National Critical Research Infrastructure Grant Opportunity

Deadline: 31-Jul-23

The Australian Government is seeking applications for the National Critical Research Infrastructure Grant Opportunity that provides funding to establish and extend infrastructure of critical importance, that will be used to conduct world-class health and medical research in areas of unmet medical need.

Streams

This grant opportunity has four streams:
- Stream 1 – Innovation enablers
  - Addresses an area of unmet medical need by promoting the development and implementation of new research methodologies or applications including omics’-led approaches and enhanced infrastructure linkage strategies.
- Stream 2 – Digitisation of health care
  - Translates or implements innovative artificial intelligence technologies into health applications that:
    - benefit multiple health disciplines/areas
    - involve consumers in the research journey to ensure the research is applicable to the needs of the Australian community; and
    - increase artificial intelligence workforce capacity and capability, particularly in relation to health, through cross-sector and interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Stream 3 – Co-investment partnerships
  - Utilising co-investment (cash only) with the research sector, state and/or territory governments, and industry, in significant critical research infrastructure (e.g. facilities, personnel and equipment):
  - to support development of research capacity, capability and/or effectiveness in an area of unmet medical need, or
  - to enable Australian research using new platforms, systems and services in an area of unmet medical need.
- Stream 4 – mRNA technology enablers
  - Leverage and enhance emerging mRNA technologies, platforms, and/or equipment to accelerate development of mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics in an area of unmet medical need.
  - An application may only be submitted to one of the above four Streams only. An organisation may submit more than one application as long as it is unique – an applicant cannot submit the same project twice. Applicants must specify the Stream to which they are applying in their application.
  - The intended outcome of the research funded is to improve the health and wellbeing of Australians by enhancing Australia’s research infrastructure.

Funding Information

For this grant opportunity, up to $100 million is available over two years from 2023-24 for the four Streams.
- Stream 1:
  - $7.5 million in 2023-24
  - $12.5 million in 2024-25
- Stream 2:
  - $7.5 million in 2023-24
  - $12.5 million in 2024-25
- Stream 3:
  - $12.5 million in 2023-24
  - $8.5 million in 2024-25
- Stream 4:
  - $7.5 million in 2023-24
  - $12.5 million in 2024-25
- Additional funding for all Streams:
  - $11.015 million in 2023-24
  - $7.985 million in 2024-25
The grant amount will be up to 100 per cent of eligible project costs (for Streams 1, 2 and 4) or up to 66 per cent of eligible project costs (for Stream 3).
The amounts available for a single grant in each Stream are as follows:
- Stream 1: there is no minimum grant amount and the maximum grant amount is $3 million.
- Stream 2: there is no minimum grant amount and the maximum grant amount is $3 million.
- Stream 3: there is no minimum grant amount and the maximum grant amount is $7 million.
- Stream 4: there is no minimum grant amount and the maximum grant amount is $4 million.
Grants funded under Stream 3 will be funded under a co-funding model. Applications are sought from consortia of at least one academic organisation and at least one other organisation which may be industry or state/territory government

Eligible Projects

They can only accept applications that provide:
- evidence from your board (or chief executive officer or equivalent if there is no board) that the project is supported, that you can complete the project and meet any costs not covered by grant funding
- letters of support from each project partner/consortia partner
- a list of up to 15 Chief Investigators using the template on business.gov.au (max 15 CIs and none listed on more than one application submitted per stream to this grant opportunity)
- a detailed project plan (max 12 pages)
- a detailed and itemised project budget
- a one-page statement of how your project will contribute to the Measures of Success for the MRFF
- a detailed risk management plan (max 2 pages)
- details of IP arrangements

Eligibility Criteria

You can apply if you:
- have an Australian business number (ABN)
- are incorporated in Australia
- and in accordance with s24 of the Medical Research Future Fund Act 2015, be one of the following entities:
  - a medical research institute
  - a university
  - a corporate Commonwealth entity
  - a corporation (including businesses and not for profits).
Stream 3 applications must be from a consortia (including the applicant):
- of at least one academic organisation and at least one other organisation which may be industry or state/territory government
- with combined cash contributions of at least 34% of the total eligible project costs.
The lead organisation must fill out the application form.
If they give your group the grant, the lead organisation:
- signs the grant agreement
- receives grant payments
- is responsible for making sure your group follows all requirements in the grant agreement, including all reporting requirements.

Ineligibility Criteria

You can’t apply if you are:
- an organisation, or your project partner is an organisation, included on the National Redress Scheme’s list of Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme
- an employer of 100 or more employees that has not complied with the Workplace Gender Equality Act (2012)
- an individual
- partnership
- unincorporated association
- trust (however, an incorporated trustee may apply on behalf of a trust)
- a non-corporate Commonwealth entity
- any organisation not listed in the eligible entity list.

For more information, visit Australian Government.