NHMRC’s vision is a gender diverse and inclusive health and medical research workforce to take advantage of the full range of talent needed to build a healthy Australia.
The NHMRC Gender Equity Strategy 2022–2025 establishes the framework to achieve our vision. Actions we have taken to improve gender equity are summarised below.
NHMRC is committed to achieving gender equity across the grant program. From 2023, NHMRC has implemented new special measures under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 to achieve near equal gender outcomes in the Investigator Grant scheme. This action seeks to address systemic disadvantage faced by female and non-binary applicants. The decision to introduce the special measures followed a national consultation process.
Gender data for applicants and grantees across NHMRC’s grant program can be found at Outcomes of funding rounds and in the annual gender equity report cards:
Actions taken towards gender equity
| Activity | Action | Year when action was initiated |
|---|---|---|
| Strategy and advice | Advice on gender equity activities is a standing item at Research Committee, highlighting the importance of equity in the NHMRC Grant Program | 2025 to ongoing |
| Published the NHMRC-MRFF Statement on Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation in Health and Medical Research | 2024 | |
| Public consultation on a draft NHMRC-MRFF Statement on Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation in Health and Medical Research | 2023 | |
| Introduced new special measures under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 to address systemic disadvantage faced by female and non-binary applicants to its Investigator Grant scheme | 2022 (applied from the 2023 scheme round) | |
| Implemented changes to the gender field in researcher profiles in Sapphire to provide the option to self-identify as 'non binary', or to specify a different term | 2022 | |
| Released Consultation report: Options to reach gender equity in the Investigator Grant scheme | 2022 | |
| Conducted national consultation process on Options to reach gender equity in the Investigator Grant scheme, including several webinars | 2022 | |
| Released Discussion Paper: Options to reach gender equity in the Investigator Grant scheme | 2022 | |
| Released CEO Communique – Gender disparities in NHMRC's Investigator Grant Scheme and held webinars with the research sector | 2022 | |
| Released NHMRC Gender Equity Strategy 2022–2025 | 2022 | |
| Provided the Australian Women in STEM Ambassador information on the outcome of funding rounds from 2000 to 2020 | 2021 | |
| Released NHMRC's Gender Equality Strategy 2018–2021 | 2018 | |
| NHMRC's Women in Health Science Committee provided advice on issues faced by female researchers in the health and medical research sector and the barriers to career progression | 2012 to 2024 | |
| Continuing to seek advice from NHMRC's Council and Principal Committees | Ongoing | |
| Peer review | Removed the requirement to use gender-neutral language in applications due to overwhelming feedback on the additional effort required to comply and the limited evidence that it is effective in mitigating unconscious gender bias in peer review | 2024 |
| Introduced the consideration of career context and life circumstances of all applicants when assessing track record, relative to opportunity, in the Investigator Grant scheme | 2021 | |
| Revised the Relative to Opportunity Policy | 2021 | |
| Encouraged the use of gender-neutral language in grant applications and peer review discussions | 2020 | |
| Piloted completion of an implicit association test for gender and science for peer reviewers | 2020 | |
| Introduced actions to improve the representation of women on peer review panels | 2018 | |
| Facilitating participation of people with carer responsibilities in peer review panels by using videoconferencing | 2015 | |
| Introduced NHMRC's career disruption and relative to opportunity policy | 2012 | |
| Grant opportunities | Adjusted the timing of grant rounds due to the COVID-19 pandemic | 2020 |
| Altering timing of grant rounds to avoid school holidays | 2019 | |
| Introduced part-time opportunities across all new grant program schemes | 2019 | |
| Introduced reporting of grant outcomes by gender | 2015 | |
| Administering Institutions | Published better practice examples for how AIs are meeting the gender equality policy requirements | 2020 |
| Established gender equality policy requirements for Administering Institutions (AIs) | 2015 (updated in 2019) | |
| Reviewed how AIs are meeting the gender equality policy requirements | 2015 and 2018 | |
| Structural priority funding | Using structural priority funding to support additional grants with female Chief Investigator As (CIAs) | 2017 to ongoing |
| Recognition | Introduced the Elizabeth Blackburn Grant Awards for top-ranked women | 2013 |
| Showcasing female researchers on website and in social media | Ongoing |
Page last updated April 2025
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