2026 Diabetes in General Practice Research Grant

IMPORTANT: Please read information below to assist you in completing your application online.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Welcome to the Australian General Practice Research Foundation's online grants application service, powered by SmartyGrants.

Thank you for your interest in our 2026 Diabetes in General Practice Research Grant, supported by Diabetes Australia and the Australian General Practice Research Foundation. 

Diabetes Australia was established in 1984 as the national peak body for diabetes in Australia providing a single, powerful, collective voice for people living with, and at risk of, diabetes, their families and carers. Diabetes Australia has partnered with the Australian General Practice Research Foundation since 2014 to support GP-led research focused on improving diabetes management within general practice. This enduring partnership underscores our shared commitment to enhancing healthcare outcomes for people living with and at risk of diabetes, through evidence-based research that equips GPs to deliver better care and support for their patients. 

Grant details

Grant amount: One grant of up to $90,000 (excluding GST) 

Funding period: 12-18 months

Focus area: Research to identify and prioritise the most significant current and emerging challenges and unmet needs faced by general practitioners in managing diabetes in Australian general practice, including the underlying drivers of these challenges and their implications for care delivery. 

The project must: 

• identify and rank the most pressing current and emerging challenges faced by GPs in managing diabetes in Australian general practice 

• incorporate GP perspectives alongside the experiences and priorities of people living with diabetes 

• produce a clearly defined and prioritised set of challenges (for example, top 2–3 priority challenges or ranked domains), AND 

• provide actionable recommendations to inform future research, policy and funding priorities  

Projects should be national in scope or demonstrate clear relevance across Australian general practice. 

Objective: This grant aims to support a national scoping project that generates a contemporary, evidence-based understanding of the challenges and unmet needs experienced by general practitioners in managing diabetes in Australian general practice. The research should identify and prioritise key challenges and their underlying drivers, incorporating both GP perspectives and the experiences of people living with diabetes, and have strong potential to inform future research, policy and funding priorities and support improvements in care. 

Eligibility

To be eligible for this grant, the principal investigator must:

• be a general practitioner or general practice registrar, AND
• have an active leadership role in the project and sufficient experience in leading and conducting research in collaboration with the proposed research team to ensure its successful completion.  

Team composition and collaboration

Applicants are encouraged to ensure that the project team collectively has the skills, experience and partnerships required to deliver the proposed project. 

Teams should consider including individuals or organisations with complementary expertise, such as research design and methodology, stakeholder engagement, and where appropriate, consumer perspectives. 

The extent to which the team demonstrates the appropriate experience, capability and relevant collaborations to deliver the proposed project will be considered in the assessment process. 

We encourage applicants to consider including early career researchers, within a more experienced team, to continue to build general practice research capacity. 

Selection criteria

Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:

• Scientific quality of the proposed research project (30%)
  The project should demonstrate strong scientific foundations, including a clear research question, robust methodology, and sound approach to data collection and analysis, with appropriate consideration of the populations and contexts relevant to general practice.
  
  
• Likelihood for translation and impact in general practice services (30%)
  The project should showcase potential for practical, meaningful, and scalable outcomes that improve patient care and/or healthcare systems, including consideration of patient, carer, or community needs and experiences where relevant.
  
  
• Innovation and originality of the project (15%)
  The project should demonstrate originality in its approach, incorporating innovative ideas to address identified unmet needs or gaps in general practice research.
  
  
• Feasibility of the project (15%)
  The project must be realistic and achievable within the given timeline, budget, and resources, supported by a clear research plan and the necessary expertise and support to ensure successful completion.
  
  
• Contribution to building research capacity in general practice services (10%)
  The project should enhance research capacity within general practice, whether through skill development, training, fostering collaborations, or expanding networks.

Requirements for successful applicants

Successful applicants will be required to: 

• formally accept the grant and enter into a Grant Agreement with the administering organisation  

• participate in a short interview with the Foundation 

• meet key project milestones, including reporting requirements, with payments linked to specified milestones 

• acknowledge the support of the Foundation and funding partner in relevant outputs  

Further detail is provided on the Information for Applicants website under the section “Requirements for successful applicants.”

Application process

Applications open Monday 11 May 2026 at 9:00am (AEST) and close Monday 22 June 2026 at 9:00am (AEST). Applicants will be notified of outcomes on Friday 11 September 2026.

Need more information?

For more information, please refer to our Information for Applicants website. For any inquiries, feel free to contact us at foundation@racgp.org.au. 

If you need more help using this form, download the Help Guide for Applicants or check out Applicant Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)