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NHMRC Investigator Grants

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The round is currently open. 

Key dates for 2026 NHMRC Investigator Grants (for funding commencing in 2027) 

  • NHMRC round opening: 4 June 2025
  • UQ R&I Information Session: 17 June 2025 (to be confirmed)
  • UQ R&I Notice of Intent close: 23 June 2025
  • Minimum data requirements in Sapphire: 2 July 2025
  • Applications due to UQ R&I: 2 July 2025
  • Career disruption evidence due to UQ R&I: 14 July 2025
  • Applications close with NHMRC: 5PM AEST, 30 July 2025
  • Anticipated notification of outcomes: December 2025

Overview

The objective of the Investigator Grant scheme is to support the research program of outstanding investigators at all career stages. It builds the capacity of Australian research for the future and creates knowledge through investment in research which improves health and thus contributes to Australia’s prosperity. An Investigator Grant offers a consolidated five-year funding package that includes salary (if required) and research support package (RSP). The scheme comprises two categories - Emerging Leadership (EL) and Leadership (L).

Eligibility for Emerging Leadership applicants

Emerging Leadership applicants must be within 10 years of their PhD award date. The PhD census date is  30 July 2025 (to be confirmed). This means that your PhD must have been awarded on or after 30 July 2015 to meet this requirement. Eligible career disruptions may be used to extend the eligibility window. The Research Office requires supporting evidence (e.g., HR letter, statutory declaration) for career disruptions to be submitted (nhmrc@research.uq.edu.au) by 14 July 2025. 

UQ R&I Information session 

An information session was held on Tuesday, 17 June 2025. The session recording and slides are available on the Presentations and Slides page. 

How to apply

Step 1. Submit an internal Notice of Intent (NOI)

All researchers intending to submit an NHMRC 2026 Investigator Grant (for funding in 2027) are required to submit an internal Notice of Intent (NOI). 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. Read the guidelines and create an application

  • Familiarise yourself with the key National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), External Funding Organisations and UQ documentation.
  • Applications are submitted via Sapphire. 
    • If you already have a Sapphire account, log into Sapphire and review / update your profile.
    • If you do not have a Sapphire account, please register for Sapphire. Note that requests for Sapphire accounts / activations are not instantaneous, so we recommend you register as soon as possible.
  • Create an application in Sapphire. 

Step 3. Complete the application

  • Log into Sapphire and complete the application sections.
  • Upload all relevant attachments.

Step 4. Submit application for internal review

    • Ahead of internal review, ensure all Sapphire components are complete.
    • Certify your application to RAO in Sapphire. To do this, select 'Certification' from the left-hand menu within the application and follow the steps to submit the application to the Research Office. Application errors will be signalled and can be corrected at this stage.
    • To initiate internal review, email your completed Funding Application Certification Form and Grant Proposal (in .docx format) to UQ R&I at nhmrc@research.uq.edu.au.
    • UQ R&I will review your application in accordance with your NOI (eligibility and compliance +/- grantscraft) and provide feedback.
    • Review cycles will continue until the application is compliant with NHMRC requirements.

    Step 5. Final submission

    • Certify your application to RAO in Sapphire.
    • With your approval, UQ R&I will submit your application to the NHMRC.

     

    Readership and researcher support

    Before applying, we recommend you:

    Key documents

    NHMRC

      The NHMRC grant guidelines and the full suite of NHMRC documents are available from GrantConnect (GO7711) , the Australian Government grants information system (login required).

      Cross-scheme (Ideas and Investigator) eligibility can be checked using the NHMRC's Investigator and Ideas Grants eligibility tool.

      Addenda

      Following is a list of addenda to the grant opportunity documents issed by the NHMRC.

      • Addendum 1 (18/06/2025): Revised grant guidelines (version 2) + Investigator Grants 2026 FAQs (now linked above)
      • Addendum 2 (19/06/2025): Revised grant guidelines (version 3), formatting update only, document now searchable

      UQ

      Templates

      Other resources

      A range of resources and workshops from the UQ library are also available to assist researchers applying for this scheme

       

      Previous outcomes

      Outcomes for the 2025 NHMRC Investigator Grant round are available on the NHMRC website.

      Contact UQ R&I

      Scheme and Sapphire queries

      Round coordinators
      Dr Megan Cross
      Dr Christian Romuss

      If you are applying through UQ but are not a current UQ staff member, please contact the round team above so that you can be added to a mailing list for updates.