NHMRC Investigator Grants
NHMRC's largest scheme: 5 years of salary (if required) and a research support package for one investigator's research program, at five Levels from Emerging Leadership 1 to Leadership 3. Scored 70% on track record and 30% on the proposed research.
Scheme details
- Funding range
- Salary if required, $87,681 (EL1) to $202,805 (L3) a year, plus a research support package of $400,000 a year at L1 to L3, $200,000 at EL2 and $50,000 at EL1 (2026 rates; university summaries report $75,000 at EL1 from 2027); 5 years
- Career stage
- All career stages
- Scheme type
- Individual
- Eligibility
- One CI only, through an NHMRC Administering Institution; must be an Australian or NZ citizen, permanent resident or work visa holder. Emerging Leadership Levels need a PhD within 10 years of the close date, extended for career disruptions. Up to 2 Investigator and Ideas applications per CI each round.
- Format & limits
- Grant Proposal PDF: Research Proposal 5 pages; References 2 pages. Sapphire: Research impact claim 8,000 characters and evidence 2,000; Leadership 8,000; Top 10 publications, 1,000-character explanation each; Level justification 1,000 (2026 Guidelines)
- Deadline
- Upcoming 2027 round: closed 29 July 2026, outcomes expected March 2027 · 2028 round expected to open in June and close in July 2027 (est.)
View official scheme page
https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/funding/find-funding/investigator-grants
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Last updated: 2026-09-24
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