The NHMRC-National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaborative Research Grants scheme supports Australian participation and collaboration in leading international collaborative research through the United Kingdom’s NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme. The HTA Programme funds independent research about the effectiveness, costs and broader impact of healthcare treatments and tests.

NHMRC selects topics that align with the health priorities identified in the NHMRC Corporate Plan, and are guided by the principles of the NHMRC’s International Engagement Strategy 2023–2026 to support collaborative approaches to health and medical research internationally. 

Programme Description 

NIHR identifies and develops HTA research topics through a horizon-scanning process and prepares commissioning briefs for the proposed research topics three times a year (three rounds). NHMRC is invited to consider the topics and support research collaboration on them. NHMRC supports topics that align with its health priorities. 

NHMRC will invite Australian researchers who are listed on the successful applications submitted during Stage 1 to apply to NHMRC for support of the Australian component of the research under the following topics: 

  • 22/146 Maintenance treatment for bipolar disorder 
  • 22/147 Pseudomonas aeruginosa eradication treatment in bronchiectasis 
  • 22/148 Surgical treatment of proximal ACL ruptures with ACL repair or ACL reconstruction 
  • 22/150 Intravesical treatments for recurrent urinary tract infection (rUTI) in women 
  • 22/152 Through-knee versus above-knee major limb amputation 
  • 22/155 Oral versus intramuscular glucocorticoids in rheumatoid arthritis 
  • 22/154 Bisphosphonate therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy 
  • 22/156 Children and young people's mental health 
  • 22/157 Interventions to reduce hospital-based medication administration errors 
  • 22/158 Inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system in takotsubo cardiomyopathy 
  • 22/166 Rehabilitation and care following stroke 
  • 22/167 Imaging pathways for investigation following heart failure diagnosis 
  • 22/168 The diagnostic accuracy of colon capsule endoscopy 

Further information on the NIHR HTA commissioned research topics is available on the NIHR website. 

Application Process 

  • NIHR invites Stage 1 submissions against advertised research topics 
  • NIHR and NHMRC invite successful Stage 1 applicants to submit a Stage 2 application. NHMRC invites successful Australian-based researchers to apply to NHMRC for support of the Australian components of the research by submitting an application in Sapphire 
  • NIHR conducts peer review of all Stage 2 applications submitted 
  • NIHR advises NHMRC of Stage 2 applications deemed fundable by the NIHR 
  • NHMRC reviews the budget requested for the Australian components of the research 
  • Funding recommendations approval process. 

Eligibility 

The NHMRC-NIHR scheme has eligibility criteria and applications will be excluded from consideration if eligibility requirements are not met: 

  • The Chief Investigator A (CIA) and their Administering Institution must be named as the Australian Partner Investigator on an application submitted to the NIHR 
  • The application must have been shortlisted based on scientific peer review by NIHR in order to be considered for funding by NHMRC 
  • Other Australian researchers listed on the NIHR application must be identified as CIs in the application to NHMRC 
  • Australian applicants must provide the Australian budget details on the NHMRC-NIHR Scheme application form (in Sapphire) 

The Australian applicants must be successful through the NIHR HTA process to be eligible to receive funding from NHMRC. 

Grant at a glance

Duration of funding
up to 5 years
Level of funding
$3,000,000

Outcomes of funding rounds