Our Partnership Project funding scheme provides funding and support to create new opportunities for researchers and policy makers to work together to define research questions, undertake research, interpret the findings and implement the findings into policy and practice.
Partnership Projects create partnerships among decision makers, policy makers, managers, clinicians and researchers.
Partnership Projects answer a specific research question to influence health and wellbeing through changes in the delivery, organisation, funding and access to health services.
Continuous application process
This scheme allows applicants to apply at any time during the year, rather than through just one annual round. This is to allow researchers and partner organisations to develop timely collaborations. The grant commencement date will be aligned with the timing of each peer review cycle. This allows funding to be administered more quickly after grants are awarded, providing all necessary documentation is in place.
Key dates
| Process | PRC1 | PRC2 | PRC3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applications open | 8 January 2025 | 20 March 2025 | 24 July 2025 |
| NHMRC-approved Administering Institutions waiver due | 5 March 2025 | 9 July 2025 | 29 October 2025 |
| Minimum data due | 19 March 2025 | 23 July 2025 | 12 November 2025 |
| Applications close | 2 April 2025 | 6 August 2025 | 26 November 2025 |
| Peer review meetings | 15–17 July 2025 | 18–20 November 2025 | 17–19 March 2026 |
Peer review cycles
Applications will proceed to peer review depending on when they are submitted to National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). For example, for an application to be peer reviewed in the first Peer Review Cycle (PRC1), applicants must ensure minimum data requirements are met by 19 March 2025 and the application must be submitted by 2 April 2025. Applications that have met minimum data requirements but are not submitted by the application due date will remain active. The applicant may continue to work on the application and submit to the next available PRC.
Any application which was started but was not submitted by close of applications for PRC3, 26 November 2025, will need to reapply the following year.
NHMRC Administering Institutions partner waiver
NHMRC-approved Administering Institutions (Administering Institutions) cannot be named as a partner on a Partnership Project application, unless they meet both of the following:
- are an organisation which primarily delivers health policy and/or health services
- obtain a waiver from NHMRC.
This is consistent with the description and objectives of the scheme, which includes the aim to create partnerships among decision makers, policy makers, managers, clinicians and researchers to improve the translation of research evidence into health policy and health practice.
This policy includes organisations that fall under the 'umbrella' of an Administering Institution (such as having the same Australian business number (ABN)/ Australian Company Number (ACN), falls under the same governance, or is not a legal entity of its own and falls under the auspices of an Administering Institution).
An Administering Institution that is primarily involved in delivering health policy and/or health services can apply for a waiver. Requests for waivers need to be made through the Research Administration Office of the Administering Institution that is applying for the waiver.
Completed request for waiver forms (available in the Downloads section, below) must be emailed to help@nhmrc.gov.au by the relevant date (see Partnership Projects 2025 Guidelines available on GrantConnect). The waiver request must clearly outline why the Administering Institution should be considered as a partner organisation.
Waiver requests that fail to address each of the points within the form will be denied.
NHMRC will determine whether a waiver will be granted and will provide written advice concerning the decision. Waivers granted will be valid for the year of the Grant Opportunity.
Administering Institutions that do not obtain a waiver may be listed as a Participating Institution, if appropriate, however any contributions will not be considered 'partner funding' and therefore matched funding will not be provided by NHMRC.
Applications that name Administering Institutions as partners (without obtaining a waiver) may be deemed ineligible.
Due dates for the submission of waivers can be found in the Partnership Projects 2025 Guidelines available on GrantConnect.
