Deadline: 19-May-2026
The Grants-in-Aid Program supports high-quality cancer research aimed at improving outcomes for people affected by cancer in Victoria, Australia. It is administered through a competitive funding process targeting multidisciplinary research teams.
The programme covers a broad spectrum of cancer-related research, from laboratory science to clinical trials and health systems research.
Purpose and Objectives
The programme aims to:
- Improve cancer prevention, detection, and treatment
- Enhance patient care and quality of life
- Support translational and clinical research
- Advance psychosocial and palliative care research
- Strengthen understanding of rare and less common cancers
- Improve health equity in cancer outcomes
- Support evidence-based cancer policy and practice
The focus is on research with direct impact on cancer outcomes.
Research Areas Funded
Eligible research includes:
- Psychosocial and mental health care in cancer
- Palliative and end-of-life care
- Allied health and supportive care
- Epidemiology and population health studies
- Health economics and health services research
- Behavioural and prevention research
- Laboratory-based biomedical research
- Clinical cancer trials (Phase 1, 2, or 3)
- Mesothelioma research
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma research
- Rare and less common cancer studies
- Disability-focused cancer research
Projects must align with improving cancer outcomes.
Funding Overview
Key funding details include:
- Maximum grant per project: AUD 360,000
- Project duration: 2 to 3 years
- Number of grants: up to 12 awards in Round 12
- General grants: 6 grants of up to AUD 120,000 per year
Funding supports both research and essential project costs.
Eligible Costs
Funding may be used for:
- Research consumables and laboratory materials
- Software and data tools
- Participant recruitment and imaging fees
- Transcription and specialist services
- Animal housing and experimental costs
- Travel related to research activities
- Essential research equipment (AUD 10,000+)
Equipment must be essential to the research project.
Ineligible Costs
The programme does not fund:
- Conference registration fees
- Article processing charges (open access publishing fees)
- Senior investigator salaries (e.g., heads of departments)
- Administrative overheads and utilities
- Infrastructure or institutional indirect costs
- Compliance and general operational expenses
Only direct research costs are supported.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Chief Investigator A must be based in a Victorian administering organisation
- Must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
- Must not be a Cancer Council Victoria employee
- Must not hold another Grants-in-Aid award as Chief Investigator A by 1 January 2027
- Research team limited to 10 investigators maximum
Strong institutional affiliation is required.
Special Eligibility for Targeted Grants
Additional conditions apply for specific streams:
- Mesothelioma grants: must focus exclusively on mesothelioma
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma grants: must focus on this cancer type
- Clinical trials: must be Phase 1, 2, or 3 and include equity and access considerations
- Rare cancer trials: must target cancers with ≤12 cases per 100,000 people annually (AIHW definition)
Each stream has strict disease-specific requirements.
Programme Structure
The funding supports:
- Multidisciplinary cancer research teams
- Collaborative clinical and laboratory studies
- Translational and applied research approaches
- Trials and population-based studies
- Integrated patient-centered research design
The programme encourages innovation across cancer research domains.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications are assessed based on:
- Scientific merit and innovation
- Potential impact on cancer outcomes
- Strength of research design and methodology
- Team capability and expertise
- Feasibility within timeframe and budget
- Alignment with priority cancer areas
- Equity and inclusion considerations (for trials)
High-impact, well-designed studies are prioritized.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Common application issues include:
- Including ineligible costs such as overheads or salaries
- Weak justification of clinical or translational impact
- Not meeting investigator eligibility requirements
- Exceeding team size limits
- Misalignment with targeted cancer categories
- Poor integration of equity considerations in trials
Successful applications are precise, compliant, and outcome-focused.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is the Grants-in-Aid Program?
It is a Victorian cancer research funding programme supporting diverse cancer studies.
Q2. How much funding is available?
Up to AUD 360,000 per project over 2–3 years.
Q3. How many grants are offered?
Up to 12 grants in Round 12.
Q4. Who can apply?
Eligible researchers in Victorian institutions who are Australian citizens or permanent residents.
Q5. What types of research are supported?
Clinical, laboratory, psychosocial, epidemiology, and cancer trials.
Q6. Are clinical trials eligible?
Yes, including Phase 1–3 trials with equity considerations.
Q7. What cancers are specifically targeted?
Mesothelioma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and rare cancers among others.
Conclusion
The Grants-in-Aid Program supports impactful cancer research across Victoria by funding multidisciplinary studies that improve prevention, treatment, and care. With a strong focus on both common and rare cancers, the programme enables researchers to advance scientific knowledge and improve patient outcomes through high-quality, targeted research initiatives.
For more information, visit Cancer Council Victoria.