Date published:
Audience:
General public
The Joint report on MRFF and NHMRC funding from 2021-22 to 2024-25 shows how Australia’s national health and medical research funders are strengthening the research system.
The MRFF and NHMRC play complementary roles, supporting discovery, translation and innovation across the research pipeline. Their combined investment is building research capability and improving health outcomes for people in Australia.
The report reflects our shared commitment to transparency and accessible data. Key highlights include:
- A $6.46 billion investment in 4,012 grants. Over the 4 years, the NHMRC awarded 2,938 grants worth $3.8 billion and the MRFF awarded 1,074 grants worth $2.66 billion.
- Clinical medicine and science research received $2.38 billion. This represents 36.8% of all funding. The NHMRC and MRFF played stronger complementary roles in basic science and health services research, respectively, and both funders supported public health research.
- More than $643 million supported Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research. Grants focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health accounted for 10.2% of total funding. Funding remained consistently above the NHMRC’s target level for Indigenous health research.
- Gender balance in research funding continued to improve. Funding was distributed almost evenly between male and female chief investigators. Women received 49.2% of MRFF funding and 47.5% of NHMRC funding, narrowing the gap over the 4 years.
- Funding reached every state and territory. Victoria received 1,627 grants worth $2.73 billion, while New South Wales received 1,162 grants worth $1.84 billion. The report highlights substantial investment across all Australian jurisdictions.
Read the Joint report on MRFF and NHMRC funding from 2021-22 to 2024-25 to see how these investments are supporting research capability and better health outcomes.