Elite Postdoctoral Researcher Grants and Research Leader Grants encourage highly talented cardiovascular researchers to move to NSW from interstate or overseas.
Since the introduction of these grants, 11 Cardiovascular Elite Grants have brought researchers to NSW from China, Japan, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and other parts of Australia.
Cardiovascular Elite Postdoctoral Researcher Grants aim to:
- promote NSW as a global leader in research by attracting talented researchers to conduct research in NSW
- incentivise talented researchers to move to NSW to conduct pioneering and innovative research and drive discoveries with the long-term aim of improving health and wellbeing
- build NSW capacity in a strong, vibrant and highly skilled research workforce
- bridge the gap between research, policy and practice to increase research impact and translation.
Key dates
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
Call 1 Nominations close | 31 October 2025 5pm AEST |
Call 1 outcomes notified | January 2026 |
Call 2 Nominations close | 2 March 2026 5pm AEST |
Outcomes notified | May 2026 |
Elite Researchers relocate to NSW and research projects commence | Within 12 months of award notification or by negotiation |
Nomination submission process
- Nominations will only be accepted from eligible host organisations.
- The host organisation prepares a full nomination using the 2025 Cardiovascular Elite Researcher Grants Nomination Form and submits it to NSW Health via email to moh-ohmrgrants@health.nsw.gov.au by 5pm (AEST) on the due date. A maximum of two nominations may be submitted per host organisation in total in FY2025-26.
- All applications will receive an email to acknowledge receipt within 72 business hours. It is the applicant’s responsibility to follow up if no acknowledgement email is received.
- The maximum email size is 20MB. Larger emails will be rejected by the NSW Health server and you may not be notified that the email has been rejected.
Guidelines and nomination form
Download the Guidelines v2.0 (PDF 427.5 KB)
Download the Nomination Form v2.1 (PDF 91.0 KB)
Frequently asked questions
Elite Postdoctoral Researcher Grants are open to researchers who currently live and work interstate or overseas. Researchers already residing in Australia, even if on temporary visas, are not eligible. The researcher must not currently live or work in Australia but may be an Australian citizen or a permanent resident of Australia who has been living and working interstate or overseas.
Yes, however awarding of funding will be conditional on obtaining an appropriate working visa for the full term of the funding period.
A one-off funding amount of up to $10,000 for the researcher’s relocation expenses (and up to another $20,000 for family relocation expenses) may be available with appropriate justification. See section ‘How to claim for reimbursement of relocation costs’ in the Elite Researcher Grant Guidelines 2025 V1 for further information on reimbursement for eligible relocation costs.
Yes, however the nature, FTE commitment and alignment with research activities for these should be detailed in the nomination. The Chief Executive of the local health district or other employer will be required to sign the declaration on the nomination form to confirm the employment opportunity.
- Research that is conducted the New South Wales public health system or an affiliated organisation (university, medical research institute, industry partner).
- A combination of salaries of the elite researcher, research team, backfill for clinicians to quarantine research time, consumables and equipment
- Non-research activities such as teaching.
- Capital works, general maintenance costs, organisational infrastructure or overheads, telephone/ communication systems, basic office equipment such as desks and chairs, rent and the cost of utilities.
Cardiovascular Research Capacity Program
The Cardiovascular Elite Research Grants are part of the Cardiovascular Research Capacity Program. In June 2018, the NSW Government announced a $150 million investment over 10 years into cardiovascular research to rapidly convert breakthroughs into better treatments for patients with heart disease.
NSW’s Cardiovascular Research Capacity Program funds high quality cardiovascular research in NSW in order to drive scientific discoveries, support the development of novel and innovative therapies, and improve health outcomes for patients with cardiovascular disease.
The Program aims to attract leading researchers, advance fundamental discoveries and position NSW as a leader for cardiovascular research through a series of grants.
Funded projects
View previously funded projects: