Grants improving the evidence base supporting clinical care, helping patients access relevant trials, and enabling researchers to bring international clinical trials to Australian patients nationwide.
On this page you will find
What is the Clinical Trials Activity?
The Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Clinical Trials Activity Initiative supports clinical research that improves the evidence base for clinical care, helps patients access trials relevant to their health circumstances, and enables Australian patients to participate in international clinical trials.
The 2026 Clinical Trials Activity Grant Opportunity will fund research across four streams addressing rare cancers, rare diseases, unmet medical need, effective and high-value care, and disease prevention.
The intended outcome is to improve the health and wellbeing of Australians by investing in new clinical trials that increase access to high-quality, evidence-based and effective health care.
Applicants must propose research addressing one of the four available funding streams.
The 2026 grant opportunity will support projects that:
- Stream 1 – Incubator: conduct pilot studies assessing the feasibility of new clinical trials addressing rare cancers, rare diseases and/or unmet need
- Stream 2 – Targeted Call for Research: conduct clinical trials of treatments and/or management-based interventions addressing rare cancers, rare diseases and/or unmet need
- Stream 3 – Targeted Call for Research: conduct clinical trials addressing evidence gaps relevant to health technology assessment and the delivery of effective and high-value care
- Stream 4 – Targeted Call for Research: conduct prevention clinical trials aimed at reducing the risk, onset or progression of disease through early intervention.
Clinical Trials Activity level of support
Up to $136 million is available across four funding streams.
- Stream 1 – Incubator: Grants of up to $1 million for pilot studies assessing the feasibility of new clinical trials for treatments and/or management strategies addressing rare cancers, rare diseases and/or unmet need. Maximum grant period: 2 years.
- Stream 2 – Targeted Call for Research: Grants of up to $5 million for clinical trials of treatments and/or management-based interventions addressing rare cancers, rare diseases and/or unmet need. Maximum grant period: 7 years.
- Stream 3 – Targeted Call for Research: Grants of up to $5 million for clinical trials supporting effective and high-value care by addressing evidence gaps relevant to Australian health technology assessment processes. Maximum grant period: 7 years.
- Stream 4 – Targeted Call for Research: Grants of up to $5 million for prevention clinical trials aimed at reducing the risk, onset or progression of disease through early intervention strategies. Maximum grant period: 7 years.
There is no minimum grant amount specified for any stream.
Applicants may apply to one stream only per application.
Clinical Trials Activity important dates
- Applications close: 7 April 2027 at 5:00 pm ACT Local Time
- Questions due: 31 March 2027 at 1:00 pm ACT Local Time
- Minimum data due: 10 March 2027 at 5:00 pm ACT Local Time
- Register your interest with GrantHelper
Clinical Trials Activity objectives
The Clinical Trials Activity Initiative aims to:
1. Improve the evidence base supporting clinical care
- Support clinical research that generates evidence to inform improved health care and clinical decision-making.
2. Improve patient access to clinical trials
- Help patients participate in trials relevant to their health circumstances, including trials addressing rare cancers, rare diseases and unmet medical need.
3. Support international trial participation
- Enable researchers to bring international clinical trials to Australian patients.
Activities and expenditure eligible for Clinical Trials Activity support
Eligible activities must directly support the objectives of the 2026 Clinical Trials Activity Grant Opportunity and the relevant funding stream.
Eligible expenditure may include:
- equipment essential to the proposed research
- personnel costs
- other direct research costs
- clinical services provided above standard care
- eligible Medicare out-of-pocket expenses
- reasonable costs associated with randomised controlled trials
- imaging and diagnostic costs
- specialised computing requirements directly required for the project
- services from research facilities, clinical registries, biobanks and data providers
- data linkage and data access costs
- reasonable costs associated with consumer involvement, consultation and remuneration
- eligible domestic and overseas travel directly required for project activities.
Equipment costing more than $10,000 may be funded where it is essential to the research, with total equipment funding generally limited to $80,000. Equipment costing less than $10,000 may be included as a direct research cost where it is unique and essential to the project.
Grant activities may occur anywhere in Australia. Limited overseas components may be supported where required equipment or resources are unavailable in Australia and the activity is critical to successful project completion. The majority of research activities and expenditure must occur in Australia.
Eligible overseas expenditure, including overseas travel, is generally limited to 10% of total grant funding and must be clearly justified.
Ineligible expenditure includes:
- indirect research costs and organisational overheads
- general administrative costs
- standard computers, computer networks and general-purpose software
- communications costs
- entertainment and hospitality
- ethics approval costs
- furniture
- insurance, passports and visas
- non-project-related staff training
- patent costs
- personal professional memberships and subscriptions
- physical office, laboratory and administrative space
- general research infrastructure that an organisation would ordinarily be expected to provide
- retrospective expenditure
- overseas research activities except where specifically permitted under the guidelines
- extensions of funding for ongoing clinical trials where recruitment has already commenced in Australia.
The grant cannot fund the same research activity where funding has already been received from another government source.
Other Clinical Trials Activity important details that you will need to know
Organisations eligible for Clinical Trials Activity support
Applications must be submitted through an organisation approved by NHMRC as an MRFF Eligible Organisation.
Applicants must nominate a Chief Investigator A (CIA) who will lead the application, research and reporting requirements.
Key requirements include:
- up to 15 Chief Investigators may be included in a research team
- a person may be named as a Chief Investigator on no more than one application within each funding stream
- the CIA will generally need to be an Australian citizen or permanent resident at the time of application
- where the CIA is not an Australian citizen or permanent resident, they must have the required work visa in place when accepting the grant
- the CIA must be based in Australia for the duration of the grant, except for reasonable overseas travel
- Chief Investigators are not required to hold a postgraduate qualification such as a PhD.
An application may be ineligible where the applicant organisation or a Participating Institution is listed as an institution that has not joined or signified its intention to join the National Redress Scheme.
Applications must also comply with the funding limits, eligible expenditure rules, minimum data requirements, application formatting requirements and submission deadlines.
Clinical Trials Activity assessment criteria
Applications are assessed against weighted technical criteria and a non-weighted Overall Value and Risk criterion. Applicants must satisfactorily address all relevant criteria.
Stream 1 – Incubator
Criterion – Percentage
1. Project Impact – 40%
- Demonstrate the need for a novel solution to a critical or intractable health issue, supported by analysis of the national and/or international research landscape.
- Explain how the project will establish an evidence base for further research and potential implementation of the proposed solution.
- Demonstrate meaningful involvement of consumers, people with lived experience, carers, communities, health providers and other relevant end users.
- Demonstrate involvement of relevant academic, industry, government or other partners.
- Where Priority Populations are the focus, demonstrate how their priorities are addressed and how they are involved in project leadership, development and implementation.
2. Project Methodology – 30%
- Clearly describe the research question and the novel approaches, methodologies, instrumentation and/or interventions proposed.
- Demonstrate how partnerships across the health and research sectors will support delivery and potential translation.
- Explain how consumers will be involved throughout the project.
- Address how sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and/or sexual orientation have been considered or justify why they are not relevant.
- Provide appropriate governance arrangements, milestones, performance indicators and timeframes.
- Where relevant, demonstrate strong leadership and involvement from Priority Populations.
3. Capacity, Capability and Resources to Deliver the Project – 30%
- Demonstrate that the research team has the skills, capability, leadership and expertise required to successfully deliver the project.
- Show diversity of experience and expertise across the research team.
- Demonstrate the team’s skills and capacity to appropriately involve and support consumers.
- Demonstrate partner commitment and explain how cash or in-kind contributions will support project delivery.
- Where relevant, demonstrate leadership and experience involving Priority Populations.
- Chief Investigators should demonstrate relevant examples of research impact during the applicable assessment period.
4. Overall Value and Risk of the Project – Non-weighted
- Demonstrate how the project’s outcomes will contribute to the objectives of the grant opportunity, the Clinical Trials Activity Initiative and the broader MRFF.
- Demonstrate that the proposed budget is appropriate, sufficiently detailed, justified and represents value with relevant money.
- Address any cash or in-kind contributions supporting the project.
- Provide an appropriate risk management plan covering the identification, mitigation, monitoring and reporting of key project risks.
- Demonstrate appropriate contribution to the MRFF Measures of Success.
Streams 2–4 – Targeted Call for Research
Criterion – Percentage
1. Project Impact – 40%
- Explain how the project builds on existing knowledge and will contribute to meaningful advances in health outcomes, practice and/or policy in Australia.
- Demonstrate meaningful involvement of consumers, people with lived experience, carers, communities, health providers and other end users.
- Demonstrate the involvement of relevant academic, industry, government and other partners.
- Where Priority Populations are the focus, explain how the project will improve outcomes for the population and demonstrate appropriate leadership and involvement by that population.
2. Project Methodology – 30%
- Clearly describe the research question, clinical trial design, participants, interventions, controls, statistical approaches and data collection methods.
- Demonstrate the feasibility and scientific quality of the proposed research.
- Explain how consumers have been involved in the research and clinical trial design.
- Specify and justify recruitment targets and sample sizes, including diversity considerations where relevant.
- Explain how sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and/or sexual orientation have been considered or justify why they are not relevant.
- Provide appropriate governance arrangements, milestones, performance indicators and timeframes.
- Where relevant, demonstrate strong leadership and involvement from Priority Populations.
3. Capacity, Capability and Resources to Deliver the Project – 30%
- Demonstrate that the research team has an appropriate mix of scientific, project management and other relevant expertise.
- Demonstrate diversity of experience and expertise across the research team.
- Demonstrate the team’s skills and capacity to appropriately involve and support consumers.
- Demonstrate partner commitment and how cash or in-kind contributions will support project delivery.
- Where relevant, demonstrate leadership by Priority Populations and experience delivering research that has positively influenced relevant health policies or programs.
- Chief Investigators should provide examples demonstrating relevant research impact.
4. Overall Value and Risk of the Project – Non-weighted
- Demonstrate how project outcomes will contribute to the objectives and intended outcomes of the grant opportunity, the Clinical Trials Activity Initiative and the broader MRFF.
- Demonstrate that the requested budget is detailed, justified, appropriate to the scope of the project and represents value with relevant money.
- Address relevant cash and in-kind contributions.
- Provide an appropriate risk management plan covering project risks and any relevant conflicts of interest.
- Demonstrate appropriate contribution to the MRFF Measures of Success.
How do I get the Clinical Trials Activity?
Applicants should first read the grant guidelines and confirm that the proposed research aligns with one of the four funding streams.
To be competitive for funding, applicants should:
- clearly demonstrate how the project addresses the objectives and intended outcomes of the relevant funding stream
- show strong alignment with the objectives of the Clinical Trials Activity Initiative
- demonstrate scientific quality, feasibility and appropriate clinical trial design
- meaningfully involve consumers throughout the research lifecycle
- demonstrate the capability and experience of the research team
- show appropriate involvement and commitment from relevant partners
- clearly justify the requested budget and demonstrate value with relevant money
- provide appropriate milestones, performance indicators and project governance
- demonstrate how the research outcomes will contribute to improved health outcomes, practice and/or policy in Australia.
Applicants proposing research involving Priority Populations should demonstrate meaningful leadership and involvement by those populations throughout the research.
Information to prepare for the Clinical Trials Activity application
Applicants should prepare a Grant Proposal containing the following components:
- Project Impact – maximum 3 pages
- Project Methodology – maximum 5 pages
- Milestones and Performance Indicators – maximum 2 pages
- Team Capacity and Capability Relevant to the Application – maximum 1 page
- Chief Investigator Capacity and Capability – maximum 1 page per Chief Investigator
- Risk Management Plan – maximum 2 pages
- Contributions (Cash and In-Kind) – maximum 1 page
- Consumer Involvement Statement – maximum 2 pages
- MRFF Measures of Success Statement – maximum 1 page
- References – maximum 1 page
Applicants should also prepare:
- details of the proposed budget and justification for expenditure
- research team and Chief Investigator information
- project milestones and performance indicators
- details of partner organisations and their contributions
- Letters of Support confirming applicable cash or in-kind contributions
- a Consumer Involvement Statement describing consumer involvement across the research lifecycle
- a risk management plan
- information demonstrating alignment with relevant MRFF Measures of Success.
Minimum application data must be entered into Sapphire by 5:00 pm ACT Local Time on 10 March 2027.
Applying for the Clinical Trials Activity
Applications must be completed electronically through NHMRC’s Sapphire granting system.
Register your interest with GrantHelper to explore your alignment with this grant and how we can assist you to increase your chances of success.
Clinical Trials Activity resources
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