The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is investing nearly $280 million to support 190 innovative projects aimed at addressing specific medical research questions that contribute to improving human health. This funding is provided through the Ideas Grants scheme, which enables researchers at all career stages and across all areas of research to pursue creative approaches, from discovery through to implementation, targeting important health challenges.
The grant recipients will undertake new and significant research projects designed to deliver discoveries that improve the health of Australians. Among the funded projects, Dr Christina Cortez-Jugo from The University of Melbourne will develop safer and more effective formulations of potent anticancer drugs, expanding treatment options for patients with aggressive blood cancers. At Adelaide University, Professor Maria Kambanaros will create an immersive virtual interactive platform to support stroke patients with anomia or word-finding difficulties.
Professor John Hooper of The University of Queensland will optimise a method to detect and treat aggressive breast cancers by targeting a receptor enriched on breast cancer cells. Associate Professor Tamara Mackean from Flinders University will lead a project focused on promoting food sovereignty among First Peoples, aiming to empower communities, preserve Indigenous food knowledge, and challenge colonial perspectives on health and nutrition.
NHMRC CEO Professor Steve Wesselingh highlighted the importance of supporting innovative health and medical research, noting that empowering researchers to pursue bold ideas strengthens the sector’s capacity to tackle complex health challenges. The 2025 Ideas Grants projects exemplify the role of research innovation in maintaining Australia’s healthcare sector at the forefront of global progress and delivering improved health outcomes for the community.
