Grants funded by NHMRC are offered in accordance with NHMRC's Funding Agreement (1 September 2026) between NHMRC and the Administering Institution.
Under the Funding Agreement, grant funds must only be spent in accordance with NHMRC's Direct Research Cost Guidelines and for the purposes of the peer reviewed, approved research.
Where there is a need to change the approved funding proposal, grantees must submit a variation request in accordance with the NHMRC Grantee Variations Policy. Changes could include deferring the commencement of a grant, extending the end date of a grant, or transferring the administration of an NHMRC funded grant to a new Administering Institution and/or supervisor.
NHMRC's Funding Agreement (version effective 1 September 2026)
The 2026 NHMRC Funding Agreement replaced the 2023 NHMRC Funding Agreement (see clause 20.2 Variation of this Agreement by NHMRC). Accordingly, the revised 2026 NHMRC Funding Agreement did not need to be executed by either party. This latest NHMRC Funding Agreement was finalised following our consideration of input provided through the consultation process with Administering Institutions in December 2025.
The 2026 NHMRC Funding Agreement includes the following changes:
- Definitions – additional and amended
- Fraud Provisions
- Child Safety Compliance
- Foreign Interference and Redress
- Information Management and Reporting
- Moral Rights Obligations.
Compliance with laws and obligations
Under NHMRC’s Funding Agreement, Administering Institutions must comply, and require their Participating Institutions, research activities and applications to comply, with any applicable Commonwealth, State, Territory or local government laws and other obligations under the NHMRC Funding Agreement.
- The Australian Government's Guidelines to Counter Foreign Interference in the Australian University Sector.
- The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations which set out a nationally consistent approach to promoting a culture of child safety and wellbeing within organisations.
- The National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse (the Redress Scheme). In accordance with the requirements of the Redress Grant Connected Policy (GCP), institutions named in applications to the Redress Scheme or to the Royal Commission that have not joined the Redress Scheme or signified their intent to join within the required timeframes, will be ineligible to access NHMRC grant funding.
More information on these and other laws and obligations is available on our laws and obligations page.
Direct research costs and personnel and salary support packages
Information on direct research costs and salary support is available at:
If further clarification is need, please email postaward.management@nhmrc.gov.au.
Approved standards and guidelines
Under the Funding Agreement, Administering Institutions must comply, and require their Participating Institutions, research activities and applications to comply, with relevant NHMRC-Approved standards and guidelines and any applicable NHMRC policies. This includes the following Approved standards and guidelines:
- Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018)
- Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes 8th edition (2013)
- National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research 2023
- Guidelines Approved under Section 95A of the Privacy Act 1988 (2014)
- Guidelines under Section 95 of the Privacy Act 1988 (2000)
- National Principles of Intellectual Property Management for Publicly Funded Research (2013)
- Principles and accessing and using publicly funded data for health research (2016)
- Principles and guidelines on the care and use of non-human primates for scientific purposes (2016)
- Ethical conduct in research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities: Guidelines for researchers and stakeholders (2018)
- Ethical Guidelines on the Use of Assisted Reproductive Technology in Clinical Practice and Research (2017)
- NHMRC gender equity requirements
- NHMRC research integrity and misconduct policy (2019)
- Fraud and Corruption Control Framework 2026–28.