Clinician Researchers initiative

What is the Clinician Researchers initiative?

The Australian Government is investing $190.8 million from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) in clinician researcher fellowships over the next decade. This provides money for health care professionals who work with patients to carry out research projects.

Why is the Clinician Researchers initiative important?

Many health care professionals have had to choose between life as a researcher or a clinician. This can mean that research doesn’t address problems seen in clinical practice.

What are the goals of the Clinician Researchers initiative?

The initiative's goals are to help the next generation of talented Australian health professionals drive research questions, develop new discoveries and ensure implementation of best practice care for their patients.

How will we meet these goals?

The Investigator Grants: MRFF Priority Round grant opportunity opened on 2 October 2019 and closed on 27 November 2019. Thirty early-to-mid-career researchers have been awarded 5-year grants in 2 cohorts, with the first starting in 2020 and the second in 2021.

Research programs have a focus on research translation and contribute to the following MRFF priority research areas:

Australian Brain Cancer Mission
Million Minds Mental Health Research Mission
Genomics Health Futures Mission
Dementia, Aged Care and Ageing Mission
Indigenous Health Research Fund
Stem Cell Therapies Mission
Cardiovascular Health Mission
Traumatic Brain Injury Mission
Preventive and Public Health Research
Primary Health Care Research
Global Health

The Investigator Grants: MRFF Priority Round will provide the highest-performing clinician researchers with funding for their salary (if required) and a research support package for 5 years in areas that align with priorities in the MRFF 10-year plan.

See the initiative snapshot for details of how we plan to meet these goals.

MRFF snapshot – Clinician Researchers

This snapshot shows this initiative at a glance. It includes budgets, early funding priorities and grant timelines, as at November 2019. Researchers and other stakeholders can use it to plan for upcoming opportunities and see how the initiative will be established, expanded and embedded over time.

Who works with us on the Clinician Researchers initiative?

The Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) funds the initiative.

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources administer this initiative.

Apply for funding

We will list future grants on GrantConnect when they open. If you want GrantConnect to notify you about future MRFF grants:

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enter ‘MRFF’ in the keyword section of your GrantConnect profile

Status

Upcoming grants

There are currently no upcoming grants.

Open grant rounds

The 2020 Clinician Researchers: Applied Research in Health grant opportunity opened on 14 December 2020 and will close on 12 April 2021.

Grants being assessed

There are no grants currently being assessed.

Grants awarded

We have awarded the following grants under this initiative, as at 30 October 2020.


Funded Institution	Project Name	Chief Investigator/s	Total Funding
Australian National University	Implementation of a peer worker-led mental health recovery program	Doctor Michelle Banfield	$179,118
Burnet Institute	Advancing diagnostics and vaccines for malaria elimination	Doctor Jack Richards	$437,036
University of Melbourne	Improving patient management pathways in age-related macular degeneration	Doctor Lauren Ayton	$179,118
Curtin University	Pharmacy Interventions for Naloxone Scale-Up (PINS)	Doctor Joanna Moullin	$181,066
National Ageing Research Institute	Translating dignity principles into practice in aged care homes	Doctor Joan Ostaszkiewicz	$181,066
Flinders University	Enhancing the capacity of mental health services to review, personalise and intervene early through implementation of real-time outcome monitoring	Associate Professor Niranjan Bidargaddi	$179,118
Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health	Mild traumatic brain injury and the risk of long-term neurodegenerative and neurobehavioural disease	Associate Professor Paul McCrory	$577,189
The Garvan Institute of Medical Research	Improving outcomes in osteoporosis and bone health	Professor Jacqueline Center	$343,683
La Trobe University	Implementing appropriate exercise and education for Australians with knee osteoarthritis	Doctor Christian Barton	$179,118
La Trobe University	Translating evidence to improve access to paediatric therapy services	Doctor Katherine Harding	$181,066
Monash University	A national cancer outcome strategy	Professor John Zalcberg	$487,893
Monash University	Cognitive Phenotyping and Personalised Treatment for Methamphetamine Addiction	Associate Professor Antonio Verdejo-Garcia	$476,728
Monash University	fungalAi: Breaking the mould of the traditional antifungal stewardship paradigm	Doctor Michelle Ananda-Rajah	$181,066
Monash University	Generating and translating evidence into practice in women’s health and beyond	Professor Helena Teede	$494,733
Monash University	Improving outcomes for critically ill patients after traumatic brain injury and blood transfusion	Professor David Cooper	$412,278
Monash University	Improving outcomes in low back pain: Targeting specific therapies to patient subgroups	Doctor Donna Urquhart	$429,055
Monash University	Next Generation Targeting of DNA-Methylation in Poor Risk Lymphoid Cancer	Associate Professor Jake Shortt	$218,518
Monash University	Novel targeted onco-theranostic nanoparticles for personalised therapy and real-time monitoring	Doctor Karen Alt	$431,000
Monash University	Optimising Emergency and Trauma Systems through evidence based pathways	Professor Peter Cameron	$412,278
Monash University	Precision medicine for epilepsy and beyond: from discovery to implementation and evaluation	Professor Patrick Kwan	$481,156
Monash University	Reducing Brain Injury and Improving The Care Of High-Risk Newborn Infants	Associate Professor Flora Wong	$241,702
Monash University	Translational Research Program to Advance Clinical Outcomes in Acute Myeloid Leukaemia	Associate Professor Andrew Wei	$412,419
Murdoch Children's Research Institute	Implementing evidence based management for children with dystonic cerebral palsy	Doctor Adrienne Harvey	$181,066
Murdoch Children's Research Institute	Improving the health and development of high risk preterm newborns	Associate Professor Jeanie Cheong	$333,710
Murdoch Children's Research Institute	Improving upper limb function in Hereditary Cerebellar Ataxia	Doctor Louise Corben	$431,000
Murdoch Children's Research Institute	Significance of low-level mosaicism to intellectual disability in paediatric disorders	Doctor David Godler	$476,728
Queensland University of Technology	Embracing digital disruption in hospitals to improve outcomes among vulnerable people	Associate Professor Steven McPhail	$483,404
Sydney Local Health District	Implementing fasting guidelines within an acute hospital surgical setting	Doctor Sharon Carey	$181,066
The University of Queensland	Early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer	Professor Kwun Fong	$487,893
The University of Queensland	iAx: Instant assessment and personalised feedback in alcohol use disorder	Doctor Matthew Gullo	$181,066
The University of Queensland	Improving paediatric critical care outcome	Associate Professor Andreas Schibler	$348,495
The University of Queensland	Personalised early detection of melanoma	Professor H. Peter Soyer	$577,189
The University of Queensland	Scaling, spreading, and sustaining The Systematised, Interdisciplinary Malnutrition Program for impLementation and Evaluation (SIMPLE) – a multi-site implementation program	Doctor Jack Bell	$181,066
University of Melbourne	Closing the communication gap in chronic disease	Doctor Alison Beauchamp	$179,118
University of Melbourne	Complex depression and anxiety in youth: Innovative e-therapy and biotherapy clinical trials	Doctor Simon Rice	$349,629
University of Melbourne	Elimination of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) as a Public Health Threat	Professor Alexander Thompson	$481,156
University of Melbourne	Examining new treatments and developing new treatment biomarkers for youth with severe depression	Associate Professor Christopher Davey	$333,710
University of Melbourne	From simulation to translation: A new quality improvement program for antibiotic prescribing in general practice	Doctor Jo-Anne Manski-Nankervis	$181,066
University of Melbourne	Neuroimaging in mental health: the quest for clinically useful biomarkers	Assistant Professor Lianne Schmaal	$431,000
University of Melbourne	Optimising interventions for Staphylococcus aureus and skin infections	Associate Professor Steven Tong	$333,710
University of Melbourne	Optimising Respiratory Therapies to Improve Outcomes for Preterm Infants	Doctor Brett Manley	$305,925
University of Melbourne	Precision therapy for neurological diseases	Doctor Tomas Kalincik	$476,728
University of New South Wales	Catch them when they fall: Providing best evidence care after a suicide attempt	Doctor Fiona Shand	$179,118
University of New South Wales	Determinants of the outcomes from infectious diseases	Professor Andrew Lloyd	$577,189
University of New South Wales	Discovery to therapy implementation in acute stroke	Professor Christopher Levi	$577,189
University of New South Wales	Improving internet-delivered psychological therapies for depression and anxiety	Doctor Jill Newby	$431,000
University of New South Wales	Reducing the burden of dialysis catheter complications - a national approach	Doctor Sradha Kotwal	$179,118
University of New South Wales	Sepsis Outcomes Research	Professor Bala Venkatesh	$278,795
University of New South Wales	Understanding and optimising the delivery of chronic disease care for better cardiovascular outcomes	Associate Professor Meg Jardine	$476,728
University of Sydney	Clinical Trials To Improve Outcome of Cancer Patients	Associate Professor Mustafa Khasraw	$483,404
University of Sydney	Decreasing unnecessary surgery for low back pain	Associate Professor Manuela Ferreira	$476,728
University of Sydney	Improving health outcomes for disadvantaged children	Professor Elizabeth Elliot	$577,189
University of Sydney	New approaches for treatment of alcohol use disorder	Professor Paul Haber	$418,050
University of Sydney	The role of cortical dysfunction in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) pathophysiology	Professor Ostoja (Steve) Vucic	$585,270
University of Sydney	Vaccine safety research in understudied and at risk groups: critical knowledge to inform practice and policy	Associate Professor Nicholas Wood	$286,037
University of Tasmania	Exercise is medicine so why don't General Practitioners prescribe it?	Associate Professor Andrew Williams	$181,066
University of Tasmania	Improving musculoskeletal pain by matching the right treatment with the right patient	Doctor Dawn Aitken	$431,000
University of Tasmania	Sustaining oral and systemic health in Residential Aged Care Facilities	Associate Professor Leonard Crocombe	$179,118
University of Western Australia	Community-based studies of diabetes and infectious diseases	Professor Timothy Davis	$585,270
University of Western Australia	Developing personalised treatment for retinal degeneration	Doctor Fred Chen	$258,600
University of Western Australia	Maximising health for older Australians	Professor Leon Flicker	$585,270
University of Western Australia	Nutritional strategies for allergy prevention	Doctor Debra Palmer	$431,000
University of Western Australia	Translational Research on Malignant Pleural Effusion and Pleural Infection	Professor Y C Gary Lee	$481,156
University of Wollongong	Implementing a health literacy focused dietetic outpatient model of care for people with chronic kidney disease	Ms Kelly Lambert	$179,118
The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research	Translational research to drive improved diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory diseases	Professor Ian Wicks	$418,050
La Trobe University	Closing the evidence-practice gap in occupational health practices to prevent musculoskeletal disorders	Associate Professor Jodi Oakman	$179,118
University of South Australia	Evidence-based digital technologies for health behaviour	Associate Professor Carol Maher	$1,118,593
Macquarie University	Screening and Risk Reduction for Dementia in Primary Care	Professor Viviana Wuthrich	$1,562,250
The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research	Advancing Personalised Treatment in Colorectal Cancer with Tissue and Liquid Biomarkers	Associate Professor Jeanne Tie	$1,187,350
University of Melbourne	Closing the critical knowledge gaps in perinatal genomics	Associate Professor Lisa Hui	$1,281,125
University of Western Australia	Preventing Bronchiectasis in Indigenous People	Doctor Andre Schultz	$1,131,125
University of New South Wales	Tackling it with Tech: Using novel Internet solutions to overcome the burden of depression in youth	Doctor Bridianne O'Dea	$620,205
University of Melbourne	Saving time, saving brain through prehospital stroke care	Doctor Henry Zhao	$645,205
Menzies School of Health Research	Moving together towards the elimination of chronic Hepatitis B in the Northern Territory	Doctor Jane Davies	$1,131,125
Monash University	Optimise Primary Aldosteronism Detection For Better Health Outcomes	Doctor Jun Yang	$570,205
University of Western Australia	Better penicillin, better hearts: improving secondary prevention of rheumatic heart disease	Doctor Laurens Manning	$1,281,125
Flinders University	Meeting psychological needs to improve the quality and safety of aged care	Doctor Monica Cations	$420,079
Monash University	Using a purpose-built digital assessment tool to determine the mechanisms driving addictive behaviours and its utility to improve treatment engagement and outcomes	Doctor Sze Lee	$645,205
University of Melbourne	A Neural Systems Model to Optimize Treatment Outcomes in Binge Eating Populations	Doctor Trevor Steward	$645,205
Murdoch Children's Research Institute	Establishing the early diagnosis of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk factors in adults with repaired aortic arch obstruction: The key to decreasing premature death	Doctor Melissa Lee	$329,041
The University of Newcastle	Sustaining the implementation of evidence-based chronic disease prevention programs in education	Doctor Nicole Nathan	$1,562,250
The University of Newcastle	Personalised biomarker-guided management of asthma during pregnancy	Doctor Vanessa Murphy	$1,562,250
University of Sydney	Policy-driven research to improve the immunisation program for young children	Professor Thomas Snelling	$1,062,555
Deakin University	Improving outcomes for children and adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and their carers	Associate Professor Emma Sciberras	$1,544,073
The University of Queensland	Supporting adults to sit less and move more for chronic disease prevention and management	Associate Professor Genevieve Healy	$1,487,455
University of Sydney	Innovative regenerative therapies for heart repair	Associate Professor James Chong	$1,562,250
Murdoch Children's Research Institute	Keeping children out of hospital by being smarter with antibiotics	Associate Professor Penelope Bryant	$1,281,125
University of Melbourne	Minimising infective complications in the era of immune-based cancer therapies through precision, prediction and prevention	Doctor Benjamin Teh	$1,165,633
University of New South Wales	Investigating novel therapies for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction	Doctor Clare Arnott	$387,123
University of Melbourne	Putting 3D printing into the reality of surgery: an approach for regenerating joint cartilage within the body using one-step surgery	Doctor Claudia Di Bella	$447,603
The University of Queensland	Immuno-genetic biomarkers of response in a prospective study of immune checkpoint therapy in primary CNS lymphoma	Doctor Colm Keane	$1,393,575
The University of Adelaide	Understanding molecular pathogenesis of therapy related myeloid neoplasm	Doctor Devendra Hiwase	$620,205
University of Melbourne	Developing a coherent national approach to the clinical and public health management of invasive Strep A disease	Doctor Katherine Gibney	$1,449,800
University of Melbourne	Blood based detection and monitoring of pre-malignant clonal haematopoiesis to predict clinical outcomes in the immunocompromised	Doctor Paul Yeh	$620,735
The University of Newcastle	A big problem needs a big solution: Advancing the science of scaling up chronic disease prevention interventions	Doctor Rachel Sutherland	$1,562,250
University of Melbourne	The male experience of eating and body image disorders	Doctor Scott Griffiths	$1,562,250
Total			$55,504,674

We publish the details of all MRFF grants we have approved after they have been tabled at budget estimates, supplementary budget estimates or additional estimates. This means there is a delay between us approving grants and the details appearing here.

Related information

See a list of all MRFF grant recipients.

Contact

For more information, contact us.

Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) contact

Contact for more information about the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), or to provide feedback on the MRFF website.

General enquiries:

MRFF [at] health.gov.au

MRFF website or newsletter feedback:

HMRO [at] health.gov.au

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National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) funds high quality health and medical research to build research capability, support researchers, encourage the translation of research into better health outcomes and promote the highest ethical standards for health and medical research.

help [at] nhmrc.gov.au

1800 500 983

National Health and Medical Research Council

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Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources

Contact the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).

Medical Research Future Fund enquiries

MRFF [at] industry.gov.au

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General enquiries contact form

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Last updated:

22 December 2020

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