Deadline: 30-Jun-2026
The Mental Health Research Grant Program is a competitive funding initiative focused on advancing scientific understanding and treatment development for severe and persistent mental illness. It prioritizes basic science and pre-clinical research into emerging therapeutic approaches. The program also aims to bridge the gap between research, policy, and clinical practice to improve real-world mental health outcomes in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.
Programme Objectives and Focus Areas
The program is designed to support high-impact mental health research with strong translational potential. Key objectives include:
- Supporting research into new and emerging treatment approaches for severe mental illness
- Advancing basic science and pre-clinical mental health research
- Improving wellbeing and long-term health outcomes
- Strengthening translation of research into policy and clinical practice
- Increasing uptake of research findings in real-world mental health systems
- Enabling NSW researchers to access and leverage national funding opportunities
Funding Structure and Scale
- Total funding pool: AUD 4 million
- Maximum funding per project: up to AUD 1 million
- Project duration: up to 4 years
- Eligible costs include:
- Salaries for clinical and non-clinical research staff
- Clinician backfill to support protected research time
- Research consumables
- Equipment required for research activities
Ineligible Costs and Activities
The program does not fund:
- Capital works or infrastructure construction
- Organisational overheads unrelated to research
- Rent, utilities, or general maintenance costs
- Office furniture or administrative equipment
- Communication systems unrelated to research delivery
- Research conducted outside New South Wales (NSW)
- Projects not aligned with severe and persistent mental illness research or emerging treatments
Eligibility Criteria for Applicants
Applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Must be NSW-based researchers
- Must be employed by an eligible host or administering organisation for the full grant duration
- Must be Australian citizens, permanent residents, or hold a valid visa covering the entire project period
- Clinicians (medical, nursing, allied health) are strongly encouraged to apply
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers are encouraged to apply
- Researchers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are also encouraged to participate
Eligible Host Organisations
Eligible organisations must:
- Be based in New South Wales
- Conduct health and medical research
Acceptable organisation types include:
- Universities
- Independent medical research institutes
- Not-for-profit research organisations
- Local health districts
- Other public health organisations
Where required, administering organisations must be:
- Universities
- Medical research institutes
- Not-for-profit organisations conducting health and medical research in NSW
Funding Use and Flexibility
The grant supports a range of research-related costs, including staffing and operational research needs. Key provisions include:
- Clinician researchers may allocate up to 50% of funding for clinical backfill, with justification
- Host organisations must provide infrastructure support such as:
- Laboratory space
- Office or desk space
- Computer and research equipment
- Additional in-kind or cash contributions from host organisations are encouraged
Why This Program Matters
This funding initiative strengthens mental health research capacity in NSW by supporting early-stage scientific discovery and pre-clinical innovation. It promotes translation of research into practice, helping improve treatment options for severe mental illness. The program also builds research workforce capacity, especially among clinicians and early-career researchers.
How the Application Process Works
- Researchers identify a pre-clinical or basic science mental health research project
- Applicants secure affiliation with an eligible NSW host organisation
- A detailed proposal is developed, including methodology, staffing, and budget
- Applications are submitted through the program’s official funding system
- Proposals are reviewed based on scientific merit, feasibility, and translational impact
- Selected projects receive funding for up to 4 years
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Submitting projects not focused on severe or persistent mental illness
- Proposing clinical-only studies without basic or pre-clinical research components
- Including ineligible costs such as infrastructure or rent
- Applying without NSW-based affiliation
- Poor justification for clinician backfill funding
- Weak translational or scientific rationale
Tips for a Strong Application
- Emphasize strong basic science or pre-clinical methodology
- Clearly define how the research contributes to new treatment approaches
- Demonstrate strong translational impact to policy or clinical practice
- Include well-structured staffing and budget justification
- Highlight collaboration with eligible NSW institutions
- Show potential for long-term improvement in mental health outcomes
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the Mental Health Research Grant Program?
- It is a funding program supporting basic science and pre-clinical mental health research in NSW
- It focuses on new and emerging treatments for severe and persistent mental illness
- Who can apply?
- NSW-based researchers
- Clinicians and academic researchers
- Applicants must be affiliated with eligible NSW host organisations
- What is the funding amount and duration?
- Up to AUD 1 million per project
- Total funding pool of AUD 4 million
- Projects can run for up to 4 years
- What types of research are supported?
- Basic science studies in mental health
- Pre-clinical research on emerging treatments
- Translational mental health research
- What costs are eligible?
- Staff salaries
- Clinician backfill
- Consumables
- Research equipment
- What costs are not eligible?
- Infrastructure or capital works
- Rent and utilities
- Office furniture and general maintenance
- Non-NSW research activities
Conclusion
The Mental Health Research Grant Program supports high-quality pre-clinical and basic science research aimed at developing new treatments for severe mental illness in NSW. By funding researchers and strengthening translation into practice, the program helps improve mental health outcomes and builds long-term research capacity in Australia.
For more information, visit NSW Government.