The Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) is a $25.4 billion Australian Government initiative supporting medical research, innovation, priority health issues and sustainable, long-term research funding.
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What is the Medical Research Future Fund?
The Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) is a major Australian Government initiative established to support health and medical research, improve health outcomes and accelerate the translation of research discoveries into practical treatments and innovations.
Established under the Medical Research Future Fund Act 2015, the MRFF provides a sustainable, long-term source of funding for research addressing Australia’s most significant health challenges.
The MRFF was originally established with a $20 billion funding goal, which it reached in July 2020. By March 2026, the fund had grown to $25.4 billion, with investment earnings supporting health and medical research initiatives across Australia.
In May 2026, the Australian Government announced an additional $508.5 million over four years to expand investment through the MRFF. This commitment is expected to enable annual MRFF grant funding to reach $1 billion by 2030–31.
The MRFF supports research across four key themes: patients, researchers, research missions and research translation. Its investments aim to accelerate medical discoveries, strengthen Australia’s research capabilities, improve access to clinical trials and translate innovations into better healthcare outcomes.
Medical Research Future Fund important details that you will need to know
Importance of MRFF
The MRFF is one of Australia’s most significant health and medical research funding initiatives, supporting research that translates scientific discoveries into treatments, technologies and improvements in healthcare.
The fund helps researchers, medical institutions and industry partners undertake ambitious research projects addressing Australia’s current and emerging health challenges.
Unlike traditional research funding programs, the MRFF places particular emphasis on research translation, commercialisation, collaboration and measurable improvements in health outcomes.
The MRFF supports the Australian Government’s broader health and medical research objectives by:
- Accelerating the development of innovative medical treatments and technologies.
- Supporting research into serious, chronic and emerging health conditions.
- Improving access to clinical trials and advanced healthcare.
- Strengthening Australia’s medical research workforce and infrastructure.
- Encouraging collaboration between researchers, healthcare providers and industry.
- Supporting research that addresses health inequalities and improves outcomes for underserved communities.
- Helping translate research discoveries into practical healthcare improvements.
Between August 2015 and 30 July 2026, the MRFF supported 1,915 grants worth approximately $4.78 billion through 256 grant opportunities.
The Government’s additional $508.5 million investment announced in May 2026 will further strengthen the MRFF’s capacity to support medical innovation, research translation and improved health outcomes for Australians.
Funding Initiatives
The MRFF supports a broad range of health and medical research initiatives, from early-stage scientific discoveries and clinical trials to the development and commercialisation of innovative treatments and medical technologies.
Funding is directed towards research addressing national health priorities, including cancer, cardiovascular health, mental health, Indigenous health, medical technologies, clinical research and other significant health challenges.
The Australian Government’s MRFF 3rd 10-year Investment Plan (2024–25 to 2033–34) provides a $6.5 billion framework for research investment, building on previous commitments while targeting emerging health priorities.
In May 2026, the Government announced a further $508.5 million investment over four years, including:
- $210 million to address national research priorities, including cancer research and precision health.
- $127.6 million to support the translation of research discoveries into medical treatments and innovations.
- $128 million to help address imbalances in research administration funding.
- $24.3 million for the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to strengthen its operations and support research funding administration.
- $15.6 million to progress the National One Stop Shop, making it easier for patients to access clinical trials and emerging treatments.
These investments aim to strengthen Australia’s medical research capabilities, accelerate innovation and improve healthcare outcomes.
Some of the areas of medical research funded to date include:
- Brain cancer
- Cardiovascular health
- Improving access to clinical trials
- Clinician researcher fellowships
- Dementia, ageing, and aged care
- Consumer-driven research
- Medical frontier breakthroughs
- Genomics
- Global health threats
- Indigenous health
- Medical research commercialisation
- Mental health
- Critical research infrastructure
- Preventive and public health
- Primary health care research
- Rapid applied research translation
- Research data infrastructure
- Researcher exchange and development
- Stem cell therapy
- Traumatic brain injury
Funding Themes
There are four key research themes:
1. Patients
- The MRFF benefits patients and the general public by funding innovative treatments and supporting clinical trials. It will deliver more advanced health care and medical technology that will improve the health of Australians.
2. Researchers
- The MRFF supports Australian health and medical sector researchers to make breakthrough discoveries, develop their skills and progress their careers in Australia.
3. Research missions
- Missions allow researchers to think big. They are ambitious programs of work that are only possible through major funding, leadership and collaboration. The MRFF is funding 8 research missions across a range of topics.
4. Research translation
- Research findings translate into better health for Australians. It takes focused effort to turn research findings into better clinical care and health outcomes for Australians. The MRFF’s translation initiatives make new medical discoveries part of the daily clinical practice of GPs, other specialists and hospitals.
The MRFF is also about providing the conditions for a healthy population via research into disease prevention via modern techniques like genomics, and a productive population through the creation of job opportunities and commercialisation of innovative globalised products.
Funding Process
Funding Strategy
The MRFF Strategy and Priorities guide decisions about which health and medical research projects receive funding.
The Australian Government’s MRFF 3rd 10-year Investment Plan (2024–25 to 2033–34) outlines a $6.5 billion commitment to health and medical research, supporting established programs and emerging research priorities.
The MRFF funding process generally involves the following steps:
- The Australian Government determines research investment priorities in accordance with the MRFF Strategy and Priorities.
- The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing develops and advertises funding opportunities, including through GrantConnect.
- Eligible research organisations submit applications addressing the relevant grant opportunity guidelines.
- Applications are assessed in accordance with the requirements and assessment criteria for each funding opportunity.
- Successful applicants receive funding to undertake their projects and must report on progress, expenditure and research outcomes.
Funding may be provided through competitive and targeted grant opportunities, depending on the objectives and requirements of the individual program.
Funding Allocation
The MRFF funds are allocated to the following types of grants:
- Competitive
- Competitive pre-qualified
- Clinical Leadership
- National Expansion / co‑contribution
- Patient led
Each of which is described in the following table.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Competitive | Funding allocated through an openly advertised MRFF opportunity and through which applicants are independently assessed against published assessment criteria. |
| Competitive pre‑qualified | Funding allocated to a specific organisation following their selection in an open competitive application process outside the MRFF. Examples include Advanced Health Research and Translation Centres (assessed by NHMRC), ARC Special Research Initiative, or Industry Growth Centre (assessed by the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science). |
| Targeted | Funding is awarded to a specific applicant following assessment of their application against predefined criteria. |
| Clinical leadership | Funding allocated to an organisation that is nationally recognised for its role in clinical leadership and/or quality standards, including through health and medical research, in Australia. |
| National Expansion / co‑contribution | Funding allocated to a project operating at a local or state level, where expansion would provide equity of access or that leverages non-MRFF funds to expand the research activity. |
| Patient led | Funding allocated to an organisation driving a patient-led agenda for health and medical research and health service delivery (e.g., through a foundation). |
Funding Pool
The MRFF was established in 2015 to provide a sustainable, long-term source of funding for Australian health and medical research.
After reaching its original $20 billion funding goal in July 2020, the fund continued to grow, reaching $25.4 billion by March 2026.
Investment earnings generated by the fund support grants for research projects, clinical trials, medical innovation and the translation of research discoveries into healthcare improvements.
The Australian Government’s 3rd 10-year Investment Plan (2024–25 to 2033–34) provides a $6.5 billion investment framework for MRFF research initiatives.
In May 2026, the Government committed an additional $508.5 million over four years, with annual MRFF grant funding expected to reach $1 billion by 2030–31.
Funding is distributed through individual MRFF grant opportunities, each with its own objectives, eligibility requirements, funding amounts and application deadlines.
Funding Recipients
MRFF Grant Recipients
The Department of Health and Aged Care has a regularly updated page where you can see a full list of MRFF grants past and present. See link below in learn more about the MRFF program to access.
MRFF Grants Awarded
Since its establishment in 2015, the Medical Research Future Fund has supported thousands of health and medical research projects across Australia.
According to Australian Government figures covering August 2015 to 30 July 2026, the MRFF has provided:
- $4.78 billion in funding across 1,915 grants through 256 grant opportunities.
- $1.41 billion across 739 grants supporting research led by women.
- $457 million across 221 grants aimed at improving First Nations health outcomes.
- $653 million across 232 grants supporting research into the health of regional, rural and remote communities.
These investments demonstrate the MRFF’s ongoing commitment to supporting medical discoveries, strengthening research capabilities and addressing Australia’s diverse healthcare needs.
For the latest funding statistics, grant recipients and awarded projects, visit the Australian Government’s MRFF Funding Statistics Dashboard.
Medical Research Future Fund resources
- MRFF 10-Year Investment Plan
- MRFF grant recipients
- NHMRC MRFF Eligible Organisations
- Australia’s Health AIHW Report
The Australian Government’s grants hub – GrantConnect lists current MRFF grants.
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