Status: Closed

Find out information about the aims, funding, key dates, resources and contacts for the NHMRC Ideas Grants.

Changes to Ideas this round (2024)

  • Eligibility to apply for NHMRC’s Investigator, Ideas and Synergy Grant schemes is now based on the ‘original’ end date of the held grant, not the actual/varied end date, should it have changed during the life of the grant. Note: If a CI is approved to vary off a grant within the original grant duration, the eligibility restriction (capping limit) will still apply, until that grant’s original end date.
  • Eligibility to hold an Investigator, Ideas and/or Synergy Grant has been simplified. The 2 exceptions to the rule that CIs can hold a maximum of 2 grants from these schemes concurrently, have been removed. The 2 exceptions were for CIs holding 2x Ideas Grants (who could apply for either an Investigator or Synergy Grant). These exceptions added complexity to the eligibility policy, created difficulty for CIAs and RAOs to determine the eligibility of their applications, were responsible for a high percentage of ineligible applications each funding round and were seldom taken advantage of by applicants. This streamlining will simplify the application process by assisting RAOs and CIAs to better understand their eligibility to apply. This change is not retroactive and will not impact CIs already in receipt of 3 such NHMRC grants.
  • The requirement for applicants to use gender-neutral language in the research proposals has been removed.
  • Cancer Australia is pausing its Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme for 2024 while it considers the outcomes of a recent review of its grant programs. This means that Cancer Australia will not be a funding partner for Ideas Grants 2024.

Aim

The objective of the Ideas Grant scheme is to support innovative research projects addressing a specific question(s). The expected outcomes are:

  • innovative and creative research
  • funding of researchers at all career stages, and
  • funding any area of health and medical research from discovery to implementation.

The scheme will provide particular opportunities for early and mid-career researchers. It is expected that the CIA will have the scientific leadership and skills to achieve the proposed project aims.

An Ideas Grant can be requested for between one and five years depending on the proposal.

The provisional funding allocation for the Ideas Grants 2020 up to $250 million. NHMRC’s Research Committee annually reviews and recommends indicative budget amounts to be awarded across individual funding schemes.

The amount of funding for an Ideas Grant will be based on assessment of the requested budget. Applications must clearly justify the requested duration and budget and how they will support the proposed outcomes of the research. Peer Reviewers will consider this information and may reduce the duration and/or budget to ensure the research aims and objectives can be achieved while ensuring value with money.

Changes to DVCR Co-Funding

For NHMRC grants applicants will now be required to submit a formal DVCR Co-funding request. The formal DVCR Co-funding request replaces the previous support of the Strategic Research Fund (SRF), which was managed directly between your Faculty Research Office and the DVCR Office and was not directly visible to academics as internal co-funding for their successful grants.

The DVCR Co-funding is to support MQ researchers to successfully complete their proposed NHMRC projects by providing up to 20% co-funding on funds to remain at Macquarie. The goal is for the DVCR Co-funding is to facilitate MQ applicants in providing a ‘top-up’ of NHMRC salary costs (PSP’s), which are lower than MQ equivalent salary rates.

These changes align the principles of DVCR Co-funding with other external funding schemes and assist the University in rationalising the allocation of internal funding used to leverage competitive, external funding opportunities. As Macquarie researchers continue to excel in the NHMRC funding scheme, we need to find a mechanism to ensure all successful NHMRC grants can be supported. As context, since 2015, our application volume for NHMRC funding has nearly doubled year on year. We know that health and medical researchers at Macquarie will be more active than ever in the coming years in applying for NHMRC funding to support their research, hence the need to make changes to meet the growing volume of awards.

Applications for Ideas Grants are assessed by peers on the extent to which the application meets the scheme objectives. Applications will be assessed against the Assessment Criteria listed below.

  • Research Quality (35%)
  • Innovation and Creativity (25%)
  • Significance (20%), and
  • Capability (20%)

Research Quality: NHMRC defines ‘Research Quality’ for the Ideas Grant scheme as the quality of the project aims and the proposed research plan.

Innovation and Creativity: NHMRC defines ‘Innovation and Creativity’ for the Ideas Grant scheme as health and medical research that seeks to challenge and shift current paradigms and/or have a major impact on a health research area through one or more studies that creatively:

  • develop or use novel research concepts, approaches, methodologies, technologies or interventions
  • propose a reinterpretation, refinement, improvement or new application of existing theoretical concepts, approaches, methodologies, technologies or interventions, or
  • integrate and adapt concepts, approaches, methodologies, technologies or interventions from other research fields or disciplines for a new purpose or in a new way.

Significance: NHMRC defines ‘Significance’ for the Ideas Grant scheme as the extent to which the outcomes and outputs will result in advancements to the research or health area.

Capability: NHMRC defines ‘Capability’ for the Ideas Grant scheme as the appropriateness of the applicant team and their expertise, the resources and access to additional personnel necessary to achieve the project aims. Capability is not an assessment of traditional track record elements, such as number of publications, grants held, or conference invitations. The CIA must demonstrate their ability to lead the project, including managing the project’s resources, personnel, budget and administrative requirements, in order to execute the project. Associate Investigators (AIs) can be included to strengthen the overall technical capability of the team (e.g. specialists such as statisticians), but they must not be essential for the leadership of the project. Consideration should also be given to the gender balance and development of new researchers within the applicant team.

For applications submitted in 2024:

Please note that our grant review processes have changed. Strategic reviews are optional, while compliance and eligibility checks are mandatory.

If you wish to receive a strategic review of your NHMRC application, you must book via the online booking calendar.

Compliance and eligibility reviews for your NHMRC application is mandatory and you must book via the online booking calendar.

There are sufficient booking times available for all applicants, but we recommend booking early to ensure you have an ample choice of dates.

These are estimated dates from previous NHMRC rounds but are subject to change:
  • NHMRC opening date in Sapphire: 20 March 2024
  • Strategic review (optional): 15 to 19 April 2024, select your date and time in the strategic booking calendar
  • NHMRC minimum data deadline: 17 April 2024
  • Compliance and Eligibility check (mandatory): 29 April to 3 May 2024, select your date and time in the compliance and eligibility booking calendar. By the date and time you select you must also have a penultimate draft of your application in Sapphire and DVCR Co-Funding requests must be submitted via Pure.
  • Applicant submits final application in Sapphire: 11:59pm Sunday 12 May 2024
  • Research Services submission to NHMRC: Wednesday 15 May 2024
  • Outcomes expected: November 2024

Note: NHMRC locates all their Scheme documentation in GrantConnect. You will be required to set-up a username and password to access.

Notification Of Intent (NOI)

Note: Submit a new Notification of Intent form enabled by Service NOW to inform University Research Services teams of your intention to submit an application for any upcoming Ideas grants. After completing the NOI form, you will be provided with updates about your funding scheme and sent valuable resources that will assist you in developing a highly competitive research grant application.

Complete a Notification of Intent to inform your Faculty and the University Research Services teams of your intention to submit an application. After completing this NOI, you will be provided with regular updates about your funding scheme and sent valuable resources that will assist you in developing a highly competitive research grant application.

NHMRC Information
MQ Resources
Cancer Funding Information

If you are applying for Cancer Council, your application forms will be reviewed at the same time as your NHMRC Ideas Grant. You must submit both at the same date and time of your booking calendar, however you MUST have a separate PURE record for NHMRC Ideas and Cancer Council NSW.

Certifications

These are built into Sapphire. No need to have separate certifications from CI's and AI's.

Workshops

No Workshops will be held in 2024

NHMRC Ideas Grants - Developing your application

About: This workshop will provide advice on how to approach your NHMRC Ideas Grant as well as highlight the key changes from last round.

Date: Monday 14 March 2022

Time: 11:00 - 12:30

Location: https://macquarie.zoom.us/j/82343580162

Speaker: Courtney Bendall (Research Services)

Slides [PDF]

Recording [Microsoft Stream]

Introduction to the NHMRC Ideas Grant Funding Scheme

About: This workshop will provide general background information on the NHMRC Ideas Grant funding scheme. Researchers who have not applied for NHMRC funding in the past, in particular the new schemes, will benefit and are strongly encouraged to attend. The workshop will cover  the application process and structure, assessment process, eligibility and research support services available to applicants.

Date: Thursday 28 November 2019

Time: 11:00 - 12:00

Location: Room 801, Level 8, 12 Wally’s Walk

Speaker: Courtney Bendall (Research Services)

Slides [PDF]

Recording [Microsoft Stream]

NHMRC Ideas Grant Funding Scheme

About: This workshop will walk through the Ideas Grant application. From the NHMRC Grants Management System, to the Research Proposal, including the Innovation and Creativity Statement, Significance Statement and Feasibility Statement.

Date: Thursday 12 March 2020

Time: 12:30 – 13:30

Location: Room 801, Level 8, 12 Wally’s Walk

Speaker: Courtney Bendall (Research Services)

Slides [PDF]

Recording [Microsoft Stream]

Building your Budget for the NHMRC Clinical Trials and Cohorts Studies (CTCS) Grant and Ideas Grant Schemes

About: This workshop will describe NHMRC budgetary requirements. Advice will then be provided on how to build your budget and how to justify your funding requests.

Location: Delivered via recording

Speaker: Courtney Bendall (Research Services)

Slides [PDF]

Recording [Microsoft Stream]