The Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), established by the Australian Federal Government in 2015, provides ongoing investment in Australian health and medical research to improve health outcomes, strengthen the economy and support a sustainable health system.
MRFF themes and initiatives
The government’s 10-year plan for MRFF funding is structured around 4 themes:
Patients
Bringing benefits to patients, including supporting life-changing clinical trials, funding innovative treatments and advanced medical technologies.
Researchers
Building Australian researchers' skills and capability, supporting their research in priority areas and assisting them to develop and bring new research discoveries to the market.
Research missions
Large-scale, collaborative programs addressing significant national health challenges, bringing together key researchers, health professionals, stakeholders, industry partners and patients.
Research translation
Ensuring research outcomes are adopted into clinical practice through strong evidence generation.
The MRFF Strategy and Priorities inform where the Australian Government directs its research funding. The Australian Medical Research Advisory Board (AMRAB) sets out the vision, aims and objectives for the MRFF and consults the public regularly before updating these themes.
MRFF research at RMIT
The Medical Research Future Fund aligns strongly with RMIT’s Knowledge with Action Strategy, particularly Direction 2: Research and innovation for impact. Through the MRFF, we aim to foster a thriving research community, build deep and productive industry and institutional partnerships, and provide the physical and digital infrastructure that supports research excellence and meaningful benefit for society. To date, RMIT has led one MRFF grant and participated in more than 20 others, collaborations with universities, medical research institutes and industry partners, across areas ranging from vaccines and neurological conditions to optimising care for people with COVID19.
RMIT’s Long Covid Assessment and Management in Practice (LAMP) Project is funded by the MRFF Emerging Priorities and Consumer Driven Research grant received in 2023.
For information on how to apply for an MRFF at RMIT, and on support available, please see the Researcher Portal.
