Research support

MRFF 2026 Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19

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Key Dates

  • Proposals open in Sapphire: 1 April 2026
  • UQ R&I Notice of Intent due: 5 August 2026
  • Minimum data requirements in Sapphire: 5pm ACT time 5 August 2026
  • Applications due to UQ R&I: 12 August 2026
  • Applications close: 5pm ACT time 2 September 2026

Overview

The Emerging Priorities and Consumer Driven Research Initiative (the Initiative) aims to enable or support research that improves patient care and translation of new discoveries, and encourage collaboration between consumers and researchers. Funding from this Initiative will support the development of new diagnoses, treatments and cures, and the translation of new discoveries into clinical practice.

The objectives and intended outcomes of this grant opportunity are aligned with the following Australian Medical Research and Innovation Priorities 2024–2026:

  • Consumer-Driven Research
  • Preventive and Public Health Research
  • Primary Care Research

Consistent with the MRFF Act, the objective of this grant opportunity is to provide grants of financial assistance to support medical research and medical innovation projects that:

  • Stream 1 (Incubator): investigate biological pathways and mechanistic drivers of PASC subtypes to optimise intervention design and improve clinical outcomes. Streams 1 is intended to support early stage, small scale research projects that seek to assess the potential and feasibility of novel strategies to address critical or intractable health issues.
  • Stream 2 (Incubator): conduct novel pre-clinical and/or early-phase clinical research to improve the understanding of PASC subtypes to inform pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments. Streams 2 is intended to support early stage, small scale research projects that seek to assess the potential and feasibility of novel strategies to address critical or intractable health issues.
  • Stream 3 (Incubator): Conduct small scale projects that investigate the similarities and differences of biological drivers and pathological mechanisms between PASC and either topic listed below. Streams 3 is intended to support early stage, small scale research projects that seek to assess the potential and feasibility of novel strategies to address critical or intractable health issues. Projects should map points of convergence and divergence to inform the development of future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
    • Topic A: Other post viral syndromes
    • Topic B: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, and fibromyalgia
  • Stream 4 (Targeted Call for Research): conduct a large-scale project to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of scalable and sustainable approaches for integrated care pathways for people with PASC. Stream 4 is intended to support projects that progress research that addresses a specific health need. Applicants are required to propose research that:
    • combines self-management strategies with supported care navigation and decision support tools to guide patients and clinicians in selecting appropriate services and interventions
    • proposes flexible pathways for ongoing management through integrated multidisciplinary teams and self-management strategies tailored to symptom severity and functional impact
    • includes patient-centred strategies that empower individuals to manage recovery and lead treatment planning and make informed decisions about their care
    • reflects insights from diverse lived experience to reflect inclusivity and responsiveness to varying needs

A person must not be named as a Chief Investigator (CI) on more than one application submitted to a Stream of this grant opportunity.

How to Apply

Step 1: Internal Notice of Intent (NOI) 

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.

Submit UQ Notice of Intent

Step 2. Sapphire updates and scheme reading

  • Register for Sapphire and update your full profile 'My Profile and CV'. All Chief Investigators (CI) and Associate Investigators (AI) will need to have an active Sapphire account. Any team members without a Sapphire account should request one as early as possible. The NHMRC require at least three working days to create new Sapphire accounts. 
  • Download guidelines and application templates from GrantConnect. Familiarise yourself with the key MRFF, NHMRC and UQ documentation (see below). 

Step 3. Completing the application

  • Log into Sapphire and complete the application. Sections of the application will validate as they are completed.
  • Ensure all required data is entered into the application before the Minimum Data deadline (see Key dates above). Applications that do not meet this deadline will not be able to proceed.

Step 4. 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 the UQ Research Office at mrffgrants@research.uq.edu.au with your completed MRFF Funding Application Certification form (below).
  • UQ Research Office will review your application and provide you with feedback as requested in NOI (eligibility & compliance; refinement; or content grantscraft).

Step 5. Final submission

  • When your application is complete and fully compliant, the UQ Research Office will submit the application to the NHMRC through Sapphire.

Letters of Support

UQ Letters

Most MRFF applications administered in Sapphire will not require a letter of support from UQ. This is usually only necessary if UQ is committing cash to the project.

We ask that UQ researchers submit draft letters for signing to us no later than two weeks before the external closing date. We strongly recommend working with your local school/institute research professionals to complete this process.

Partner Letters

We encourage applicants to provide drafts of partner letters of support for review by the Research office before organising their final signature to ensure eligibility and compliance. A template partner letter of support is provided below.

Non-UQ Lead Applications

  • The administering organisation should provide you with a draft letter of support. We recommend you work with your local research support to complete the letter. 
  • Complete and sign an MRFF Funding Application Certification form (see below), and get it countersigned by your Head of School/Institute.
  • Submit both to mrffgrants@research.uq.edu.au, along with evidence for any additional co-contributions.

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: 

UQ forms and resources