The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Grants scheme provides the highest performing researchers at all career stages with funding for their salary (if required) and a research support package (RSP) for 5 years.
Investigator Grants will support:
- different career stages (early career researchers, mid-career researchers and established researchers);
- researchers with clinical responsibilities (such as clinicians, public health and allied health practitioners);
- research across the four pillars of health and medical research: biomedical, clinical, public health and health services research; and
- full-time and part-time researchers.
Structure
Investigator Grants will be offered in two categories:
Emerging Leadership (EL): recipients will have the title ‘NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow’,
Leadership (L): recipients will have the title “NHMRC Leadership Fellow’
Five levels of salary support and six tiers of research support packages (RSP) will be offered across the scheme.
NHMRC Emerging Leadership Investigator Grants will be restricted to researchers who are ≤10 years post-PhD or equivalent on 1 March of the application year. Investigator Grants comprise a Research Support Package (RSP) and a salary component.
The salary component of Investigator Grants is provided as a contribution to assist Administering Institutions with employing the successful applicant. However, an Investigator Grant recipient’s total salary is agreed through negotiation between the researcher and their Administering Institution.
Salary
Applicants to the Investigator Grant scheme select the most appropriate Level (Emerging Leader 1 - Leader 3) for their career stage and the percentage of salary required to support their research activities, while ensuring they meet eligibility requirements.
If applicants request a salary, the Leadership Level selected will determine the salary awarded. Salary levels have been set at the top of current, broadly equivalent NHMRC Fellowship levels.
Research Support Packages for NHMRC Investigator grants
Successful applicants at Emerging Leadership Levels 1 and Level 2 will be awarded a fixed RSP of $50,000 and $200,000 per annum, respectively.
There are four tiers of RSP for the Leadership Investigator Grants. These have been set at $300,000, $400,000, $500,000 and $600,000 per annum and will be allocated independently of the Leadership level, based on the overall peer review score of the application.
As a comparison, the average Project Grant provides approximately $200,000 per annum for three years (excluding clinical trials grants). Research Support Packages can be used to fund Direct Research Costs.
Deadline
Applications for NHMRC Investigator grants commencing in 2024 open 25 January 2023, minimum data due 22 February 2023, Internal HARD deadline 08 March 2023, scheme close 22 March 2023.