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MRFF 2026 Primary Health Care Research Initiative

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Key dates

  • Release of Funding Guidelines: 17 June 2026
  • Proposals open in Sapphire: 17 June 2026
  • UQ R&I Notice of Intent due: 30 September 2026
  • Minimum data requirements in Sapphire: 5pm ACT time, 7 October 2026
  • Applications due to UQ R&I: 14 October 2026
  • Applications close: 5pm ACT time, 4 November 2026

Overview

The Primary Health Care Research Initiative aims to enable or support an increase in Australia’s evidence base in primary health care through research to improve service delivery and patient outcomes, and translate this knowledge into action.

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

  • Primary Care Research
  • Priority Populations

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

  • Investigate and trial approaches, including adapting successful trials, to advance equity in primary health care services.
  • Are co-designed with primary health care services and consumers.

Two streams of funding are available:

  • Stream 1 (Targeted Call for Research): The organisation undertaking the majority of the research must be located in any area according to the Modified Monash Model (MM1-7).
  • Stream 2 (Targeted Call for Research): The organisation undertaking the majority of the research is located in, and the Chief Investigator A and 50% or more of all Chief Investigators, and all research participants, are primarily resident in a regional, rural or remote area according to the Modified Monash Model (MM2-7).

The amounts available for a single grant in each Stream are as follows: 

  • Stream 1: There is no minimum grant amount and the maximum amount available for a single grant is $3.0 million. 
  • Stream 2: There is no minimum grant amount and the maximum amount available for a single grant is $3.0 million.

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

MRFF

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

UQ forms and resources