Targeted Calls for Research

In alignment with our Corporate Plan, a TCR is designed to stimulate research or build research capacity in a particular area of health and medical science to the benefit of Australians.

TCRs complement our existing suite of funding schemes by providing a mechanism to respond to emerging research needs and prioritising potential topics according to relative urgency and impact.

Evaluation of NHMRC’s Special Initiatives

NHMRC’s funding program also includes large once off priority-driven grant opportunities, including special initiative grant opportunities, Centres of Research Excellence (CRE) grants for health priority areas, and other large grant opportunities within existing schemes or as standalone programs. Though each grant opportunity is unique in design, each has a common focus of establishing a national collaborative research network. ORIMA Research conducted an evaluation to identify the effectiveness of the grant opportunities in fostering national collaboration. See Evaluation of large scale priority-driven grant opportunities for the full report.

Open TCRs

• Anal Cancer 2025

Upcoming TCRs

Further information on all TCR grant opportunities is available via GrantConnect.

Recently closed TCRs

• Addressing the Needs of People with High Healthcare Service Utilisation
• Oral Health Care in Australia 2024

Previous TCRs

2024

• Climate-related health impacts and effective interventions to improve health outcomes 2024

2023

• Commercial determinants of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
• Ensuring the quality and safety of telehealth 2023
• Improving infection prevention and control in residential aged care homes 2023
• Improving the physical health of people with a mental illness

2022

• Loneliness, social isolation and chronic disease management 2022
• Cultural, ethnic and linguistic diversity in dementia research 2022
• Improving Indigenous maternal and child health in the early years 

2021

• Hearing Health 2021: Evidence-based support services
• Improving health of people with intellectual disability
• Participation in Cancer Screening Programs
• Biotoxin-related Illnesses

2020

• End of Life Care
• Special Initiative in Human Health and Environmental Change
• National Network for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Researchers

2019

• Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)

2018

• Per- and poly-fluoroalkylated substances
• Nutrition in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
• Frailty in Hospital Care
• Debilitating Symptom Complexes Attributed to Ticks
• Healthy Ageing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
• Indigenous Social and Emotional Wellbeing

2017

• Depression, anxiety and suicide among elderly Australians
• Dementia in Indigenous Australians

Outcomes of past TCRs

Funding outcomes for past Targeted Calls for Research are available from the links above or in the Downloads section below.

Framework for identifying and prioritising Targeted Calls for Research

The framework (see Downloads section, below) describes our process for identifying, prioritising and approving TCR topics. TCR topics are identified through several different channels as in Figure 1.

We aim to conduct one TCR from each channel per year – see the following indicative annual schedule.

Indicative annual schedule

Figure 2 illustrates the TCR scheme cycle. For each channel, there will generally be a TCR underway and a TCR in development for the following year.

Note

The timeline for 2020 was disrupted due to the impact of COVID-19.

Community Research Priorities Portal

The Community Research Priorities Portal enables community and professional groups to submit research topics to us that may be underfunded or have a significant research knowledge gap. If prioritised, submissions may be developed into a TCR.

For more information, visit the Community Research Priorities Portal.