Australia announces medical research grants for clinicians and cancer trials

The Australian Government has announced $40 million in grants to support nurses and midwives in conducting research to improve clinical care and practice. Administered by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and funded by the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), the 2026 Clinician Researchers grants will offer up to $1.5 million per project. The funding is divided into two streams: one focused on translating evidence into practice within health services, and another aimed at strengthening health system performance, workforce innovation, and service improvement.

In a separate initiative under the MRFF, $3.5 million (AUD$5 million) has been committed to bring international CAR-T cell therapy clinical trials to Australia for children and young people. This represents the first investment under the $300 million (AUD) Australian Cancer Research Program, a decade-long commitment to strengthening national cancer research, which includes the Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult (CAYA) Cancer Mission.