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  6. Investigator Grants
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Status: Open

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

Changes for funding commencing 1 January 2028:

Applicants need to note the following changes for the Investigator Grants Guidelines.

  • Section 13.1 Information about fraud and corruption has been added.

  • Appendix H Guide to Applicants, section 6.11.1.1 outlines requirements for the use of identifiable images in applications. See further details here.

  • The Statement on Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation in Health and Medical Research is being embedded in application and assessment processes (see section 7.5) including:
    • The Investigator Grants 2027 application form in Sapphire includes a new mandatory question about the integration of sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and/or sexual orientation in the proposed research (see section 6.2 of Appendix H).
    • The score descriptor for the Knowledge Gain assessment criterion includes an additional component on the appropriateness of how sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and/or sexual orientation are integrated in the proposed research and/or the strength of the justification for why any of these Variables are not integrated (see Appendix B).
  • Appendix A Chief Investigators must retain evidence, consistent with AIATSIS guidance, of their identification as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person and must provide this evidence to NHMRC, if requested.
  • The RSP for EL1 grantees awarded in this grant opportunity, has increased from $50,000 to $75,000 per annum
  • The ‘Exemplar career information’ Appendix has been removed
  • Full time Investigator Grant awardees will be able to submit post-award variation requests to vary their FTE commitment to their grants in 3 categories (professional, career disruption, and personal – other, see section 3.3 and section 12.2.2). Variation requests submitted for personal – other reasons will be available for all active grants, effective 1 January 2027.
  • Appendix D Statements of Expectations, has been updated to assist applicant selection of the most appropriate Investigator Grant Level, and to support peer reviewers in their assessment of applicants’ justification of their Level selection.
  • Investigator Grant applications are separated into 5 funding competitions (EL1, EL2, L1, L2, and L3), with separate pools of funding for each competition. In previous rounds, applications were separated into 3 funding competitions (EL1, EL2, and Leadership combined) (see section 8.2). This change has been introduced to improve outcomes and further support mid-career researchers applying at the Leadership levels by ensuring they are only in competition against peers at the same career stage.

Aim

The NHMRC Investigator Grants scheme provide the highest-performing researchers at all career stages with funding for their salary (if required) and a research support package (RSP) for five years.

Investigator Grants will support:

  • different career stages – early career researchers, mid-career researchers and established researchers
  • researchers with clinical responsibilities (such as clinicians, public health and allied health practitioners) and
  • part-time researchers.

Structure:

Investigator Grants will be offered in two categories:

  • Emerging Leadership (EL) – recipients will have the title ‘NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow’
  • Leadership (L) -  recipients will have the title ‘NHMRC Leadership Fellow’

Five levels of salary support and six tiers of RSP will be offered across the scheme.

Emerging Leadership Investigator Grants will be restricted to researchers who are ≤10 years post-PhD or equivalent on 29 July 2026.

The provisional funding allocation for the Investigator Grants 2025 grant opportunity is estimated to be between $380 million and $400 million. NHMRC’s Research Committee annually reviews and recommends indicative budget amounts to be awarded across individual funding schemes.

Investigator Grants comprise a Research Support Package (RSP) and a salary component. The salary component of Investigator Grants is provided as a contribution to assist Administering Institutions with employing the successful applicant. However, an Investigator Grant recipient’s total salary is agreed through negotiation between the researcher and their Administering Institution.

Salary

Applicants to the Investigator Grant scheme select the most appropriate Level (Emerging Leader 1 - Leader 3) for their career stage and the percentage of salary required to support their research activities, while ensuring they meet eligibility requirements. If applicants request a salary, the Leadership Level selected will determine the salary awarded. Salary levels have been set at the top of current, broadly equivalent NHMRC Fellowship levels.

Research support packages

Successful applicants at Emerging Leadership Levels 1 and Level 2 will be awarded a fixed RSP of $75,000 and $200,000 per annum, respectively.

There is a fixed $400,000 for RSP for the Leadership Investigator Grants.

Research Support Packages can be used to fund Direct Research Costs.

Changes to Eligibility for DVCR Co-Funding

For Investigator Grant Co-Funding requests, please complete the NHMRC/MRFF Co-Funding form and upload it in Pure prior to your mandatory compliance and eligibility check.

Eligibility for the DVCR Co-Funding Scheme is now contingent upon the on-time submission of grant applications by your mandatory compliance and eligibility check. Many applications for external funding require cash and in-kind contributions from the host institution in order to be considered for funding. This funding includes project support funds, funding for research associates, scholarships, and major equipment and, in most cases, is processed via the DVCR Co-Funding scheme. View further information on deadlines, processes and FAQs

  • Applications led by Macquarie University researchers must be submitted to the Research Services Grant Development Team 4 weeks prior to the external deadline if requesting an optional strategic review and 2 weeks prior for a mandatory compliance and eligibility check. Please refer to the fellowships and grant opportunities webpage for information on deadlines and processes.
  • Applications that do not have a Pure record and/or do not have all the appropriate approvals in Pure (Head of Department/School [HoD/HoS] and Deputy Dean of Research and Innovation [DDRI]) will not be submitted to the external funding body. It is the lead applicant’s responsibility to ensure the approvals in Pure are complete prior to submission.

Applications for Investigator 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.

  • Track record, relative to opportunity (70%), and
  • Knowledge Gain (30%).

Track Record: NHMRC defines ‘Track Record’ for the Investigator Grant scheme as the value of an individual’s past research achievements, relative to opportunity, not prospective achievements, using evidence. Assessment of Track Record comprises peer reviewers’ consideration of:

  • Publications (35%)
  • Research Impact (20%), and
  • Leadership (15%).

Knowledge Gain: NHMRC defines ‘Knowledge Gain’ for the Investigator Grant scheme as the quality of the proposed research and significance of the knowledge gained. It incorporates theoretical concepts, hypothesis, research design, robustness and the extent to which the research findings will contribute to the research area and health outcomes (by advancing knowledge, practice or policy).

Applications are assessed relative to opportunity, taking into consideration any career disruptions, where applicable.

It is recognised that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants often make additional valuable contributions to policy development, clinical/public health leadership and/or service delivery, community activities and linkages, and are often representatives on key committees. If applicable, these contributions will be considered when assessing research output and track record.
Investigator Grants 2026

Applicants will need to complete the NOI form via ServiceNow.

For applications to be submitted in 2026 (for funding commencing 1 January 2028):

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

  • NHMRC opening date in Sapphire: Wednesday, 03 June 2026
  • Strategic review (optional): Book here, Booking slots  are open from 24-Jun-26 to 30-Jun-26
  • NHMRC minimum data deadline: Wednesday, 01 July 2026 5 pm (AEST)
  • Compliance and Eligibility check (mandatory): Book here, Booking slots are open from 13-Jul-26 to 16-Jul-26
  • Applicant submits a final application in Sapphire: 11:59 pm Sunday, 26 July 2026
  • Research Services submission to NHMRC: by Wednesday, 29 July 2026 17:00 (AEST)
  • Outcomes expected: Early 2027

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)

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
Webinar
Investigator Grants Workshops for funding commencing in 2028 (IG28)

The webinar will begin with a summary of changes since the last round. This will be followed by an overview of the scheme, application and Grant Development Team support. There will be time at the end of the presentation for questions.

Date: Tuesday 9th June 2026
Speaker: Elizabeth Brice (Grant Development Team, Research Services)
Video recording | Slides

The workshop recording and toolkit will be available here after webinar concludes.

Drop-In Clinic

Availability: Wednesday 17th June (10am – 4pm) in 16WW 124 Meeting Room

[NHMRC Investigator Grant Drop-In Clinic Booking Calendar]

Prospective applicants are invited to schedule a 1:1 meeting with the GDT Investigator Grant team to discuss any aspect of their application.

If you intend to claim career disruptions, you may use this meeting time to discuss the requirements and internal processes.