Australian Brain Cancer Mission

About the Australian Brain Cancer Mission

The Australian Brain Cancer Mission is investing $126.4 million to support research into brain cancer. In the long term, the Mission aims to defeat brain cancer.

Why it is important

Around 2000 Australians develop brain cancer every year. Over the last 30 years, the number of people surviving other types of cancers has steadily improved. However, the five year relative survival rate for brain cancer has stayed low, at around 23%.

There are more than 100 different types of brain cancer. We need more research to discover new treatments and improve survival.

Objectives

The objectives of the Australian Brain Cancer Mission are to:

• double the survival rate of Australians living with brain cancer over 10 years to 2027
• improve quality of life for people with brain cancer
• give every patient (adult and child) with brain cancer a chance to join a clinical trial
• boost Australian research and build research capacity.

In the long term, the Mission aims to defeat brain cancer.

Meeting our objectives

The Australian Brain Cancer Mission Expert Advisory Panel will review and update the existing Roadmap and develop an Implementation Plan.

The draft Roadmap and Implementation Plan will be reviewed by an international panel of experts and undergo a national consultation to seek community feedback on these documents.

Who we work with

The Australian Brain Cancer Mission Expert Advisory Panel advises the Minister for Health and Aged Care on the priorities for the Mission.

We deliver the Mission in partnership with Cancer Australia. Cancer Australia leads engagement and collaboration with the Mission’s funding partners.

Our Health and Medical Research Office coordinates this Mission.

Funding for the Australian Brain Cancer Mission comes from:

• the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund ($50 million)
• funding partners ($76.4 million).

Funding partner commitments have been received from:

• Cure Brain Cancer Foundation ($20 million)
• Minderoo Foundation ($10 million)
• Carrie’s Beanies 4 Brain Cancer ($5.4 million)
• Mark Hughes Foundation ($3 million)
• Children’s Hospital Foundation Queensland ($10 million)
• State of Victoria ($2 million)
• The Kids’ Cancer Project ($5.3 million)
• State of New South Wales ($7.5 million)
• Financial Markets Foundation for Children ($5 million)
• Robert Connor Dawes Foundation ($1.25 million)
• ACT Health and Canberra Health Services ($3.95 million)
• NeuroSurgical Research Foundation ($3 million).

Apply for funding

View the MRFF grants calendar to see which grants are open, when applications close and when we expect to award funding.

Register with GrantConnect to receive notifications about future funding opportunities under this Mission.

Grants awarded

See a list of all MRFF grant recipients.

Monitoring, evaluation and learning

In 2022-23, we engaged the Centre for International Economics (CIE) to review this Mission. The review assessed the Mission’s progress in:

• supporting brain cancer research in Australia
• meeting the long-term objectives set out in the Australian Brain Cancer Research Roadmap, MRFF 10-year Investment Plan and the MRFF Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Strategy.

An Evaluation Advisory Panel guided the review. Members of the panel were:

• Dr Raelene Endersby (Chair) 
• Professor Alex Brown 
• Mr Yasser El-Ansary 
• Professor Ian Frazer AC 
• Ms Mariann McNamara 
• Professor W.K. Alfred Yung. 

The review was completed in August 2023. The findings are available publicly on this page. This report on the review of the Australian Brain Cancer Mission will inform future investments through the Mission.

More information is available from MRFF.evaluations@health.gov.au.

Contact

For more information, contact us.