Deadline: 30-Jul-2026
The Mental Health Translational Research Grant Program supports research that helps implement the Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs Strategy 2026–2031 and improve mental health and wellbeing outcomes for Western Australians. The program funds evidence-based research that can be rapidly translated into policy, practice and service delivery.
Successful projects can receive up to AUD 600,000 excluding GST and must be completed within 36 months. Eligible applicants must be based in Western Australia, meet Responsible Entity and Activity Lead requirements, and demonstrate collaboration, implementation relevance and direct significance to Western Australia’s mental health sector.
Program Overview
The Mental Health Translational Research Grant Program is designed to support research that improves mental health and wellbeing in Western Australia.
The program focuses on translating research evidence into real-world practice, policy and service improvement.
It supports projects that align with the Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs Strategy 2026–2031 and contribute to better outcomes for Western Australians.
Main Objective
The main objective of the program is to accelerate implementation of evidence-based mental health approaches in Western Australia.
The program aims to:
- Improve mental health and wellbeing outcomes
- Support implementation of the Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs Strategy 2026–2031
- Advance evidence-based mental health models
- Prevent mental illness
- Strengthen the mental health workforce
- Promote research translation into policy and practice
- Build research capacity in Western Australia’s mental health sector
- Support collaboration between researchers and service providers
Key Focus Areas
The program supports translational research that addresses mental health priorities and service improvement.
Key focus areas include:
- Mental health research
- Alcohol and other drugs strategy implementation
- Evidence-based mental health models
- Mental illness prevention
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Workforce development
- Research translation
- Policy and practice improvement
- Collaboration with service providers
- Consumer involvement
- Research capacity building
- Western Australian mental health priorities
What Is Translational Research?
Translational research is research designed to move evidence into practical use.
In this program, translational research means research that can help improve policy, service delivery, clinical practice, workforce capability or community mental health outcomes.
A strong translational research project should not only generate knowledge. It should also show how findings will be applied in real-world mental health settings.
Funding Available
Each successful project may receive up to AUD 600,000 excluding GST.
Funding may support eligible project costs directly related to the approved activity.
Project Duration
Funded activities must be completed within a maximum period of 36 months.
Applicants should design projects that can be planned, implemented, evaluated and translated within this timeframe.
Eligible Costs
Grant funding may be used for eligible expenses connected to the project.
Eligible costs may include:
- Salary costs
- Essential project-related services
- Essential supplies
- Specialised equipment unique to the activity
- Consumer involvement costs
- Approved overhead costs
All costs should be clearly justified and directly linked to the proposed research activity.
What the Program Supports
The program supports research that has direct significance for the mental health and wellbeing of Western Australians.
Supported projects should:
- Address priority areas in the Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs Strategy 2026–2031
- Use evidence-based approaches
- Demonstrate collaboration
- Support practical implementation
- Enable rapid translation into practice
- Strengthen research capacity
- Improve mental health service delivery or outcomes
Ineligible Activities
Some activities are not eligible if they are the sole focus of the project.
The program does not fund activities focused only on:
- Quality assurance
- Clinical audits
- Chart reviews
- Needs analyses
- Literature reviews
Applicants should ensure that the project goes beyond review or assessment and includes a clear research and implementation component.
Who is Eligible?
The program is open to Western Australian researchers and their teams seeking to advance evidence-based mental health approaches.
Eligibility applies to both the Responsible Entity and the Activity Lead.
Responsible Entity Requirements
The Responsible Entity must:
- Have an active Australian Business Number
- Maintain a physical and operational presence in Western Australia
- Demonstrate that grant funding will not constitute its entire financial base
- Have other external sources of income or funding
- Meet all program administration and compliance requirements
The Responsible Entity must be able to manage the grant responsibly and support delivery of the proposed activity.
Activity Lead Requirements
The Activity Lead must:
- Be an Australian citizen, New Zealand citizen, permanent resident of Australia, or hold an appropriate work visa for the full project duration
- Reside in Western Australia for at least 80% of the project period
- Hold a position or title at the Responsible Entity
- Have no overdue reports for grant programs administered by the Office of Medical Research and Innovation
- Ensure that funding has not already been awarded for any component of the proposed activity
These requirements help ensure that funded projects are led by eligible researchers with a strong connection to Western Australia.
Industry Exclusion Requirement
The Responsible Entity and any organisations involved in funding or delivering the project must not be part of industries that produce products or services that may contribute to poor physical health or poor mental wellbeing.
This requirement helps ensure that funded research aligns with public health, mental wellbeing and ethical funding principles.
Collaboration Requirement
The program encourages collaboration between researchers, service providers and relevant stakeholders.
A strong project should demonstrate how partners will work together to support implementation and translation.
Collaboration may include:
- Mental health service providers
- Community organisations
- Consumer representatives
- Policy stakeholders
- Clinical teams
- Research institutions
- Workforce development partners
- Aboriginal community-controlled organisations where relevant
- Government or non-government service systems
Consumer Involvement
The program allows funding for consumer involvement.
Consumer involvement means including people with lived or living experience in the design, delivery, interpretation or translation of research.
This can help ensure that research is relevant, respectful and grounded in real-world mental health needs.
Alignment with the Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs Strategy 2026–2031
Eligible projects must address priority areas identified in the Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs Strategy 2026–2031.
Applicants should clearly explain how their project supports the strategy.
The proposal should show how the research will contribute to implementation, policy improvement, service development or better mental health outcomes.
Why This Program Matters
Mental health research can have limited impact if findings are not translated into policy, practice or service delivery.
This program matters because it supports research that is designed for implementation from the beginning.
By focusing on translation, collaboration and direct relevance to Western Australia, the program helps turn evidence into practical improvements for people, services and communities.
It also strengthens the state’s mental health research workforce and supports more effective responses to mental health and wellbeing needs.
Expected Outcomes
Funded projects are expected to contribute to meaningful improvements in mental health research, practice and policy.
Expected outcomes may include:
- Improved mental health and wellbeing outcomes
- Stronger evidence-based service models
- Better implementation of mental health priorities
- Greater collaboration between researchers and service providers
- Increased consumer involvement in research
- Improved workforce capability
- Stronger translation of findings into practice
- Enhanced research capacity in Western Australia
- Policy or practice improvements informed by research
How to Apply or Prepare a Strong Application
Applicants should prepare a clear, implementation-focused research proposal that shows eligibility, relevance, collaboration and impact.
Step 1: Confirm Responsible Entity Eligibility
Applicants should confirm that the Responsible Entity has an active Australian Business Number and a physical and operational presence in Western Australia.
The entity must also show that it has other external sources of income or funding and is not fully dependent on the grant.
Step 2: Confirm Activity Lead Eligibility
The Activity Lead should confirm citizenship, residency, visa, position and reporting requirements.
They must be able to reside in Western Australia for at least 80% of the project period.
Step 3: Check Strategy Alignment
Applicants should identify the relevant priority area under the Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs Strategy 2026–2031.
The proposal should explain exactly how the project supports implementation of the strategy.
Step 4: Define the Research Problem
Applicants should clearly explain the mental health challenge being addressed.
The problem should be relevant to Western Australians and supported by evidence.
Step 5: Design a Translational Research Approach
The project should include a clear pathway from research to practice.
Applicants should explain:
- What evidence will be generated
- Who will use the findings
- How the findings will be translated
- What policy or practice changes may result
- How implementation will be supported
Step 6: Build a Collaborative Team
Applicants should include relevant partners who can support implementation and impact.
This may include researchers, clinicians, service providers, policy actors, consumers and community representatives.
Step 7: Include Consumer Involvement
A strong proposal should explain how consumers or people with lived experience will be involved.
This involvement should be meaningful and linked to project design, delivery or translation.
Step 8: Prepare a Realistic Budget
Applicants may request up to AUD 600,000 excluding GST.
The budget should clearly justify salary costs, services, supplies, specialised equipment, consumer involvement and approved overheads.
Step 9: Plan for Completion Within 36 Months
Applicants should prepare a realistic timeline that allows all research, implementation, analysis and translation activities to be completed within 36 months.
Step 10: Check Funding Duplication
Applicants must ensure that funding has not already been awarded for any component of the proposed activity.
The proposal should avoid duplication with existing funded work.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid the following mistakes:
- Submitting a project that does not align with the Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs Strategy 2026–2031
- Proposing work focused solely on quality assurance, audits, chart reviews, needs analyses or literature reviews
- Failing to demonstrate translation into policy or practice
- Providing weak collaboration with service providers
- Not showing direct relevance to Western Australians
- Ignoring consumer involvement
- Requesting ineligible or poorly justified costs
- Exceeding the 36-month project duration
- Applying with a Responsible Entity that lacks Western Australian presence
- Failing to meet Activity Lead residency requirements
- Having overdue reports for OMRI-administered grants
- Duplicating activities already funded elsewhere
Tips for a Strong Application
A strong application should:
- Clearly align with the 2026–2031 strategy
- Focus on real-world mental health impact
- Demonstrate a strong translational pathway
- Include collaboration between researchers and service providers
- Involve consumers meaningfully
- Show relevance to Western Australian communities
- Include a feasible 36-month work plan
- Present a realistic and justified budget
- Demonstrate research quality and implementation readiness
- Explain how findings will influence policy, practice or service delivery
- Confirm all eligibility and reporting requirements
FAQ
1. What is the Mental Health Translational Research Grant Program?
The program funds research that supports implementation of the Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs Strategy 2026–2031 and improves mental health and wellbeing outcomes for Western Australians.
2. How much funding is available per project?
Each successful project may receive up to AUD 600,000 excluding GST.
3. How long can projects run?
Funded activities must be completed within a maximum period of 36 months.
4. Who can apply?
Western Australian researchers and their teams may apply through an eligible Responsible Entity with an active Australian Business Number and a physical and operational presence in Western Australia.
5. What costs can be funded?
Eligible costs may include salary costs, essential project-related services and supplies, specialised equipment unique to the activity, consumer involvement and approved overhead costs.
6. What activities are not eligible?
Activities focused solely on quality assurance, clinical audits, chart reviews, needs analyses or literature reviews are not eligible.
7. What are the Activity Lead requirements?
The Activity Lead must be an Australian or New Zealand citizen, permanent resident of Australia, or hold an appropriate work visa, reside in Western Australia for at least 80% of the project period, hold a position or title at the Responsible Entity, and have no overdue OMRI grant reports.
Conclusion
The Mental Health Translational Research Grant Program provides up to AUD 600,000 for projects that improve mental health and wellbeing outcomes in Western Australia.
The program supports research that is practical, collaborative and directly linked to the implementation of the Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs Strategy 2026–2031.
Applicants should prepare strong proposals that demonstrate strategy alignment, translational impact, collaboration, consumer involvement, Western Australian relevance and clear capacity to complete the project within 36 months.
For more information, visit Government of Western Australia.
