the 2024 NHMRC Peter Doherty Investigator Grant Award (Emerging Leadership), Dr Ziad Nehme is a paramedic-scientist with expertise in prehospital emergency care and resuscitation research. With a focus on early response to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients, Dr Nehme is targeting improvements in early recognition and activation of emergency services, accelerating treatments through community-based care, and enhancing the evidence-base in resuscitation.

• InFocus
• News
• 17 May 2025

Recognising the power of community engagement in health and medical research

Recipient of the 2025 NHMRC Consumer Involvement Award, Professor James St John is a translational neuroscientist specialising in the creation and delivery of therapies to repair injuries and diseases of the nervous system. He has driven the development of a comprehensive consumer involvement program to design and create a cell transplantation therapy for repairing chronic spinal cord injury which is now progressing to a clinical trial.

• InFocus
• News
• 14 May 2025

Over $79 million investment towards clinical trials and cohort studies

An investment of over $79 million will support high quality clinical trials and cohort studies that address important gaps in knowledge, with potential for significant health benefits.

• Media release
• News
• 9 May 2025

Advanced cardiovascular disease risk tests on the horizon

Some genes we inherit from our parents are linked to diseases. Explore how Professors Eric Moses and Peter Meikle are using the Busselton Health Study to uncover genetic risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

• News
• Ten of the Best
• 16th Edition
• 7 May 2025

Leading through crisis: upholding research integrity in unprecedented times

When Professor Fabienne Mackay stepped into the role of Director and CEO at QIMR Berghofer in late 2020, she expected challenges—navigating a global pandemic, leading a major organisational restructure, and steering a world-class research institute through an evolving funding landscape. What she did not anticipate was facing one of the most significant cases of research misconduct in Australian history.

• InFocus
• News
• 2 May 2025

Recognising excellence in identifying and overcoming mechanisms of immune evasion in cancer

Recipient of the 2024 NHMRC Fiona Stanley Synergy Grant Award, Professor Marie-Liesse Asselin-Labat is investigating how cancer evades the immune system and how immunotherapies and cancer vaccines can be enhanced to improve treatment outcomes. Professor Asselin-Labat PharmD, PhD, is a Division Head at WEHI, leading a team that studies the interactions between immune and tumour cells in lung cancer, and how external factors can trigger the disease and treatment response.

• InFocus
• News
• 24 April 2025

Speaking of Science: Interrogating the physiology of the human vagus nerve with Professor Vaughan Macefield

A new era of research that promises to uncover novel information on the physiology of the human vagus nerve is unfolding right before our eyes.

• News
• Speaking of Science
• Video
• 17 April 2025

Recognising excellence in cancer cachexia research using fruit flies

Associate Professor Louise Cheng, recipient of the 2024 NHMRC Marshall and Warren Ideas Grant Award, is a group leader at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the Department of Anatomy and Physiology at the University of Melbourne. Her lab utilises the fruit fly (Drosophila) to study how tumours grow at the expense of other tissues in cancer cachexia- a metabolic syndrome affecting up to 80% of people with advance cancer.

• InFocus
• News
• 17 April 2025

Recognising excellence in turbocharging treatments for type-2 diabetes

Recipient of the 2024 NHMRC Marshall and Warren Innovation Award, Associate Professor Garron Dodd, is globally acknowledged as a top authority in metabolic neuroscience. His research led out of the Metabolic Neuroscience Laboratory at the University of Melbourne has been pivotal in advancing metabolic health both in Australia and internationally, aiming to create innovative therapies for obesity and type-2 diabetes.

• InFocus
• News
• 15 April 2025

Recognising outstanding scientific imagery beneath the skin’s surface

Associate Professor Arutha Kulasinghe, recipient of the 2025 NHMRC Science to Art Award, is bringing together the rigour of heath and medical research with aesthetically powerful art. With a focus on cutting edge spatial biology and genomic techniques, Associate Professor Kulasinghe is dedicated to unlocking the secrets of individual cell interactions, leading to personalised treatments for several diseases, including cancer.

• InFocus
• News
• 1 April 2025

A night of celebrating health and medical research excellence

A gathering of our nation’s foremost health and medical researchers has taken place this evening, celebrating their excellence, leadership and extraordinary contributions to the sector in our annual Research Excellence Awards dinner. This year, the ceremony included the celebration of our Biennial Awards and the talent making impact in an area of importance to NHMRC.

• Media release
• News
• 26 March 2025

A celebration of the best health and medical research discoveries

When it comes to health and medical research in Australia, our scientists are pioneering key advances to better understand health conditions and answer fundamental questions. This evening, we had the pleasure of launching the highly anticipated 16th edition of our flagship publication, 10 of the Best.

• Media release
• News
• Ten of the Best
• 16th Edition
• 26 March 2025

Speaking of Science: Evaluating 23 years of Dementia and Diabetes research

As of 2025, it is estimated that approximately 433,300 Australians are living with dementia, and approximately 1.3 million Australians were living with diabetes in 2022, which equates to roughly 5.3% of the population.

• News
• Speaking of Science
• Video
• 21 March 2025

$15 million investment to support collaborations in health services research

The Australian Government is investing $15 million to improve health outcomes by supporting health service focussed research projects that foster collaboration between health services and research organisations across both metropolitan and regional, rural and remote areas.

• Media release
• News
• 26 February 2025

$422 million into research for the future of Australia’s healthcare system

Announced today by the Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Hon Mark Butler MP, are 229 high-performing researchers who will share in an investment of over $422 million under the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) Investigator Grants scheme.

• Media release
• News
• 24 February 2025

$8.9 million investment into research partnerships to shape our future

NHMRC is committed to supporting new partnership opportunities for researchers and policy makers to work together to shape our future through an $8.9 million funding investment. 

• Media release
• News
• 21 February 2025

Speaking of Science: Discovering a breakthrough in the fight against cancer with Professor Andrew Wilks

World Cancer Day, observed annually on 4 February, raises awareness about cancer, encourages its prevention, and mobilises action to address the global cancer epidemic.

• News
• Speaking of Science
• Video
• 20 February 2025

NHMRC Principal Committees and NHMRC-MRFF Committees announced

NHMRC Principal Committees and NHMRC-MRFF Committees announced

• News
• Tracker
• 14 February 2025

Over $8 million boost to Australia-Japan innovative research projects

The Australian Government is contributing more than $8 million for groundbreaking research projects between Australia and Japan under the Adopting Sustainable Partnerships for Innovative Research Ecosystem (ASPIRE) program.

• Media release
• News
• 12 February 2025

$11 million to build and grow on Australian research in climate change and health

The Australian Government is investing almost $11 million to build Australian research capacity in climate change and related health impacts under the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) 2024 Targeted Call for Research (TCR) into climate-related health impacts and effective interventions to improve health outcomes.

• Media release
• News
• 29 January 2025

$1.5 million investment to fuel Australian researchers form collaborations with EU partners

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is investing $1.5 million to support Australian researchers to form international collaborations and strengthen the impact of research innovation while tackling global health challenges.

• Media release
• News
• 17 January 2025

Over $16 million invested into innovative health and medical research commercialisation

Innovative health and medical research that supports commercialisation as it progresses from proof of concept through to clinical implementation will receive a funding investment under the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) Development Grants scheme.

• Media release
• News
• 17 December 2024

$10 million boost to support the next generation of health and medical researchers

A $10 million funding boost will support the next generation of health and medical researchers to increase research capacity within Australia through the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Postgraduate Scholarship scheme.

• Media release
• News
• 17 December 2024