NHMRC Ideas Grants

The 2024 Ideas Grants for funding in 2025 were announced in December 2024. A list of awarded grants is published on the NHMRC’s website.

The 2025 round (for funding in 2026) is expected to open12 March 2025, and the information below will be updated for the 2025 round in due course.

Key dates for NHMRC Ideas Grants 2025

Release of Guidelines: 12 March 2025
Applications open in Sapphire: 10 March 2025
UQ Research and Innovation (UQ R&I) Notice of Intent (NOI) close: 9 April 2025
UQ R&I information session: TBC
Minimum data requirements in Sapphire: 5pm (AEST) 9 April 2025
Applications due to UQ R&I: 9 April 2025
Applications close with NHMRC: 5pm (AEST) 7 May 2025

Overview

The objective of the Ideas Grant scheme is to support focused, innovative research projects.

The scheme fosters creative research for teams of 1-10 Chief Investigators at all career stages to address specific question/s in any area of health and medical research, from discovery to implementation (except where an NHMRC Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies is the primary objective).

UQ Information Session

Information regarding the UQ Information Session will be updated once details are confirmed.
Available on Presentations and Slides Webpage

How to apply

Step 1. Internal notice of intent process

All researchers intending to submit an NHMRC Ideas Grant 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 2. Sapphire updates and scheme reading

Register for Sapphire and review/update your Profile. Please note that all researchers listed on an Ideas Grants application must have a Sapphire account. Submission of a registration form and activation of a Sapphire account must occur at least 72 hours before application close. Requests for Sapphire accounts/activations after this time cannot be guaranteed.
Familiarise yourself with the key NHMRC and UQ documentation.

Step 3. Completing the application

Log into Sapphire and complete the application.

Step 4. UQR&I internal review and feedback

Sapphire application completion: Ahead of internal review, ensure all online components are complete and valid in Sapphire and supporting documents have been uploaded.
Sapphire Certification/Submit to RAO: Select 'Certification' from the left-hand menu within your Ideas Grant application and follow the instructions to submit the application to the RAO.
UQR&I Review Request: Email your completed UQ Application Certification Form (with signatures) along with the completed Pending and Newly Funded Grants Form to UQ R&I at nhmrc@research.uq.edu.au.
Internal review is undertaken by UQ R&I and feedback provided (compliance/eligibility/grantsmanship).

Step 5. Final submission

Final submission by UQ R&I to NHMRC.

Readership and researcher support

Before applying, we recommend you:

Contact your faculty or institute research manager for advice on peer readership programs.
Join the UQ R&I Mailer to stay up to date with round developments.
Access the UQ R&I Grants Library, a helpful resource of past successful proposals.
If offered, attend UQ R&I information sessions and access PowerPoint presentations from presentations and slides.

Key documents

NHMRC

Scheme documents will be published on GrantConnect once available.

Funding Partners

Funding Partner information will be updated once available.

UQ

UQ 2025 NHMRC Ideas Grants Certification Form - coming soon
UQ 2025 NHMRC Ideas Grants Sapphire Tip Sheet - coming soon
NHMRC Ideas Grants 2025 Grant Proposal Template - coming soon
UQ 2025 NHMRC Ideas Pending and Newly Funded Grants Form - coming soon