The objective of the Ideas Grant scheme is to support innovative research projects addressing a specific question(s).

The expected outcomes are:

  • innovative and creative research
  • funding of researchers at all career stages
  • funding any area of health and medical research from discovery to implementation.

It is expected that the Chief Investigator A (CIA) will have the capability to lead the team in achieving the project aims.

The Ideas Grant scheme is not intended to support research where a clinical trial or cohort study is the primary objective. Applicants conducting projects which incorporate elements of clinical trial and/or cohort study must consider whether the project goals are more applicable to the Ideas Grant or Clinical Trials and Cohort Grant schemes.

Funding support

Ideas Grants may be funded by or in conjunction with other organisations. These grants offer opportunities to researchers whose work is particularly relevant to the priorities and research interests of the partner organisations.

Information on how organisations and individuals can support NHMRC to fund health and medical research is available on Working together to support health and medical research.

Peer review of Ideas Grants

For details regarding the peer review process, refer to the Ideas Grants 2026 Peer Review Guidelines on GrantConnect.

Ideas Grants peer reviewer briefing webinar

View the 2026 transcript of the above Ideas Grants peer reviewer briefing webinar.

View the 2025 transcript of the Ideas Grants peer reviewer briefing webinar. A de-identified transcript of the 2025 Question and Answer session is also available.

Level of funding

The amount of funding for an Ideas Grant is based on assessment of the requested budget.

Grant at a glance

Duration of funding
1 to 5 years

Key changes

  • Section 13.1. Information about fraud and corruption has been added.
  • Appendix E Guide to Applicants, section 6.9, has been updated to clarify increased scrutiny at the application budget review stage.
  • Appendix E Guide to Applicants, section 8, has been updated to include an additional check that any images of people are appropriately de-identified or informed consent has been given.
  • The Statement on Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation in Health and Medical Research is being embedded in application and assessment processes (see Section 7.5) including:
    • The Ideas Grant 2026 application form in Sapphire includes a new mandatory question about the integration of sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and/or sexual orientation in the proposed research (see Appendix E Guide to Applicants).
    • The score descriptor for the ‘Research Quality’ assessment criterion includes an additional component on the appropriateness of how sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and/or sexual orientation are integrated in the proposed research and/or the strength of the justification for why any of these Variables are not integrated.  
  • The Cure4 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has been added as an additional funding partner. As this funder is not listed in the 2026 Ideas Grants application form, applicants are required to email ideas.grants@nhmrc.gov.au to formally confirm their intention to apply for this funding. By doing so, they provide consent for their application details to be shared with the funding partner upon completion of the assessment process.
  • Changes are detailed in Section 2.3 of the Ideas Grants 2026 Guidelines on GrantConnect.