2025 Indigenous Health Award

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

Thank you for your interest in our Indigenous Health Award, established by our Foundation Patron, Professor Michael Kidd AO.

Award details

Grant/award amount: One or more grants or awards valued at a combined total of $10,000 (excluding GST)

Funding period: 12 months

Focus area: Financial support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical students, general practice registrars and early-career GP researchers OR research into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.

Objectives: This funding initiative aims to support the advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health through two distinct pathways:

• Award - To provide financial support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical students, general practice registrars or early-career GP researchers to assist with their training and education, professional development, or research endeavours.
• Research grant - To support research projects that contribute to improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, by building the evidence base and encouraging culturally appropriate, community-informed research.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Indigenous Health Award, the applicant/principal investigator must be:

Award pathway

• an Aboriginal or Torres Strait islander medical student, general practice registrar or early career GP researcher
  
  For details on the definition of an early career researcher, please refer to the Information for Applicants handbook (page 6).

Research grant pathway

• a general practitioner or general practice registrar
  
  We encourage applicants at all stages of their research career to apply, and particularly invite more experienced researchers to consider including early career researchers within their teams to continue to build general practice research capacity. 

Selection criteria

Applications will be assessed against the following selection criteria:

Award pathway

• Demonstrated need and potential benefit (40%)
  The proposal should demonstrate need for the funding to support the recipient’s professional growth and impact in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.
  
  
• Relevance and potential for impact (30%)
  The proposal should align with the award's focus area and demonstrate relevance to general practice, demonstrating a strong commitment to improving health outcomes and cultural safety in general practice or broader healthcare settings.
  
  
• Contribution to building capacity in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health (30%)
  The proposal should demonstrate potential to build capacity in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health whether through skill development, training, fostering collaborations, or expanding networks.

Research grant pathway

• Scientific quality of the proposal and methodology (20%)
  The proposal should demonstrate strong scientific foundations, including a clear research question, robust and culturally appropriate methodology, and sound approach to data collection and analysis.
  
  
• Innovation and originality of the project (20%)
  The project should demonstrate originality in its approach, incorporating innovative ideas to address identified unmet needs or gaps in general practice research and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.
  
  
• Relevance and likelihood for translation and impact (20%)
  The proposal should align with the grant objectives and focus area and showcase potential for practical, meaningful outcomes that improve patient care, healthcare systems or community health outcomes.
  
  
• Feasibility of the project (20%)
  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 (20%)
  The project should enhance research capacity within general practice and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, whether through skill development, training, fostering collaborations, or expanding networks.

Applications open Monday, 12 May 2025 at 9:00am (AEST) and close on Friday, 20 June 2025 at 5:00pm (AEST).

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