The Elite Researcher Grants support highly-talented research leaders working and living overseas to relocate to NSW and strengthen capacity in priority research areas.
The 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.
This funding supports researchers working across the research spectrum including in basic science, biomedical, clinical medicine and health services research, data science, and population health research.
Research focused on cardiovascular health will be funded under a separate cardiovascular stream of elite grants.
Key dates
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
Call for nominations opens | July 2025 |
Intention to nominate due | 1 December 2025 |
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.
- Intention to nominate forms are due via email to moh-ohmrgrants@health.nsw.gov.au by 5pm (AEST) on 1 December 2025.
- The host organisation then prepares a full nomination using the 2025 Elite Researcher Grants nomination form and submits it to NSW Health via email to moh-ohmrgrants@health.nsw.gov.au by 5pm (AEST) on 2 March 2026. A maximum of one nomination may be submitted per host organisation.
- 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
Elite Researcher Grant Guidelines 2025 v1 PDF 410.4 KB)
Elite Researcher Grant Intention to Nominate Form 2025 v1 PDF 48.3 KB)
Elite Researcher Grant Nomination Form 2025 v2 (PDF 112.9 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.