Funding avenues

Not-for-profit and philanthropic funders

Name Description Relevant Grants Timing
Brain Foundation The Brain Foundation is dedicated to funding Australia-wide clinical research into neurological disorders, brain disease, and brain injuries. Research programs are open nationally and include general project support in the form of grants-in-aid, in fields of key research priority, including “Multiple Sclerosis and other Inflammatory Diseases”. The Foundation also offers people support for one Neurology trainee and one Neurosurgery trainee. As a guide, the grants awarded in 2019 were up to $40,000 each. The Grants are open to competition nationally and all researchers in Australia are eligible to apply, however, consideration, subject to merit, is given to specific groups. Project or Infrastructure:
  • Project Grant-in-aid in priority areas, varies yearly
People Support:
  • Fellowship for Neurology trainee and Neurosurgery trainee
Annual funding round June
CASS Foundation The CASS Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation, established to support and promote the advancement of education, science and medicine, and research and practice in those fields. The CASS Foundation provides annual grants for research and development in science and medicine in Victoria. Researchers from specific organisations are eligible to apply in alternate years. The travel awards program has been open to applicants nationally and provided support for early career researchers to attend international conferences, with two application rounds each year. People Support:
  • Travel Awards (currently closed until further notice due to travel restrictions)
Project or Infrastructure
  • Medicine/Science Grants
Annual round of Project grants, travel awards have been biannual (but are currently closed).
Financial Markets for Children Foundation The Financial Markets Foundation for Children receives both corporate and individual donations to fund research programs and a wide range of other projects designed specifically to promote and improve the health, welfare and well-being of Australian children. The Foundation has allocated in excess of $22 million to over 260 projects. Grant applications are considered via an Expression of Interest process and are generally awarded for one or two years. The Foundation intends these grants to support pilot studies to encourage subsequent competitive grant applications. Project or Infrastructure
  • Project Grants
Normally annual funding rounds. (The grants application process is on hold due to COVID-19 disruptions; for updates see here.
Ian Potter Foundation The Ian Potter Foundation is a major Australian philanthropic foundation that supports and promotes excellence and innovation, facilitating positive social change, and developing Australia's creativity and capacity as a nation. The Ian Potter Foundation offers grants through several fundings areas that are aligned with its Vision for a fair, healthy, sustainable and vibrant Australia. The Foundation offers grants across a broad range of sectors and endeavours, and rarely awards the full amount of any project. Project or Infrastructure (current round):
  • Healthy- Medical Research Equipment (closes Jan 2022)
  • Healthy- Public Health Research (closes June 2022)
Multiple funding rounds per year; for more information see here.
MS Australia MS Australia is the largest Australian not-for-profit organisation dedicated to funding, coordinating, educating and advocating for MS research as part of the worldwide effort to solve MS. The organisation offers a wide range of grants, fellowships and scholarships to accelerate Australian MS research toward the prevention, better treatments and a cure for MS. Funding includes both investigator-driven applications and collaborative platform funding. In addition to major project grants and salary support in form of scholarships and fellowships, MS Australia also funds one-year Incubator Grants that provide seed funds for new projects. See more on our How we Fund Research page. People Support:
  • Postgraduate Scholarship
  • Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • MS Australia – NHMRC Emerging Leadership Investigator Grants Top-Up Funding
  • Senior Fellowship
  • Paired Fellowship
  • Ian Ballard Travel Award
  • MS Australia Top-up funding for outstanding NHMRC-funded Fellowships and Postgraduate Scholarships.
Project or Infrastructure:
  • Project Grant
  • Targeted Calls (offered periodically)
  • Incubator Grant
Annual funding rounds for most schemes; biannual Incubator Grant rounds.
Neurological Foundation of New Zealand The Neurological Foundation of New Zealand is a not-for-profit organisation aiming to progress research so that significant advances can be made in the prevention and cure of neurological disorders. The organisation offers a wide range of grants, fellowships, and scholarships to support research to alleviate suffering from diseases and disorders of the brain and nervous system. People Support:
  • Conference and Training Course grants
  • VC Chapman (Clinical) Research Fellowship
  • O’Brien Clinical Research Fellowship (for non-medical health professionals)
  • Phillip Wrightson Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • Senior Clinical Research Fellowship
  • Senior Research Fellowship
  • First Fellowship (Early Career Researchers)
  • PhD Scholarship
  • Summer Studentship
  • Travel Grant (existing grantees only)
Project or Infrastructure:
  • Project Grant
  • Small Project Grant
There are two funding rounds per year for large and small projects, early career fellowships and conference and training course grants. There is one round per year for doctoral scholarships, senior fellowships and summer studentships. Travel grant applications can also be submitted by those who have an eligible project grant or fellowship.
New Zealand Multiple Sclerosis Research Trust The New Zealand MS Research Trust has been established to encourage, coordinate and support New Zealand-based research into the cause, prevention, treatment, alleviation and cure of MS, and to obtain and disseminate research findings. The Trust has not yet published a grants portfolio. Not yet available. The Trust is currently developing information for Researchers regarding funds available for MS Research in New Zealand and how to apply for these. In the meantime they can be contacted via online form.
Perpetual Trust Perpetual Trust distributes around $100 million annually on behalf of the charitable trusts and endowments that they manage. Non-profit organisations have the opportunity to apply for grants through their annual IMPACT Philanthropy Application Program. The grants generally range between $10,000 and $120,000 per year. National organisations can submit up to three applications in total. Project or Infrastructure:
  • Project Grant awarded to organisations
Annual funding round (varied)
Ramaciotti Foundation The Ramaciotti Foundations are collectively one of the largest private contributors to biomedical research in Australia and have granted over $64 million to research projects since 1970. They contribute to individual investigators and organisations via three categories of grants in biomedical research, including the biennial Ramaciotti Biomedical Research Award, and the annual Ramaciotti Medal for Excellence in Biomedical Research and Ramaciotti Health Investment Grants. People Support:
  • Medal for Excellence in Biomedical Research
Project or Infrastructure:
  • Biomedical Research Award
  • Health Investment Grant
Biennial funding round for Research Award Other awards annual
Rebecca L. Cooper Foundation The goal of the Rebecca L Cooper Foundation is to improve understanding, prevention and management of disease and disorders. The Foundation prioritises areas of medical research that are not widely funded by other funding bodies, and has supported seven areas of medical research including brain sciences (Psychiatry and Neurology) and vision sciences. They have distributed $31 million in funds since 1984. Following a comprehensive review, a new funding strategy was implement in 2021 to support talented researchers with strong research vision in the fields of research supported by the Foundation.  Thus, future funding will be used to fund Fellowships that will fund a salary and a Research Support Package. People Support:
  • Al and Val Rosenstrauss Fellowship (5-10 year postdoctoral; $120,000 salary plus $50,000 research support per year for 5 years)
  • Rebecca Cooper Fellowship (10-15 years post-doctoral; $220,000 salary plus $50,000 research support per year for 5 years)
Commenced 2021.
Sylvia and Charles Viertel Foundation The Sylvia and Charles Viertel Foundation was established to benefit organisations or institutions involved in medical research into diseases, along with the alleviation of hardship of the aged and the sick. The Viertel Foundation offers a Senior Medical Research Fellowship and a Clinical Investigatorship. The Fellowship is intended to provide both salary and project grant funding for mid-career researchers. The Clinical Investigatorship aims to assist new investigators to establish their research programs at the time of the difficult transition from doctoral and post-doctoral training posts to their first definitive clinical positions in an academic environment. People Support:
  • Clinical Investigatorship (one-off grant)
  • Senior Medical Research Fellowship (5 years)
Annual funding round April
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Not-for-profit and philanthropic funders