Research support

MRFF 2022 CTA & EPCDR Multiple Sclerosis Research Grant Opportunity

Key dates for MRFF 2022 CTA & EPCDR Multiple Sclerosis Research Grant Opportunity

Stream 1 & 2

  • Release of Funding Rules: 1 April 2022
  • Proposals open in Sapphire: 1 April 2022
  • UQ R&I NOI Close: 11 January 2023
  • Applications due to UQ R&I: 18 January 2023
  • Minimum data requirements in Sapphire: 5pm ACT time, 18 January 2023
  • Applications close: 5pm ACT time, 1 February 2023

Stream 3 & 4 (Closed on 30 November 2022) 

  • Release of Funding Rules: 1 April 2022
  • Proposals open in Sapphire: 1 April 2022
  • UQ R&I NOI Close: 9 November 2022
  • Applications due to UQ R&I: 16 November 2022
  • Minimum data requirements in Sapphire: 5pm ACT time, 16 November 2022
  • Applications close: 5pm ACT time, 30 November 2022

Overview

The objective of this grant opportunity is to:

Stream 1: promote Australian involvement in international collaborative investigator-initiated clinical trials testing the effectiveness of vaccines for prevention of latent Epstein-Barr virus infection through the establishment and coordination of clinical trials site/s in Australia (applications to Stream 1 of this grant opportunity must propose a clinical trial in Australia in collaboration with international counterparts. The clinical trial should not have commenced recruitment at the Australian trial site/s).

Stream 2: clinical trials to accelerate the development or repurposing of therapeutic candidates (including antivirals) to treat Epstein-Barr virus for the purpose of preventing or treating conditions such as multiple sclerosis

  • For the purposes of this grant opportunity, applications to Stream 2 can propose a clinical trial that includes methodologies based on master protocols (including basket trials, umbrella trials, and platform trials).
  • Examples of research projects that are not considered relevant and will not be eligible for funding under Stream 2 of this grant opportunity include, but are not limited to:
    • pre-clinical studies
    • phase I and phase II trials
    • post-market monitoring.

Stream 3: characterise how immune responses to viral infections trigger autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis in some individuals to generate knowledge that supports risk stratification so identified individuals can employ strategies to reduce their chance of developing autoimmune disease

Stream 4: develop, implement and/or validate approaches for early intervention in individuals recovering from viral infections that aim to reduce the risk and/or severity of the long-term autoimmune consequences, including multiple sclerosis.

For Streams 1-3 there is no minimum grant amount and the maximum amount is $2 million, for Stream 4 there is no minimum grant amount and a maximum amount of $1 million. Streams 1 &2 have a maximum grant period of 5 years, Streams 3 & 4 have a maximum grant period of 4 years.

Applications may only be submitted to one stream, and up to 15 CIs may be included as members of the research team.

Note – MRFF grants administered by the NHMRC now require valid Letters of Support from all Partner Organisations included on the application. This does not include CI and AI organisations unless specifically providing additional cash/in-kind contributions beyond that of the researcher(s).  We recommend organising these letters as soon as possible during grant preparation, as arranging signature may take some time.  Please consult the Guidelines or the template provided below to ensure that you meet the requirements of a valid Letter of Support.

How to Apply

Internal notice of intent process

All researchers intending to submit an MRFF application are required to submit an internal Notice of Intent. NOIs will be collated centrally and distributed to Faculties and Institutes in order to provide maximum support to the UQ research community.

Step 1. Sapphire updates and scheme reading

  • Register for Sapphire and update your full profile 'My Profile and CV'. The Grant Opportunity will be run through the new National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grants management system, Sapphire, which replaces RGMS. If any team members are new to Sapphire and need a login/password, start early. The NHMRC require at least three working days to create new Sapphire accounts. 
  • Familiarise yourself with the key MRFF, NHMRC and The University of Queensland (UQ) documentation.

Step 2. Completing the application

Step 3. UQ R&I internal review and feedback

  • Ahead of internal review, ensure all online components are complete and valid in Sapphire and CIA has initiated the Certification process. Application errors will be signalled and can be corrected during the Certification stage.
  • To initiate internal review, email your completed Funding Application Coversheet to UQ R&I at mrffgrants@research.uq.edu.au.
  • Internal review by UQ R&I/feedback provided (compliance/eligibility/grantsmanship).

Step 4. Final submission

  • Final submission by UQ R&I to NHMRC.

Readership and researcher support

Before applying, we recommend you:

Key documents

Before applying, please review the full suite of documents available from GrantConnect, the Australian Government grants information system and:

NHMRC

UQ

Contact UQ R&I

Round coordinator
Pre-Award Health and International Team