These FAQs address common eligibility queries received during the application process for the Investigator Grant, Ideas Grant, and Synergy Grant schemes.
Potential applicants should familiarise themselves with all eligibility requirements detailed in the relevant and most up to date scheme grant guidelines before submitting an application.
Cross-cutting
'CIs can submit a total of 2 applications across the Investigator, Synergy and Ideas Grant schemes in any given funding round.'
See section:
4.2.1 of the Ideas and Synergy Grants 2023 Guidelines, and
4.3.1 of Investigator Grants 2024 Guidelines
'CIs can hold a maximum of 2 grants concurrently from the Investigator, Synergy and Ideas Grant schemes, with the following exceptions:
- CIs who hold 2 Ideas Grants can hold a Synergy Grant, and
- CIs who hold 2 Ideas Grants can apply for and hold an Investigator Grant...'
See section:
4.2.1 of the Ideas and Synergy Grants 2023 Guidelines, and
4.3.1 of Investigator Grants 2024 Guidelines
'Once submitted to NHMRC, the application is considered final and no changes can be made.'
See section:
7.6 of the Investigator Grants 2024 Guidelines,
7.6 of the Ideas Grants 2023 Guidelines, and
7.7 of the Synergy Grants 2023 Guidelines
Investigator Grants
Yes, depending on the number and/or type of other applications and/or Grants you hold.
'CIAs in receipt of an Investigator Grant salary are not eligible to concurrently receive salary support from non-NHMRC grants. The term 'non-NHMRC grant' covers competitive funding received from any source other than NHMRC (including MRFF).
'For the purposes of the non-NHMRC grants policy, ‘salary support’ means any salary from a non-NHMRC grant(s) that totals >20% of the value of the awarded Investigator Grant salary.
'CIAs with non-NHMRC grants that provide salary(ies) with a total value ≤20% of the value of the awarded Investigator Grant salary can retain both/all salaries.'
See section:
4.3.6 of the Investigator Grants 2024 Guidelines
The 2024 Investigator round PhD census date is 8 November 2023 (application close). Section 4.4 of the Investigator Grants 2024 Guidelines states:
'…an EL applicant must have held their PhD, or equivalent, for no more than 10 years from the date their PhD thesis was passed (not the date of conferral), taking into consideration any career disruption(s).'
The PhD census date now aligns with the application close date to eliminate any potential inequity with the change in timing of the Investigator Grant round, away from the previous 1 March census date. Leaving the PhD census at 1 March would have created a 4-month period where career disruptions would have been ‘prospective’ and would have required applicants (at application close) to have only been 9 years and 8 months post their PhD thesis pass date, to be eligible to apply to the EL Category.
See section:
4.4 of the Investigator Grants 2024 Guidelines
'Eligibility to apply for, and hold, an Investigator Grant is linked to numbers of grants applied for or held from the Synergy and Ideas Grant schemes, as well as other NHMRC grants held, including the Investigator Grant scheme itself.
'Detailed information on how eligibility for an Investigator Grant is affected by a CI’s grant applications and/or currently held grants is available at Appendix E of the grant guidelines and the eligibility tool on the NHMRC website.'
See section:
4.3.1 of the Investigator Grants 2024 Guidelines
Synergy Grants
'A Synergy Grant application requires a minimum of 4 CIs. The maximum number of CIs allowed on a Synergy Grant application is 10.'
See section:
4.1.1 of the Synergy Grants 2023 Guidelines
'CIs can submit a maximum of one Synergy Grant application in a grant opportunity, subject to other NHMRC grants concurrently held or applied for.'
See section:
4.2.2 of the Synergy Grants 2023 Guidelines
'Eligibility to apply for, and hold, a Synergy Grant is linked to numbers of grants applied for or held from the Investigator and Ideas Grant schemes, as well as other NHMRC Grants held, including the Synergy Grant scheme itself.
Detailed information on how eligibility for Synergy Grants is affected by a CI’s grant applications and/or currently held grants is available at Appendix E of the grant guidelines and the eligibility tool on the NHMRC website.'
See section:
4.2.1 of the Synergy Grants 2023 Guidelines
Ideas Grants
'If a CI (CIA–CIJ) concurrently (in the same funding round) applies for an Investigator Grant and an Ideas Grant and the Investigator Grant is successful, only the Investigator Grant will be offered. As a consequence, the Ideas Grant will not be eligible for funding.'
See section:
4.2.3 of the Ideas Grants 2023 Guidelines
'CIs can hold no more than 2 Ideas Grants concurrently, subject to other NHMRC grants held or concurrently applied for.'
See section:
4.2.3 of the Ideas Grants 2023 Guidelines
'Eligibility to apply for, and hold, an Ideas Grant is linked to numbers of grants applied for or held from the Investigator and Synergy Grant schemes, as well as other NHMRC grants held, including the Ideas Grant scheme itself.
'Detailed information on how eligibility for Ideas Grants is affected by a CI’s grant applications and/or currently held grants is available at Appendix D of the grant guidelines and the eligibility tool available on the NHMRC website.'
See section:
4.2.1 of the Ideas Grants 2023 Guidelines
